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The surviving Arabs, who had now lost all their arrogance, entreated Barca Gana to supply them with corn to save them from starving, for the Sultan of Mandara refused to supply them with food, and even kept Boo-Khaloum's horse-trappings and clothes. In six days the expedition arrived at Kouka.
Here a quarter of an hour's halt was made, to place Boo-Khaloum's body on a horse and to collect stragglers, during which Maraymy had asked Barca Gana for another horse, in order to carry the major on, when the chief, irritated by his defeat, as well as by having had his horse refused, by which means he said it had come by its death, replied: "Then leave him behind.
Denham thought he could perceive a smile pass between Barca Gana and his chief, at poor Boo-Khaloum's expense. Durkulla was quickly burned, and another small town near it. The few inhabitants found in them, being infants or aged persons, unable to escape, were put to death or thrown into the flames.
Boo-Khaloum's liberality had made him so popular that a large portion of the inhabitants of the town came out to welcome him. Major Denham was greatly disappointed at not seeing his friends among the crowd. He found that Dr Oudney was suffering from a complaint in his chest, and that Clapperton was confined to his bed; indeed the climate of Mourzouk is evidently very unhealthy.
On Boo-Khaloum's hesitating to reply, the sultan turned away his head, with the words, "So the pacha numbers infidels amongst his friends!" This incident had a very bad effect, and Denham was not again admitted to the presence of the sultan. The enemies of the Pacha of Bornou and the Sultan of Mandara, were called Fellatahs. Their vast settlements extended far beyond Timbuctoo.
The Arabs suffered terribly: most of them had two or three wounds; one dropped with five arrows sticking in his head, and two of Boo-Khaloum's slaves were killed near him. No sooner did the Mandara and Bornou troops see the defeat of the Arabs than they, one and all, took to flight in the most dastardly manner and the greatest confusion.
The wounds of many of the people were very severe, and several died soon afterwards, their bodies, as well as poor Boo-Khaloum's, becoming instantly swollen and black. Sometimes, immediately after death, blood issued from the nose and mouth, which the Bornou people asserted was in consequence of the arrows having been poisoned.
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