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.
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