52 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXI. 
other couched in most threatening terms, to the effect 
that something serious would happen if he did not send 
me off before he (Ferreji) entered the town. But, no 
active course of proceedings was resolved upon, al- 
though Mohammed, who was the most energetic of the 
three, proposed that we should mount on horseback 
and pass the night on the road to Kabara, partly in 
order to prevent the inhabitants of the town from 
joining the FulMn in that place, in conformity with 
the order which they had received, partly in order to 
intercept anything that might come from the hostile 
camp. While proposing this energetic measure, the 
chief of A'zawdd was playing with his four-barreled 
musket, which, even under these momentous cir- 
cumstances, excited my curiosity almost more than 
anything else, as I had never seen anything like 
it in Europe. It was of excellent workmanship, 
but I could not say of what peculiar character, as it 
did not bear any distinct mark of nationality. Of 
course I suspected, when I first beheld it, that it had 
belonged to the late unfortunate Major Laing, but I 
was distinctly assured by all the people, though I 
would scarcely believe it, that this was not the case, 
and that it had been purchased from American traders 
at Portendik, At present it was rather short, the 
uppermost part having been taken off in consequence 
of an accident ; but it was nevertheless a very useful 
weapon and not at all heavy. It was made for flints, 
there being only two cocks, but a cannon to each 
liarrel. 
