CHAPTER VIII.

FURTHER DISAPPOINTMENTS.

In the morning we dropped into our former position, and passing a hawser ashore, hauled close in. During our previous visit the bank had been six or seven feet above the river, but now it was completely covered, and the whole country was under water to within 120 yards of the walls of Zhibú. This being a good wooding station, our first care was to send the Krúmen ashore with their hatchets to procure a supply. Having lost the opportunity of getting fresh rates for the chronometers at Gúrowa, I determined to remain here for five days, to enable Mr. May to obtain them satisfactorily; and accordingly a set of sights was taken this morning. Being slightly indisposed, I did not go on shore, but requested Mr. Crowther to visit the king for me, and to give him a red velvet tobe, which I had kept for him. Several visitors came on board, from some of whom I obtained information about the river. One man had been at the confluence of the Páro, and mentioned among other places, which he had visited, Tshámba, Bundú, and Kwóntsha, possibly the Bundang

and Kontsha of Petermann's Atlas. They all knew Gómkoi, and said that halfway to it was a town named Súntai, while about three days' journey beyond it was another Djúku town, Alúnge. A town which we had seen above Zhibú, we learnt, was named Sháro or Tsháro, and its chief Belál, and another town, two days' journey towards the east, was called E'rima. Opposite Tsháro, on the Báutshi side, is a village Básoi. I found, too, that Wukári was not above a long day's journey from Zhibú, and that the route was much frequented. Mr. Crowther, on his return, told me he had visited the King, whom he found surly and uncivil, hardly thanking him for his present. The Galadima, again, or Prime Minister, had behaved to him with much kindness and cordiality. The King said that the sword he had received formerly was broken, and that he therefore wanted another one; on being asked to exhibit the broken blade, he made various frivolous excuses. Mr. Crowther ascertained that a messenger from the King of Wukári was now in the town, waiting for us, and, if possible, ready to be our guide to that place.

but

Being very desirous of visiting this important town, we went on shore next morning, and calling on the Galadima, asked him to accompany us to the King, which he readily did. On seeing his majesty, I told him the purport of our errand, and asked him for a guide and horses, saying, I was ready to pay him any reasonable price. His manner from the very commencement plainly indicated that he was not over

anxious that we should perform this journey, probably from a feeling of jealousy, and being unwilling that his rival should derive any knowledge of us, except through him. I asked to see the Wukári messenger, but on his being produced he could give us no information, being awed by the presence of the King. Bohári then said, there were only two horses in Zhibú, a statement which we knew to be positively false; and he added, that these horses could only take us as far as Zú, an open place about halfway to Wukári, where traders from the two towns meet; that at this place we should have to sleep all night, and send to Wukári for fresh horses, and for his assistance in the matter he demanded 3 long sabres and 30,000 cowries,—a most exorbitant charge. Mr. Crowther mentioned to him the inhospitality of wishing to make strangers sleep in the bush, when, if he liked, he could easily otherwise arrange it, and I told him that I would consent to give him one sabre and 16,000 cowries, which was ample allowance. Seeing he could not deter us from trying, he drew back from the bargain, on which I got up, telling him that he was breaking faith with us, and that I would no longer treat with him. He now asked me again to be seated, and after some further conversation, it was agreed that horses should be ready for us next morning at sunrise, on which we took our leave. He spoke, however, with such reluctance, that I fully anticipated finding fresh obstacles put in our way.

We found extensive preparations being made for enlarging the town. Numbers of long stakes had been cut, and laid at regular intervals, so as to make the walls include a space of about 100 yards beyond their present site. Outside the gates were fields. planted with ground nuts (Arachis), of which there were two kinds; one, the commoner one, with obovate leaves and a yellow flower, yielding the ordinary nut; the other, not yet in flower, but with elongate, acuminate leaves, and said to produce a round nut. The steward had been tolerably successful in his pursuit of fresh meat and vegetables, as several sheep and goats had been purchased, besides a good supply of pumpkins -a most valuable acquisition in the state we were in.

Shortly after daylight Mr. Crowther, Dr. Hutchinson, Mr. Richards, and I went ashore, and proceeding to the King, found, as we had fully expected, no horses. On demanding the reason of this, we were told that we had not paid for them, a statement which confirmed our ideas of the King's secret intentions, as the day before, when I offered to pay one half before starting, and the remainder on our return, I was told not to mind. Rather indignantly, I asked Bohári if he thought we were going to cheat him, or whether he thought the bargain was not fully as advantageous for him as for ourselves. Dr. Hutchinson offered to go on board and fetch the sabre and cowries, which he did, and they were displayed to the King, who then said, that he did not want cowries; and that they did not suit him. We then asked for

the messengers, and said we should perform the journey on foot under their guidance; but the King said, that could not be, as they were not ready, having yet to prepare food for themselves. I said, that was no matter, as we should supply them with abundance, on which, at a sign from the King, they disappeared, and could not again be found. Finding all our endeavours to be thus frustrated, and having no means of finding the way ourselves, I rose and told the King that he had grossly deceived us, and that I should not again believe him, and that should I again return to the Bínue, as I hoped I should, I should take care to inform the Sultan of Hamarúwa, his master and our friend, of his bad behaviour. He winced under this, and I could see, from the ominous silence around, that he met with no support from his followers. I then refused to shake hands with him, but went directly on board with my party. We had hardly got outside the gates when a messenger came running after us, asking us to return; but I replied that if the King had any communication to make, he should send it properly on board, more particularly as now the sun was high up, and it was much too late to start.

Shortly after our return on board, one of the Galadíma's people came off, and told us, from his master, that, after our departure, the Galadíma and several others had spoken strongly to the King about his conduct, and that it was trusted no quarrel would ensue; on which I asked him to thank the Galadíma for his good offices, and to assure him that I