On Friday, Yusuf paid his respects to the Sultan at noon, being the Sunday of the Muslims, when visits are made by true believers to the princes. He found his highness surrounded by his court, in a cloud of dust, which the people raised by throwing it in handfuls upon their heads, and thus doing homage to their prince. Yusuf and some other Moors obstinately abstained from such a grovelling mode of "rendering to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's," and contented themselves with saluting his highness in the Moorish fashion. Yusuf observed, "Our religion does not teach this servility." The natives salute their Sultan by the cry of "God give you victory!" (i.e. over your enemies.) In Soudanee this phrase is "_Allah shàbáka nasara_;" and in Bornouese, "_Kábunam sherga!_"
_18th._--I sent letters for Government and my wife _viâ_ Kuka, as caravans are expected to leave Bornou for Moursuk about this time. My rooms were full of visitors to-day. First came the commander-in-chief, Shroma. I showed him all my treasures, portable peepshow, kaleidoscope, &c. &c. He was marvellously pleased. I treated him also with sugar, but coffee he positively refused as too bitter. He brought with him some twenty of his troops and a chosen aide-de-camp. He is just the man for a negro commander, full of cunning and address, very active if necessary, and on familiar terms with his men, pleasing them by low fun and buffoonery. Afterwards came the sons of the Sultan, all of whom I treated with sugar and coffee: that is, as many as would venture to taste of it. Then followed a host of Fezzan merchants, with the son of the Kadi of Kuka--a very nice, pleasant young fellow, who writes pretty good Arabic. He is to make out for me the route from Zinder to Kuka.
I afterwards went to the Sultan himself, to show him my treasures, viz. peepshows and kaleidoscope. These barbarians are nothing but great wilful children. I also took the compass. We entered the interior of the building, where we found a number of officers, courtiers and slaves, squatted together on the sand, chatting most familiarly on all subjects. The building is all made of mud, mixed with large grains of granite. They say all the buildings of Bornou are built in the same manner, and very few of stone, on account of the rain; for the stone, not being well cemented together, falls during the great rains of the tropics.