88 
JOURNEY FROM KATUNGA TO BOUSSA. 
are like caraway seeds, and are surrounded by a silky substance ; 
they are boiled until they turn into a paste, when they are fit for 
use, and put on the arrows. I had a present of five alligators’ eggs 
sent me by the governor ; they are only eaten by the principal 
people, and considered a great delicacy : they were brought from 
the banks of the Quorra. The taja called upon me, but he ap- 
peared still to shuffle off coming to any arrangement, saying he 
could not say for how much he would carry me to Kano, until he 
saw whether I was to go with him or not. 1 observed to him it 
was very easily said, and that until he told me how much, I would 
not ask the governor to go with him. He said he wanted half 
the money here. To which I replied, “You must go with this un- 
derstanding in all future affairs between you and I, that I will not 
give you one farthing until I arrive in Kano, when, the day after 1 
arrive there, you shall have every cowrie of the money. If you 
come to any bargain with me, it must be with the understanding 
that I have no money here.” “ Well,” says he, “ I will call to- 
morrow and see your things, and then come to a written agreement 
with you — half the money here.” This taja must take me for a fool ; 
F will sooner stay here all the rains, than let him have the money 
and leave me in the lurch. 
Saturday, 25th. — Clear and warm. At noon the taja visited 
me, when, after a great deal of unnecessary palavering and 
manoeuvring on his part, we came to the following bargain, — that 
he is to carry all my baggage and stores to Kano for 200,000 
cowries. I also found out that he does not go to Boussa, but 
crosses the Quorra at a place called Comie, and goes to Koolfu in 
Nyffe, where he stops for a few days. I am therefore to ask the 
governor here to carry my baggage to Koolfu, where the taja will 
find bullocks. I must however go out of the way to visit the sultan 
of Boussa, as all this part of the country is nominally under him. 
The sultan of Niki is next to him, and equal to him in power. My 
baggage, therefore, and stores with my servants must proceed to 
