82 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XXIV. 
the Goberawa and Mariadawa, whose king still bears 
the title of serki-n-Katsena, reconquer this town, it 
will continue to decline and become more desolate 
every year. In fact, Mohammed Bello, the present 
governor, had conceived the design of giving up this 
immense town altogether, and of founding a new resi- 
dence of smaller compass in its neighbourhood ; but 
his liege-lord, Aliyu, the Emir el Mumenin, would not 
allow him to do so. 
I shall say nothing here about the empire of the 
Fulbe, or about their character, of which I received a 
very bad impression during my first dealings with 
them, but shall treat of both these subjects hereafter. 
The only inhabited part of the town at present is the 
north-west quarter, although any one who should 
omit to take into account the population scattered 
over the other parts, principally round about the 
residence of the governor, and the people settled in 
the hamlets near the gates, would make a great mis- 
take. Here it may be added, that most of the im- 
portance which Katsena has still preserved, in a 
commercial aspect, is due to its position with respect 
to Niipe, with which it keeps up a tolerably-lively 
intercourse, the route from it to that industrious but 
most unfortunate country being practicable even for 
camels, while the road from Kano can only be tra- 
velled with horses and asses. Almost all the more 
considerable native merchants in Katsena are Wan- 
garawa (Eastern Mandingoes). 
The province of Katsena was formerly far more ex- 
