340 
TEAYELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXI. 
lowed by rain. But I did not tarry ; the very same 
day I bought in the market all that was necessary for 
my journey, and the next day succeeded in purchasing 
a very handsome and strong gray horse, "keri bul," 
for twelve hundred and seventy rotls, equal at that 
moment to two and thirty Austrian dollars, while I 
sold my weak horse which the sheikh had given me 
for nine hundred rotls, or twenty-two dollars and a 
half. 
Having also bought an Arab saddle, I felt myself 
quite a match for anybody, and hearing in the after- 
noon that the sheikh had gone to Gawange, a place two 
miles and a half E. from the town towards the lake, I 
mounted my new steed, and setting off at a gallop, 
posted myself before the palace just when 'Omar 
was about to come out with the flourishing of the 
trumpets, sounding the Hausa word " gashi, gashi," 
" here he is, here he is." The sheikh was very hand- 
somely dressed in a fine white bermis over another of 
light blue colour, and very well mounted on a fine 
black horse, " fir kera." He was accompanied by 
several of his and the vizier's courtiers, and about 
two hundred horsemen, who were partly riding by 
his side, partly galloping on in advance and returning 
again to the rear, while sixty slaves, wearing red 
jackets over their shirts, and armed with matchlocks, 
ran in front of and behind his horse. The vizier, 
who saw me first, saluted me very kindly, and sent 
Hamza Weled el Goni to take me to the sheikh, who 
made a halt, and asked me very graciously how I 
