346 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLVIII. 
article I gladly assisted them on their arduous jour- 
ney, for nothing is of so much importance to the tra- 
veller as to gain the goodwill of these people, who 
are the bearers of public opinion in these regions. 
Thus my liberality of making presents of needles, and 
nothing but needles, procured me the title among 
these witty people, of the Needle-Prince, " malaribra;" 
and although it was useful, in order to convince them 
of my friendly disposition, it was scarcely sufficient to 
open an intimate intercourse with them. But there 
was one amongst these distant wanderers, a native of 
Kebbi, a very intelligent man, from whom I derived 
my first information about the populousness of that 
fine and beautiful country which I was soon to visit 
myself. 
A numerous troop of pilgrims from Wandala or 
Manclara also created a considerable interest ; and I 
entered with them into lively polemics concerning 
the relation of their prince, or a tukse-male," with 
the ruler of B6rnu, for they denied positively that 
their chief had tendered his subjection in order to 
avert from his own country that numerous host which 
we had accompanied a few months previously to the 
Miisgu country. The poorer members of the caravan 
went round about the hamlets beating their drums, in 
order to collect alms to supply their wants during 
their meritorious journey, while the wealthier among 
them came to my host in order to buy from him their 
supply of native corn. 
The commercial intercourse also which took place 
