327 
CHAP. LXXXII. 
SECQND STAT IN GANDO, SOKOTO, AND WURn6. 
The quarters which had been allotted to me this 
time, were at least a little more airy than my former 
ones. My former guide, Dahome, here paid me a 
visit. Upon asking him whether he had faithfully 
delivered to the mallem 'Abd el Kader, in Sokoto, the 
parcel I had given him on his taking leave of me 
at D6re, he put on a rather sullen look, took from 
his cap a small leather case, opened it, and drawing 
forth a dirty piece of paper, to my utmost surprise and 
disappointment, exclaimed, ^' Here is your letter!" 
I then learned, that in consequence of the violent 
rains through which he had had to make his way, and 
the many rivers and swamps which he had to cross, 
the whole envelope of the letter, containing the 
lines addressed to my friend in Sokoto, had been de- 
stroyed, so that the latter, receiving only the English 
letter, and not knowing what to do with this hiero- 
glyphic, at length returned it to the bearer, who 
had since used it as a charm. Besides this mishap, 
which had delayed this letter so long, instead of its 
being forwarded directly to Europe in order to inform 
my friends of my proceedings, there was another dis- 
Y 4 
