436 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LI. 
that through the instrumentality of this king a great 
majority of his countrymen adopted Islamism. 
To this praiseworthy prince succeeded his, son 
'Abd e' Rahman, whose death can be fixed with ap- 
proximative certainty, as it is connected with the 
history of the neighbouring countries ; for it was he 
against whom the sheikh Mohammed el Kanemi so- 
licited the assistance of 'Abd el Kerfm Sabun the sultan 
of Waday, who died in the year 1815 for his having 
thrown off the supremacy of B6rnu, which seems to 
have been established during the reign of Ldweni. 
The easy victory which the energetic and unscrupu- 
lous ruler of Waday, who eagerly grasped at the offer 
made to him, is said to have gained over the people 
of Bagirmi, is attributed to the consequences of a 
severe plague, which had swept away the greater part 
of the full-grown inhabitants of the country, and to 
the circumstance of the facha, or general of the army, 
not being on good terms with his sovereign, whom he 
is stated to have deserted in the battle, while he him- 
self fled with his whole detachment. Sabun, after 
having put to death 'Abd e' Rahman, together with his 
favourite wife, or ghumsu, and having carried away a 
considerable portion of the population, and all the 
riches of Bagirmi collected during the period of their 
power, invested the younger son of 'Abd e' Rahmau, 
of the name of Mallem Ngarmaba Beri, with the title 
of king. However, as soon as Sabun had retraced 
his steps, 'Othman, the eldest son of 'Abd e' Rahman, 
with the surname or nickname of Bugoman, who, as 
long as the king of Waday was ravaging the country, 
