CONQUEST OF SOKOTO AND KANO 44S Women travel alone along the road, and men are all unarmed, except a few nomad herdsmen who carry the inevitable spear. The headmen of the villages bring presents of food." It was soon ascertained that the emir had not himself directed the defence and surrender of Kano. He had removed a month previously to Sokoto, taking with him a considerable force of soldiery and all members of the ruling dynasty who could by any possibility be chosen to supersede him. The defence of the town had been left to two trusted slaves.

He now returned towards Kano with the whole body of his army, but there was a fatal division in his councils. One of his brothers, known as the Wombai, disapproved of the new policy and refused to fight. The Wombai influenced a large part of the army, which he separated from the body of the troops, and drew off upon a different road. In presence of the difference of opinion between his chiefs, the emir adopted a course of conduct which ensured defeat. He placed the loyal portion of the army under the command of his Vizier or Waziri, and himself fled northwards in disguise towards the French frontier. On the following day his army was encountered by British troops marching out to meet it, about loo miles from Kano, and, after a resistance which did honour to the courage of its leaders in the circumstances in which they fought, and gave occasion for the display of distinguished gallantry on the part of three young British officers — Captains Wright and Wells and Captain Porter ; the first two in sustaining the shock of attack by an overwhelming force of the Kano army, and the third in leading a decisive charge — the native forces were completely defeated. The deciding actions took place on February 25th and 26th. On the 4th of March the Wombai, with that portion of the army which he commanded, and many others who had joined themselves to him, signified to the High Commissioner, who had now taken up his quarters