10 
TRAVELS W AFRICA. Chap. XXXVIII. 
leisure hours in transcribing his memoranda in a 
form intelligible to others, he left them all on small 
scraps of paper, negligently written with lead pencil, 
which after the lapse of some time would become 
unintelligible even to himself. It is a pity that so 
much talent as my companion possessed was not 
allied with practical habits, and concentrated upon 
those subjects which he professed to study. 
The political horizon of Negroland during this 
time was filled with memorable events, partly of 
real, partly of fictitious importance. Whatever ad- 
vantages B6rnu may derive from its central position, 
it owes to it also the risk of being involved in per- 
petual struggles with one or other of the surround- 
ing countries. And hence it is that, under a weak 
government, this empire cannot stand for any length 
of time ; it must go on conquering and extending its 
dominion over adjacent territories, or it will soon be 
overpowered. Towards the north is the empire of 
the Turks, weak and crumbling in its centre, but 
always grasping with its outlying members, and 
threatening to lay hold of what is around : towards the 
north-west, the Tawarek, not forming a very formidable 
united power, but always ready to pounce upon their 
prey whenever opportunity offers : towards the west, 
the empire of Sokoto, great in extent, but weak be- 
yond description in the unsettled state of its loosely 
connected provinces, and from the unenergetic go- 
vernment of a peacefully disposed prince; for while one 
provincial governor was just then spreading around 
