MALLAM MOOSA. 59 



and perceived them, they would scamper away 

 laughing. The presents which we had brought 

 with us, and which were numerous and valuable, 

 were taken away and placed in another apart- 

 ment; the king scarcely deigning to look at 

 them, as it is not customary for princes to notice 

 the presents given them, such a thing being con- 

 sidered derogatory. We understood that there 

 are three or four others of equal power, to whom 

 we must also make presents. 



The audience or palaver having terminated, 

 we took our leave of the king, and were con- 

 ducted to the abode of Mallam Moosa, an el- 

 derly and very good man. He requested us to 

 be seated on a mat beside him, gave us Goora 

 nuts, and talked and laughed with us freely. 

 He was seated in the midst of thirty or forty 

 others, amongst whom I saw several Arabs, two 

 or three of whom, in particular, struck me as 

 being ferocious and ill-looking men, with beards 

 reaching down to their middle. One of these 

 sages had a beard of a fine jetty-black colour, 

 resembling in shape a peacock's tail. 



After remaining with our friend the Mallam 

 about half an hour, we were conducted to Sul- 

 likeen Yiki (the King of War). A little rain 



