to see. Often, when forced by hunger, they approach the towns and
spread devastation throughout their march, whole plantations being
destroyed in a single night. Some antelopes were also seen, but they
never allowed the party to get near enough to hazard a shot.

The country for the last eighteen days of their journey had been covered
with a grass which produces a calyx full of prickles. These adhere to
the dress and penetrate to the skin, to which they fasten themselves
like grappling-irons. They got between the toes of the poor dog Niger,
and into every part of his long silken hair, so as to make him unable to
walk.

At the next camping-place hyaenas came close to their tents and killed a
camel, on the carcase of which a lion, when he had driven them away,
banqueted, when they returned and devoured what he had left.

Several days' journey took the caravan into the neighbourhood of Kouka.
They had been told that the sheikh's soldiers were a few ragged negroes,
armed with spears, who lived upon the plunder of the black Kaffir
countries. Greatly to their astonishment, as they approached the town
they beheld a body of several thousand cavalry, drawn up in line and
extending right and left as far as they could see.

As the Arabs approached, a yell was given by the sheikhs people, which
rent the air; and a blast being blown from their rude instruments, they
moved on to meet Boo-Khaloum and his Arabs. Small bodies kept charging
rapidly towards them, to within a few feet of their horses' heads,
without checking the speed of their own until the moment of their
halting; then they wheeled at their utmost speed with great precision,
shaking their spears over their heads, exclaiming, "_Baka_ _baka_!"
("Blessing! blessing!") They quickly, however, surrounded the caravan so
as to prevent it moving on, which greatly enraged Boo-Khaloum, but to no
purpose, as he was only answered by shrieks of welcome, and spears
unpleasantly rattled over the traveller's heads. In a short time, Barca
Gana, the sheikh's first general--a negro of noble aspect, clothed in a
figured silk _tobe_, mounted on a beautiful Mandara horse--made his
appearance, and cleared away those who had pressed upon them, when the
party moved on slowly towards the city.

Arrived at the gates, Boo-Khaloum, with the English and about a dozen of
his followers, alone were allowed to enter. They proceeded along a wide
street completely lined with spearmen on foot, w