272 A TROPICAL DEPENDENCY a turbulent element in the composition of the Bornu Empire.

Edris would appear to have enjoyed a long and comparatively peaceful reign, but under his immediate successors the eastern neighbours of Kanem, a people called the Bulala, on the other side of Lake Chad, fought against the people of Kanem with such vigour and pertinacity that the power of the Empire of Kanem was broken, and the kings were driven to abandon the old capital Njimye or Jima, and to fix the royal residence in Bornu. This happened about the year 1380, after which time different kingdoms rose to independence in the territory lying between Lake Chad and the Nile, and the Kanuri definitely adopted the present territory of Bornu on the western side of the lake as the seat of their kingdom.

From this date we hear more constantly of Bornu as interfering with the Haussa and southern pagan states of the country lying between the Niger and the Benue.

It may be remembered that, towards the end of the fourteenth century, a king of Bornu was driven to remain for several months at Kano. His stay is courteously described as a ** long visit." As a matter of fact, it was one of the effects of the Bulala invasion from the east, and represents the final expulsion of the Bornu dynasty from Kanem. The King of Bornu came, it is said, to Kano with a great host, many men with drums on horseback, fifes, flags and guns, and he was accompanied by many Mallams. A usurper who was placed upon his throne was shortly afterwards driven from it and killed by the Bulala.

Thus in the first hours of their adversity the Bornuese kings received shelter and help in Haussaland, but it was not altogether without foresight on the part of Kano of evils to come. When the reigning King David of Kano took counsel with his Galadima, or Prime Minister, as to the manner of entertaining the King of Bornu, the Galadima warned him : '* If you allow this man to stay in one of the towns of your territory he will take possession