The kingdom or empire of Gando, according to its titles, comprises a number of wealthy provinces, all lying along that great West-African river which opens such an easy access into this continent, or on its branches; although nobody who stays in the capital for any length of time would suppose that it holds such a preeminent rank. I shall give some further details respecting these provinces in the Appendix[59]; here I will only enumerate them by name. They are, the western half of Kebbi, Maúri or Árewá, Zabérma, Déndina (comprising Kénga-koy and Zágha), a great part of Gurma (comprising the provinces of Galaijo, Toróde, Yágha, and Libtáko), with a small portion of Borgu or Barba, a large portion of Yóruba with the capital Alóri or Ilórin, and, on the east side of the river, the provinces of Yaúri and Núpe or Nyffi. But at that time most of these provinces were plunged into an abyss of anarchy, which could not fail to impart to the capital a more sombre aspect than it may possess in general. [Footnote 58: ʿAbd Alláhi died 20th of Moharrem 1245; and Mohammed died 4th of Ramadhán 1250. The children of ʿAbd Alláhi were the following: Mohammed Wáni, Khalílu, ʿAbd el Kádiri Inneháwa, Halíru or Hadhíru and ʿAlíyu (masuyáki)[a], ʿAbd el Kádiri Ay, Hassan, ʿAbd e’ Rahmáni, Ábú Bakr Maiguña, Is-háko, Mamman Sambo (maiyáki).[a]] [Footnote a: Maiyáki (_pl._ masuyáki) means commander-in-chief.] [Footnote 59: See Appendix VI.] CHAP. LIX. THE PROVINCE OF KEBBI AND ITS RIVER. — THE SALT VALLEY OF FÓGHA. — REACH THE NIGER. [Sidenote: Saturday, June 4th.] At length I was allowed to proceed on my journey, which now soon promised to become of overwhelming interest, as I was approaching that great African river which has been the object of so much discussion and individual ambition for so long a period. There had been a very heavy thunderstorm during the night, accompanied by a great abundance of rain, which lasted till late in the morning, and delayed my setting out for a considerable time. It was almost eleven o’clock when we at length left the western gate of the town, or the kófa-n-Jéga, and entered the open fields, where the crop was already shooting forth. Keeping along the rocky ground bordering the valley on the north side, we soon had a specimen of the swamps which during the rainy season are formed in these deep valleys of Kebbi, while we beheld here also extensive rice-grounds, the first which I saw under actual cultivation. But the guide, who was to accompany me to the very western extremity of the territory of Khalílu, having not yet arrived, we made only a short march of about six miles, and took up our quarters in a comfortable hut lying outside the walls of Kámbasa, which, by a separate wall, is divided into two distinct quarters.