148 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLII. 
could scarcely have had a better teacher than our 
friend Haj Edris ; for, being of Kaniiri origin, he had 
lived a great many years in the east, especially in 
Medina, and had become almost an Arab. He was 
certainly an intelligent and honest man ; and in the 
course of our stay we became indebted to him in 
many respects. Of course we could not expect him 
to render his service gratuitously, as he himself was 
not in affluent circumstances, though as a courtier he 
had to keep up a good appearance ; but being myself 
very poor at the time, I could do nothing but place 
him upon a needle-pension, the needles being very 
useful in the encampment for buying provisions. 
