244 A TROPICAL DEPENDENCY coming of kings and the building of mosques. " There is one," he said, " coming to this town with his people. He will be our head, and we shall be his servants." And the people cried: ''This is a bad saying. Why do you prophesy evil things ? " And they wished him to be silent. But he said : " You shall see it by the power of the goddess. If it do not come in your time it will come in the time of your children. He will be lord over all that you possess, and he will forget you, and dwell long with his own people." The people were grieved in their hearts at his saying. But they knew him for a true prophet, and they believed his word. They asked him: ''What shall we do to hinder this mighty thing ? " And he said, " There is no help but in patience." Therefore they waited in patience till afterwards, in the time of their children, there came Bagoda, also called Daud (or David), who with all his people marched upon the place. Then it was said : " This is the man whose coming Berbushay foretold." And he was the first of the kings of Kano.

I have quoted this narrative at length, partly for the picture that it gives of pagan customs, which vaguely recall those noted by El Bekri as existing in Ghana at the end of the eleventh century, and partly for the sake of the prophecy, so typical of the fate of Haussaland that it can only have been produced by the national character which ensured its fulfilment. " You shall be conquered, and there will be no remedy but in patience." This prophecy alone, accomplished as it has been by history, would seem to confirm the authenticity of that descent from the everconquered peoples of Egypt which has been attributed to the Haussa race.