INTERVIEW "WITH THE SULTAN. 
207 
the sand, chatting most familiarly on all subjects. 
The building is all made of mud, mixed with large 
grains of granite. They say all the buildings of 
Bornou are built in the same manner, and very few 
of stone, on account of the rain ; for the stone, not 
being well cemented together, falls during the 
great rains of the tropics. 
After we had been kept waiting about half an 
hour his highness made his appearance, the cour- 
tiers and slaves throwing dust on their heads, 
prostrating themselves on the ground before him, 
crying, " God give you victory over your enemies !" 
Whilst the Sultan took his seat upon the raised 
mud-bench, the slaves held up two wrappers or 
barracans, to shield his highness from public view 
whilst he took his seat. All the floor of the apart- 
ment was covered with a dense mass of people, and 
amongst the number several Tuaricks, including the 
Sheikh Lousou, and Haj Abdoua, another distin- 
guished Tuarick. Lousou is a tall thin man, of 
light complexion, with European features — a perfect 
Targhee. His manners were very mild, and indeed 
all this tribe are gentle enough here in a foreign 
country. The Sheikh shook me cordially by the 
hands. I then commenced business as showman to 
the prince and this mass of people. At first his 
highness was timid, and would not look through 
the glasses of the peepshows, but when the people 
began he followed, and acquired the knack of 
