JOURNEY FROM KATUNGA TO BOUSSA. 
103 
come into this country a long time ago ; that his family were de- 
scended from the sultans of Bornou ; and that they had paid the latter 
tribute until, of late years, the road had been shut up ; but that 
he would pay it all up whenever the road was open ; that the sultans 
of Youriba, Niki, Kiama, Wawa, and Youri, paid tribute to Bornou. 
I then asked him at what place the river entered the sea. He 
replied he did not know: but he had heard people say it went to 
Bini, which is the name they give to Bornou. I asked if he had ever 
seen any of the Bini people, or if they come up as far as this by the 
river. He said, no, he had never seen any of them ; that he un- 
derstood they never came higher up the river than Nylfe or Tappa 
(as they call Nyffe). He remained with me until near morning, 
and when he was gone, finding I could not sleep, and hearing the 
sound of sweet-toned instruments, I sent for the musician, and 
made him play and sing to me. On sending him away, I desired 
him to call in the morning and I would pay him, and to bring 
his instrument with him. 
Saturday, 1st April. — Morning cool and cloudy, with a little 
rain. The Houssa musician came to his appointment, and I made 
him play and sing. I made a sketch of his instrument, which I 
asked him to sell to me ; but he said he had played on it to his 
father and mother, and they were pleased with it ; they were now 
dead, and he would not part with it. My servant Ali was cooking 
a fowl for my breakfast, and having occasion to call him, he came 
with a knife in his hand ; on seeing which, the musician started, 
and ran as if he had been going to be put to death instantly. 
The women in the house, when they saw him run, rolled on the 
ground, and laughed at the poor man’s fright. After breakfast 
I visited the sultan, and asked him to be allowed to depart, as 
my baggage was to have been at the river-side yesterday. He said 
I must not leave him to-day, and that when I came back I must 
stay forty days with him. I was visited by a great number of 
