INTRODUCTION. XXlll

for the sake of keeping clear of the belligerent parties who were ravaging the

country in that direction. Perhaps he thought that, not being furnished with

a letter to the sultan of that country, he would not have given up the papers

to him. And, after all, it is not quite certain, from what he afterwards learned,

that the Sultan of Yaoury has in his possession any thing more than some

printed books; for on Clapperton inquiring of one of the sultan’s people, if

there were any books like his own Journal, the man said there was one, but

that his master had given it to an Arab merchant ten years ago ; but that the

merchant was killed by the Fellatas on his way to Kano, and what had become

of that book afterwards he did not know.

The death of Dr. Morrison, at an early period of the journey, deprived

the scientific world of all information on the subject of natural history, of

which, as might well be supposed, neither Clapperton nor his servant had any

knowledge. It will be matter of regret to some, that they had not, which

they might easily have done, collected specimens of the language of the

several districts through which they passed. The little that is added to the

Appendix is all that was found among the papers of the deceased commander

on this subject ; and the state of the thermometer and barometer at different

hours of the day, as observed on the journey, and also by Lander at Kano and

Soccatoo, is not quite complete. J. B.