rare occasions a one-eyed man is received into their community. I was informed the lame had a similar establishment; but I did not see it.W hen a bride is first conducted to the house of the bridegroom, she is attended by a great number of friends and slaves, bearing presents of melted fat, honey, wheat, turkadees, and tobes, as her dower. She whines all the way—“ Wey kina! wey kina! wey Io.” “ Oh! my head! my head ! o h ! dear me.” Notwithstanding this lamentation, the husband has commonly known his wife, some time before marriage. Preparatory to the ceremony of reading the “ Fatha,” both bridegroom and bride remain shut up for some days, and have their hands and feet dyed, for three days successively, with henna. The bride herself visits the bridegroom, and applies the henna plasters with her own hand. Every one is buried under the floor of his own house, without monument or memorial; and among the commonalty the house continues occupied as usual; but among the great there is more refinement, and it is ever after abandoned. The corpse being washed, the first chapter of the Koran is read over it, and the interment takes place the same day. The bodies of slaves are dragged out of town, and left a prey to vultures and wild beasts. In Kano they do not even take the trouble to convey them beyond the walls, but throw the corpse into the morass or nearest pool of water. Feb. 22.—At seven in the morning I waited on the governor. He informed me that the sultan had sent a messenger express, with orders to have me conducted to his capital, and to supply me with every thing necessary for my journey. He now begged me to state what I stood in need of. I assured him that the King of England, my master, had liberally provided for all my wants; but that I felt profoundly grateful for the kind offers of the sultan, and had only to crave from him the favour of being attended by one of his people as a guide. He instantly called a fair-complexioned Felatah, and asked me if I liked him. I accepted him with thanks, and took leave. I afterwards went by invitation to visit the governor of Hadyja, who was here on his return from Sackatoo, and lived in the house of the wan-bey. I found this governor of Hadyja a black man, about fifty years of age, sitting among his own people at- the upper end of the room, which is usually a little raised, and is reserved in this country for the master of the house or visitors of high rank. He was well acquainted with my travelling name; for the moment I entered, he said laughing, “ How do you do, Abdullah ? Will yqu come and seq me at Hadyja on your return ?” I answered, “ God willing,” with due Moslem solemnity. “ You are a Christian, Abdullah ?”—“ Yes.” “ And what are you come to see ?”—“ The country.” “ What do you think of it ?”—“ It is a fine country, but very sickly.” At this he smiled, and again asked, “ Would you Christians allow us to come and see your country ?” I said, “ Certainly.”—“ Would you force us to become Christians ?” “ By no means; we never meddle with a man’s religion.”—“ What!” says he, “ and do you ever pray ?”—“ Sometimes ; our religion commands us to pray always ; but we pray in secret, and not in public, except on Sundays.” One of his people abruptly asked what a Christian was ? “ Why a Kafir,” rejoined the governor. “ Where is your Jew servant ?” again asked the governor; “ you ought to let me see him.” “ Excuse me, he is averse to i t ; and I never allow my servants to be molested for religious opinions.” “ Well, Abdullah, thou art a man of understanding, and must come, and see me at Hadyja.” I then retired, and the Arabs afterwards told me he was a perfect savage, and sometimes put a merchant to death for the sake of his goods; but this account, if true, is less to be wondered at, from the notorious villany of some of them. In the afternoon I went to Hadje Hat Salah’s, and made an arrangement with him to act as my agent, both in recovering the money due by Hadje Ali Boo Khaloom, and in answering any drafts upon him. In the k
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