214 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLIV. 
was doubly so on account of the roundabout way 
which this man had to pursue, the track by which we 
had come being at present greatly infested by the 
desperate pagans, who very recently had massacred 
a whole troop of horse and foot who had come 
from Kiikawa, with the exception of one, who had 
succeeded in making his escape. The messengers, 
therefore, who were now sent, were obliged to take 
the road leading past the villages of the Fiilbe, going 
from Demmo to Kafta, the place mentioned in the 
preceding volume, and from thence to Bogo, whence 
they were to follow the general track, which I have 
described on a former occasion. An escort of fifteen 
Kaniiri and two Fiilbe accompanied the two messen- 
gers, as their first day's march was very dangerous. 
For the last few days there had been a great talk of 
an expedition, on a large scale, against the Tiiburi, 
whither it was said we were to transfer the whole 
encampment ; and I and my companion already anti- 
cipated a great deal of delight, as the isolated rocky 
mount which we had seen on the day of our arrival 
seemed to be well worthy of notice. But, as I have 
already stated, the Bornu people were greatly afraid 
of this place, the real reason probably being, that 
they apprehended the pagans might retire upon the 
top of the mountain, and, having abundance of 
water in the neighbourhood, offer a successful resist- 
ance, although we were told that, on a former occa- 
sion, a single kashella, 'All Fugomami, had extended 
his expedition as far as that place. 
