FROM KANO TO SOCCATOO. 
259 
me to understand, with much seriousness and earnest ness of manner, 
that they had been given by an Arab fifteen years before, who told 
him they were possessed of life. The larger pieces, he continued, 
were males, and the smaller females; and were to produce young at 
the end of every twelve years, before which time they were by no 
means to be looked at. He had enveloped them in a quantity of 
cotton-wool, in order to impart warmth to them; and the thread was 
tied round the box that the offspring might have no opportunity 
of escaping ! “ But,” said the old man, with a disappointed air, 
“ though I kept them with the greatest care for twelve years, suf- 
fering no one to approach them, I found, to my sorrow, at the ex- 
piration of that time, they had made no increase; and I begin to 
fear they never will in saying which the old man was so grievously 
affected that he burst into tears. It was with considerable difficulty 
I could refrain from laughing aloud in his face. I succeeded, how- 
ever, in subduing the great inclination I had to be merry ; and told 
him, with all the solemnity the occasion deserved, that the Arab 
was a rogue, and had deceived him ; that the articles were bits of 
tin, and not of silver ; that they were without life, and therefore 
could not produce young. I consoled the old gentleman on the 
hoax that had been played off upon him, and sympathized with him 
in his sorrow. He soon afterwards became more composed, al- 
though at times he could not help sobbing audibly. After answer- 
ing the numerous questions he put to me about my country, &c. I 
complained of fatigue, and retired to rest. Ill with dysentery all 
day. 
27th. — Passing a very restless night, got up at six in the morn- 
ing and proceeded on my journey. At 10 A. M. passed close 
to a large Fellata town, called Ivaowah, in the neighbourhood of 
which were numerous herds of cattle grazing. Here, as in other 
parts of Houssa, the cows are mostly white; and the sheep gene- 
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