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EL BAKA'Y'S LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.

767 the high-minded, the son of Bello, the Imám ben 'Othmán, the perfect. For, lo! my guest is a guest of theirs, who has nothing to fear from them, since they profess obedience to God,* and know that he protects the ordinances. And especially, as their lord, the Imám Mohammed Bello-God favor him!-said to me, and wrote to me with his own hand, that he and his kingdom were at my disposal so long as it was strung on his string;† therefore I have authority, and I admonish you about my and your guest, indeed about whatever Englishman shall come after him, whether he come to me, or pass near you, or abide among you for a time and then return. And what I demand and charge you, the same injunction I lay upon my brethren (though I have not seen them with my eyes, I have seen them by my faith, and I count kindred with them by the ties of religion), the people of Bórnu, especially the Sheikh 'Omár ben Mohammed, the Emír, the Just. Then let not that which is dreaded hinder you. Lo! he is a distinguished man among the Christians.§ However there are between us and them such protectors of El Islám and champions of the peoples (the Christians), that if they break through them to get at us, and attack us, there is no good of life, and no sufficiency in a host. But God is our reliance: surely He outwits every deceiver, betrays every traitor, and makes every unbeliever a liar; for he says in his book, to us and to His Prophet, God is your stay, and those of the believers that follow you.' 'If they try to deceive you, then God is your support. It is He that has strengthened you with His help, and with the faithful, and has united their hearts.'** It is then by the religion of God that we are exalted and are victorious. Religion is weak only through its professors. The blessing of the Book of God and the blessing of His Prophet be on us and with us. So let not fear seize any Moslim that they should deceive him and cheat him, on the ground that there is rebellion against the cause of God among them, and that the Sunna of His Prophet is violated among them. And whatever there is of slaughter and battle with him, let him suppress it for its day; for the weakest of men in sense, and the mightiest of them in ignorance, is he who rushes to evil when its season has not come, and who is no match for it on the day when it arrives. And as for me, brethren, I have written for the Englishman specially a general safe-conduct, in which I have included every one in my land, and have added thereto your land, in reliance on your religion and your sure conviction, and in dependence on your intelligence and humanity. Do you then write for him as I have written, on the condition of our being subject to our Imam, our Lord 'Abd e' Rahmán, and our Sultan, 'Abd el Mejíd; and be not like the people of Nukkuma, for they are like the deaf and dumb, since they are offensive to me. Lo! I love my guest the Christian. Be careful that he be not hindered in any thing; for the Prophet used to love the Kuraish, in spite of their unbelief in him and their hostility to him. God says, "There has come to you a Prophet from yourselves; grievous to him is your wickedness; he is anxious about you. '‡‡ And he said to him, Thou wilt not direct whomsoever thou lovest.'§§ And he used to love his uncles, and to delight in their conversion to El Islám, especially A'bú Táleb; except that he knew the decrees of God about the community, and was liable to them together with the community. The most ignorant of men is he who is ignorant of the Book of his Lord and the Sunna of His Prophet, so that he licenses for himself what is unlawful, and forbids what is lawful, and draws near to Him with that which removes him to a distance from Him, and keeps aloof from that which brings him near to Him, who fancies that he does well as to his actions while he does evil as to what is enjoined. God is not worshiped by any act (or rite) but what He has ordered, and is not approached by a worshiper that he should remit any thing but what is remitted. Now salutation is what is reiterated to you, and honor is what is wished to you. Farewell."

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APPENDIX XV.

CHIEF TOWNS AND RESIDENCES OF THE INDEPENDENT SONGHAY BETWEEN THE NIGER AND MY ROUTE BY YAʼGHA AND LIBTA'KO.

Kulman, a large place, the name of which has already become known in Europe through the information of other travelers, in consequence of its great importance as a well-inhabited strong town, as also as a frequented market. The chief part of the inhabitants belong to the tribe of the Kóizé, with the chief (koy) Foní, the son of A'rkosú (A'rkosú izze), or, as the Tawárek call him, ag A'rkosú. It may now be laid down in the map with tolerable accuracy, being said to be distant from Tongi (see p. 499) thirty miles to the west.

Téra, the town mentioned already by Ahmed Bábá, said to be even larger than Kulman, and the very largest of the ksúr of the free Songhay, equaling the city of Timbuktu in size, four days from Tongi S.W., two from Dóre E.N.E. The inhabitants wear their hair in long tresses, and possess a good many horses; they are totally independent.

Darghol, residence of the Songhay princes, the descendants of the A'skíá or Síkkíá, the chief of whom at the present day is Koy Kálmia; the inhabitants very warlike, armed with shield, spear, and sword, like the Tawárek. But the energy of these Songhay is counterpoised and baffled by the disunion which prevails among themselves, the inhabitants of Darghol waging war with those of Téra, who do not acknowledge their supremacy. The position of this important town, I am sorry to say, I am not able to determine even approximately. It is very desirable that a European traveler should explore this whole region.

The most important of the other towns of the Songhay are: Kósa; Tákala, ruled by Hawa, a woman (even in Timbuktu, before the conquest of the town by the Fulbe, a woman is said to have exercised the chief influence); Dorógun; Kánseka-koira, Bókar-koira (both called after their chiefs); Kúrchi, with the chief Hemma; Tézi; Góroshí; Karta; Kákaru, or Bámbelokoire (called from the chief, Bambelo; a powerful community, dominating the neighboring towns and villages); Bangúm; Kerégu; Fómbiten, with the chief Hamma Fómbit; Kánfulí; Hammakoire; Syrbi; Larba (the town mentioned in a preceding part of this volume, said to be as large as Say, with which and Támkala it was intimately allied at the time of the rising of the Reformer 'Othmán, and offered the most determined resistance); Sífada, Bargúl; Kasánni; Alikónchi; Garubánda; Kongozekoire; Wozebángo; Sátumen; Wósolo; Badduléji; Barrobónghala; Kalobánda.

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