RESIDENCE AT SOCCATOO AND MAGARIA. 
209 
a large square clay tower, with an entrance in the west side. The 
interior of this is common in most of the great men’s houses in 
Houssa. It is in the shape of a dome, formed of eight arches 
springing from the ground ; in the centre of which is a large bright 
brass basin, acting as it were in the place of a key-stone to the 
arches, which are turned by branches plastered over with clay. If 
I had not seen them constructing the arches and pillars of a mosque, 
1 should have supposed them to be formed entirely of clay, as the 
wood in no part appears. The clay serves to keep the white ants 
from destroying the wood ; they are ornamented in their fashion 
while the clay is wet, an operation performed with the fingers 
and a small square stick. From the arches, about one-third up> 
runs a gallery quite round the interior building, having a railing 
with pillars of wood, covered and ornamented with clay. There 
are three steps leading up to this gallery, from which every thing 
in the dome may be seen or heard. Passages also lead from it 
into small rooms, having each one small window, or square hole, 
some appearing to be used as store-rooms, and others as sleep- 
ing-rooms. The floor of the dome was covered with clean white 
sand. The height might be, from the floor to the brass basin 
in the centre of the arches, from thirty-five to forty feet. The 
air inside of this dome was cool and pleasant ; and Bello told 
me he often used it as a place to read in during the heat of the 
day. These two apartments are the only two I have seen deserving 
remark within his enclosure. One night that he sent for me, 
when it was rather late, I was led by the hand by an old woman 
through several apartments before I arrived at the one in which he 
was. As there was no light, I could only judge by the stooping, 
and ascending and descending through doors and galleries, that I 
passed through some large rooms, out of one into another. 
The houses of the other great men, and those of his brothers, are 
nearly the same, but on a much smaller scale. A great number of the 
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