180 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLIlK 
Threatened with capital punishment by the old 
sheikh, that is to say, Mohammed el Amin el Ka- 
nemi, on account of his disobedience, this Shuwa 
chieftain had fled to the pagans, and had there suc- 
ceeded in establishing gradually, by his own energy 
and mental superiority, a small principality; but at 
present, for some reason or other, he had been ex- 
pelled and had recourse to the vizier of Bornu for 
assistance to recover his former power. His great 
knowledge of the country and the different tribes 
which inhabited it, made him a welcome guest ; but 
as for himself, he did not succeed in his ambitious 
projects. In reference to my expedition to A'dam- 
awa, I have already made use of the authority of this 
man, in giving an account of the route which connects 
the southernmost point on our expedition to Miisgu 
with the places fixed by me along the river Benuwe. 
The mallem was not very communicative ; and un- 
fortunately I had no handsome present to make him, 
or else I might have learned from him an immense 
deal with regard to the geography and character of 
these countries, which I have no doubt, not long 
hence, will become of considerable importance to 
Europeans. For while these regions, situated be- 
tween the rivers Benuwe and Shari, seem to be ex- 
tremely rich and fertile, and capable — on account of 
the uniform level of their unbroken plains — of the 
highest state of cultivation, they are the most acces- 
sible, on account of the extensive water-communi- 
cation, which, rendered available by the application of 
