[Footnote 43: Among my companions, the Hartáni Máleki, who had visited the countries of Mósi and Bámbara, possessed some interesting information concerning unknown, or little known, districts of these regions; but unfortunately he had something very uncouth in his manner, which prevented my learning from him all that would have been possible under other circumstances. This day I wrote down, from his information, the name of the pagan tribe of the Nenmer, who are settled between the Tombo and Bámbara; besides that of the Norma, who are chiefly settled in two places, one of which is called Púra.] [Footnote 44: They informed us, that Kúlman was six hours’ distance from here.] [Footnote 45: There is no doubt that this was formerly a place of considerable importance, and commanded the whole of the surrounding district, as the masters of this defile had at the same time in their hands the whole intercourse along the shore. In this respect the name Bírni is not less remarkable than that of Sáre-góru, both “bírni,” as well as “sáre,” being the names given to cities, or large walled places, in various Negro languages. Sáre-góru means the rivulet or channel (góru) of the city (sáre).] CHAP. LXXXI. SECOND RESIDENCE IN SAY. — JOURNEY THROUGH DÉNDINA AND KEBBI. Having rested awhile in my hut, I, with my companions, obeyed the summons of the governor, and found our poor old friend, Ábú-Bakr, in the very same room where we had left him more than a year previously. He was now quite lame in consequence of his disease of señi, but looked a little better than on the former occasion, and I soon had an opportunity of admiring his accurate knowledge of the country; for, when Áhmed el Wádáwi, had read to him the kasáíd or poems addressed by my friend El Bakáy to the emír Áhmedu, and began to relate some of the more remarkable incidents of our journey, he was corrected every moment in the nomenclature of the places by the governor, who appeared to possess the most accurate philological knowledge of all the spots along the river as far as Tóndibi, where he had been obliged to turn his back on his voyage up the Niger. He apparently took great interest in the endeavour of the Sheikh to open a communication with the Fúlbe of Gando and Sókoto, and expressed his deep sorrow that on his former voyage, he was prevented by the hostile behaviour of the chief El Khadír from reaching Timbúktu, when my companions assured him, that the Sheikh, on the first news of his approach, had sent a messenger in order to insure his safety from the Tawárek.