On Relating This Anecdote To Us, Lander Declared, That, With A Good Supply Of Needles In His Possession, He Would Not Despair Of Obtaining Every Necessary Article And Accommodation Throughout The Whole Of Central Africa.

On leaving Cuttup, Lander proceeded south-south-west, over a hilly country, and on the following day, crossed the Rary, a large river flowing to the south-east.

The next day, part of the route lay over steep and craggy precipices, some of them of the most awful height. From the summit of this pass, he obtained a very beautiful and extensive prospect, which would indicate the elevation to be indeed very considerable. Eight days' journey might plainly be seen before him. About half a day's journey to the east, stood a lofty hill, at the foot of which lay the large city of Jacoba. In the evening, he reached Dunrora, a town containing about four thousand inhabitants.

Lander had now reached the latitude of Funda, which, according to his information, lies about twelve days due west of Dunrora, and after seventeen perilous days' travelling from Kano, he seemed to be on the point of solving the great geographical problem respecting the termination of the supposed Niger, when, just as he was leaving Dunrora, four armed messengers from the sultan of Zeg Zeg rode up to him, bearing orders for his immediate return to the capital. Remonstrance was in vain; and, with a bad grace and a heavy heart, poor Lander complied with the mandate. He was led back to Cuttup by the same route that he had taken, and here, much against the inclination of his guards, he remained four days, suffering under an attack of dysentery. On his arrival at Zaria, he was introduced to the king; and having delivered his presents, that prince boasted of having conferred on him the greatest possible favour, since the people of Funda, being now at war with sultan Bello, would certainly have murdered any one, who had visited and carried gifts to that monarch. From this reasoning, sound or otherwise, Lander had no appeal, and was obliged to make his way back by his former path.

The subsequent part of his route was, however, rather more to the westward of his former track. The Koodoonia, where he crossed it, was much deeper, as well as broader, and much more rapid. On Lander refusing to cross the river till it had become more shallow, his guards left him in great wrath, threatening to report his conduct to their master, and they did not return for a fortnight, during which time, Lander remained at a Bowchee village, an hour distant, very ill, having nothing to eat but boiled corn, not much relishing roasted dog. The inhabitants, who came by hundreds every day to visit him, were destitute of any clothing, but behaved in a modest and becoming manner. The men did not appear to have any occupation or employment whatever. The women were generally engaged, the greater part of the day, in manufacturing oil from a black seed and the Guinea nut.

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