burnt as a perfume; and that plant, too, producing a fruit which, pounded in a mortar, forms a paste which is used as butter in Arab kitchens; and finally the bjadjy, whose leaves, resembling in form those of a cabbage, give a citron taste to whatever food they may be boiled with.

The travellers were approaching Aguedez, the first great city of the Soudan. The caravan merely passed through it, and had yet many long days' marches before it could reach Kachna, the end of the voyage. Kachna is situated in a marshy plain, is traversed by a little river, and is well cultivated. Many plants, unknown in North Africa, grow luxuriantly on this plain. Kachna is the capital of the kingdom of Haoussa, conquered thirty-five years ago by the Foullanes, a white Musselman race, who have imposed their religion and their yoke upon the natives. arriving, the principal merchants of the caravan paid the habitual homage to Mohamed-Omar, the serki (lieutenant) of Sultan Bellou, who was then at Seketou, his ordinary place of residence.

On

The house of Omar is a princely abode. Guards were at the door, and an attendant, named Abouky Euzerma, received the merchants.

In the principal court were two black-maned

lions chained up. They looked over-fed, and were asleep, with their heads on their paws. An elephant, whom a slave was feeding with fresh herbs and spring leaves, came up to the visitors freely and familiarly. But they frightened the ostriches, who went off at a gallop, through a lateral gate into the garden.

The oukil introduced them at last into a vast saloon called guidan serki (hall of reception). Omar was sitting on a raised way (estrade), on a morocco carpet, furnished with cushions of tanned leather, of divers colours.

The four walls of the saloon were ornamented with skins of the lion and the antelope, with ostrich feathers and eggs, with bows, arrows, sabres, lances, instruments of music, and pieces of scarlet stuff, whilst here and there various birds were painted, or rather daubed, in red, yellow, and black.

On each side of the estrade, and below Omar, were seated on mats the heads of his government, and his secretaries. Their heads were all bare, and shaven. The chief alone had his hair covered with a red chechia. He had on an ample overdress, striped blue and white, and with very large sleeves, and over this again two burnous,

one sky-blue, and the other red; his legs were naked, and I could remark that he had no breeches on.

At the doors of the guidan-serki were a band of chaous and black slaves, keeping off the curious, and music played in the court.

Twice a day the musicians thus come to do Omar honour-an honour which he alone, in the whole city, is entitled to. In approaching Omar his attendant bowed respectfully to the earth, going through the motion of gathering up dust and covering his face with it; when raising himself up, he kissed the Viceroy's hands.

As for the caravan people, they entered with the dignity which Musselmen and Marabouts ought ever to preserve. They did not take off their shoes; and their salute consisted simply in raising their hands to the height of their chest. Nevertheless the Serki gave them the best reception, and, at the request of Cheggueun, granted a licence for the sale of their merchandise, reserving only to himself the right to purchase cloth at one slave a cubit. It so happening, however, that he had not money enough, that is, slaves enough, and the great war-drum was beaten through the city, and the army of the Sultan started for a hunt.

In a month afterwards they returned, bringing a multitude of slaves; and as the Sultan was at their head, the chief of the musicians improvised this triumphal song:

"Of all Sultans living upon the earth, not one can stand before thee. Thou art the friend of courage, and the friend of horses.

"No enemy can evade thine arrow. Thou art the child of the buckler, the master of forces without number.

"The arm distant from others is near to thee. "Ask what thou wilt from the east and from the west, and it is at thy feet.

"There lives not one upon the earth who can escape thy lance.

"He who takes refuge with thee is sure to find protection.

"Thou bathest the feet of thy horse in the waters of Dimbon.

"The bird may fly from morning to night, but must rest at last in thine empire."

The slaves were now waiting for purchasers. In three days they were sold, and three days were allowed the purchaser to return any, if he thought fit, who might come under any of the following descriptions:-

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"He who cuts his ankles in marching.

"He who is too big bellied.

"He who has bad eyes or bad teeth.
"He who is unclean in sleeping.

"Any negress with the same defect, or who

snores.

"And any one with short and tangled hair.”

There are some of the negro blood who are never bought; such are the anthropophagi, and the Kabines, who are reputed to have the power of depriving any one of his health by looking at him, causing him thereby to die of consumption. This tribe wear their hair bound in two long tresses at each side of the head, and by this peculiarity they may always be distinguished.

The sales were all finished, the purchases all over. The caravan had set out in the month of August, it was at Kachna in the month of April. The time for returning had come, and every one was busy in getting ready for the home voyage. Throughout the whole route homeward, Cheggueun was again a prominent character, the adviser of all, the shield of the weak, the support of the strong. It was necessary to keep the sharpest look out upon the negroes. Until the caravan arrived at the middle of the great desert there