Chap. XXXI. PROPOSED JOURNEY SOUTHWARDS. 349 
claim. At first these messengers from Adamawa 
were to be my only companions besides my own 
servants, and. on the 21st of May I was officially 
placed under their protection in the house of the 
sheikh by several of the first courtiers or kokanawa, 
among whom were the old Ibrahim Waday, the friend 
and companion of Mohammed el Kanemi in his first 
heroical proceedings, Shitima Naser, Hamza, and 
Kashella Ali, and the messengers promised to see me 
safe to their country, and to provide for my safe 
return. 
Ibrahima, the head man of these messengers, who 
were all of rather inferior rank, was not such a man 
as I wished for; but fortunately there was among 
them another person named Mohammedu, who, 
although himself a Piillo by descent, had more of 
the social character of the Hausa race, and was ready 
to gratify my desire for information. He proved 
most useful in introducing me into the new country 
which I was to explore, and would have been of im- 
mense service to me if I had been allowed to make 
any stay there. 
After much delay, and having twice taken official 
leave of the sheikh in full state, I had at length the 
pleasure of seeing our little band ready for starting 
in the afternoon of Thursday, the 29th May, 1851. 
Eather more, I think, with a view to his own interest, 
than from any apprehension on my account, the 
sheikh informed me, in the last interview which I had 
with him, that he would send an officer along with 
