and
rice, leather skins of butter, jars of honey, and wooden bowls
containing rice with meat, and paste made of barley flour--savoury, but
very greasy--were sent to them.

In a short time--by the exhibition of rockets, a musical box, and other
wonders--Denham appeared to have entirely won the sheikh's confidence.
Reports, however, had been going about that the English had come to spy
out the land, and intended to build ships on Lake Chad, in which they
would sail about and conquer the surrounding country. Reports were now
received that the Begharmis were approaching Bornou, and it was said
that the sheikh would immediately send a force into their country, in
order to punish their sultan for even thinking of revenge.

The sheikh, in the meantime, had given them leave to visit all the towns
in his dominions, but on no account to go beyond them. He asked many
questions about the English manner of attacking a walled town; and, on
hearing that they had guns which carried ball of thirty-two pounds'
weight, with which the walls were breached, and that then the place was
taken by assault, his large dark eyes sparkled again, as he exclaimed:
"Wonderful! wonderful!"

Although the sheikh was the real ruler of the country, he allowed the
existence of the hereditary sultan, a mere puppet, who resided at
Birnie. Boo-Khaloum advised that they should pay their respects to this
sovereign; and they accordingly set out for the place, which contained
about ten thousand inhabitants. They were first conducted to the gate
of the sultan's mud edifice, where a few of the court were assembled to
receive them. One, a sort of chamberlain, habited in eight or ten
_tobes_, or shirts, of different colours, carried an immense staff, and
on his head was a turban of prodigious size, though but a trifling one
compared to those they were destined to see at the audience on the
following morning. A large marquee was pitched for their reception,
which they found luxuriously cool. In the evening a plentiful repast
was brought them, consisting of seventy dishes, each of which would have
dined half-a-dozen persons with moderate appetites; and for fear the
English should not eat like the Bornouy, a slave or two arrived loaded
with live fowls for their dinner.

Soon after daylight the next morning they were summoned to attend the
sultan. He received them in an open space in front of the royal
residence. They were compelled to stop at a considerable