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                  CHAP. XXIV.



HAUSA. — HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF  KATSENA.—ENTRY INTO

                        KANO.



In order to render intelligible the anterior history of

Katsena, it will be necessary to enter into some  pre¬

liminary explanation respecting the whole country of

Hausa.  The name Hausa was unknown^  as it seems,

to Leo Africanus;  else  instead  of saying that the

inhabitants of Z&ria, Kdtsena, and  Kano spoke the

language  of Gober *, he  would have said that they

spoke the Hausa language.   But  we have no right to

conclude from this circumstance that the practice of

giving the name Hdusa, not only to the widely-diffused

language,  but  also  to  the countries collectively in

which  it  prevails, is later than  Leo's time; on the

contrary,  I must  acknowledge the improbability of

such an assumption.  It is true  that, with the faint

light available, we are unable to discern quite distinctly

how the Hausa nation originated; but we may posi¬

tively assert that it was  not an indigenous nation, or

at least that it did not occupy its present seat  from



  * Leo, 1. i. s. 12.  When he says that the inhabitants of Wan-

gara (G-uangara) likewise spoke Hausa, he falls into the same sort of

error as when he says that the people of Melle spoke the Songhay

language.

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