144 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
was an extremely arduous journey, and on it Clapperton 
lost liis camels and horses, and was compelled to put up 
with a miserable ox to carry part of his baggage, he 
and his servants dividing the rest amongst them. 
Bello received Clapperton kindly and sent him camels 
and provisions, but as he was then engaged in sub¬ 
jugating the rebellious province of Gouber, he could 
not at once give the explorer the personal audience so 
important to the many interests entrusted by the English 
Government to Clapperton. 
Bello advanced to the attack of Counia, the capital 
of Gouber, at the head of an army of 60,000 soldiers, 
nine- tenths of whom were on foot and wore padded 
armour. The struggle was contemptible in the extreme, 
and this abortive attempt closed the war. Clapperton, 
whose health was completely broken up, managed to make 
his way from Sokatoo to Magaria, where he saw the 
sultan. After he had received the presents brought for 
him, Bello became less friendly. He presently pretended 
to have received a letter from Sheikh El Khanemy 
warning him against the traveller, whom his correspon¬ 
dent characterised as a spy, and urging him to defy the 
English, who meant, after finding out all about the 
country, to settle in it, raise up sedition, and profit by 
the disturbances they should create to take possession of 
Houssa, as they had done of India. 
The most patent of all the motives of Bello in 
creating difficulties for Clapperton was his wish to 
appropriate the presents intended for the Sultan of 
Bornou. A pretext being necessary, he spread a rumour 
that the traveller was taking cannons and ammunition 
to Kouka. It was out of all reason Bello should allow 
a stranger to cross his dominions with a view to enabling 
his implacable enemy to make war upon him. Finally, 
Bello made an effort to induce Clapperton to read to him 
the letter of Lord Bathurst to the Sultan of Bornou. 
Clapperton told him he could take it if he liked, but 
that he would not give it to him, adding that everything 
was of course possible to him, as he had force on his 
side, but that he would bring dishonour upon himself by 
