490 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXVI. 
Sunday ^ n consequence of the information re- 
June 22nd. ce ived from Ardo Ghammawa that to-day 
we were certainly to see the governor, we got ready 
at an early hour, taking with us also a present for 
his brother Mansiir, who had made himself ex- 
pressly a candidate for a present, by sending me, the 
day before, a small pot of honey. While we were 
passing his house, he was coming out to pay his 
respects to his brother. We made a short halt and 
exchanged compliments with him ; and when, on 
reaching the area before the governor's house, we 
had dismounted and were sitting down in the shade 
of the tree, he walked most benignly and frankly up, 
and sat down in front of me. We then entered the 
palace ; and having waited a short time in the segifa 
or zaure, which here was formed by a spacious flat- 
roofed room supported by massive square pillars, we 
were called into the presence of the governor. 
Mohammed Lowel*, son of Mallem A'dama, was 
sitting in a separate hall, built of 
clay, and forming, for this country, 
quite a noble mansion. From with- 
out especially, it has a stately, castle- 
like appearance, while inside, the hall 
was rather encroached upon by quadrangular pillars 
two feet in diameter, which supported the roof, about 
* Lowel is most probably a name belonging to the Fulfulde lan- 
guage, although in writing with Arabic letters it is spelt J^Ui 
as if it were of Arabic origin, and meant " the first." 
