MILITARY OCCUPATION 433 marching into British territory, defeated and killed Fad-el-Allah at Gujba, 150 miles inside the British border.

Such a violation of territory accentuated the necessity of asserting effective control of the border province, and a small expedition was accordingly sent into Bornu at the end of 1901 to make full inquiry into the events which had taken place, and to ascertain whether there was truth in the report that the French had carried natives of the British Protectorate into captivity across the frontier, and were levying tribute in British protected villages. On further information received it was decided to occupy Bornu.

The route to Bornu lies through Bautchi, where the massacre of Guarram by the emir was still unpunished.

Bautchi was at this time the centre of the slave trade, and slaves were openly sold in the market of its principal town. The emir had shown himself antagonistic to British government, and it was considered probable that he might oppose the troops of the Protectorate. The expedition destined ultimately for the occupation of Bornu was sent in force under the personal command of Colonel Morland in February of 1902. Preparations which had been made in Bautchi to oppose its advance were abandoned when its strength was known.

The Emir~of Bautchi proving quite intractable, was, however, deposed. The council of notables, in whom, according to native custom, the election of emirs is vested, was summoned, and elected his heir. The emir took the usual refuge in flight, and his heir was duly appointed under the same conditions as the Emirs of Nupe, Yola, and Kontagora, to which last-named emirate the British Government had, on the continued refusal of Sokoto to respond to the invitation to exercise his function as suzerain, nominated a temporary chief.

Thus Bautchi also was brought under British administration, and as, in every letter of appointment, the sovereignty of the British Crown was asserted, and in every installation oath .was accepted by the appointed 2 E