Thursday, 21st.—In the morning I sent to the sultan to take possession of my baggage, as it now appeared from Sidi Sheik, who early visited me, that they considered I was conveying guns and warlike stores to the sheik of Bornou. He sent to say that no one should touch my baggage; he only wanted to see the letter of Lord Bathurst to the sheik. I answered, they must take it if they pleased, but that I would not give it. At noon the Gadado arrived, and a short while after Hadji Hat Salah; the latter called on me as he went to his house. He declared that he knew not on what business they had sent for him; that he did not fear them, he had done nothing amiss. As there were too many persons around, I did not ask him any further questions, and instantly went to the Gadado, whom I found alone, sitting by a warm fire. After the usual compliments were over, I asked him for what reason the sultan had sent for my baggage. He said of that he had not the least knowledge, until my servants and baggage had arrived at Magaria; but the sultan had told him, since his return, that all he wanted was to see the letter to the sheik of Bornou. I told him that to give up the letter was more than my head was worth. He said they did not want to open the letter, they only wanted to see the direction, and if it was really from Lord Bathurst. I told him of the strange conversation of Ben Gumso and Sidi Sheik. He said, certainly such was not the message of the sultan, but an addition of their own; the sultan never sent to ask if I was really a messenger of the king of England.
At 3 P.M. my servant Richard arrived with my baggage and Pascoe. Richard had been very ill on the road, but had received every attention from the people in the different towns in which he had halted, and also from the messenger which the sultan of Kano had sent to accompany him, who had also given him five bullocks, and four men to accompany him and carry the baggage, and a camel which Hadji Salah had bought for me, for 60,000 cowries. The price of the bullocks was 12,000 each, and the pay of the men 4,000 cowries each. Richard’s account of Pascoe was as follows:—The second day after Pascoe’s first desertion, he, though very ill, secured all my baggage and goods in a secure room in the house, and went and gave Hadji Salah the key, declaring he must be answerable to me if any thing was lost, as he was going to bring Pascoe back. Hadji Salah advised him much not to go; but Richard, with the Arab servant whom I had left sick, and who was now recovered, mounting the two horses, took the road to Quorra, the capital of Zegzeg. When they arrived at the town of Aushur, in Zegzeg, they were informed by a person who had just arrived that Pascoe had been firing a pistol in the market-place in the town of Roma, a day’s journey ahead. They arrived at Roma, where the people informed them that Pascoe had been there, but had gone away. Richard stopped there that night, as the horses were unable to proceed. A short time after halting, some people came and informed him that he (Pascoe) was stopping in a woman’s house near the market-place. Richard immediately sent people to the gates of the town to stop him, if he attempted to depart. Richard was too ill to go to the house, but sent Abdulfitha, the Arab, and some other people to secure him, and bring him to the house, which they did, and he promised faithfully to behave well for the future; and Richard had him put inside of the hut, he and the Arab sleeping at the door. Next day they departed with their prisoner for Kano; but when within half a day’s journey of Kano, where they halted for the night, during the time Richard was asleep, Pascoe slipped out of the hut, taking with him all the arms and money Richard had. He immediately mounted, and as he had now neither money nor arms, he started for Kano, where he arrived early in the morning, and told Hadji Salah to send instantly after him, which he did, and Pascoe was brought back in two days after, and put in irons in a house in Richard’s charge until the arrival of the governor of Kano, when Richard set him at large, after his taking an oath before the governor that he would not run away, or misbehave, until he joined me: this was the day before Richard’s departure from Kano. After leaving Kano, Richard was nearly dead with fatigue, weakness, and watching; but the fourth day he got better. Ten days after Richard arrived at the Sanson, or town, called Fofin Birnee, bordering on Goobur and the territory of the rebels of Zamfra. Here he was waiting for an escort to take him through the part of the road infested by the rebels of Goobur and Zamfra, when Pascoe, the third night after their arrival at the Sanson, took an opportunity, when Richard was asleep, of breaking open one of my trunks and a gun-box, taking a double-barrelled gun, five gilt chains, two dozen and a half pairs of scissors, all my money, a brace of pistols, seven hundred needles, one dozen of penknives, and a large quantity of beads. Richard immediately gave the alarm, and the people of the town were sent after him directly: they returned with him the next night. He having taken the road towards Goobur, and the hyænas being numerous, and following him, he got up into a tree, and fired his newly-acquired gun at them, the report of which brought those in search of him to the place, when they brought him back, and pinioned him to the ground, and abused him very much. When Richard asked what the Fellatas were saying, he said they were cursing Richard for having him pinioned to the ground, but Richard would not have him let loose. On his arrival here, the Gadado asked me to forgive him: I told him that was impossible. They allow him to go at large, and he stops in the house of the Gadado’s master of the camels. When I saw him, he appeared as if nothing had been the matter. I forbad my servants holding any communication with him.
Friday, 22d.—In the morning the Gadado sent for Allah Sirkie to tell me the sultan wished to see Richard my servant, as he had never seen another Christian besides myself; and he also wished to see me, and I was to bring the sheik’s letter, which he by no means wished to take from me, or to open; he only wished to see how we addressed him, and if it was in a tin case like his. I went after the mid-day prayers with the Gadado, taking with me my servant Richard, whom they all called Insurah Coramina, or the little Christian, and Allah Sirkie, to the sultan’s, where we found him sitting in an inner room, better dressed than usual, and Mohamed Ben Hadji Gumso and Sidi Sheik sitting on his left: the Gadado sat down on his right, I with my servants in front. After his asking Richard and I how we were, and a few other questions, he then said he had sent Ben Hadji Gumso and Sidi Sheik to me, to inform me that he had sent for my people and baggage. Before he had not informed me, but now he would tell me how matters stood. The king of England had sent me to him, but I wished to go to the Sheik of Bornou: that between him and the sheik there was war; and therefore, though I had come from the king of England, he would not allow me to go: that there were three roads, out of which I must choose one; and he would send people with me; one road was the way I had come, the second by way of Timbuctoo, and the third by way of Aghadiz and Fezzan. I answered, that by the way I had come he could not send me, nor was it safe I should attempt it, as all Yourriba and the other countries at war with the Fellatas were now well acquainted with my having come here as a messenger, with presents from the king of England to him, for the purpose of putting a stop to the slave trade. That the way by Timbuctoo was almost impassable, for the Fellatas from Foota-Torra and Foota-Bonda, &c. who had arrived here a short while ago, had with the greatest difficulty been allowed to come here with nothing but a staff and a shirt, and had been twelve months on the road, owing to the war; and that, were I to go, all the country would hear of me, and his enemies would have me and all my baggage before I had been two months on the road. That the road by Aghadiz would require a number of camels, more than I could afford to buy at present, also a great deal of provisions, water-skins, &c. as there was no place for seven days’ journey that supplied either wood or water: that the Tuaricks were a people without either law or government; and if they did allow me to go, I should have to pay very dear for their permission, at least two camel-loads of blue tobes and turbans; but if he would allow me to go by the way of Baghermi, Darfoor, and Egypt, I would go at all risks. He replied that was just going by way of Bornou, as I must pass through from Adamawa to Logan. “With truth,” said old Ben Gumso with great earnestness to Sidi Sheik, and loud enough for the sultan to hear, “do you hear how that man talks before the prince of the faithful?” He, the sultan, then asked to see the sheik’s letter; I showed it to him, as also the Arabic list of medicines which I had brought as far as Badagry for the sheik, but had sent them back. He asked me to open the sheik’s letter, after he had read the list of medicines. I said, it was more than my head was worth to do such a thing; that I had come to him with a letter and presents from the king of England, on the faith of his own letter the preceding year, and I hoped he would not break his promises and his word for the sake of seeing the contents of that letter which he had now lying beside him. He then made a motion with his hand for me to go, and I accordingly rose, made my bow, and went out: I saw Pascoe at the door, ready to have his audience, the Gadado accompanying me as far as the door. Instead of going to my house, I went to see Hadji Salah, who certainly was but poorly lodged by the Fellatas. I asked him, as there was none present but the son of the former sultan of Fezzan, and whom he had brought from Kano with him, what had brought him to Soccatoo? He said, they had not yet told him, but he did not care for them. The house, as soon as it was known that I was there, was soon filled with Fellatas, and I left him.
Saturday, 23d.—Hadji Salah to-day saw the sultan, and I was informed by the master of my house that he was to return to Kano in four days after this. In the evening, Hadji Salah, having asked the Gadado’s permission to pay me a visit, came about eight P.M.: he was not watched, that I could see. He informed me that he had seen the sultan to-day, who had desired him to tell the truth, whether I had given him the sheik’s present, or any thing for the sheik before I left Kano. He said he certainly never received any thing from me for the sheik, neither letter, nor goods, nor any thing else. After answering to this effect, as also the two friends that had come with him, the sultan told him it was well; he would allow him to return to his family in four days. He said, with respect to me, he would advise me, as a friend and a man of peace, to give up to them the present I had for the sheik, and return home by the way of Aghadiz, which they had proposed to me; that there was not a Fellata, from the sultan to the meanest man amongst them, that could bear the sheik of Bornou, or any one who had ever been friends with him; that, thank God! I had put nothing into his hands for the sheik, or he would have lost his head; that he would (most earnestly repeating it again) advise me to give up the sheik’s present to them, as I could not keep it. I observed that it was the same thing as forcing the letter from me; it would be the last injury they could do me; that they had broken all faith with me; I could have no more to say to them: after their cheating or robbing me of the letter, they might take what they pleased. I was only one man, I could not fight against a nation: they could not, even by taking away my life, do worse with me than they had done.
Sunday, 24th.—I saw the Gadado this morning, who complained that he had got a bad cold: I recommended him to take a dose of senna. He said he had to ride out of town a short distance, to meet Mohamed Ben Abdullahir, Bello’s first cousin by the father’s side: he is the Fellata king or sultan of Nyffé, and is coming here to get permission to go down this year, as before he had sent only a relation or head chief to command there, which was Omar Zurmie, whom I had seen when there. He asked me to go with him to meet Abdullahir. I told him no; my affairs with them were now at an end: after the manner in which the sultan had behaved to me, it was impossible for them to put a greater affront on me than what they had done. He said that when I came here before, I had come with letters from the Bashaw of Tripoli and the Sheik of Bornou, and that at that time they were all at peace; now they were at war, and the sultan neither held, nor allowed others to hold, any communication with the sheik or his people: that I had come then with a letter and presents from the king, and delivered them; that I had a letter and presents from the king of England’s vizier; that when I sent the sword from Katagum to Bello, from the king of England, the Sheik of Bornou had seized the letter that came with it, and they had now done the same by him; and that, if I would give up the present, they would send it by Hadji Salah. I said there was no letter whatever came with the sword and box I had sent from Katagum. I observed to him, that the conduct of Bello was not like that of a prince of the faithful, who, in defiance of his letter requesting the king of England to send a consul out, had broken all faith between us; that they had done every evil to me they could. The Gadado pleaded the letters sent from the Sheik and the two Hadjis of Tripoli, saying that I was a spy, and that we wanted to take this country, as we had done India. He was very sorry for what the sultan had done, he said—as sore at heart as I could be: that they had sent for Hadji Salah, who had been fourteen years in this country, and all that time transacting the business of the Sheik, to tell him, if he chose to go to Bornou, to go; if he remained, he must not interfere any more for the Sheik. I said, what had I to do with the Sheik or Hadji Salah’s affairs? he was my agent before, and that was the reason I had employed him a second time. I then took leave of the Gadado, after repeating to him what I had said above, two or three times, till he perfectly understood what I had said; and adding, that I never wished to see the sultan again, and I must insist on the Gadado to repeat to him what I had said; and also that I must for the future consider every part of his dominions as a prison, for he had broken his word in every thing. Notwithstanding all this, the Gadado and his brother Moodie still send me milk and food the same as usual; there is not the least difference in their conduct. The common conversation of the town now is, that the English intend to take Houssa.
Monday, 25th.—Being Christmas-day, I gave my servant Richard one sovereign out of six I have left, as a Christmas gift; for he is well deserving, and has never once shown a want of courage or enterprise unworthy an Englishman. The Gadado early sent to know how I was, and desired my servant to tell me he had acquainted the sultan with all I had said; and he inquired if my heart was difficult as ever, which is their way of asking if I meant to talk in the same strong language. Pascoe was to-day sent to the house of Ben Hadji Gumso, from that of the Gadado’s servant, with all his baggage; whether for the purpose of fishing him or making him say what they want, or to make him a slave, I do not know. He made a fair recantation of his faith to-day before an Imam and the Gadado: the latter told him, when he had done, to go and wash himself from head to foot—that yesterday he was a Kaffir, but now he was friends with the prophet. I had provisions sent as usual in the evening.
Tuesday, 26th.—Early this morning I was visited by Hadgi Salah and Malem Moodie, the Gadado’s brother. They said they had been sent by the sultan, who had read the letter addressed to the Sheik, in which it was said that I had six guns for the Sheik, two boxes of balls and one box of powder, and one chest of goods as presents, and they were come to demand them. I said it was untrue; no such thing could have been put in the letter, for that the guns belonged to myself and servants, except those of the gentlemen who accompanied me, and who had died in Yourriba, and two others as presents: this falsehood they must have had from their friend Pascoe. The present I had intended to give the Sheik I had all ready prepared, and the Gadado entering, I ordered my servants to bring it forth: the Gadado, looking over the articles, said he did not want any thing of mine; whatever belonged to the Sheik they would take, for he was making a very unjust war upon them, and they would not allow any one to carry arms or warlike stores to him. I told the Gadado that they were acting like robbers towards me, in defiance of all good faith; that no people in the world would act the same, and they had far better have cut my head off than done such an act; but I supposed they would do that also when they had taken every thing from me. The Gadado flew off in a great passion, and the rest followed, carrying the present for the Sheik with them. Hadji Salah said he was afraid they would cut his head off, and he was a man with a large family; he would from this time forward have no further concern with me or my affairs. A short while after this, Hadji Salah and his attendants came with a message from the sultan, to say the sultan had ordered them to tell me that he did not wish to do any thing or say any thing unpleasant to me; all he wanted was to know if I had any arms or warlike stores for the Sheik—if I had, to give them up: I told him all I had for the Sheik they had already taken. Hadji Salah wanted me to give up all my own arms: I told him I would not give one. He said, I was once, he thought, a wise man, now I acted like an unwise one, not to give up all to save my head: I told him I would not give them a charge of powder to save my head. They went off displeased again.
My servants and all my visitors fell off at this time. My servants said they were afraid to remain, even Allah Sirkie. This cowardice and ingratitude I did not expect from one I had found a slave, with only a leather skin about his middle, and whom I had clothed, fed, given him wages the same as my other servants from the day I bought him, and made him free. I told them they were at perfect liberty to go where they thought proper; that I could soon get others who, after the manner in which I had behaved to them, could not behave worse: they however returned in the evening, and begged I would take them back, which I did; as lies, and ingratitude, and petty robbery, no servant who is a native of Houssa, Fezzan, or Bornou, is free from.
Thursday, 28th.—The Gadado left to-day for Magaria: before he went, he told me he should not stay long away; that if any thing unpleasant happened to me during his absence, to send an express off to him directly. In the afternoon the sultan left for the Sansan or new town, which he is building. He sent, by Sidi Sheik, to ask me to go and show him the way to build a house and fortify it; but as I did not believe what he said, I took no notice of the message. It afterwards turned out that Sidi Sheik had a relation who had lately arrived, who was a builder, and he wanted to introduce him to the sultan.
Friday, 29th.—I applied a large blister to my side, as, from the enlargement of the spleen, it gave me great pain, having increased to such a size that I was unable to eat, and had little or no rest.
Sunday, 14th January, 1827.—No news from Magaria. After sunset, a messenger with a horse for me arrived from the Gadado at Magaria, wishing me to go there.
Monday, 15th.—Started at sunrise for Magaria; but I was so ill on the road that I did not arrive there before 5 P.M. All the reports of the enemy being near proved untrue.
Tuesday, 16th.—Waited on the Gadado and sultan. The latter told me, as soon as the reports of the rebels being out were found to be true or false, I should go; that he intended I should go by the way of Asbur, and that I should visit the country of Jacoba during the interval; that he should send a Fellata to Tripoli with me. I returned in the afternoon, and arrived at Soccatoo a little after sunset.
Wednesday, 17th.—A small gaffle of Arabs arrived to-day from Timbuctoo, one of whom had seen Major Laing, who, he said, had lost his hand in an attack which the Tuaricks had made on him and his servants during the night, and that his servants, a Jew and a Christian, had got severely wounded.
Saturday, 20th.—Sent Richard to Magaria with a letter to the Gadado, urging him to apply to the sultan for permission to visit Jacoba and the southern parts of Houssa, that I might be able to ascertain whether and where the Quorra fell into the sea.
Friday, 26th.—Light airs, with a slight haze; at 8 strong breezes from the E.N.E. The sultan sent to inform me that a courier had arrived from the sultan of Kano, informing him of the sheik being only a day’s journey to the south of that place; and the Sultan Bello wished to know if, after such intelligence, I wished to go to Kashna. Sidi Sheik was the bearer of the message. I, of course, said I should remain where I was at present, without making any observations, as the news might be untrue, and it was only a catch to get at my intentions.
Saturday, 27th.—Cool and clear. At day-break the Gadado arrived from Magaria. In the forenoon I visited him, when he told me he was going to Kano: he said that as soon as every thing was settled he would write for me to come; but that I had better remain where I was until the sheik had returned, who was at Sangia, on his way to Kano. It seems the sheik, before he entered the territory of Houssa, had sent to the governors of Katagum, Hadiga, Lamema, and Kano, to say he was not at war with Bello or his people, but at peace; that he had only come to take Mohamed Mungo and Mohamed Nema, two of the Fellata chiefs on the frontiers, who were constantly invading Bornou, and carrying off the inhabitants and cattle. Instead however of looking after these chiefs, he entered the province of Shena, took all the people and cattle he could lay his hands on, and was now on his march to Kano, trying to cut off the sultan, who was at Dushie, the frontier town, to assist Hadgi Katagum in case of attack; but on hearing that the sheik was on his march to Kano, he had returned to secure that important city.
Sunday, 28th.—Clear and cloudless sky. Took leave of the Gadado, as he goes to Kano to-morrow to take command of the forces. The whole of the Fellatas are in the greatest state of alarm, as they expect the whole of the blacks will join the sheik, as also the Tuaricks: they are now busily employed in getting their grain into Soccatoo, expecting an attack here.
Monday, 29th.—The Gadado did not leave until the afternoon. The sultan, and every one that could muster a horse, besides a number on foot, accompanied him as far as the river side, which runs to the north, on the east of Soccatoo: here they repeated the fatha, after which all those not going to accompany him returned.
Thursday, February 8th.—Having taken leave of the sultan, I put all my baggage, except one trunk and the canteen, into the Gadado’s house, as well to prevent robbery as to guard against fires, which are very common in Soccatoo; taking my two camels and all my servants for Magaria. At 8 A.M. one of my camels being sickly and weak, we travelled very slowly until 3 P.M., when I halted at a village near the road-side, where the head man gave me a hut to sleep in; and the river being about two miles distant to the north, we sent the camels out to feed, and left Richard and Allah Sirkie to pitch the tent and take care of the horses. I went down to the river side with the gun, to look at the hunting ground: I was attended by Malem Moodie, the owner of the village, on horseback, and about twenty of his slaves. He is the only free man in the village, which consists of about seventy men, women, and children. After descending the rocky and gravelly side of the hill over which the road lies, I came upon the flat, which spreads out about four miles to the foot of the high ground or low hills. On the north side, the river overflows all the flat during the rains; and the former course of the river has left several pools and beautiful lakes of water. The soil in the flat is generally a blue clay and mould to a depth of from three to four feet; in the upper parts planted with cotton and gourds, and the other parts, during the rains, with rice, which is of a very good quality. The river runs at this place in a narrow winding bed, about twelve feet deep; the banks sandy below the strata of clay and mould; and the falling of trees, and the looseness of the soil, cause it often to shift its bed through the flats or swamps in the rainy season. The acacia trees were in blossom, and the traces of elephants were numerous. I saw only three antelopes, but great numbers of guinea-fowl, which were too wild to come near, as they are so much hunted by the young Fellatas; so I returned without any thing. I was very anxious to have shot a wild boar, of which there were great numbers; but Malem Moodie was quite shocked at the thought of my wanting the skin, so that he would not, I suppose, have let me or my people have any supper if I had touched it; though he had no objection to my shooting as many as I pleased of their Kaffirs and Eblis. I returned to my hut in the village, when the Malem, at meal-time, sent me a large store-pudding, and gravy made of butter and the leaves of the adansonia, with corn for my horses.
Friday, 9th.—After day-light, left the village of Malem Moodie, having given his female slaves who brought the pudding and millet the full price in cowries, and the old Malem two gora nuts: the old man was quite pleased with the present, and accompanied me a little distance on the road, calling at two other villages on the road-side to show his guest to the people. Though they have seen me fifty times, every man and woman, for twenty miles round Soccatoo, still their curiosity is as great as ever, examining my dress, and the dress of my servant Richard; the buttons of brass they always call gold: also my English bridles, and the cloth of my trousers, and my coat, which is a striped printed dressing-gown, draw the attention of all the women, young and old, who beg always a piece of the same to tie round their heads: all good things, they say, we have got. They call me the big Christian, and my servant Richard the little Christian: my old name of Abdulla is seldom used, except by those who knew me when I was here before, and that only to my face. At 10 A.M. arrived at Magaria. My friend Malem Moodie was not at home; but I took up my quarters at my old house; and Moodie’s wife, the one that lives here (for he has four wives and sixteen concubines), sent me plenty of milk and doura. Moodie arriving, I told him I had come to remain a few days to shoot, and I wanted a man to show me the ground: he soon got me one, and I had every thing ready to start next morning.
Saturday, 10th.—A little after day-light left Magaria, and riding through between a number of plantations of cotton on the low ground, which had been covered during the rains, we came on to the rice ground, which is now covered with fine green grass, and has several small lakes and pools of water formed by the ancient beds of the river. The sides of the lakes and pools were swampy for a considerable distance, so that there was no getting within reach of the birds with small shot. They consisted of the white and gray pelican, the Muscovy duck, Egyptian goose, ducks, widgeons, and snipes; the heron, adjutant, ibis, and a small white crane were numerous. On the low flat were feeding, amongst the herds of bullocks, five or six of the large red antelopes, between the size of the common antelope and the nylghau, of a red colour, about as high as a small ass, with large thick horns, called by the Arabs the hamoria, and by the people marea. I did not look after them, as there was little cover, but rode over to the north side of the flat, where the river lies, expecting to find plenty of game and plenty of cover. On approaching through the flats, and within about a mile of the river, the woods were almost impenetrable, abounding in wild hogs and guinea-fowl: of the latter I shot some, but the hogs were forbidden fruits. I had no wish to kill them, except to eat, or to have their skins; and my own servants would have been the first to have held me up to abomination if I had done so, as the less these rogues know about their religion, the more they adhere to the less scrupulous points of it; the whole they know being to repeat their prayers in Arabic, not a word of which they understand; abhor a Christian, a Kaffir, and a poor harmless pig. I saw five elephants, and the traces of a great many more. They hunt them, or set watch for them in their regular paths, sitting on the branch of some high tree which overhangs the path. Their weapon is a harpoon, with two moveable barbs, like our whale harpoons, but a shorter shaft, which is stuck into the end of the large wooden pestle with which the women beat the husks of the rice and millet in their mortars. The iron head is poisoned, and night being the time, they strike on the back as the animal passes under the branch. The hunter traces him for a little distance; the wood of the harpoon drops off, and if the animal does not soon fall, the hunter returns home until next morning, when he is sure to find him dead near to where he had left him. They eat the flesh, and sometimes sell the tusks for a few cowries, or they are oftener brought to the sultan or Gadado, along with the trunk, as a proof of their victory; the tusks they always give to the Arabs. Three have been killed since I have been here: they watch only in the evening. At sunset we returned to Magaria, all very tired, and I with my old dressing-gown torn to ribands.
Monday, 12th.—I went out to hunt on the flats on foot, with a Fellata to drive in the game, my servants being all knocked up, and too tired to accompany me. After getting on the ground, I lay down amongst the long grass, and sent out the Fellata, who twice drove the game close to where I was lying, but on both occasions I was sound asleep, being overcome with fatigue, and I got up and returned home. As I was returning I fell in with an old sow and five pigs: I let fly at her, as she with her whole family were coming up to take a look at me. This, as I did not hit any of them, did not at all disturb her or her brood, who, by their size, might be about nine months old; she, with four of the young ones, only turned on one side, and walked slowly amongst the long grass. As I came nearer, the fifth, a young boar, came snorting up, with his tail erect, to within pistol shot; I presented the gun to him, but he seemed to care very little for me, and I did not like to kill him. After both had satisfied ourselves with looking at one another, he, seeing the whole of his relations in safety, turned round with a grunt, and strutted after them, with as little fear in his gesture as if he had been lord of the soil. The wild hogs of Africa, both in Borgo, Houssa, and Bornou, are the same in appearance, having a head much larger in proportion to their bodies than the domestic hog of Europe. In Yourriba and Nyffé the snout is very broad and round, with two large tusks on each side, one in each jaw, both upper and lower turning up, the lower fitting also the upper and outside; the back of the neck covered with a mane of upright bristles of a snuff-brown colour, no other hair appearing on any other part, except at the tip of the tail: they are universally of the same colour, a dark mouse or lead colour: the height of a full grown boar is about three and a half or four feet, and from the tip of the snout to the root of the tail about five feet. They have also two warts on each side of the head, on a line with the nose, the largest below the ear, two inches and a half, the other about an inch lower down, upon the end of the upper tusk, which look like two horns.
Tuesday, 13th.—I did not go out until nearly mid-day, and then went to the south of the town, amongst the hills and woods, but again was unsuccessful. Though the traces of game of all kinds were numerous, yet I saw nothing but one flock of antelopes, which I could not get near; guinea-fowl were in plenty, but as shy as before. The hills were composed of loose clay, iron-stone rocks on the surface, and a red clay and sand for the depth of about four or five feet, then a dull whitish or rather bluish clay, containing shining particles of mica underneath. Several of the stones had rounded pebbles imbedded in them; others were, on breaking, like yellow ochre; the outer surfaces of all as if they had been burnt in the fire. This is owing to the weather I suppose, as well as the appearance of having been melted from the rains and sand beating on them, and wearing away the soft parts. The blocks of rock never exceed six feet square when loose, and when covering a flat, never above three or four feet thick over the clay soil. I forgot to mention that the greater number, when broke, present a glistening or shining appearance, like iron-ore, and that they are much heavier than pieces of sandstone of the same bulk. After tiring myself amongst the hills to no purpose, and I and my guides being very thirsty, we went across to the north, to a small lake on the flat or plain, to drink. Here I fell in with a party of Fellata girls washing their gourds, from which their people, who had a temporary bullock or cattle village close at hand, under the shade of some large adansonia (kouka trees), had just gone out on the flats with their cattle. They gave me curdled milk and water to drink; after which I lay down by the side of the lake, and took the bridle off my horse, to let him enjoy himself also amongst the fine green grass.
Wednesday, 14th.—I did not go out to-day, as I had had such bad success, and was too much fatigued. A courier arrived from the Gadado, bringing intelligence of the Sheik El Kanemi being defeated with great loss, and that he had fled towards Bornou; the governors of Fudba and Zegzeg had beaten him; and that the governor of Kano had joined them, with all his forces, in the rear. Duncoroa, governor of Katagum, Ben Gumso of Hadiga, &c. were in front of the sheik, so that he will not be able to return to Bornou if they manœuvre right. The Fellatas are all in great glee on the occasion, and they do not spare him the name of Dan Caria, or son of a b——h.
Thursday, 15th.—Took leave of Moodie, and left Magaria after 6 A.M., sending two camels with Richard and Moodie to the village where I had halted on my way to Magaria. I proceeded along the foot of the hills, skirting the river, the bed of which is now dry in a number of places. I shot one duck and two guinea-fowls, the latter of which were very numerous; but the boys had that morning been hunting them, and they were very wild. I also saw one elephant, a number of hogs, seven of what the Arabs call the red bullock, and the people of Bornou the corigum. I take them to be the nylghau, but only a variety in colour. In Bornou they are of a dark brown; here they are of a cream colour. I shot several; they are of the antelope tribe, very fierce when wounded, and will give battle when attacked. At sunset I returned, and had a plentiful supply of pudding from the old malem; and the guinea-fowls and duck feasted all hands.
Friday, 16th.—At daylight started, and rode on to the Sanson, where I arrived at 10 A.M. The sultan sent, as soon as I arrived, to ask how I was, and to tell me he wished to see me next day. The messenger between him and me, since the Gadado is gone, is old Yargoorma, who acts in that capacity when the Gadado is here. She also sits up all night in the room he sleeps in, and keeps his fire alight. She is a shrewd old woman, of strong natural sense; and has apartments in the Gadado’s house, and also in the sultan’s, and possesses upwards of forty male and female slaves, though herself a slave. This possessing slaves and property is not uncommon for slaves here, which, if they have no children, go at their death to their master.
Saturday, 17th.—Clear and warm. At 3 A.M. old Yargoorma came and told me the sultan wished to see me. I went, and found him alone. He asked after my health, and if my exercise in hunting had cured me of the spleen, which is considerably reduced, and I am now free from pain. He also asked after Richard, my servant; if his legs and feet had got better; a disorder of which he is also cured. The feet and ankles first swell, and cause great pain, not being able to walk; then it proceeds to the calves of the legs, knees, and thigh-joints. Purgative medicines are of little service; and the soles and ankles are so painful the patient can walk but with great difficulty, and great pain afterwards. The swelling is not like the scurvy, as on pressing the finger on the part it is attended with great pain, and does not leave a hollow after the finger is taken off.
I told him of the difficulty and the impossibility it was for me to get the skin, head, and feet-bones of two wild hogs, as he wished, because my servants would not touch them if I killed them. He said he would send for two, and I might either have them skinned myself, or they would bring the skins for me. I thanked him, and said I would prefer them skinned in the woods, as, were they brought to me alive, my house would be filled with idle people, and the whole town would never leave off talking about it whenever they saw me. Good, he said, and ordered a eunuch to give orders to the hunters to bring two as soon as possible. He asked me if we eat pork? I said yes, and the flesh was very good when they were well fed; we only eat it sparingly; the fat, I said, was always used for salves. I said it was much better to eat than dogs’ flesh, which they sold publicly in the market at Tripoli; and all the great in Fezzan eat dogs’ flesh whenever they could procure it. This account Sidi Sheik, who had just come in, confirmed. The sultan said, it was strange what people would eat: in the district of Umburm, belonging to Jacoba, they eat human flesh. I said I did not think any people existed on the face of the earth that eat their own kind as food; that certainly there were some savages in different parts of the world who eat their enemies. The sultan said he had seen them eat human flesh; that on the governor of Jacoba telling him of these people, he could hardly believe it himself; but on a Tuarick being hanged for theft, he saw five of these people eat a part, with which he was so disgusted that he sent them back to Jacoba soon after. He said that whenever a person complained of sickness amongst these men, even though only a slight headach, they are killed instantly, for fear they should be lost by death, as they will not eat a person that has died by sickness; that the person falling sick is requested by some other family, and repaid when they had a sick relation; that universally when they went to war, the dead and wounded were always eaten; that the hearts were claimed by the head men; and that, on asking them why they eat human flesh, they said it was better than any other; that the heart and breasts of a woman were the best part of the body; and that they had no want of food, as an excuse for eating one another. Indian corn, millet, doura, and sweet potatoes were in plenty; that both men and women went naked, though their houses were much neater and cleaner than those of the common people of Soccatoo; that, excepting this bad custom, they were very cleanly, and otherwise not bad people, except that they were Kaffirs; that he would make me a present of some of them to let the king of England see that such was the fact. I said, I would rather be excused taking them, as both the king and the people of England would be too much disgusted at seeing such a sight. You will see them, he said, when you go to Jacoba: he would write to the governor to show them to me when I went. I then told him I wished as soon as possible to go to Jacoba, as I had been here now five months very idle. He said that the rebels of Zamfra had sent to beg for peace, and that, as soon as their sultan or chief arrived, he would send me through that part of Zamfra which I had not seen, and I should see the gold ores said to be there; that I should also see Adamawa and the Shari; and that he would send me afterwards to the sea, by the way of a country called Kano, bordering on the sea, and going to the south of the province of Zegzeg, and whose sultan had sent a messenger a short while after I left Soccatoo on my former journey, wishing to open a trade with Houssa. I said that the sooner he could send me the better, as he would have every thing that he could wish from England much cheaper than he could have by the way of the desert. He asked me again who the eleven slave-dealers were that his cousin, Mohamed Ben Abdullah, had taken at his camp at Nyffé; and if I knew that they were Christians. He said they were black; and had come from, or by the way of Borgoo; and what ought to be done with them; for Abdullah had seized them, and written to know what he should do with them. I said, he had better either take their goods, and send them away home, or have them brought up here; that they were not Christians, but I thought natives of Dahomey, and part of the same gang I had seen at Wawa in Borgoo; as it was common for the Mahomedans to call all persons, not agreeing with them in faith, Christians or Jews. After this I took leave; and in the evening he sent me a fine fat sheep, and two pomegranates from his garden.
Monday, 19th.—A courier from the Gadado arrived at Kano with a letter to the sultan, informing him of the defeat of the sheik of Bornou, and his retreat, with the loss of all his baggage, camels, and tents, two hundred and nine horses, and a number of slaves. The sultan sent me the letter to read, and the sheik’s water-pot, made of copper. This is an article of the first importance to a Mahomedan great man; he never travels without one. It had been cut in three different places by a sword, not in taking it, as it was found in the tent, but hacked by some of them to vent their rage on the poor pot, as they could not do it on the sheik.
Saturday, 24th.—At day-break the pagans whom the sultan had sent to kill and skin a wild boar for me arrived with the skins of a boar, a sow, and one of their young ones. All the idle people in the neighbourhood had come to have a peep, as did several of the better sort of people, some of whom sat down to see me and the poor pagan, whose name is Whidah, and his sons go through the operation of salting and packing the skins. They asked Whidah if he eat the flesh? He answered, Yes, and very good it is too. It is quite ridiculous to see how much those people dread even to touch any part of the animal’s skin, and know not for what reason, only because they have heard others say so. I told them it was better meat than dogs’ flesh, which the people of Fezzan and those of Tripoli eat; and at Tripoli dogs’ flesh was publicly sold in the market; true they were Moslem, and had not a pig, which was more cleanly in its eating, and better to be eaten than a dog. My servants, the ignorant rascals, would not come near, and if there had been others to be hired, I would have paid them off. I first strewed the poison slightly over the inner part of the hides, then plenty of finely pounded salt, and made Whidah and his sons rub all well in, strewed them over with dried grass, and packed each separately in a mat, and gave them in charge to Whidah, to have them properly dried, and to take the flesh off the bones of the heads. The news soon got to the market that I had such things in my house; and on sending to the market to buy three new mats, the owner said he would sell them to me, but would not bring them to my house; and now the pigs and I are the whole talk of Soccatoo.
Sunday, 25th.—Divine service. Nothing worth remarking has happened since the 25th, except that I was laid up for the last four days with ague.
Wednesday, 28th.—Paid Malem Mohamed 20,000 cowries for his writing me an account of the country between Soccatoo and Masina, and Kano and Sennar, and making a chart of the river Quorra, between Cubbie and Masina.
Sunday, 11th March, nothing worth noting down, until the 12th, when a messenger of the governor of Boushi arrived, bringing with him part of the spoil taken from the sheik of Bornou, which consisted of an old Bornou tent, a horse, and two mares, with two drums. The tent was erected in the square in the front of the sultan’s house, and two slaves set to beat the drums; the whole population of Soccatoo came to see them, and they continued beating all night. The sultan sent for me. I went, and found him alone, and appearing very good humoured with the news that had arrived. After my asking after his health, and just beginning to ask if he would send me as soon as convenient to Adamowa, and to write to the governor to allow me to proceed up the Shari as far as possible, and show me every thing worth seeing in that province; and after that, if the governor of Adamowa thought it safe, he would send me to Boushi, without coming back to Kano; and that from Boushi I would proceed to Zari, and wait until after the rains, and then proceed with his messenger to the other Kano and the sea—before he could give me an answer, a number of the principal people of Soccatoo came in, and interrupted the conversation; so I took my leave, he appointing another day to give me the information I requested.
(Note.—Here Clapperton’s Journal finishes, and no notices of any kind appear among his papers subsequent to the above-mentioned date; but the following Journal, kept by his faithful servant, Richard Lander, amply supplies the deficiency.)
JOURNAL, &c.
November 20, 1826.—The sultan sent a messenger for me this morning, and after waiting in a coozie an hour, I was introduced to him. He informed me of his having received a letter from my father (after the death of Dr. Morrison I always passed for my master’s son), desiring him to send me to Soccatoo, with the whole of the property intrusted to my care. I had myself received a letter from my master only two days previously, in which he expressed no such intention; but, on the contrary, said he should be with me shortly. In that letter he complained of a violent pain in his side, to which he had been for some time subject; and I fancied, by his not writing me to-day, he had died; and that, from motives of delicacy, the king had withheld the news from me.
22d.—The sultan again sent for me, and said he would make my father a present of five pack bullocks to convey the goods to Soccatoo, and send four men to take charge of them on the road; at the same time wished me to leave on the 25th.
24th.—Paid my respects to the sultan in the morning; remained with him upwards of an hour; and on leaving, he said in a feeling tone, shaking hands with me at the same time, “Good bye, little Christian; God take you safe to Soccatoo.” He sent a letter by me to my master, and desired me to give his compliments to the king of the Mussulmans (sultan Bello, who was invariably designated by that appellation). On returning to my house, found Hadji Hat Sallah waiting for me. He told me it was necessary I should take the whole of my master’s money, which consisted of 212,000 cowries, to him. As this could not be done conveniently without a camel, I purchased one for 62,000 cowries.
25th.—At half-past seven in the morning, left my house, accompanied by old Pascoe, a messenger from sultan Bello, and one from the king of Kano. Could not, however, get without the gates of the city till ten, the bullocks being very restive, and throwing off their burdens repeatedly. At one o’clock halted at Zungugwa: the camel, in endeavouring to enter the gate, unfortunately broke two boxes in which was stationery, &c. This accident detained us an hour outside the walls, and the men were ultimately obliged to carry the goods on their heads to the residence of the chief, which was a quarter of a mile’s distance. I waited on him, and gave him a pair of scissors, fifty needles, and a small paper of cloves, which pleased him highly. The chief showed me into one of his best huts, where, he told me, I might remain till I thought proper to leave the place; and shortly afterwards sent me butter, sour milk, a couple of fine fowls, and tuah and corn.
26th.—At six in the morning left the hut of this hospitable chief; and, after a ride of six hours, came to Markee, a large, but rather thinly inhabited village. The chief, a kind-hearted old man, upwards, I should suppose, of ninety years of age, and very feeble, was delighted to see me, and testified the pleasure he felt by shaking hands with me repeatedly, and by doing me many acts of kindness. He presented me with fowls, rice, corn, and tuah. After a little conversation, he took me into an inner apartment, and bidding me to sit, took from a calabash, which was suspended to a piece of wood attached to the roof, a small box made of skin, round which was wound, with the greatest care, upwards of five hundred yards of thread, which occupied him twenty minutes in taking off. In this box he showed me four bits of tin, about the size of swan and common shot, which he told me were silver. The old chief gave me to understand, with much seriousness and earnestness of manner, that they had been given by an Arab fifteen years before, who told him they were possessed of life. The larger pieces, he continued, were males, and the smaller females; and were to produce young at the end of every twelve years, before which time they were by no means to be looked at. He had enveloped them in a quantity of cotton-wool, in order to impart warmth to them; and the thread was tied round the box that the offspring might have no opportunity of escaping! “But,” said the old man, with a disappointed air, “though I kept them with the greatest care for twelve years, suffering no one to approach them, I found, to my sorrow, at the expiration of that time, they had made no increase; and I begin to fear they never will:” in saying which the old man was so grievously affected that he burst into tears. It was with considerable difficulty I could refrain from laughing aloud in his face. I succeeded, however, in subduing the great inclination I had to be merry; and told him, with all the solemnity the occasion deserved, that the Arab was a rogue, and had deceived him; that the articles were bits of tin, and not of silver; that they were without life, and therefore could not produce young. I consoled the old gentleman on the hoax that had been played off upon him, and sympathized with him in his sorrow. He soon afterwards became more composed, although at times he could not help sobbing audibly. After answering the numerous questions he put to me about my country, &c. I complained of fatigue, and retired to rest. Ill with dysentery all day.
27th.—Passing a very restless night, got up at six in the morning and proceeded on my journey. At 10 A.M. passed close to a large Fellata town, called Kaowah, in the neighbourhood of which were numerous herds of cattle grazing. Here, as in other parts of Houssa, the cows are mostly white; and the sheep generally white, with black and red spots, which had a very agreeable appearance at a distance, and put me strongly in remembrance of Jacob’s spotted sheep, mentioned in Scripture. A ride of four hours brought us to Goguay, a large walled town. The beasts were unable to enter the gate with their loads, by reason of its extreme narrowness; and being ill, and much in want of rest, I was unwilling for so much time to be consumed in conveying them into the town on men’s heads: I accordingly reposed for the night underneath the branches of a large tree. On learning of my arrival, the chief came to see me, seated himself by my side, and entered familiarly into conversation. He observed that tigers abounded in the neighbourhood, and advised me by all means to keep fires burning the whole of the night round my attendants and cattle, to prevent their being attacked by those rapacious animals, which would very likely be the case if that precaution were not used. The chief told me that about two years before the Gooberites took and plundered his town, and put to the sword nearly the whole of its inhabitants, he himself very narrowly escaping with his life. This was no doubt the reason of the scantiness of the population, and the poverty of the chief and his remaining subjects. As soon as the chief left me, a new married couple paid me a visit. I gave the bride, a very pretty girl of eighteen, guinea nuts to the value of one hundred cowries, for which she dropped on one knee, and thanked me in a graceful and becoming manner. I shortly afterwards received some butter-milk from her, which was a welcome present.
28th.—Left Goguay at half-past six in the morning, and halted at Kookay, a small wretched looking village, at twelve at noon. The chief sent provisions for myself and people, and provender for the cattle; and the inhabitants complained sadly of the mischief done to their crops by wild pigs, a great part of which was completely destroyed. They were miserably clad, and exhibited signs of extreme poverty. This night slept a little, which is a comfort I seldom enjoy.
29th.—At half-past six in the morning proceeded on our journey, and at twelve stopped at Duncammee, a moderately sized walled town. I was both surprised and pleased to observe the neatness of this town, and the cleanliness of its inhabitants. Every inch of spare ground was planted with tobacco, and very tastefully fenced round with dried tobacco stalks. The natives manufacture large quantities of cotton cloths, which are neat and durable; and at the north end of the town are several dye-pits. The wall surrounding the town is in rather a ruinous state. The chief welcomed me to his house, and offered me the best apartment in it. Provisions were plentiful, and we fared exceedingly well. In return for his kindness, I gave him a clasp knife, and a hundred needles.
30th.—At six in the morning were again on our route, and halted at Gaza at one at noon. The chief was happy to see me, lodged me in his own house, and seemed to take pleasure in obliging me.
31st.—Continued our journey at the usual hour, and halted at Rayoo at one o’clock. In this town I was considerably worse, became debilitated in a surprising manner, lost my sight, and could not rise in bed. Fancying I should not be able to proceed any further, and that my life was drawing to a close, I called Pascoe to my bed-side, and advised him, after he had buried me, to make all haste to my master at Soccatoo; to take particular care of the property he would have the charge of, and I had no doubt my master would reward him.
December 1st.—This day was dreadfully ill—unable to taste any kind of food, and expecting every moment would be my last.
2d.—Did not find myself at all better this morning, and was surprised I had lived so long. At 2 P.M., finding myself a little revived, but unable to sit up, I determined to see my dear master, if I could, before I died. For this purpose ordered my people to make a couch on the back of the camel; after which they gently lifted me into it, and I almost immediately ordered them to proceed. The chief of Rayoo, who was one of Bello’s principal fighting men, behaved particularly kind to me, and, I really believe, sincerely sympathized in my distress. He expressed much sorrow on parting, and hinted it would be dangerous to proceed, but did not oppose my determination. The path, the greater part of the way, being very narrow, and thickly lined on each side with a species of thorn, I was annoyed greatly, by reason of the thorns frequently tearing the covering from my bed, and exposing me to the intense heat of a burning sun. The sultan of Kano’s messenger, however, seeing me in this state, rode before the camel, and dexterously lopped off the overhanging branches with his cutlass: this proved of the utmost advantage. The violent shaking of the camel caused me to be faint several times on the road; on which occasions my party uniformly halted until I revived. In this manner we journeyed till seven in the evening, when we entered a walled town called Koolefee. The chief, a very fine old man, never having seen a white man before, was in raptures when he learned of my being in the town; and running to the camel, took me from its back, and carried me in his arms into an apartment which had been hastily prepared for my reception. Placing me on a bed, he took a gora nut from his pocket, and holding it betwixt his finger and thumb, wished me to chew one end of it, that he might have the pleasure of eating with a Christian. I did it after some difficulty, when he immediately ate the remainder with much apparent satisfaction. His great men, who surrounded me, reproved him sharply for doing this. He quickly answered them, in a pleasant but firm tone, that he believed the “little Christian” was as good a man as himself or any of them; which effectually silenced their remarks. He shortly afterwards went out, and returned with a bowl, containing six quarts of new milk, with which a little flour and some honey had been mixed. He told me he was determined to see me eat the whole of it before he left the apartment. I partook sparingly of it at first, but in the night tasted it several times, which refreshed and invigorated me.
3d.—Finding myself considerably better this morning, I ordered a pillow to be laid across my horse’s saddle, that I might travel for a short distance on his back. Entered a miserable village named Zunko, and slept there for the night.
4th.—Arose at sun-rise, and after a fatiguing journey reached Roma at two in the afternoon. This town is built on an eminence, and commands a delightful view of the country for miles round. Proceeded to the house of the chief, and slept there. He made me the accustomed presents of provisions, &c. and received in return a pair of scissors, a hundred needles, and a paper of cloves. Several Fellata girls came to me this evening, of a bright copper colour, and extremely beautiful, with delicate and graceful forms. With a curiosity so natural to their sex, they were all eager to catch a glance of the “little Christian,” having seen the “great Christian,” as they termed my master, before. In the course of the afternoon and evening they brought me a little milk and butter, for which I recompensed them with a few beads. Here, I am happy to say, the dysentery quite left me, and my health wonderfully improved.
5th.—Left Roma for Bogell early in the morning, and arrived there at half-past four in the afternoon. Found myself so well to-day that I was enabled to ride on horseback the whole of the journey. As usual, went to the residence of the chief, who gave me a little corn for the horses only. In the night slept profoundly, and next morning was completely recovered.
6th.—At six in the morning left for Zulamee, where we arrived at two in the afternoon. The chief was overjoyed to see me, and ordered four armed men to guard the beasts and property. A band of robbers having infested the town for some time, and committed numerous depredations, he was fearful some of my goods or cattle would be stolen, and desired me to fire a gun morning and evening, that the brigands might not think I was unprepared to meet them. They did not, however, molest me; but the king of Kashna was not quite so fortunate: he had a fine horse stolen from him yesterday, which he never afterwards recovered. Rested here two days, in order to recruit the spirits of my followers, and refresh the animals under their charge.
9th.—At six in the morning, having got every thing in readiness, left Zulamee. Both men and beasts seemed much invigorated with the rest they had enjoyed, and at two in the afternoon reached Gundumowah, a small but neat Fellata village. The chief sent me a little milk.
10th.—Early in the morning started for Sansanee. The country traversed was thickly wooded, and the path lay for three hours through a large bush, which, having recently been visited by a horde of elephants, the prints of whose feet were very perceptible, rendered travelling extremely unpleasant, and even dangerous. Reached Sansanee at one at noon. The site on which the town is built not being long cleared, none of the houses were quite finished. On our arrival, the chief had an open shed, occupied by fifteen calves, cleaned out for our reception. In the evening, putting the goods in the centre, I ordered the men to lie around them, whilst I placed myself near the most valuable articles. Not deeming them sufficiently secure, my sleep was rather disturbed; and awaking about ten o’clock, I found my camel had strayed from outside the hut, and being unwilling to arouse my drowsy companions, went myself in search of him. On my return, to my infinite surprise and alarm, discovered Pascoe had decamped, taking with him a valuable gun, two pistols, a cutlass, six sovereigns, nineteen dollars, ten large and ten small knives, and several other articles, which he had contrived to take from the boxes in which they had been placed. To deceive me, the artful old villain had put a pillow into a sack, which he had laid along on his own mat. On the discovery, I immediately made an alarm, and sent to the chief for twelve horsemen to go in pursuit of him.
11th.—About three o’clock in the afternoon, as I was standing in my shed, I perceived a party of horsemen coming towards me in full gallop. On coming within a few yards of me, they suddenly checked their horses, and flourishing their spears over their heads, exclaimed, “Nasarah, acqui de moogoo!” (Christian, we have the rogue!) They informed me that a little before day-break in the morning they heard the report of a gun, and going towards the place whence the sound seemed to proceed, saw Pascoe perched on the top of a high tree, and the stolen goods lying at the root of it. They threatened to shoot him with their poisoned arrows unless he immediately came down. This had the desired effect. He hastily descended, and delivered himself into their hands. One of the soldiers took the trembling scoundrel behind him on his horse, when the whole party immediately clapped spurs to their horses, and made all the haste they could to the village. I asked Pascoe what could have induced him to leave me in so disgraceful a manner. He replied that his countrymen (the Gooburites) were at war with the Fellatas, who would cut off his head on arriving at Soccatoo. The chief coming up at the instant, cried out, “A blessing, a blessing; you have taken the thief, let me take off his head!” This was Pascoe’s third offence; and I ordered him to be heavily ironed and pinioned in the town dungeon.
12th.—Pascoe having expressed a wish to see me, I sent for him. He begged most piteously to be forgiven, and holding up his naked arms, which were swollen to thrice their natural size, implored me at least not to have him pinioned again. This I freely consented to, but he was not freed from his irons till the morning we left the town.
13th.—This day 500 camels laden with salt, obtained from the borders of the Great Desert, arrived at the town. They were preceded by a party of twenty Tuarick salt-merchants, whose appearance was grand and imposing. They entered at full trot, riding on handsome camels, some of them red and white, and others black and white. All the party were dressed exactly alike. They wore black cotton tobes and trousers, and white caps with black turbans, which hid every part of the face but the nose and eyes. In their right hand they held a long and highly-polished spear, whilst the left was occupied in holding their shields, and retaining the reins of their camels. The shields were made of white leather, with a piece of silver in the centre. As they passed me, their spears glittering in the sun, and their whole bearing bold and warlike, they had a novel and singular effect, which delighted me. They stopped suddenly before the residence of the chief, and all of them exclaiming, “Choir!” each of the camels dropped on its knees, as if by instinct, whilst their riders dismounted to pay their respects. They came in a body to see me just after, and notwithstanding their apparent respectability, felt not the least repugnance to beg money in a most importunate manner. One of them, in the hope of obtaining some, described himself as “God’s own slave.” I refused to accede to his request, observing, that God always loved his servants, and made them prosperous and happy, and could not believe what he had told me. Becoming at length very troublesome, I was under the necessity of turning him out: as he went away, he muttered something I did not understand, and said, I was the first person that ever refused to give him money. Like thousands of others, these merchants were very inquisitive, and amongst other questions asked whether any of my countrymen had tails like monkeys? I assured them none of them had that elegant appendage, but they would not believe me. After remaining an hour, they went to look after their wives and children, who were on the camels on the road, and not yet arrived.
14th.—The goods being properly secured, I took my gun this morning and shot enough of pigeons for dinner. The Tuarick men, women, and children, surrounded me in great numbers on hearing the report of my gun, and were amazed to see the birds falling dead at my feet from the tops of the high trees. They examined them with great attention, declaring I was a beautiful man, too good for a Kafer, and ought to be a worshipper of the true faith.
16th.—In the afternoon an escort, consisting of fifty armed horsemen sent by Bello, arrived, to conduct me to Soccatoo. They brought with them my master’s two camels, to carry the goods, which, as I afterwards learnt, the Gadado had borrowed under false pretences. A messenger belonging to the sultan of Kano brought a letter from my master, unknown to the escort, and was on his way to Kano with it. The letter informs me of the total ignorance of my master of my having left Kano, and his expectations of seeing me there in a week or two. It struck me forcibly at the time that Bello wished to get me in his power, in order to put us out of the way, to become the sole possessor of the sheik of Bornou’s presents, &c. As soon as I had read the letter, I asked the Gadado’s brother, who commanded the escort, if it was the sultan’s intention to murder us on my arrival at Soccatoo, as my master knew nothing of the transaction. He answered, “Fear nothing, the king will not hurt you; as he has never seen but one Christian, he wishes to view a second.”
17th and 18th.—The Gadado’s brother came to me several times for money to buy goora nuts. I at length told him the money in my possession belonged to my father, who would not permit me to part with any, unless I had previously obtained his consent. This answer by no means pleased him: but on my telling him he should be handsomely rewarded on our safe arrival at Soccatoo, he became a little appeased.
19th.—Liberated old Pascoe in the morning, who had behaved peaceably since his imprisonment, and seemed truly sorry for the offence he had committed; and at two in the afternoon went out of the town, but was obliged to leave a bullock behind, being lamed and unable to proceed. Travelled till eleven o’clock the next night, when we arrived much fatigued at Magaria. The poor camels and horses could hardly stand, and suffered dreadfully from thirst, not having drank during this long journey.
21st and 22d.—The horses and camels not being sufficiently recovered to continue the journey, staid at Magaria both these days. Resided at a house belonging to the Gadado, who supplied me with abundance of provisions. Received a message from him to come to see him, with my gun, in order to show the head men of the town the manner in which birds were shot in my country. I soon gratified their curiosity by firing at a small bird, at a distance of fifty yards. The whole of them testified the greatest astonishment on taking it up, and would not for a long time believe it was really dead.
23d.—To my great joy I entered the gates of Soccatoo in the afternoon, about two o’clock, after a tedious and wearisome journey of nearly a month. Not having seen my master for three months, I hastened to his house; but not finding him at home, I went to the Gadado’s, where, I was told, he had gone. My master was in earnest conversation with the Gadado and an old Arab, and was much surprised when informed of the reason of my leaving Kano: he spoke with warmth of the artful and unhandsome conduct of the sultan; and after this act of duplicity on the part of Bello, to the hour of his death, I never observed him to smile. My master had been ill of dysentery before my arrival, but was then much better.
On the 13th December, the day after my arrival, Sultan Bello sent for my master and myself to repair to his residence. As soon as we entered, he began to make inquiries of the nature of the presents I had with me, and was extremely desirous to know if I had left any with Hadji Ben Sallah for the sheik of Bornou. I replied, I had not. “Are you sure you have not?” said he. I again answered with firmness in the negative. The sultan then demanded the king of England’s letters to the sheik of Bornou, which my master reluctantly produced; but refused to accede to the sultan’s request to open and read them, observing that, when his king discovered, on his return to his country, he had so unfaithfully broken his trust, he would immediately be beheaded. The sultan himself took the letters, and waving his hand for us to withdraw, we left the apartment. We had not been in our hut more than a couple of hours when the Gadado, his brother, Hadji Ben Sallah, and several of the principal inhabitants of Soccatoo, entered, and demanded, in the name of Bello, the presents intended for the sheik of Bornou, together with all the arms and ammunition we did not want ourselves. My master became deeply agitated when he had heard their errand, and rising up from his couch, exclaimed with much energy and bitterness—“There is no faith in any of you; you are an unjust people; you are worse than highway robbers.” They cautioned him to be more guarded in his expressions, or it might cost him his head. “If I lose my head,” rejoined my master in the same determined manner, “I lose it for speaking for the just rights of my country only.” Ben Sallah and others entreated him to moderate his anger, or it might indeed be fatal to him. I also implored him to accede to the demands of the sultan, how unjust and tyrannic soever they might be, observing, that two debilitated white men stood no chance in holding out against the united force of so many Fellatas, who only waited the command of their sovereign to assassinate them. After much entreaty, and not without considerable reluctance, my master desired that they should be given to them; and said to the Gadado, on his leaving the hut, “Tell your sovereign I never wish to see him again; my business with him is now at an end.” A short time after Mallam Mudey returned with a message from the sultan, acquainting my master of his intention of writing to the king of England in explanation of his conduct. He desired Mallam Mudey to tell Bello that the king of England would not even look at a letter from him, after the treatment his subjects had received.
I took an opportunity one day of acquainting my master of Pascoe’s villany, who immediately dismissed him, without paying his wages. The old man went to a native lawyer to obtain advice in what manner he was to act; but instead of holding out the hope of obtaining the sum due to him, the learned Fellata expressed his astonishment that Abdullah had not cut off his head. Pascoe then turned snuff-merchant; but having given too extensive credit, soon became a bankrupt, and was finally obliged to cut wood from the adjoining country, and sell it in the market at Soccatoo, by which means he contrived to procure a precarious subsistence.
One day the Gadado came and begged me to lend him my camel to go to the war against the sheik of Bornou: knowing it would be impolitic to refuse, I let him have it. The animal was returned to me, about six weeks after, in a most shameful state, reduced to a mere skeleton, and having two immense holes in its back. I wished the Gadado to give me another in its stead, but he would not listen to me.
My master and myself enjoyed pretty good health for some time after my arrival at Soccatoo, and amused ourselves with going a shooting almost every day. At one shot my master brought down thirteen wild ducks, about two miles to the north-east of the city, ten of which were secured. We remained at Soccatoo much longer than was intended, believing the sultan would consent to our proceeding to Bornou when the war had become somewhat abated; but this he never granted.
On the 12th of March, 1827, I was greatly alarmed on finding my dear master attacked with dysentery. He had been complaining a day or two previously of a burning heat in his stomach, unaccompanied, however, by any other kind of pain. From the moment he was taken ill he perspired freely, and big drops of sweat were continually rolling over every part of his body, which weakened him exceedingly. It being the fast of Rhamadan, I could get no one, not even our own servants, to render me the least assistance. I washed the clothes, which was an arduous employment, and obliged to be done eight or nine times each day, lit and kept in the fire, and prepared the victuals myself; and the intermediate time was occupied in fanning my poor master, which was also a tedious employment. Finding myself unable to pay proper attention to his wants in these various avocations, I sent to Mallam Mudey, on the 13th, entreating him to send me a female slave to perform the operation of fanning. On her arrival I gave her a few beads, and she immediately began her work with spirit; but she soon relaxed in her exertions, and becoming tired, ran away, on pretence of going out for a minute, and never returned. Alla Sellakee, a young man my master had purchased on the road from Kano to take care of the camels, and whom he had invariably treated with his usual kindness, and given him his freedom, no sooner was made acquainted with his master’s illness than he became careless and idle, and instead of leading the camels to the rich pasturage in the vicinity of Soccatoo, let them stray wherever they pleased, whilst he himself either loitered about the city, or mixed with the most degraded people in it: by this means the camels became quite lean; and being informed of the reason, I told my master, who instantly discharged him from his service.