188 REPORTS OF THE KING OF FUNDAH. 



across the ditch from the gate of the town to the 

 causeway. The town contains about three thou- 

 sand people ; but the chief assured me, that be- 

 fore it was burnt by the present King of Fun- 

 dah, it contained ten thousand inhabitants. A 

 romantic kind of story, which I heard here of this 

 King of Fundah, did not give me a very favour- 

 able impression of his character. The account 

 said, that he is the youngest of five brothers, 

 two of whom he poisoned ; and another, in order 

 to avoid his cruelty, had committed suicide : 

 the remaining one fled to this town, and was 

 beheaded by his brother, after a war that con- 

 tinued for some years, and by which the country 

 was desolated, all trade destroyed, and the cara- 

 vans from Kano and Bornou to this part of the 

 country interrupted. I do not vouch for the 

 truth of this story, although it was confirmed 

 by several people afterwards : I only " tell the 

 tale as it was told to me." I also heard va- 

 rious accounts of the King's rapacity and cruelty 

 towards traders ; but, as I had gone so far, I 

 was determined to proceed, feeling confident 

 that the accounts were much exaggerated, and 

 being anxious to visit a city that had only been 

 heard of, like the mysterious Timbuctoo, through 



