heikh was excessively
annoyed at the defeat; but laid the blame, not without justice, on the
Mandara troops, who had evidently behaved treacherously to their allies.

CHAPTER SIX.

TRAVELS OF DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON, CONTINUED.

MAJOR DENHAM AND DR. OUDNEY VISIT OLD BIRNIE--ACCOMPANY THE SHEIKH ON AN
EXPEDITION AGAINST THE MUNGA--REVIEW OF TROOPS--SUBMISSION OF REBELS--
BARCA GANA DISGRACED--RETURN--ARRIVAL OF LIEUTENANT TOOLE--EXPEDITION TO
THE SHARY--PEST OF FLIES--WELL RECEIVED BY THE SULTAN OF BEGHARRNI--
DEATH OF LIEUTENANT TOOLE--RETURNS TO KOUKA--ARRIVAL OF MR. TYRHWIT--
EXPEDITION AGAINST REBELS ON SHORES OF LAKE CHAD--BARCA GANA AGAIN
DEFEATED AND WOUNDED--THE SHEIKH'S SEVERE LAWS AGAINST IMMORALITY.

Soon after the return of the unfortunate expedition to Mandara, the
sheikh set out on another against a people to the west, called the
Munga, who had never hitherto acknowledged his supremacy, and refused to
pay tribute. Another complaint against them was, as he explained it,
"that they were _kaffiring_--not saying their prayers--the dogs." This
fault is generally laid to the charge of any nation against whom true
Mahommedans wage war, as it gives them the power of making slaves of the
heathens. By the laws of Mahomet, one believer must not bind another.

Major Denham and Dr Oudney were anxious to visit Birnie, the old
capital of Bornou, and the sheikh left one of his chief slaves, Omar
Gana, to act as their guide. Thence they were to proceed to Kabshary,
there to await his arrival.

They set out with five camels and four servants, making two marches each
day, from ten to fourteen miles, morning and evening.

The country round Kouka is uninteresting and flat, thickly covered with
acacias.

The ruins of old Birnie, which they visited, convinced them of the power
of its former sultan. The city, though now in ruins, covered a space of
five or six square miles. The walls, in many places standing, consisted
of large masses of red brickwork, three or four feet in thickness, and
six to eight in height. Besides destroying the capital, the Felatahs
had razed to the ground upwards of thirty large towns during their
inroads.

The whole country which they passed after proceeding some way had become
a complete desert, having been abandoned since the Felatahs commenced
their inroads, and wild animals of all descriptions abounded in great
numbers.

They heard that Kabshary had been attacked by the Munga peop