174 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LVII. 
habits make a long stay in Wurno or Sokoto into- 
lerable, he is a cheerful old man of noble demeanour, 
and with pure Fiilbe features, with which his middle 
height and rather spare growth exactly corresponded. 
He was simply but neatly dressed in a white shirt 
and a shawl of the same colour. Modibo f Ali is the 
oldest member of the family of the Reformer still 
alive, being the son of 'AH an elder brother of 
'Othman the Jehadi, and about seventy-five years of 
age. He was seated in the antechamber of his house, 
before the door of which his little herd of milch cows 
were assembled ; and he received me with unaffected 
kindness. I immediately saluted him as an old friend 
and acquaintance, and we had a very pleasant and 
cheerful conversation, after which I delivered to him 
my present, consisting of a helali bernus, a piece of 
white muslin, a high red cap or " matri," a small 
flask of "ottar" of roses, two razors, a pound of 
cloves, a loaf of sugar, and a looking-glass ; and he 
was particularly delighted with some of these articles, 
which, on account of the insecurity of the road at the 
present time, are imported more rarely even from 
Kan6. In former times a great many Arabs used 
to visit this place, partly for purposes of trade, partly 
in order to obtain a present from the sultan ; but the 
danger of the communication in the present reduced 
state of the empire is so great, that not a single Arab 
merchant visits the town. This circumstance cannot 
fail to render the conquering tribe more favourably 
disposed towards opening an intercourse with the 
