74 INTERCOURSE WITH 



me, I was perpetually accosted with " SuUikeen 

 Maghony, ki nan ; Sullikeen Magliony, ki nan 

 (King of Medicine, he is the man.) On passing 

 through the outer apartment of the king's 

 house, there were several dozen Mallams and 

 Arabs assembled. On my entering the king's 

 presence, he exclaimed, " Allah illah, illah Allah 

 Mahomedooro, soora lafe !" (God is great, and 

 Mahomed is his prophet !) I repeated what Mr. 

 Lander had desired me, adding very coolly that 

 the whole transaction was a piece of roguery 

 between them. I informed him that Yiki had 

 sent for the goods, and had subsequently and 

 frequently told us that he, Osiman, had them, 

 and would pay for them. 



The king, seeing that we were in earnest, and 

 perhaps thinking he would get no more goods, 

 observed, " Your heart be too warm, your heart 

 too warm ; you shall be paid for them in teeth 

 or cowries ;" at the same time asking me which 

 we preferred. He sent for a person, whom he 

 desired me to let one of my interpreters accom- 

 pany, and he should be paid in cowries, as I pro- 

 posed. He then at once told me that he wanted 

 everything we had, and that he had abundance 

 of cowries wherewith to pay for them. He in- 

 quired if we had any cloth like that of the coat I 



