All these my informant knows. What a family! Verily we are in Africa!

_Sons._

Bou Beker, aged about fifteen years.

Ibraim.

Hashemi.

Kasem.

Tahir.

Taib.

Rufai.

Abdallah.

Mohammed Lamin (name of his grandfather).

Kanami.

The mother of the Sheikh is called Magera, a native of Begarmi.

_Sisters of the Sheikh._

Nafisa; to her belongs the country of Kumalewa (same mother as
Abd-Er-Rahman).

Maimuna; to her belongs the place of Wameri (same mother as above).

Aisha; to her belongs Koba.

Maream.

Fatema.

Mabruka.

Hamsa.

Alia; to her belongs Hamisah, a village.

Halima.

Zainubo; to her belongs Furferrai.

Mussaud.

Fadula.

Rabia.

Sinnana.

Mubarka.

Rihana.

These are all he recollects among the number. A copious royal family!

_Daughters of the Sheikh._

Rukaia (married), about twenty years of age; to her belongs Balungu.

Fatima, a young girl.

No doubt there are others. It is curious to compare this knot of near
relations with the scanty families among the Tuaricks. The fertility of
the human race seems to be as that of the soil on which its several
tribes are located. Deserts may produce conquerors, but the fat lands
produce subjects.

I may now add a further list, obtained at the same time as the above.

The great vizier (or prime minister) is Haj Beshir; but there are other
viziers of more or less power:--Shadeli; Ibrahim Wadai; Rufai (cousin of
the Sheikh); Hamza, and Mala Ibrahim. These form the council of the
Sheikh.

The chief kady is Kady Mohammed, and another kady of influence is named
Haj Mohammed Aba.

The principal slaves (that is to say, the principal favourites in these
despotic countries) are Kashalla Belal and Kashalla Ali. The word
Kashalla corresponds to the title Bey. The brother of Abd-el-Galeel,
lately killed, is living at Kuka, and is called Sheikh Ghait. There is
also there a brother of the ancient sheikh killed in Fezzan, called
Sheikh Omer, uncle of the above.

According to my informant, the power of the Sheikh has immensely
increased since the days of the first expedition. The Sheikh has now
more than 100,000 cavalry, and a great quantity of muskets. Certainly I
have ocular proof that Zinder, an important province, has been added to
the territories of this most powerful prince. I may as well mention,
that my authority is Omer Wardi. His father, Mohammed Wardi, went with
Clapperton to Sakkatou.

The Sheikh, acc