AFRICAN EXPLORERS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 141 
clown with fresh water from the Quorra. Clapperton 
took some stewed fish and rice, but was much laughed at 
because he would eat neither the rat nor the alligators’ 
eggs. 
The sultan received him very courteously, and told 
him that the Sultan of Yaourie had had boats ready to 
take him to that town for the last seven days. Clap¬ 
perton replied that as the war had prevented all exit 
from Bornou and Yaourie, he should prefer going by 
way of Coulfo and Nyffe. “ You are right,” answered 
the sultan ; “ you did well to come and see me, and you 
can take whichever route you prefer.” 
At a later audience Clapperton made inquiries about 
the Englishmen who had perished in the Quorra twenty 
years before. This subject evidently made the sultan 
feel very ill at ease, and he evaded the questions put to 
him, by saying he was too young at the time to re¬ 
member what happened. 
Clapperton explained that he only wanted to recover 
their books and papers, and to visit the scene of their 
death ; and the sultan in reply denied having anything 
belonging to them, adding a warning against his guest’s 
going to the place where they died, for it was a “ very 
bad place.” 
“ But I understood,” urged Clapperton, “ that part of 
the boat they were in could still be seen.” 
“ No, it was a false report,” replied the sultan, “ the 
boat had long since been carried down by the stream ; 
it was somewhere amongst the rocks, he didn’t know 
where.” 
To a fresh demand for Park’s papers and journals, 
the sultan replied that he had none of them ; they were 
in the hands of some learned men , but as Clapperton 
seemed to set such store by them, he would have them 
looked for. Thanking him for this promise, Clapperton 
begged permission to question the old men of the place, 
some of whom must have witnessed the catastrophe. No 
answer whatever was returned to this appeal, by which 
the sultan was evidently much embarrassed. It was 
useless to press him further. 
