Chap. XXV. MEDITATED DEPARTURE. 
115 
heard from the governor, and it would have been im- 
prudent to start without his permission. With envi- 
ous feelings I witnessed the departure of the natron- 
caravan for Niipe or Nyffi, consisting of from two to 
three hundred asses. With it went Mohammed A'nnur, 
a very intelligent man, whom I had endeavoured by 
all possible means to hire as a servant, but could not 
muster shells enough. However, the exploration of 
all those more distant regions I was obliged in my pre- 
sent circumstances to give up, and to concentrate my 
whole energies on the effort to reach Kukawa, where 
I had concerted with Mr. Richardson to arrive in the 
beginning of April. I had had the satisfaction of send- 
ing off a long report and several letters to Europe on 
the 1st of March (when the Ghadamsiye merchants 
dispatched a courier to their native town), and felt 
therefore much easier with regard to my communica- 
tion with Europe. My delay also had given me the 
great advantage of making the acquaintance of a 
man named Mohammed el 'Anaya, from the Dara el 
Takhtamye, to the south of Morocco, wdio first gave 
me some general information about the route from 
Timbuktu to Sokoto, which in the sequel was to be- 
come a new field for mv researches and adventures. 
I became so seriously ill on the 8th, that I looked 
forward with apprehension to my departure, which 
was fixed for the following day. But before leaving 
this important place, I will make a few general ob- 
servations with regard to its history and its present 
state. 
i 2 
