Chap. XLIV. PENETRATING SOUTHWARD. 227 
probably for no other purpose than to give some re- 
pose to the people who had accompanied the expedi- 
tion the preceding day ; and the vizier, who was fully 
aware of my ardent desire to push further south- 
ward, at least as far as the equator, took occasion to 
make merry at my expense, and, to the great horror 
of the effeminate courtiers, suddenly proclaimed that 
it was his firm intention to lead the expedition into 
those unknown regions in the interior. At times, in- 
deed, he could be exceedingly amiable ; and he was 
clever enough to conceive how Europeans could be 
induced to undertake such hazardous journeys, al- 
though he was scarcely able to appreciate the amount 
of courage which such an undertaking is able to in- 
spire. He had often spoken with me concerning my 
project of pushing on towards the east coast; and he 
thought that a troop of ten Europeans would be able 
to accomplish it, although he anticipated great ob- 
structions from the quantity of watercourses in those 
equatorial regions, and there can be no doubt that 
this would be one of the greatest obstacles to such an 
undertaking. 
In order to console me, and soothe my disappoint- 
ment on finding that this was to be the furthest point 
of the expedition, and that we should retrace our 
steps from hence without even visiting the country 
of the Tuburi, he ordered Mallem Jymma to be 
called, in order to inform me how far the enterprising 
Piillo conqueror Buba had penetrated beyond Biiban- 
jidda ; but he found that I was already fully acquainted 
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