66 
JOURNEY FROM KATUNGA TO BOUSSA. 
red Moorish cap on his head. We shook hands ; and after telling 
him who I was, and where I wished to go, he said, Very well, I had 
better go and rest from the fatigues of my journey, in the house 
that was prepared for me ; and sent his head man to conduct me 
to it. He was attended by a mob of people, who were lying on 
their bellies and their sides, talking to him in this posture. After 
taking my leave, I went with his head man to my house, which 
proved to be a very good one. It consisted of three large huts 
inside a square, in one of which I put the baggage ; occupied the 
second myself; and the servants the other. I had not remained 
long, before Yarro sent me a present of milk, eggs, bananas, fried 
cheese, curds, and foo-foo ; and I was left alone until the heat of 
the day was over, when I received a visit from Yarro himself. He 
came mounted on a beautiful red roan, attended by a number of 
armed men, on horseback and on foot; and six young female slaves, 
naked as they were born, except a stripe of narrow white cloth tied 
round their heads, about six inches of the ends dying out behind ; 
each carrying a light spear in the right hand. He was dressed in 
a red silk damask tobe, and booted. He dismounted, and came 
into my house, attended by the six girls, who laid down their spears, 
and put a blue cloth round their waists before they entered the 
door. After he was seated, he began by asking after the health 
of the king of Yourriba, who, I said, I had left very well. 1 then 
told him I had been sent by the king of England to visit Bornou ; 
that I was the king of England’s servant, and hoped he would 
assist me in proceeding on my journey ; and that I intended to 
make him a suitable present; that I wanted thirty-six men to 
carry my baggage, and two horses for my servants to ride ; and that 
I wished to stay as short a time as possible, as the rains were near 
at hand, which, if overtaken by them, would prevent my travelling ; 
that the season of the rains was very sickly, and fatal to white men ; 
that three of the white men who had left England with me had 
