Chap. LXXXIII. THE THIEVES OF GE'rKI. 
373 
formance of his art. I would strongly advise any 
future traveller in these districts, the inhabitants of 
which are very expert thieves, to take care not to 
pitch his tent too near a large tree. As it was, to my 
great disgust, the fellow succeeded in carrying away, 
first the tobe, and then the trowsers, belonging to one 
of my servants ; but I strongly suspected one of the 
inhabitants of Hobiri, from whom I had bought, the 
previous evening, an ox of burden for 9000 shells, to 
be the culprit. Gerki is famous on account of the 
many thefts which are committed in its neighbour- 
hood. 
Although I had not paid my respects to the go- 
vernor of the town, he accompanied me the next 
morning with ten horsemen, four of whom were 
his own sons. He himself was quite a stately per- 
son and well mounted. Having then taken leave 
of him at the frontier of the territory of Kan6 
and Bornu, I reached the town of Birmenawa, the 
small frontier town of Bornu, which I have men- 
tioned on my former journey, but which, at present, 
had assumed more remarkable political importance, 
as it had not made its subjection to Sheri, the pre- 
sent ruler of Gummel, but still adhered to his oppo- 
nent and rival, the governor of Tymbi. On this 
account, the inhabitants of this town endeavoured to 
cut off the peaceable intercourse between Gummel 
and Kano, and I thought it necessary, in order to 
prevent any unpleasantness, to pay my respects to 
the petty chief, and to procure his good will by a 
B B 3 
