444 
TRAVELS IN AFEICA. Chap. XXXIV. 
full two years, without any effort on the part of 
her imaginary offspring to come forth, and who came 
to me now with full confidence that the far-famed 
stranger would be able to help her to motherhood. 
Among the people who visited me there was also a 
Tebu, or rather Teda, who in his mercantile rambles 
had penetrated to this spot ; indeed these people are 
very enterprising, but in general their journeys lie 
more in the direction of Wandala, where they dispose 
of a great quantity of glass beads. This man had re- 
sided here some time, but was not able to give me much 
information.* He, however, excited my curiosity with 
regard to two white women, whom I was to see in Yola, 
brought there from the southern regions of A'damawa, 
and who he assured me were at least as white as my- 
self. But, after all, this was not saying much; for 
my arms and face at that time were certainly some 
shades darker than the darkest Spaniard or Italian. 
I had heard already several people speak of these 
women, and the natives had almost made them the 
subject of a romance, spreading the rumour that my 
object in going to Yola was to get a white female 
companion. I shall have occasion to speak about a 
tribe of lighter colour than usual in the interior, not 
far from the coast of the Cameroons, and there can be 
* The only thing which I learned from him was, that there is 
a village called Zum, inhabited by Fulbe, near Holma, and about 
half a day's journey from Sarawu, situated in a level tract of 
country ; and a little to the west from it another place, called 
Deba, also inhabited by Fulbe. 
