The Cowrie, So Frequently Mentioned In
Park's Travels, Is Here The Chief Medium Of Circulation.
The city is very
unhealthy, owing to the great quantity of stagnant water enclosed within
the walls; many of the Arab merchants of the place are described as
looking rather like ghosts than men.
The number of those who have lost
their sight is great, and there is a separate quarter of the town
assigned to them.
From Kano they departed for Sockatoo, which is a well built city, laid
out in regular streets, and containing a large number of inhabitants. The
palace was merely a large enclosure, consisting of a multitude of straw
huts separated from each other. The sultan was away on a _ghrazzie_ or
slave-hunt, but returned next day, and sent for the English traveller.
After being conducted through three huts, which served as guard-houses,
Clapperton was ushered into a fourth, somewhat larger than the rest,
supported on pillars painted blue and white. Sultan Bello had a
prepossessing and noble appearance, with a fine forehead, and large black
eyes. He appeared to be much pleased with the various presents laid
before him, expressing particular satisfaction at the sight of a compass
and spy-glass. He evidently possessed an enlarged and inquisitive mind;
was acquainted with the use of the telescope, named the planets and many
of the constellations, and was much struck with the quadrant, which he
called the "looking-glass of the sun." He desired that some of the
English books should be read to him, that he might hear the sound of the
language, which he admired much.
Sockatoo is surrounded by a wall about twenty-five feet high, with twelve
gates, which are closed at sunset. There are two large mosques, one of
which is about 800 feet long, built in rather a handsome style, and
adorned with wooden pillars. There is a spacious market-place. The
principal inhabitants live in clusters of flat-roofed cottages, built in
the Moorish style, and surrounded by high walls.
The sultan dissuaded Clapperton from his intention of journeying to the
western countries and the Gulf of Benin; giving him an account of the
dangerous and indeed almost impracticable nature of the route.
Clapperton, therefore, resolved to return. Before he departed, he
received an account of Park's death, which nearly coincided with the
statement of Amadi Fatouma. He passed through Kashna, which before the
rise of the Fellatahs, had been the most powerful kingdom in Africa its
power having extended from Bornou to the Niger. It still carries on a
considerable traffic with the Tuaricks. On the 8th July, he reached
Kouka, where he was joined by Major Denham, and both returned in safety,
after having suffered much in their harassing march across the desert.
CHAPTER XXXIII
_Clapperton's Second Journey_.
Encouraged by the discoveries made by Denham and Clapperton, and by the
safe return of two members of the mission, government resolved to send
out another expedition. Captain Clapperton, Captain Pearce, a good
draftsman, and Mr. Morrison, a naval surgeon, were the gentlemen selected
for this enterprize.
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