138 DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON. 



darkened with the varied and beautiful plumage of ducks, 

 geese, pelicans, and cranes four or five feet high, immense 

 spoonbills of snowy whiteness, yellow-legged plovers, with 

 numerous unknown waterfowl, sporting around, and quietly 

 feeding at half pistol-shot. It is not to be wondered at, that 

 Major Denham should have felt reluctant to invade the pro- 

 found tranquillity of these feathered tribes, and betray the 

 confidence with which they received him. At last, over- 

 coming his scruples, he took up his gun, and soon filled a 

 large basket. It was evident here, that remarkable changes 

 in the bed of the Tchad had recently taken place ; for, 

 though this was not the rainy season, long stalks of the 

 grain called gussub were growing amid the waters on ground 

 formerly dry. 



The caravan now marched along the shores of the lake, 

 and arrived in two days at Woodie, a large town, the first 

 which was found thoroughly negro. The inhabitants lived 

 in sluggish plenty, on the produce of a fertile country, with- 

 out any attempt to obtain either elegancies or luxuries. It 

 was resolved that the caravan should pause here, till a mes- 

 senger could be sent forward to obtain for them invitation, 

 or pennission, to present themselves before the sheik of 

 Bornou. The political state of that country was at this 

 time somewhat singular. Twenty years before it had been 

 overrun and completely conquered, with the most dreadful 

 devastation, by the Fellatas, a western people, to whose em- 

 pire Bornou seemed to have been finally annexed. There 

 still remained, however, a spirit in the people which spumed 

 at a foreign yoke. The present sheik, a native of Kanem, 

 of humble birth, but of superior talents and energy, rallied 

 round him a band of bold spearmen, and, animating them by 

 a pretended vision of the prophet, hoisted the green flag, 

 and attacked the invaders. His success was such, that in 

 ten months the Fellatas were completely driven out of Bor- 

 nou, which they had never since re-entered, though desul- 

 tory hostilities were still waged between the two nations. 

 This leader, idolized by the army who had conquered under 

 him, was now the real master of the country, yet the reve- 

 rence of the nation for their ancient line of kings was too 

 deep to allow the legitimate heir to be wholly superseded. 

 He was drawn forth from obscurity, received the title of sul- 

 tan, and was established in empty pomp at the city of 



