refuge in the more rocky district toward the south. But, although the destructive influence which war had exercised upon this province was plainly manifested by the site of another town which we passed soon afterward, yet the country was not quite deserted, and even small herds of cattle were observed farther on. Meanwhile the dúm palm became entirely predominant, and rocky cliffs and eminences continued to break the surface; but beyond a rocky ridge, which, dotted with an abundance of monkey-bread-trees, crossed our path, the country became more level and open, enlivened by herds, and exhibiting an uninterrupted tract of cultivation.

Thus we reached the walls of the considerable town of Zékka, and here again we had to make our way with difficulty through the moats which started off from the walls as a sort of outwork, when we pitched our tent on the west side, in the shade of two large dorówa-trees. Even here I did not choose to take up my. quarters inside the town, which was full of people. Besides those detachments which had come along with us, there arrived here also an auxiliary troop of 110 horse from Záriya, together with the governor of U'mmadaú with twenty horsemen. The Kanáwa, or people of Kanó, who were proceeding to Sókoto, had continued their march straight to U'mmadaú, in order to take up their quarters in that place.

Besides numbers of sick people from the town, who came to solicit my medical assistance, I received also a visit in the evening from one of the five governors of the place, who bears the title of serkí-n-Féllani. He came to ask whether I had not for sale another pair of pocket pistols, such as I had given to the governor of Kátsena; for my eccentric friend played with the small arms I had made him a present of all the day long, to the great alarm of every body, so that the rumor of my possessing such articles had spread over the whole of this part of Sudán, and even Kaúra had pestered me greatly on this account.

In the town of Zékka resides also the former governor of the wealthy town or district of Rúma, mentioned repeatedly by Captain Clapperton, but destroyed by the Góberáwa after the period of his travels; that officer still bears the title of serkí-n-Rúma. There was a pond of dirty water near our encampment, but good drinkable water was only to be obtained from a water-course at a considerable distance, which, although dry at present, afforded wells at very little depth in its gravelly bottom.

TREACHERY.-NIGHT MARCH.

95

Saturday, March 26th. We remained here the whole forenoon, as we had now the most difficult part of our journey before us; but, instead of having leisure to prepare myself for an unusual amount of exertion, all my spare time was taken up by a disagreeable business, the governor of Kátsena having succeeded in seducing from my service, in the most disgraceful manner, the Ferjáni Arab, whom I had hired for the whole journey to Timbúktu and back, and whom I could ill afford to lose. This lad, who had accompanied Ibrahím Basha's expedition to Syria, and an expedition to Kordofán, and who had afterward resided with the Welád Slimán for some time in Kánem, might have been of great use to me in case of emergency. But, as it was, I could only be grateful to Providence for ridding me of this faithless rogue at so cheap a rate; and the insidious governor at least had no reason to boast of his conduct, for the Arab, as soon as he found himself well mounted and dressed in a bernús by his new master, took to his heels, and, following the track with which he had become acquainted in my company, succeeded in reaching Zínder, and from thence returned to his native country.

We here separated from most of our companions, the governor of Kátsena, as well as the people from Kanó and Záriya, who were carrying tribute to the Sultan of Sokoto, remaining behind, and only an escort or "rékkia" of fifty horsemen continuing in our company. The hostile army of the Góberáwa being in this neighborhood, the danger of the road farther on was very considerable; and the Kanawa and Zozáwa, or Zegézegé, of whom the latter carried 2,000,000 shells, 500 tobes, and 30 horses, as tribute, were too much afraid of their property to accompany us. There had also arrived a troop of about 100 fatáki with asses laden entirely with the famous dodówa cakes, but they also remained behind.

The governor himself, however, escorted us, for a mile or two, to a large korámma called Mejídi, which no doubt forms one of the branches of the korámma of Búnka, and contains several wells, where we watered our horses and filled our water-skins for a night's march. Fine cotton-grounds and fields of onions fringed the border of the valley.

As soon as we left this winding water-course we entered a dense forest, only occasionally broken by open spots covered with reed grass, and we pursued our march without interruption the whole night, with the exception of a short halt just in the dusk of the evening. I had taken the lead from the beginning; and the gha

ladíma, who was fully sensible of the great advantage of my firearms, sent messenger after messenger to me till he brought me to a stand, and thus managed to get all his slaves and camels in advance, so that I could only proceed very slowly. After a march of little more than twelve miles from the korámma, we entered a fertile and picturesque sort of vale, inclosed toward the north and south by rocky cliffs, and intersected by a narrow strip of succulent herbage, where water is apparently to be found at a little depth. This is the site of the town of Moníya, which had likewise been destroyed by the Góberáwa three years previously. Their army had even encamped here the previous day; and when our companions found the traces of their footsteps, which indicated that they had taken an easterly direction, all the people were seized with fright, and the intention which had been entertained of resting here for a few hours of the night was given up, and with an advanced guard of twenty horse, and a guard of from fifty to sixty, we kept cautiously and anxiously on.

About midnight we again entered a dense forest, consisting chiefly of underwood. We marched the whole night, and emerged in the morning into open cultivated country. We then passed several small hamlets, and, crossing first a small and farther on a larger water-course, reached, a little before nine o'clock, the considerable place Búnka, surrounded by a clay wall about twelve feet in height, and by a half natural, half artificial stockade of dense forest. In this town, the governor of which is directly dependent upon the ghaladíma of Sokoto, my protector had taken quarters; but, true to my old principle, I here also preferred encamping outside, and, turning round the town on the south side, along a very winding and narrow passage, through dense, prickly underwood, I pitched my tent on the west side, in the midst of an open suburb consisting of several straggling groups of huts.

The inhabitants of the village proved to be industrious and sociable, and, soon after we had encamped, brought me several articles for sale, such as good strong ropes, of which we were greatly in want. In general, a traveler can not procure good ropes in these countries, and, for an expedition on a larger scale, he does well to provide himself with this article. The ropes made of ngille' or the dúm bush last only a few days; and those made of hides, which are very useful in the dry season for tying up the legs of the camels, and even for fastening the luggage, are not fit for the rainy season. We also bought here a good supply of tam

arinds, plenty of fowls (for from thirty to forty kurdí each), and a little milk. Part of the inhabitants of this village at least consisted of A'sbenáwa settlers; and they informed us that the army of the Góberáwa had come close to their town, but that they had driven them back.

The town itself, though not large, is tolerably well inhabited, containing a population of about 5000. It is skirted on the east side by a considerable water-course, at present dry, but containing excellent water close under the gravelly surface, and forming a place of resort for numbers of the gray species of monkey.

The approach of the rainy season was indicated by a slight fall of rain.

Monday, March 28th. The ghaladíma, whom the imminence of the danger had induced to fix his departure for the next day, instead of allowing a day for repose, had already gone on in advance a considerable way, when we followed him, and soon after left on our right a large, cheerful-looking hamlet, shaded by splendid trees, and enlivened by numbers of poultry. Extensive cultivated grounds testified to the industry of the inhabitants, who likewise belonged to a tribe of the A'sbenáwa, or rather to a mixed race of people. Having then crossed dense underwood, where the Mimosa Nilotica, here called "elkú," was standing in full blossom, while the ground consisted of sand, we reached, after a march of about a mile, the southeastern corner of the wall of the considerable town of Zýrmi. The water-course of Búnka had been close on our left, providing the inhabitants with a never-failing supply of excellent water, which is found close under the surface of the fine gravel which composes its bed.

Zýrmi is an important town even at present, but, being under the dominion of the Fúlbe, is only capable of preserving its existence by a constant struggle with Góber and Marádi. However, the governor of this town is not now master of the whole of Zánfara, as he was in the time of Captain Clapperton, who visited it on his journey to Sókoto,* the Fúlbe or Féllani having found it more conducive to their policy to place each governor of a walled town in this province under the direct allegiance of Sókoto, in order to prevent the loss of the whole country by the rebellion of a single man. Some ninety or one hundred years ago, before the destruction of the capital, this province was almost the most flourishing country of Negroland; but it is at present divided into a * Clapperton, Second Expedition, p. 150.

VOL. III.-G

number of petty states, each of which follows a different policy; hence it is difficult to know which towns are still dependent upon the dominion of Sokoto, and which adhere to their enemies, the Góberáwa.* The town is still tolerably well inhabited, the western more densely than the eastern quarter.

The direct road leads along the wall, and close beyond passes by the site of the former town Dáda; but, in order to water my horse, I descended into the korámma, which was here encompassed by banks about twenty-five feet high, the gradually-shelving slopes of which were laid out in kitchen gardens, where onions were cultivated. Passing then a tract thickly overgrown with monkey-bread-trees, we traversed a straggling village, the whole appearance of which left a feeling of peace and comfort rather than of the constant state of warfare which prevails in this country. But every thing in human life depends on habitude; and these poor people, not knowing any better, bear the state of insecurity to which they are exposed without uneasiness.

Numerous neat cottages were just being built; and the western end of the village especially, being adorned by several groups of the gónda-tree, or Erica Papaya, had a very pleasant appearance. Dyeing-pits are not wanting in any of the larger towns of Zánfara; and a numerous herd of cattle met our view close beyond the village.

When we again reached the direct road, the neighborhood of our friends was distinctly indicated by a very strong and not quite aromatic smell, which proceeded from the luggage of those of the caravan of native traders (or fatáki) who had attached themselves to our troop in Zékka, leaving their more cautious brethren behind. The merchandise of these small traders consisted, for the most part, of those vegetable cakes called dodówa, which I have mentioned repeatedly, and which constitute an important article of trade, as the dorówa or Parkia, from the fruit of which those cakes are made, thrives in great abundance in the province of Zegzeg, while it is comparatively rare in the provinces of Kebbi and Góber. Three thousand of these cakes constitute an ass-load, and each of them in general is sold in Sókoto for five kurdí, having been bought on the spot for one urí; so that the profit, being not less than 500 per cent., makes this commerce attractive for poor people, notwithstanding the dangerous state to which this

For farther details on this subject, see Appendix I.; and for an outline of the history of Zánfara, see the Chronological Tables