MORALS IN ZINDER. 
279 
they have nothing (or next to nothing), whilst here 
reigns abundance. Our servants say now that the 
Tuaricks always bring something, and the towns- 
people of Zinder nothing. Some of the Tuaricks 
are not sick; they come only to see the Christian, 
and stop, and look, and stare, and watch the minutest 
action of the said Christian, — more especially the 
women, who would never leave my room if I were 
not to drive them away. 
6th. — I am told by a well-informed person, that 
morals are much relaxed here. To-day a black man 
came from the country to beg for his wife, who had 
been taken away from him and given to a Moor, 
who was about to send her to the coast for sale. 
She is to be restored to the man in exchange for 
two young girls, whom he has fetched from the 
country (probably kidnapped). The woman, how- 
ever, has been given over, in the first place, to 
Shroma, the commander-in-chief; and after she 
has passed two or three days with him, she will be 
allowed to return to her husband. This woman was 
first kidnapped by the Sultan, and belonged to 
the Sheikh's dominions, to a village near Zinder, 
and was taken in a razzia. The Sultan gave or sold 
her to the Moor. This is a sample of the transac- 
tions daily going on there. I am also assured that 
the three hundred wives of the Sarkee himself are 
at almost everybody's disposal, two or three gour- 
nuts being the utmost which these ladies ask. But 
this is not all; for these women, wives of the Sultan, 
