150 
JOURNEY FROM BOUSSA TO KANO. 
Fellatas took Haussa and its dependencies, Womba belonged to 
the province of Kashna ; and at the death of Bello’s father, it, 
along with the rest of the Towias, threw off the yoke of the Fel- 
latas, declared its independence, which it still maintains, and joined 
the Towias, or confederation, against their conquerors. All the 
caravans from the east and west halt a day or two at this town, 
and pay for each loaded ass or bullock five hundred cowries ; be- 
sides, the head man of each caravan makes a present, for which he 
receives, in return, a dish or two of cooked meat, or a sheep. The 
town is in latitude 10° 3 5 ', and longitude 7° 22'. It is situated on 
a rising ground, having a commanding rocky hill of granite to the 
east, one on the south, and another to the north, all bare of vege- 
tation except a few patches here and there ; to the west is an open 
valley. A small stream of water runs past the western gate, from 
which the town is supplied with water. The valleys for two miles 
round are cleared, cultivated, and planted with millet, doura, yams, 
cotton, &c., as is likewise every spare space within the walls this 
year, as there is a scarcity of grain this season throughout the 
whole of the eastern interior, owing to last year’s rains being very 
scanty, and they fear this may be the same. The town is walled 
round ; the wall is also in good repair, and has a dry ditch on the 
outside; its height between twenty and thirty feet. It has four 
gates, which are shut every night at sunset. The inhabitants may 
amount from ten to twelve thousand souls ; they possess plenty 
of sheep, oxen, and horses, the latter apparently a cross from the 
large Bornou and the small native African, and are a strong, hardy 
race, like what in Scotland are called highland ponies, but not 
quite so tall. 
Friday, June 30th. — At daylight loaded the bullocks, and at 7 
A. M. sent them off. I went to the governor’s house and took leave 
of him. He gave me a messenger to the chief of Guari, and lent me 
