AN ABORTIVE START rj He had decided to go with us without a moment's hesitation. This was yet another trump card for us, and all would now go well.

We reached St.

Louis at six o'clock in the evening on January 17. An officer on the Staff of the Governor was waiting for me. M, de Lamothe, who was, by the way, an old friend of mine, receixed mo most graciously, and was ready to do everything in his power to help me.

The Briire de I'hle of the Deves and Chaumet company was to start on the 19th for the upper river. She was, however, already overloaded. What should we do? Time was pressing !

On the morning of the i8th I engaged the coolies who were to follow us. Most of them were Sarracolais, whose tribe lives on the Senegal between Bakel and Kayes. From amongst a hundred candidates Baudry had already picked out twelve, and to these had been added a second master pilot belonging to the local station. All these were experienced campaigners, who had long been in the French service ; they were sturdy, well-built fellows,