h
confirmed what had previously been heard.

The sultan made an especial request that an English consul and physician
should be sent to reside at Sackatoo, and Clapperton promised that he
would represent the matter to his own government, and he had no doubt
that his request would be complied with. He also begged that guns and
rockets might be sent out by way of Tripoli and Bornou, under the escort
of an Arab leader, El Wordee, who had conducted the last caravan. This
Clapperton had no doubt was a device of El Wordee's, to have the
opportunity of conducting another English mission and fleecing them as
he had done the last. When the Arab found that his plans were opposed
by the traveller, he set to work to revenge himself, and by his
machinations succeeded in compelling Clapperton to abandon his intended
journey to the sea-coast by way of Youri.

Frequent attempts were made to induce the traveller to turn Mahommedan,
especially by a famous old _maraboo_; but after his failure the Moslem
appeared to have given up the attempt as hopeless.

At length, on the 4th of May, he was allowed to take his departure from
Sackatoo, escorted by one the sultan's officers, with a party of
merchants and their slaves. As the country was in a disturbed state,
they pushed on night and day through a dense underwood, which tore their
clothes and scratched the legs of the riders. Several of the poor
natives on foot, who had taken advantage of the escort to pass through
this part of the country, overcome with fatigue and thirst, sank down
never to rise. One of Clapperton's servants also dropped, apparently
dead; but his master had him lashed on the camel, when, throwing up a
quantity of bile, he soon appeared as fresh as ever. The next day many
of the horses died, and all the people were overcome with fatigue and
thirst. On the third day no less than nine men and six horses were
found to have perished on the road.

Clapperton was taken to the town of Kashna, where an old Arab chief, who
had resided there for some years, took compassion on him and sent an
elderly black slave woman to nurse him, with two younger attendants.
This was the first offer of the kind he had ever received from a
Mussulman, and under their care and attendance he soon recovered his
health and strength.

After meeting with numerous adventures and exposed to many dangers, on
the 8th of July he reached Kouka, when he found that Major Denham was
absent on a journey