184 clapperton's second journey. 



those vast and almost inaccessible regions of Interior 

 Africa. However, with the imperfect knowlrd^e possessed 

 by these chiefs, and the facts before them relative to India, 

 they had scarcely the means of judging as to the foundation 

 of their apprehensions. The sultan, irritated doubtless at 

 the shameful result of his grand expedition against Coonia, 

 felt also another and more pressing fear. War had just 

 broken out between himself and the king of Bornou ; 

 Clapperton was on his way to visit that prince, and had 

 left six muskets at Kano, supposed to be intended as pre- 

 sents to him ; and six muskets in Central Africa, where the 

 whole Fellata empire could scarcely muster forty, were 

 almost enough to turn the scale between these two great mi- 

 litary powers. Under the impulse of these feelings, Bello pro- 

 ceeded to steps unworthy of a prince and a man of honour. 

 He demanded a sight of the letter which Clapperton was 

 conveying to the king of Bomou ; and when this was of 

 course refused, he seized it by violence. Lander was in- 

 duced by false pretences to bring the baggage from Kano 

 to Sackatoo, when forcible possession was taken of the six 

 muskets. The Captain loudly exclaimed against these 

 proceedings, declaring them to amount to the basest rob- 

 bery, to a breach of all faith, and to be the worst actions 

 of which any man could be guilty. This was rather strong 

 language to be used to a sovereign, especially to one who 

 could at any moment have cut oft' his head ; and the minis- 

 ter even dropped hints as if matters might come to that 

 issue, though, in point of fact, the government did not pro- 

 ceed to any personal violence. But, from other causes, the 

 career of this spirited and hitherto successful traveller was 

 now drawing to a close. 



The strong constitution of Clapperton had till this period 

 enabled him to resist all the baneful influences of an Afri- 

 can climate. He had recovered, though perhaps not com- 

 pletely, from the effects of the rash exposure which had 

 proved fatal to his two companions ; but he had, when 

 overcome with heat and fatigue, in hunting at Magaria, 

 lain down on a damp spot in the open air, and was soon 

 after seized with dysentery, which continued to assume 

 more alarming symptoms. Indeed, after the seizure of the 

 letter to the sultan of Bornou, he was never seen to smile, 

 and in his sleep was heard addressing loud reproaches to 



