96 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXIV. 
palm, a tree also most characteristic of Kano ; and 
now, the country becoming clear, we obtained a full 
sight of both the hills, Dala and Kogo-n-dutsi, which 
rise from the flat level of the plain; but nothing 
was as yet visible of the town, and we had but faint 
hopes of reaching it before sunset. However, we 
went on, though a little disheartened, as we had some 
foreboding that we should incur the displeasure of the 
governor ; and passing through the gate, in front of 
which part of the airi were encamped, without stop- 
ping, as if we were natives of the country, went on 
across open fields. It took us forty minutes to reach 
the house of Bawu from the gate, though this lies 
near the very outskirts of Dala, the northernmost 
quarter of the town. 
It was quite dark, and we had some trouble in 
taking possession of the quarters assigned to us by 
our host. 
Kano had been sounding in my ears now for more 
than a year ; it had been one of the great objects of our 
journey as the central point of commerce, as a great 
storehouse of information, and as the point whence 
more distant regions might be most successfully at- 
tempted. At length, after nearly a year's exertions, 
I had reached it. 
