154 USELESS ATTENDANTS DISMISSED.

too, that we should be able to buy plenty of dJiurra from the Base on the Settite, so that it appeared we could cut ourselves down very much in that respect. Since leaving Haikota, no less than seven of our camels had died ; and on our return there from the Settite, the sheik informed us that two out of the five camels we had left behind in his care had died of snakebite." The other three were supposed to have recovered. We insisted on leaving behind the old man whose horse had been taken by the Dembelas, and two of the other horsemen.

They had proved to be utterly useless, speaking neither Arabic nor Base, and being very lazy ; in fact, considering themselves quite above work of any kind. We had taken four horsemen whom we paid twenty-five dollars a month, and Mahomet Salee at thirty dollars. The latter did not belong to Haikota ; his horse was his own property, and the money went to himself, — at least, so he told us ; probably, however, he was made to pay a good percentage of it to the sheik. Of the remaining four, Barumphy had proved himself useful, as he spoke Base fluently, and evidently knew the country well ; he was supposed to own his horse, and keep half his pay, giving the other half to the sheik.

The other three were all servants of the sheik, who owned their horses, and, of course, took all the money. We knew, when engaging them, that we did not require so many, but we found it impossible to proceed without them ; he had wanted us at first to take more of these useless incumbrances, and tc pay them a higher rate of wages, but we had cut him down a*? much as we could. Of course, he pretended that they were all independent men, and that he gained nothing by their accompanying us ; they were, moreover, all supposed to know the country, and to speak the language.

We gave the inhabitants another display of the magic-lantern