182 
VISIT THE SHEREEF. 
present for Said, sent by Haj Beshir from Kuka, 
consisted of a cloth caftan (coarse), a cotton hand- 
kerchief, and a piece of cotton stuff to make a pillow. 
I am happy to add, that all were content and 
satisfied ; but we made them understand — indeed, 
they knew it before we arrived — that the Tuaricks 
had taken away nearly all my property. 
I must add the present of the Shereef Saghir 
(little Shereef), who acts as interpreter for the Sul- 
tan : a glass painted drinking-cup, a handkerchief 
(cotton), a little sugar, jani, senbal, a few cloves, 
and two or three rings ; with which he was well 
satisfied. 
Before noon I waited on the Shereef to deliver 
my present. I was much struck with this man's 
appearance. He was quite an European — white as 
myself. His countenance seemed full of thought 
and meaning. He is a native of Fez, and has lived 
long in Algiers. He has served in the war against 
the French under Abd-el-Kader, and has only 
been two years in Bornou and in Kuka, and once in 
Zinder. He is here as the ?iather, " looker-on ;" one 
who watches over the interests of the country, parti- 
cularly in its foreign relations. To speak plainly, 
he is a spy of the Sheikh of Bornou over the autho- 
rities of Zinder, including the Governor. All the 
people say, " Without the Shereef nothing can be 
done in Zinder;" and well they may, considering 
that he is in the entire confidence of the Sheikh. 
The Shereef is also the agent of all foreigners, and 
