Chap. XLIII. THE COURT OF A'dISHE'n. 
165 
stated that this little prince was not jealous of the 
favours bestowed by his female partners upon his 
guests ; but, on the contrary, that he himself volun- 
tarily gave them up to them. Such a degrading cus- 
tom may indeed be followed by this petty chief, who 
has betrayed his country in order that, by the influence 
of his more powerful neighbours, he might rule over 
his countrymen; but we need not draw a conclu- 
sion from him as to the customs of the whole tribe, 
although, of course, they regard the relation of the 
sexes in a simpler point of view than we do. 
The country through which we passed, Friday 
on leaving our encampment in the morning, December 19th. 
was most charming, and of a most expansive bound, 
and exactly suited for pastoral tribes like the Shiiwa 
and Fiilbe ; but traces of cultivation also, and even of 
cotton -fields, were not wanting ; while further on, the 
diim-bush appeared, and was after a while succeeded 
by the tall fan-shaped d urn-palm itself. The country 
being open, and without any obstruction whatever, 
the " kibu," or army, marched in an extended line of 
battle, "bata," separated into groups of the most va- 
ried description in attire and appearance : the heavy 
cavalry, clad in thick wadded clothing, others in their 
coats of mail, with their tin helmets glittering in the 
sun, and mounted on large heavy chargers, which ap- 
peared almost oppressed by the weight of their riders * 
and their own warlike accoutrements ; the light Shiiwa 
horsemen, clad only in a loose shirt, and mounted upon 
their weak unseemly nags ; the self-conceited slaves, 
M 3 
