esent Sultan resided. It is a little less than Burai. Here we are told
that, after all, Minyo is _not_ the name of the Sultan, as before
mentioned, but the name of the province, which is sometimes called
Minyoma, as being more euphonic; but all people love harmony in
language. This province is considered the most powerful of the empire of
Bornou.

_15th._--Having selected my present for his highness the Sultan,
consisting of a piece of cotton velvet for a tobe (ten mahboubs), a head
of sugar, a little cinnamon and cloves, a piece of muslin for turbans,
and a cotton handkerchief, I paid my visit under the escort of the
Kashalla, and the Sultan's major-domo, a man carrying a large stick with
a great knob at the end. We went straight to the palace, a considerable
building, built of clay, like the Sultan's house at Zinder, in the shape
of a fort or castle.

We were first ushered into an audience-room or hall, of large
dimensions, with little light, adapted for an African climate. It is
newly built, and indeed not yet finished. The architecture is the same
as the public buildings or houses of the chief officers in Kuka. Here we
waited a quarter of an hour, during which time the people poured in from
all quarters. At length we were ushered into the presence. I found the
Sultan to be a good-looking black, with features not much stamped with
the negro character. He was about the age of forty-five or fifty. His
costume was truly royal, consisting of a loose tobe of purple silk, and
a black burnouse, embroidered, thrown over it. He wore a turban of
Egyptian form, and very handsome. His highness received me very affably,
and I took my seat near him, on a pic-nic stool which I have with me. I
shook hands, and doffed my hat. There was no throwing of dust about, as
at Zinder. But we found the Sultan already seated, with all his
courtiers and officers around him. His highness asked about my health,
and the Tuaricks. He observed, "The Tuaricks are afraid of you." Some
persons of that tribe, perhaps, have given him this false view of the
case, pretending that the Tuaricks are afraid I am come to spy out the
country, to be taken possession hereafter by the Queen. His highness
minutely scanned all my European clothes, making many inquiries about
them. All the people were highly delighted to see me throw aside my
miserable Soudan tobe, and dress in my European costume. In fact, I
don't know what I should have done without these clothes. T