98 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LV. 
here, I was obliged to comply with his request. He 
had a cover made for the pair, and used to carry 
them constantly about his person, frightening every- 
body by firing off the caps into their faces. 
It was, no doubt, a very favourable circumstance 
for me that the ghaladima of Sokoto was at this time 
staying here ; for under the protection of the unscru- 
pulous governor of Katsena, I should scarcely have 
reached the residence of the emir el Mumenm in 
safety. The ghaladima, who was the inspector of 
Katsena as well as of Zanfara, had collected the tri- 
bute of both provinces, and was soon to start, with 
his treasure and the articles he had purchased there, 
on his home journey, so that there did not seem 
to be time enough for sending some of my people to 
Kano to make there the necessary purchases ; but 
circumstances, which I shall soon mention, delayed 
us so much that there would have been ample 
opportunity for doing so, and thus saving a consider- 
able sum of money. The ghaladima was a simple, 
straightforward man, not very intelligent, certainly, 
nor generous, but good-natured and sociable. Born 
of a female slave, he had very little about him of the 
general characteristics of the Fulbe, being tall and 
broad-shouldered, with a large head, broad features, 
and tolerably dark complexion. 
I made some considerable purchases in this place, 
amounting altogether to 1,808,000 shells, employing 
the greatest part of my cash in providing myself 
with the cotton and silk manufactures of Kano and 
