292 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



bare, save the one beliind him, on which I was amused to 

 see hanging the two 6jd. paper plates with resplendent 

 portraits of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, which 

 Gosling had given him some Httle time before. 



This reminds me, that in conversation he was very 

 anxious to hear a great deal about the King, asking if he 

 really wore the splendid dress he was depicted in on the 

 plate, or went about, like all other Englishmen, in khaki. 

 On being told " yes " to the first and " no " to the last part 

 of his question, he seemed much relieved. 



He also asked how many wives he had, were not all his 

 soldiers black men, and was not his palace very large ? 

 Hearing that the King had many palaces, with hundreds of 

 rooms, decorated with ornaments, and soft carpets under 

 foot, he appeared very astonished and said he, himself, would 

 get stuff and carpets from Tripoh. 



The complete absence of ornament in his surroundings 

 struck one at first as very strange, for it must be remembered 

 that he is a rich man, ruling over a prosperous country, 

 and owning hundreds of wives and cattle. Moreover, the 

 land is reached by the influence of trade, and Arabs from 

 time immemorial have gone through with rich merchandise 

 from Tripoli, which they barter for ostrich plumes, ivory, 

 and leather, the products of Bornu. 



One would have thought that his barbaric imagination 

 would have delighted to visualise his authority in sceptre 

 and throne of some rare wood or ivory, however rudely 

 carved, and give assurance of his wealth, in carpets and 

 rich hangings. 



He must have had presents given him from time to time 



