62 
TRAVELS m AFRICA. 
Chap. XL. 
ceeding in large caravans ; but it is almost impos- 
sible to give implicit credit to the statement which 
was made to us by several individuals, that the Welad 
Sliman had taken from the Tawarek more than 30,000 
camels in the course of two or three years. 
If they had continued in this way for a short time, 
they would have brought about an immense revolu- 
tion in the whole of Central Africa ; for the Kel-owl 
would of course not have been able to provide Hausa 
with salt, after having lost their camels, and thus, 
having no salt for bartering, would have remained 
without the most necessary articles of subsistence : 
they would accordingly have been obliged either to 
starve or to emigrate into, and take possession by 
force of, the more fertile districts of Sudan. But 
before they were driven to this extreme, they made 
one energetic effort against their enemies, and suc- 
ceeded ; for, having summoned the contingents of 
all the different tribes inhabiting Air or A'sben, they 
collected a host of at least 7,000 men, chiefly mounted 
on camels, but comprising also a considerable number 
of horsemen, and proceeded to attack the lion in his 
den, in the beginning of the year 1850. 
I am almost inclined to suspect that the people of 
Bornu had a hand in this affair ; at least, the exist- 
ence of such a warlike and restless horde of men, and 
mustering considerable forces, as the Welad Sliman 
were then, under the guidance of Mohammed, and in 
such a neighbourhood, could not be wholly indifferent 
to any ruler of Bornu possessed of prudence and fore- 
