REPORTED RAZZIA. 
223 
Noor. But I almost question if he would have been 
strong enough to protect us. I observe, again, that 
all the Tuaricks are well behaved in Zinder, and 
have a wholesome dread of the Sheikh. 
Many of the domestic slaves in Zincler are con- 
stantly ironed, for fear they should run away to the 
neighbouring towns and villages. The poor people 
live just like convicts. It is only when they are 
taken to Kuka, or to a great distance, that their 
irons are struck off. 
The report is now current in Zinder, that the 
Sarkee is going, in the course of seven or eight days, 
to razzia some neighbouring place in the direction 
of Daura. They say, even, that he will not scruple 
to razzia some of the villages of Meria if necessary ; 
that is to say, a part of the province of Zinder. My 
informants observed merely, " Oh, he must have 
slaves to pay his debts ; and as the largest fish eat 
the little fish, so the great people eat the small 
people." Thus the protection of I slam ism is now 
come to nothing, and the cry is, — " To the razzia ! " 
without mentioning even the name of Kafer or 
Kerdi. In the end this will retard the progress of 
M all o mm ed an i sm ; for the blacks see that it is now 
no protection for them against their more powerful 
neighbours and their periodical razzias. 
I visited several personages this afternoon ; first, 
the Shereef Kebir, with whom I ate some broiled 
fish brought from a neighbouring lake, and some 
fine Bilma dates, soaked in milk. I asked him how 
