LEAVE SAY.

537 and, what was still more, in consequence of the rebellious state of the Province of Déndino, which at the time made any intercourse along the river impossible for so small a troop as I had then under my command. At this season of the year, moreover, it would be impracticable, even if the country were in a tranquil state, to keep close along the banks of the river.

This time also I had succeeded in crossing the river without any accident, with the single exception that a camel which belonged to one of my companions was so obstinate that it was found impossible to induce it to enter the boats, which were not of the same size as those of the preceding year. It was thus forced to cross the river by swimming alongside, and arrived in the most exhausted state, the river being about 900 yards across. The nearest village being too far off, we were obliged to encamp for the night on the gentle grassy slope of the bank, which, a little above and below the place of embarkation, forms steep cliffs of about 80 feet elevation. The evening was beautiful, and the scenery of the river, with the feathery dúm palms on the opposite shore, was lovely in the extreme, and well adapted to leave on my mind a lasting impression of the magnificent watery high road which Nature has opened into the heart of this continent. Thus I took leave of the Niger.

Thursday, 3d August. We now commenced our journey along our former well-known path, which, however, in the richer garment of vegetable life in which Nature had decked herself out, presented now a very different aspect, and after a march of six miles we reached the village of Tóndifú, surrounded by fine crops of millet, which were almost ripe and of the very remarkable height of fifteen to twenty feet. In order to protect their property from the attacks of the numberless swarms of birds, almost the whole population was scattered through this forest-like plantation, and kept up such a continual noise and clamor that it had quite an alarming effect, more especially as the people were concealed from view.

Having then kept along the faddama as far as the village of Tanna, we left our former route for a more northerly direction, and after a march of five miles reached the miserable remains of a hamlet called Jidder, which the preceding year had been ransacked and entirely destroyed by the Jermábe, as the inhabitants of Zerma, or Zabérma, are called by the Fúlbe. But the fine crops around testified to the natural fertility of the soil. In this

village, which has a well surrounded by dúm palms, it had been our intention to halt; but, through a ridiculous misunderstanding of my Méjebri companion, who never could shorten the march sufficiently, but who this time was punished for his troublesome conduct, we continued on, and, leaving the village of Hari-bango at some distance on our right, did not reach another hamlet till after a march of about five miles more. This place, which is called Mínge, had been likewise ransacked by the enemy in the turbulent state of the country, and exhibited a most miserable appearance; but here also there was a good deal of cultivation, and I was not a little astonished at finding, in such a desolate place, a man who was retailing meat in his hut, but on farther inquiry it proved to be the flesh of a sick animal, a few head of cattle having remained in the possession of the inhabitants.

In order to avoid sleeping in the dirty huts, I had pitched my tent on the grassy ground, but was so much persecuted by a species of hairy ant, such as I had not observed before, that I obtained almost less sleep than the preceding night on the banks of the Niger, where musquitoes had swarmed.

Friday, August 4th. This day brought me to Támkala; my camels pursuing a shorter and I a more circuitous route, but both arriving at the same time at the gate of this town. It had been my intention from the beginning to visit this place, but the turbulent state of the country had induced me the year before to follow a more direct road, and I did not learn until now that on that occasion A'bú el Hassan, as soon as he heard of my approach, had sent four horsemen to Gárbo in order to conduct me to his presence, but they did not arrive till after I had left that place. The town of Támkala, which gives great celebrity to this region, had suffered considerably during the revolution of Zabérma; and if the bulky crops of native corn (which were just ripe) had not hid the greater part of the town from view, it would most probably have presented even a more dilapidated appearance; for not only was the wall which surrounded the place in a great state of decay, but even the house of the governor himself was reduced almost to a heap of ruins. It was rather remarkable that, as I approached the building, a female slave, of rather light yellowish color, saluted me, the white man, in a familiar manner, as if I had been a countryman and co-religionist of hers. She belonged, I think, to a tribe to the south of A'damáwa.

Having then paid our respects to the governor, we returned to

our quarters, which, although not so objectionable in themselves, were so closely surrounded by the crops that we could scarcely find a spot to tie up our horses; and the huts were so full of all sorts of vermin that I scarcely got a moment's repose during my stay here. Besides the common plague of different species of ants and numberless swarms of musquitoes, to my great surprise I

bound the place also full of fleas, an insect which I had not seen

since I had left Kúkawa, and which formerly was believed to be entirely wanting in Negroland. Thus I had sufficient reason to lament that I had here been obliged to take up my quarters inside the town, the place being situated at the brink of a swampy valley, the dallul Bosso filled at present with water and dúm palms, and the crops surrounding the wall so closely that no space was left to pitch a tent.

It was just market-day, but, besides meat, sour milk, tobacco, and pepper, nothing was to be got. Millet was very dear; indeed, the poor state of the market was well adapted to confirm the report that the greater part of the inhabitants were subsisting on the fruit of the dúm palm. However, I had no affairs to transact in this town besides paying my compliments to the governor, and therefore was not compelled to make a long stay. But my business with the latter was of rather a peculiar character, the people assuring me that he was very angry with me for not having paid him a visit the previous year. My companions, the followers of the sheikh, even wanted to make me believe that he objected to see me at all; but I entertained a strong suspicion that this was only a petty trick played by them to further their own interest; for, being supplied by the sheikh with a present for this governor, they wanted to claim for themselves all the merit of the visit. Having declared that if the governor did not want to see me, he should certainly not obtain a present from me, I very speedily obtained an audience, and was so graciously received that I could scarcely believe that he had entertained any hostile feeling toward me, for on my entrance he rose from his seat, or divan, made of reed, and met me at the door.

Responding to his cordiality in the most friendly manner, I told him that only the most urgent circumstances and the advice of my own guide, the messenger of Khalílu, had induced me the preceding year to act contrary to my own well-determined principle, which was to make friendship with all governors possessed of power and authority along my road, and that, in consequence

of his warlike disposition and straightforward and chivalrous character, he had become known to me long before, and occupied the first rank among those whom I intended to visit. My speech, backed by a tolerable present, made a very favorable impression upon the governor, especially when he understood that it was I who had induced the sheikh to honor him with a mission; and he entered into a very friendly conversation, admitting that the Jermábe, or the inhabitants of Zerma, had really pressed him very severely the last year, till he had at last succeeded in vanquishing their host and killing a great number of them.

We then read to him the letter of the sheikh, who bestowed great praise upon my character, and recommended me in the most favorable terms. Sídi A'hmed made a most eloquent speech, especially as regarded the sanctity and learning of his master, who, he said, was very anxious te establish peaceable intercourse along the Niger, and wanted A'bú el Hassan to prevent the Berber tribe of the Kél-gerés and Dínnik from continuing their predatory expeditions upon the territory and against the people of Alkúttabu. The energetic governor, feeling flattered by these compliments, took very graciously the hints which my eloquent friend threw out, that, besides his other noble efforts, the sheikh had no objection to having homage paid to his exalted position by a small number of decent presents; and two of the pupils of the sheikh, Mohammed ben Mukhtár and Máleki, were pointed out to him as the persons who would remain here, in order to receive at his hand the presents destined for the sheikh at the earliest possible opportunity. This whole business having been transacted in the presence of only one or two of his most confidential friends, the governor had all his courtiers again called in, when Sídi A'hmed read to them the poem in which the sheikh had satirized the chief of Hamda Alláhi, A'hmedu ben A'hmedu, on account of his not being able to catch me, which caused a great deal of merriment, but of course could only be appreciated by those who had a very good knowledge of Arabic, of which the greater part of the audience probably did not understand a single word. It was rather a curious circumstance that these people should express their satisfaction at the failure of an undertaking of their own countrymen.

Altogether A'bú el Hassan made a favorable impression upon me. He was by no means a man of stately appearance or of commanding manners, and his features wanted the expressive cast which in general characterizes the Fúlbe; and being destitute of

POSITION OF ABU' EL HASSAN.

541

any beard, he looked much younger than he really was, as his age can certainly not be much under sixty. His skin was very fair, and his dress of great simplicity, consisting of a shirt and turban of white color, the red bernús which my companions had presented to him only hanging loosely from his shoulders. He is a native of the island of Ansóngho, where his forefathers were settled from ancient times, and it is entirely owing to his personal courage and his learning that he has reached the position he now occupies. A'bú el Hassan seems fully to deserve to be under the orders of a more energetic liege lord than the monkish and lazy Khalílu, who allows his kingdom to be shattered to pieces, and in any attempt to ascend the Niger the Governor of Támkala is of considerable importance. The principal weakness of his position consists in his want of horses, as he is thus prevented from following up the partial successes which he at times obtains over his enemies.

Having thus met with full success in our transactions with the governor, we left the audience-hall (which struck me by its simple. mode of architecture), consisting of a long narrow room covered with a gabled roof thatched with reed, such as are common in Yoruba. On returning to my quarters I distributed my last presents among those of my companions who were to remain here, and handed them a letter for the sheikh, wherein I again assured him of my attachment to his family, and expressed the hope that, even at a great distance, we might not cease to cultivate our mutual friendship.

It had been our intention this time to choose the road by Junju, the place which I have mentioned before as lying on the northern part of the course of the dallul Máuri; but the governor advised us urgently to avoid this place, which, being only of small size, and not strong enough to follow a certain line of policy, was open to the intrigues of friends as well as enemies.

Sunday, August 6th. Before we started the governor sent me a camel as a present, but I gave it to my companions, although my own animals were in a very reduced state. There was a good deal of cultivation along the track which we pursued, but the irregular way in which the crops had sprung up did not seem to testify to any considerable degree of care and industry: but my people argued that famished men, like the distressed inhabitants of this town, did not possess sufficient energy for cultivating the ground.

Following a southerly direction, we approached nearer the bor