and Zamfra are called; “ tooia, tooia,” or “ war, war,” being the national cry of this people on entering into battle. May S.— We now pursued a footpath, through thick woods full of briars, which tore our clothes; and, as I had neglected to put on my boots, my legs were much lacerated. At midnight we passed near to a kafila of the rebels, who were travelling between Zamfra and Goobeer. This induced Moodie, the commander of our escort, to continue our journey all night, in spite of my wishes to halt till morning. “ No, no; the tooias are near; was his only reply to my remonstrances; and, in fact, we often heard the sound of their voices. When day dawned we discovered that we had mistaken the road all night, and were actually within a short distance of Calawawa, the capital of Goobeer, no one knowing the safest way to return. I had observed, to my surprise, during the night, that we travelled in a northerly direction; but never dreamed of interfering. Moodie now consulted me on what was to be done, and I recommended our travelling south-east. ’ We accordingly set out as fast as the camels could be driven through a thick underwood, by which my trowsers were all torn, and my legs almost excoriated from the knees to the ancles. In the afternoon the people on foot began to lag, and one or two were allowed to ride on the camels ; but this was soon given up, as the applicants became too numerous to grant this indulgence indiscriminately. A number of the poor natives on foot, Who had taken advantage of the escort to pass through this part of the country, overcome with fatigue and thirst, sat down never to rise more. One of my servants, a native of Kano, dropped down apparently dead, after taking a draught of water, of which the negroes drmk an immense quantity. Indeed, I may safely say, they drink six times the quantity that Europeans do. I had him lashed on a camel, the motion of which brought him again to life; and, in half an hour's time, after vomiting a great quantity of bile, he was able to walk, and soon appeared as fresh as ever. Before sunset we saw the high lands over the lake Gohdamee, and then bent our course to the eastward. At sunset a female slave, belonging to Hadje Ali Boo Khaloom, calling out that she saw two tooias, Moodie came up to me at full gallop, and recommended me to exchange the camel on which I was riding for my horse, and to have my firearms in readiness. Although scarcely able to support myself from severe pain in my limbs, I placed myself, however, at the head of the escort; but, fortunately for me, we could see no enemies, otherwise my sorry plight would have left me a very poor chance of success. At length, having reached a beaten path leading eastward, we waited for the camels to come up. The water skins being now all empty, and no one knowing exactly where we were, but each travelling as fast as thirst and weariness would permit him, I kept my people and camels together, and El Wordee, with two of the Arab merchants, considered it safest for themselves not to leave me. A fine Arab horse, belonging to Hadje Ali Boo Khaloom, died of fatigue. May 6.—Thursday, at four in the morning, El Wordee falling ill, and declaring he could travel no farther, I ordered a halt on his account, but left the loads on the camels. Being separated from the whole of the caravan, except one Arab merchant, I lay down by the side of my horse, and my servants gave me a few small yellow plums they had picked up, which relieved both my hunger and thirst. I now slept soundly on the ground until daybreak, when we continued our journey to the eastward, without following any regular track, and soon came up with several stragglers from the caravan and escort, who, overcome with fatigue, had lain down in the night, and were now pursuing their way, most of them almost unable to speak from excessive thirst. The horsemen were dismounted,— their horses having either died, or being too weak to bear their riders, who were driving them before them. At ten q 2
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