146 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXV. 
the " banda-n-Kano " (a sort of commander-in-chief); 
then the "alkali" or chief justice, the " chiroma-n- 
Kano " (the eldest son of the governor, or some one 
assuming this title), who exercises the chief power in 
the southern part of the province ; the " serki-n- 
bay " (properly, the chief of the slaves), who has the 
inspection of the northern districts of the province 
as far as Kazaure ; then the " gado " or lord of the 
treasury, and finally the " serki-n-shano " (the master 
of the oxen, or rather the quartermaster-general), 
who has all the military stores under his care ; for the 
ox, or rather the bull, is the ordinary beast of burden 
in Negroland. It is characteristic that, when the 
governor is absent paying his homage to his liege 
lord, it is not the ghaladima, but the gado and the 
serki-n-shano who are his lieutenants or substitutes. 
With regard to the government in general, I think, 
in this province, where there is so much lively inter- 
course, and where publicity is given very soon to 
every incident, it is not oppressive, though the be- 
haviour of the ruling class is certainly haughty, and 
there is, no doubt, a great deal of injustice in- 
flicted in small matters. The etiquette of the court, 
which is far more strict than in S6koto, must pre- 
vent any poor man from entering the presence of 
the governor. The Fiilbe marry the handsome 
daughters of the subjugated tribe, but would not 
condescend to give their own daughters to the men 
of that tribe as wives. As far as I saw, their original 
type has been well preserved as yet, though, by ob- 
