r Annarhurwany, &c. &c.]
41
HOUSA.

They did not see the town till they came within an hour from it, or
an hour and a half; it stands in a plain. Housa is south-east[79]
of Timbuctoo, a much larger city and nearly as large as London. He
lived there two years, but never saw the whole of it. It has no
walls; the houses are like those of Timbuctoo, and form irregular
lanes or streets like those of Fas or Marocco, wide enough for
camels to pass with their loads. The palace is much larger than
that of Timbuctoo; it is seven or eight miles in circumference and
surrounded by a wall; he remembers but four gates, but there may be
more; he thinks the number of guards at each gate is about 50; it
is in that part of the town most distant from the Nile. The houses
are dark coloured and flat roofed. He thinks Cairo is about
one-third larger than Housa; the streets are much wider than those
of Timbuctoo; the houses are covered with a kind of clay of
different colours but never white. They have no chalk or lime in
the country.

[Footnote 79: Rather south-east by east.]

GOVERNMENT.

If the king has children, the eldest, if a man of sense and good
character, succeeds; otherwise, one of the others is elected. The
42 grandees of the court are the electors. If the eldest son be not
approved, they are not bound to elect him; he has, however, the
preference, and after him the other sons; but the choice of the
council must be unanimous, and if no person of the royal line be
the object of their choice, they may elect one of their own body.
The members of the council are appointed by the king; he chooses
them for their wisdom and integrity, without being limited to rank:
the person appointed cannot refuse obedience to the royal mandate.
The council consists of many hundreds. The governor who controls
the police lives in the centre of the town.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Is very similar to that of Timbuctoo, except that the king is
perfectly despotic; and though he consults his council, he decides
as he thinks proper. The governor administers justice in small
affairs; but, in important cases, he refers the parties to the king
and council, of which he is himself a member. No torture, is ever
inflicted. The governor employs a great number of offic