Chap. LIII. TAKE LEAVE OF THE SHEIKH. 
5 
which I had explained to them the motives which had 
induced me to undertake a journey to the chiefs of 
the Fiilbe or Fellata, there were no grounds of sus- 
picion remaining between us, although they made it 
a point that I should avoid going by Kan6 ; and even 
when I rejected their entreaty to remain with them 
after my successful return from Timbuktu, they found 
nothing to object, as I assured them that I might be 
more useful to them as a faithful friend in my own 
country, than by remaining with them in B6rnu. 
At that time I thought that Her Majesty's Govern- 
ment would be induced to send a consul to B6rnu, 
and, in consequence, I raised their expectations on 
that point. But matters in Bornu greatly changed 
during my absence in the west, and, in consequence 
of the temporary interregnum of the usurper e Abd 
e' Eahman and the overthrow and murder of the 
vizier, the state of affairs there assumed a less settled 
aspect. I concluded my leave-taking by requesting 
my kind hosts, once more, to send a copy of the his- 
tory of Edris Alaw6ma, the most celebrated Bornu 
king, to the British Government, as I was sure that, 
in their desire to elucidate the history and geography 
of these regions, this would be an acceptable present. 
The vizier, in particular, took great interest in 
my enterprise, admiring the confidence which I ex- 
pressed, that the sheikh el Bakay, in Timbuktu, of 
whom I had formed an opinion merely from hear- 
say, would receive me kindly and give me his full 
B 3 
