258 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LX 
of the courtiers, but especially that of the vizier and 
the commander-in-chief or lamido konno, both of whom 
reminded me of Europeans. The old chief, even at 
the present time, keeps up a continual intercourse 
with Timbuktu, where his eldest son was at the time 
studying, and which place he did not leave until some 
time after my arrival. Indeed the town of Konari is 
still said to belong to Galaijo. 
Taking into consideration the peculiar character of 
this little colony, and the benevolent disposition and 
venerable character of the chief in particular, I thought 
it worth my while to enter into more intimate re- 
lations with him, and in consequence, the following 
day, presented him with a helali bernus, which he 
admired very much, and was as grateful for as his 
reduced fortune allowed him to be ; for, besides giving 
me a present of a heifer and a great number of 
fowls, he provided me also with corn, of which there 
was a great dearth in the place. The market was 
very small and insignificant, consisting merely of 
seven stalls, or shops, where scarcely a single sheep 
or ox was to be seen. The bitter species of ground- 
nuts, or gangala, and salt, formed almost the sole 
articles for sale. Butter and sour milk were plentiful. 
The whole of this country belongs to Gurma — a 
name which, however, does not seem to owe its origin 
to the native inhabitants, but probably was given to 
it by the Songhay, who, while still settled on the north 
side of the river, applied this term to the region 
on the opposite or southern side, identical with the 
