ate if you are not detestably ugly, and
can pass muster; for if you are, you will have all sorts of faces made
at you; and, besides, you will be considered to represent a whole people
as an ugly race. I walked round the village. There may be two hundred
huts, and about six hundred inhabitants. The sun burns at four P.M. most
fiercely. I begin to be afraid of it; but the days are uncertain, and
sometimes the weather is quite chilly.

According to my interpreter, Mohammed Ben Ahmed Bu Saad, there is no
money in Bornou, and the Sheikh could never obtain a strong army. We
certainly find considerable difficulty all along to get an extra camel
or bullock, and those to be obtained are very bad ones. The people
cultivate very little, and have no resources to fall back on. They have
just a little grain for themselves. The Sheikh of this place is a
respectable man, and has been very civil to me. He, however, requires
from me a medicine to procure him a good reception wherever he goes. He
says he is frequently called to Minyo and other large places, and he
wants a medicine to procure him the smiles, good-will, and friendship of
all the people whom he meets. Especially he wishes always to have the
favour of the Sultan. I had numbers of other patients all day; my Epsom
is fast going. Thermometer at sunset, 82 deg.; weather very troublesome
to-day, blowing hot and cold with the same breath.[24]

[24] Here ends Mr. Richardson's journal, with words which
already hint the cause of the lamentable accident that
speedily followed. Spring was advancing with its uncertain
temperature in Central Africa. The thermometer varied
nearly thirty degrees between the morning and afternoon.
Doubtless, however, the unusual fatigue of horse-exercise
during the days that succeeded the departure from Zinder
may have contributed its share in breaking down Mr.
Richardson's strength. Something of a desponding tone may
be observed in the journal for many pages; but we do not
find that there was any cessation of industry. In addition
to what is found in the regular diary, a good many notes
were left written in pencil. Among the principal of them
are the following:--

"In Kanem, north of Bornou, it rains a month earlier in the
season than in that province; in Bornou, one month earlier
than in Kanou; in Kanou, one month earlier than at Niffee.
The heat of t