138 FROM THE NIGER TO THE NILE 



despatched a messenger to Jose at Kukawa and the latter 

 went to the Shehu and obtained horsemen whom he sent 

 out to hunt the thief. These fell in with others from Kowa 

 upon the road, and picking up the footprints of the 

 runaway, tracked him to Gashaga where they caught him. 



Gosling's next march of six hours took him over a country 

 of thin thorn and maio bush to N'gornu. On the way he 

 passed six villages which all looked prosperous, with plenty of 

 sheep and goats and a certain amount of cattle. N'gornu 

 is very noticeable for its fine palm-trees. The town stands 

 on rich soil that grows good cotton crops, and he describes 

 isolated patches of Alkama wheat, onions and tobacco that 

 were refreshingly green in contrast with the parched acacia 

 bush. He gave the king a coloured picture of King 

 Edward, with which the former was very pleased and said 

 he would look at it every day. In his diary under this date he 

 has an interesting note upon the Kanembu and Shua drivers 

 of his oxen, whom he describes as a good lot of men. 

 He goes on to say :• " They were most of them engaged 

 originally rather against their will, as is often the case at 

 present out here ; they are not yet sufficiently acquainted 

 with white men and do not know what they are in for. If 

 one sees that they are not ill-treated by the escort, and the 

 distances are reasonable so that the bullocks have a suflS.cient 

 time to graze each day, they are perfectly satisfied. I am 

 sure they would rather have one day's pay less than see their 

 cattle marched farther than they like." 



His next stopping-place was N'galewa, a large Kanuri 

 town in three parts, under three different kings, two of 

 whom brought Gosling a very big " dash " of food. N'galewa 



