Chap. LXXXIV. xiRRANGEMENTS WITH MR. VOGEL, 395 
my extensive wanderingSj and called his attention to 
various points wliich I begged him to clear up, espe- 
cially with regard to some remarkable specimens of 
the vegetable kingdom, and the famous mermaid of 
the Benuwe, the " ayii." It was rather unfortunate 
that no copy of the map which had been con- 
structed from the materials which I had sent home 
had reached him, so that he remained in the dark 
with regard to many points which I had already 
cleared up. I also delivered to Mr. Yogel those let- 
ters of introduction which I had received from the 
ruler of Sokoto, addressed to the various governors 
of the provinces in this part of his empire, so that 
he had a fair prospect before him of being well re- 
ceived. We, moreover, lost no time in obtaining 
the Sheikh's consent to his journey, and at the same 
time caused to be imprisoned Mesaud, that servant of 
the mission who, by his connivance, had facilitated 
the theft committed upon my effects. In conse- 
quence of this energetic proceeding, several of the 
stolen articles came to light, even of those which 
had formed the contents of the box sent from 
England. 
Thus we began cheerfully the year 1855, in which 
I was to return to Europe, from my long career of 
hardships and privations, and in which my young 
friend was to endeavour to complete my discoveries 
and researches, first in a south-westerly direction, to- 
wards the Benuwe, and then eastwards, in the direction 
of the Nile. We likewise indulged in the hope that 
