MY JOURNEY CONTINUED TO ASHAKA 211 



in the region of the Gora Mountains. The path was pretty 

 and took its course through the passes of the grassy hills, 

 which, in contrast with the rocks I had not long left behind, 

 had the appearance of rolling downs. Below in the valleys 

 the grass was long, and little streams trickled through green 

 hnes of tall bamboos, the first I had seen upon this journey. 



The Fulani get tin from these streams, collecting it in 

 quills and working it into ornaments, for the most part 

 bracelets and rings. The white man has now followed on 

 their track, and at a place called Tildi I came across two 

 Enghsh miners, who were boring for the tin, but they told 

 me that the lode lay in the mountains to the south, which 

 were impossible to get into owing to the hostile Kagorra. 



Next day I came in sight of Zaranda Hill rearing its square 

 head over the western horizon, so I knew that I was not far 

 from Bauchi, where there was a chance of hearing news of the 

 others, and one more day's marching brought us into that 

 town. To my great disappointment I found no word from 

 the Expedition, and the only news I could gather was that my 

 brother had passed through the place some six weeks before. 



Bauchi is the most important of all the Fulani towns, 

 and the capital of a large province. It is prettily situated 

 at the foot of a green hill, its white houses mounting half 

 way up the slope. Round all there runs a splendid mud 

 wall, about 15 ft. high and 6 ft. thick, with a fine postern 

 gate closed with doors of wood, and towers, stair-cased 

 within to look-out posts on the top. It has a large market 

 where not many years ago slaves were the chief commodity. 

 In fact, the word " Bauchi " means " slavery " and the town 

 was once one of the largest slave-markets in the Western 



