PLAN OF A RAZZIA. 
239 
capital. On arriving before the town the army of 
Zinder set fire to all the ghaseb stubble and the 
garden-trees around it. This done, they com- 
menced a regular battle with the besieged. The 
fight continued till night, when the Sarkee of 
Daura fled. The Zinder people carried off a large 
booty ; the share of the Sultan alone was nine 
hundred. 
This freebooting prince does not fight himself, 
but sits down at a distance from, his troops and 
overlooks their conduct and manoeuvres ; his gene- 
rals command and lead on the attack, whilst a 
body-guard surrounds the sacred person of the 
monarch. On the occasion referred to, this body- 
guard was covered with mattrass-stufnng to shield 
off the terrible arrows of the Daura people. The 
greater part of the troops of Zinder have only a 
spear ; a few have shields and swords, but none have 
muskets. All the Daura people have bows and 
arrows. There are numbers of petty traders here 
waiting for the booty of this razzia, and some of 
the creditors of the Sarkee went this morning to 
wish him God speed. I am glad I did not go 
out to see him start on such a nefarious expedition. 
It appears, however, that we are not to leave for 
Kuka until the return of the army. They intimate 
that a portion of the spoil will be sent with us to 
the great Sheikh of Bornou : so that after all, how- 
ever unwilling, we shall seem to countenance this 
bloody work. 
