clapperton's second journey. 177 



each other, without the sHa^htest regard to the supretoe au- 

 thority. The people of Kiama and of Borgoo in general 

 have the reputation of being the greatest thieves and rob- 

 bers in all Africa, — a character which nothing in their actual 

 conduct appeared to confirm. Clappcrton was well received 

 at Kiama ; and the king soon visited hun with the most sin- 

 gular train ever seen by an European. Six young girls, 

 without any apparel except a fillet on the forehead, and a 

 string of beads round the waist, carrying each three light 

 spears, ran by the side of his horse, keeping pace with it at 

 full gallop. " Their light form, the vivacity of their eyes, 

 and the ease with which they appeared to fly over the ground, 

 made them appear something more than mortal." On the 

 king's entrance the young ladies laid down their spears, 

 wrapped themselves in blue mantles, and attended on his 

 majesty. On his taking leave, they discarded their attire ; 

 he mounted his horse, " and away went the most extraordi- 

 nary cavalcade I ever saw in my life." Our traveller was 

 visited by the principal queen, who had lost her youth and 

 charms ; but a good deal of flirtation passed between him 

 and the eldest daughter, who, however, being twenty-five, 

 was considered in Africa as already on the wane. Yarro, 

 the king, was extremely acccm^'>dating, and no difficulty 

 was found in proceeding onward to \\ aw a. 



Wawa is a large city, containing 18,000 inhabitants, en- 

 riched by the constant passage of the Houssa caravans. 

 The people spend the wealth thus acquired in dissolute 

 pleasure, and have been denounced by our traveller the most 

 complete set of roaring topers he had ever knowm. The fes- 

 tivities were usually prolonged till near morning, and thetowTi 

 resounded through the whole night with the song, the 

 dance, the castanet, and the Arab guitar. The Wawa ladies 

 paid a very particular and rather troublesome attention to 

 the English party. The Captain complains of being pes- 

 tered by the governor's daughter, who came several times 

 a-day, always half-tipsy, painted and bedizened in the high- 

 est style of African finery, to make love to him ; and on meet- 

 ing only with cold excuses, she departed usually in a flood 

 of tears. But the most persevering suit was that of Zuma, 

 an A rab widow, possessor of a thousand slaves, and the se- 

 cond personage in Wawa. Being turned of twenty, she 

 wa£ considered here as past her bloom, and a too ample 



