ns in
the neighbourhood.

On 14th December, Clapperton and Oudney left the friendly Sheikh and
made their way to Kano. But the rough travelling proved too much for
Oudney; each day found him weaker, but he valiantly journeyed on. On
12th January he ordered the camels to be loaded as usual, and he was
dressed by Clapperton, but he was too ill to be lifted on to his camel,
and a few hours later he died.

Clapperton was now alone "amid a strange people" in a land "hitherto
never trodden by European foot," and very ill himself. But he reached
Kano, the famous trading centre of the Haussas, containing some forty
thousand inhabitants. Here again the market impressed him deeply, so
full was it of cosmopolitan articles from far-distant lands. After
a month's stay at Kano, now the capital of the northern province of
Nigeria of that name, he set out for Sokoto, though very ill and weak
at the time. He was assured of kind treatment by the Sultan. He arrived
on 16th March, and "to impress them with my official importance I
arrayed myself in my lieutenant's coat trimmed with gold lace, white
trousers, and silk stockings, and, to complete my finery, I wore
Turkish slippers and a turban." Crowds collected on his arrival, and
he was conducted to the Sultan, who questioned him closely about Europe.
"I laid before him a present in the name of His Majesty the King of
England, consisting of two new blunderbusses, an embroidered jacket,
some scarlet breeches, cloves and cinnamon, gunpowder, razors,
looking-glasses, snuff-boxes, and compasses."

"Everything is wonderful!" exclaimed the Sultan; "but you are the
greatest curiosity of all! What can I give that is acceptable to the
King of England?"

"Co-operate with His Majesty in putting a stop to the slave trade,"
was Clapperton's answer.

"What, have you no slaves in England?" The Englishman replied, "No!"
to which the Sultan answered: "God is great; you are a beautiful
people." But when Clapperton asked for leave in order to solve the
mystery of the Niger, the Sultan refused, and he was obliged to return
to Kuka, where he arrived on 8th July. A week later he was joined by
Denham. "It was nearly eight months since we had separated," says
Denham, "and I went immediately to the hut where he was lodged; but
so satisfied was I that the sunburnt, sickly person that lay extended
on the floor, rolled in a dark-blue shirt, was not my companion, that
I was about to leave the place, when he con