through three coozees, as guardhouses, without the least detention, and were immediately ushered into the presence of Bello, the second Sultan of the Felatahs. He was seated on a small carpet, between two pillars, supporting the roof of a thatched house, not unlike one of our cottages. The walls and pillars were painted blue and white, in the Moorish taste; and on the back wall was sketched a fire-screen, ornamented with a coarse painting of a flower pot. An arm-chair, with an iron lamp standing on it, was placed on each side of the screen. The Sultan bade me many hearty welcomes, and asked me if I was not much tired with my journey. He asked me a great many questions about Europe, and our religious distinctions. He was acquainted with the names of some of the more ancient sects, and asked whether we were Nestorians or Socinians. To extricate myself from the embarrassment occasioned by this question, I bluntly replied we were called Protestants. "What are Protestants?" said he. I attempted to explain to him, as well as I was able, that having protested, more than two centuries and a half ago, against the superstition, absurdities, and abuses practised in those days, we had ever since professed to follow simply what was written in the book of our Lord Jesus," as they call the New Testament, and thence derived the name of Protestants. He continued to ask several other theological questions, until I was obliged to confess myself not sufficiently versed in religious subtleties to resolve these knotty points, having always left that task to others more learned than myself. He now ordered some books to be produced which belonged to Major Denham, and began to speak with great bitterness of the late Boo Khaloom, for making a predatory inroad into his territories; adding, "I am sure the Bashaw of Tripoli never meant to strike me. with one hand, while he offers a present with the other at least it is a strange way for friends to act. But what was your friend doing there?" he asked abruptly. I assured the

Sultan that Major Denham had no other object than to make a short excursion into the country.* The books being brought in, proved to be, the Nautical Almanack, two Reviews, Lord Bacon's Essays, and Major Denham's Journal; all which the Sultan returned to me in the most handsome manner. Before taking leave, however, I had to explain the contents of each, and was set to read them, in order to give him an opportunity of hearing the sound of our language, which he thought very beautiful. The Sultan is a noble looking man, forty-four years of age, although much younger in appearance, five feet ten inches high, portly in person, with a short curling black beard, a small mouth, a fine forehead, a Grecian nose, and large black eyes. He was dressed in a light blue cotton tobe, with a white muslin turban, the shawl of which he wore over the nose and mouth.

In the afternoon I repeated my visit, accompanied by the Gadado, Mahomed El Wordee, and Mahomed Gumsoo, the principal Arab of the city, to whom I had a letter of introduction from Hat Salah at Kano. The Sultan was sitting in the same apartment in which he received me in the morning. I now laid before him a present, in the name of His Majesty the King of England, consisting of two new blunderbusses highly ornamented with silver, the double-barrelled pistols, pocket compass, and embroidered jacket of the late Dr. Oudney; a scarlet bornouse trimmed with silver lace, a pair of scarlet breeches, thirty yards of red silk, two white, two red, and two Egyptian turban shawls, the latter trimmed with gold; four pounds each of cloves and cinnamon; three cases of gunpowder, with shot and ball; three razors, three clasp knives, three looking-glasses; six snuff-boxes, three of paper and three of tin; a spy-glass, and a large English tea-tray, on which the smaller articles were arranged. He took them up one by one. The compass

* See Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine for May, 1826, p. 315,

and spy-glass excited great interest; and he seemed much gratified when I pointed out that by means of the former, he could at any time find out the east to address himself in his daily prayers. He said, " Every thing is wonderful; but you are the greatest curiosity of all!" and then added, "What can I give that is most acceptable to the King of England?" I replied, "The most acceptable service you can render to the King of England is, to co-operate with His Majesty in putting a stop to the slave-trade on the coast: as the King of England sends every year large ships to cruise there, for the sole purpose of seizing all vessels engaged in this trade, whose crews are thrown into prison; and of liberating the unfortunate slaves, on whom lands and houses are conferred, at one of our settlements in Africa." "What!" said he, "have you no slaves in England! ""No: whenever a slave sets foot in England, he is from that moment free." "What do you then do for servants?" "We hire them for a stated period, and give them regular wages: nor is any person in England allowed to strike another; and the very soldiers are fed, clothed, and paid by government." "God is great!" he exclaimed ; "You are a beautiful people." I next presented the Sheikh of Bornou's letter. On perusing it he assured me I should see all that was to be seen in his dominions, as well as in Youri and Nyffee, both of which, I informed him, I was anxious to visit. He expressed great regret at the death of Dr. Oudney, as he wished particularly to see an English physician, who might instruct his people in the healing art.

March 18th.-Although I was very ill all the day, the court-yard of my house was crowded with people from sunrise to sunset; all of whom I had to see with the greatest patience, and to answer their numberless questions; such as, "Have you rain in your country?" "Have you wheat?" "Have you goats, sheep, and horses?" But the obvious and favourite interrogatory was, "What are you come for?" This I always attempted to explain to their satisfaction; tell

ing them, "I am come to see the country; its rivers, mountains, and inhabitants; its flowers, fruits, mi ́nerals, and animals; and to ascertain wherein they differed from those in other parts of the world. When their friends travelled among strange nations, did they not on their return ask them what they had seen? The people of England could all read and write, and were acquainted with most other regions of the earth; but of this country alone they hitherto knew scarcely any thing, and erroneously regarded the inhabitants as naked savages, devoid of religion, and not far removed from the condition of wild beasts: whereas I found them, from my personal observation, to be civilized, learned, humane, and pious."

March 19th. I was sent for by the Sultan, and desired to bring with me "the looking-glass of the sun;" the name they gave to my sextant. I was conducted farther into the interior of his residence than on my two former visits. This part consisted of guardhouses, pretty far apart from each other. I first exhibited a planisphere of the heavenly bodies. The Sultan knew all the regions of the zodiac, some of the constellations, and many of the stars, by their Arabic names. "The looking-glass of the sun" was then brought forward, and occasioned much surprise. I had to explain all its appendages. The inverting telescope was an object of intense astonishment; and I had to stand at some little distance, to let the Sultan look at me through it; for his people were all afraid of placing themselves within its magical influence. I had next to show him how to take an observation of the sun. The case of the artificial horizon, of which I had lost the key, was sometimes very difficult to open, as happened on this occasion: I asked one of the people near me for a knife, to press up the lid. He handed me one much too small, and I quite inadvertently asked for a dagger for the same purpose. The Sultan was instantly thrown into a fright: he seized his sword, and half drawing it from the scabbard, placed it before him, trembling all the time like an

aspen leaf. I did not deem it prudent to take the least notice of his alarm, although it was I that had in reality most cause of fear; and on receiving the dagger, I calmly opened the case, and returned the weapon to its owner with apparent unconcern¿ When the artificial horizon was arranged, the Sultan and all his attendants had a peep at the sun; and my breach of etiquette seemed entirely forgotten. After the curiosity of all was satisfied, I returned to my house. In the evening the Sultan sent me two sheep, a camel-load of wheat and rice, some plantains, and some of the finest figs I had ever tasted in Africa.

March 28th.-This forenoon I had a visit from a famous Marauboot, or holy man he was accompanied by a great retinue, and began by asking me, abruptly, to become a Moslem. I said, "God willing, I might; but I require much previous instruction in religious matters before I can think of changing my faith." At this answer the by-standers began to laugh immoderately, to the evident discomposure of the holy man's gravity: for my part, I could not discover any wit in what I said, although it had the effect of relieving me from further impertinent questions; and he soon left me, rather disconcerted at his want of success. After sunset I had a visit from Ateeko, the brother of the Sultan, to whom I had sent a present of a scarlet jacket, breeches, and bornouse. When he was seated, and the usual compliments were over, I apologized on the score of ill health, and the remoteness of his abode, for not having already paid him a visit. He now told me he had a few things which belonged to the Englishman who was at Musfia, with the late Boo Khaloom; but as no person knew what they were, he would gladly sell them to me, ordering his servant at the same time to produce a bundle he held under his arm. The servant took from the bundle a shirt, two pairs of trowsers, and two pieces of parchment, used for sketching by Major Denham. The only other articles Ateeko said, were a trunk, a broken sextant, and a watch; but the watch had been destroyed, as he alleged, in their ignorant eagerness

to examine its structure. He then invited me to visit him the following morning, when we might fix the price of what I wished to buy; to which I assented; and he bade me good night: but on reconsidering the matter, I thought it prudent first to consult the Gadado, particularly as the Sultan was absent. I began to fear lest a bad construction might be put upon my visit to this mean prince, who, on the death of his father, Bello the first, had aspired to the throne, and had even had himself proclaimed Sultan in Sackatoo; from the mere circumstance of his brother Bello, the present Sultan, having expressed the intention, during his father's life-time, of resigning the splendour of sovereignty, for the tranquillity of a learned and holy life. Ateeko even had the audacity to enter his brother's house, preceded by drums and trumpets; and when Bello inquired the cause of the tumult, he received the first intimation of his brother's perfidy, in the answer, "The Sultan Ateeko is come." Bello, nowise disconcerted, immediately ordered the usurper into his presence, when Ateeko pleaded, in vindication of his conduct, his brother's proposed disinclination to reign; to which the Sultan only deigned to reply, "Go and take off these trappings, or I will take off your head." Ateeko began to wring his hands, as if washing them in water, and called God and the Prophet to witness that his motives were innocent and upright; since which time he has remained in the utmost obscurity.

April 5th.-A slave belonging to Mahomed Moode, the Gadado's brother, whose duty it was to run with his spears by his horse's side, had feigned lameness, to be excused attending his master. For this offence his legs were heavily shackled, in which miserable plight he often contrived to crawl to the square before my door, and at length begged me to intercede with his master for his release. In the evening, when his master came as usual to see me, I asked him to pardon the slave, who was immediately sent for, and his fetters taken off. It is but justice to say, his master appeared as grate

ful to me for affording him the opportunity of liberating his slave, as if I had done him a personal favour. The mode of punishing slaves in Sackatoo is by putting them in irons, and throwing them into a dungeon under the common prison of the city. The dungeon is reported to be extremely filthy. Here they remain without any food, but what is gratuitously supplied by their fellowslaves, until their master releases them. This punishment is much dreaded, and its duration depends entirely upon the caprice of the

master.

April 7th.-Having obtained the permission of the Gadado to purchase from Ateeko the sorry remains of Major Denham's baggage, I went early this morning with El Wordee to the prince's house, which is situate at the west end of the town. After waiting some time in the porch of a square tower, we were introduced into an inner coozee hung round with blue and yellow silk, in sharp pointed festoons, not unlike Gothic arches. Atecko soon made his appearance, and after a few compliments, we proceeded to business. He brought out a damaged leathern trunk, with two or three shirts, and other articles of dress, much worse for wear, and the sextant and parchment already mentioned. The sextant was completely demolished, the whole of the glasses being taken out, or where they could not unscrew them, broken off the frame, which remained a mere skeleton. He seemed to fancy that the sextant was gold, in which I soon undeceived him; and selecting it with the parchment and one or two flannel waistcoats and towels, likely to be useful to Major Denham, I offered him five thousand cowries, at which he appeared much surprised and mortified. El Wordee whispered in my ear, "Remember he is a prince, and not a merchant." I said, loud enough for His Highness to hear, "Remember that when a prince turns merchant, he must expect no more than another man; and as that is the value of the articles, it is a matter of indifference to me whether I buy them or not." Ateeko frequently repeated his belief of the

sextant being gold; but at length the bargain seemed to be concluded, and I requested him to send a slave to my house with the articles I had picked out, to whom I would pay the money. The slave, however, was recalled before he got half way, and his suspicious master took back the sextant frame, in dread of being over-** reached by me in its value, which I did not fail to deduct from the price agreed on.

The Prince's residence, like those of other great men in this country, is within a large quadrangular enclosure, surrounded by a high clay wall, with a high tower at the entrance, in which some of the slaves or body-guard lounge during the day, and sleep at night. The enclosure is occupied by coozees, some of them in a very ruinous condition. He told me that he possessed a great number of slaves; and I saw many females about his person, most of them very beautiful. He also stated, that he kept two hundred civet cats, two of which he showed me. These animals were extremely savage, and were confined in separate wooden cages. They were about four feet long, from the nose to the tip of the tail; and with the exception of a greater length of body, and a longer tail, they very much resembled diminutive hyenas. They are fed with pounded Guinea-corn, and dried fish made into balls. The civet is scraped off with a kind of muscle-shell every other morning; the animal being forced into a corner of the cage, and its head held down with a stick during the operation. The prince offered to sell any number of them I might wish to have; but they did not appear to be desirable travelling companions. Atecko is a little spare man, with a full face, of monkey-like expression. He speaks in a slow and subdued tone of voice; and the Felatahs acknowledge him to be extremely brave, but at the same time avaricious and cruel. "Were he Sultan," say they, "heads would fly about in Soudan."

After taking leave of the prince, we rode by appointment to view a new mosque, which was building at the expense of the Gadado, not far

distant from Ateeko's house. Like all mosques, it was of a quadrangular form, the sides facing the four car dinal points, and about eight hundred feet in lengtli. On the eastern side there, were two doors. The western entrance had a small square apartment on the right hand in entering, where the people perform their ablutions before prayers. The roof of the mosque was perfectly flat, and formed of joists laid from wall to wall, the interstices being filled up with slender spars placed obliquely from joist to joist, and the whole covered outside with a thick stratum of indurated clay. The roof rested on arches, which were supported by seven rows of pillars, seven in each row. The pillars were of wood, plastered over with clay, and highly ornamented. On the south side of the body of the building there was a small recess, appropriated solely to the Sultan's use. Some workmen were employed in ornamenting the pillars, others in completing the roof; and all appeared particularly busy, from the circumstance of the Gadado himself being there to receive me. The Gadado was very inquisitive to know my opinion, every two or three minutes asking me what I thought of the building. The master-builder, a shrewd looking littleman, continually laughing, was seated in a position where he could conveniently overlook all the workinen. He informed me that he was a native of Zeg Zeg, and that his father having been in Egypt, had there acquired a smattering of Moorish architecture, and had left him at his death all his papers, from which he derived his only architectural knowledge. He was particularly solicitous to possess a Gunter's scale, which I afterwards sent to the Sultan.

April 8.-A number of poor children came to ask alms every morn ing, to whom I was in the habit of giving two or three cowries apiece. Their ery was, "Allah attik jinne;" or, "God give you paradise," a style of begging that a Kafir like me could not withstand; and when almost all Africa doomed me to eternal perdition, I considered it obtaining

their suffrages at a cheap rate.. Amongst the elder beggars, there was one, a native of Bornou, who had once been governor of a town called Lockwa, near Katagum, and had come to Sackatoo in consequence, of having made certain complaints. against Duncowa, which, being on investigation found to be untrue, he had been degraded. He was said to be rich; but in order to save his wealth, he now feigned madness. Every night after sunset, he used to sing extempore before the Gadado's door; and I was frequently the subject of his songs, particularly if I had given him any thing in the course of the day. He generally set the people around him in a roar of laughter.

i

April 9.-This morning I paid the Gadado a visit, and found him alone, reading an Arabic book, one of a small collection he possessed, "Abdullah," said he, "I had a dream last night, and am perusing this book to find out what it meant. Do you believe in such things?" "No, my Lord Gadado; I consider books of dreams to be full of idle conceits. God gives a man wisdom to guide. his conduct; while dreams are occasioned by the accidental circumstances, of sleeping with the head low, excess of food, or uneasiness of mind," Abdullah," he replied, smiling, "this book tells me differently."

To day Mahomed Moode, the Gadado's brother, lost an adopted son, who died of the small pox. I paid him a visit of condolence, which seemed to gratify him exceedingly. The Felatahs here, and indeed almost all the principal people of Soudan, bury their dead in the house where they die. Poor Moode's grief was inconsolable; after the burial was over, he came and sat down alone in the shade before my door, and spreading his tobe over his knees as if he was reading a book, repeated in a low broken voice several verses of the Koran, his eyes all the time stream-. ing with tears. In this woeful state of dejection he remained at least two hours. I could not help admiring the affectionate warmth of his feelings, and I sincerely sympathized