316 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XXXI. 
the open area before his palace in the eastern town ; 
and having fully succeeded in arranging it, although 
a few pieces were wanting, it was left the whole day 
in its place, and made a great impression upon the 
people. At first it seemed rather awkward to the 
natives, whose tents, even if of large size, are mere 
bell-tents; but in the course of time it pleased the 
sheikh so much, that when I finally left the country, 
he begged me to entreat the British Government to 
send him another one like it.* 
We also paid our respects to the principal of the 
sheikh's brothers, as well as to his eldest son. Having 
obtained permission, we visited e Abd e' Rahman, the 
brother and rival of the sheikh, as we could not pru- 
dently be wanting in civility to a person who might 
soon get the upper hand. We presented him with a 
fine white helali Dermis, and sundry small things; 
he received us very graciously, and laughed and 
chatted a good deal with us on the first as well as on 
a second visit, when I was obliged to show him the 
pictures in Denham's and Clapperton's work, and the 
drawing I had myself made of his friend, the Kanemma 
chief, A'msakay, of which he had heard ; but his 
manners did not please us very much. His counte- 
nance had a very wild expression, and he manifested 
little intelligence or princely demeanour, wrangling 
and playing the whole day with his slaves. Besides, 
* Such a tent has lately been sent through the liberality of the 
Earl of Clarendon, together with some other presents. 
