— 42 — the people in those parts had ever before seen a cannon, so that when Billali fired it in the air they fondly imagined in their hearts that he must be the agent of the Government, although I knew full well that he had never received any orders appointing him Governor of the Bahr el Ghazal, Billali then counselled me to hold my peace, as did some of the elders among the people ; upon which I reasoned wath myself, and, on the next day, I went to see him with two hundred of my men, and fired a volley in the air by way of shewing my love towards him. A meeting was held what time the women screamed and shouted in sign of greeting.

Now between the time when I had compelled Billali to return my slaves and the arrival of the cannon rather under a year had intervened. As soon as we had come to an agreement, one with the other, Billali announced that he purposed reducing the zeribas close at hand. So I said to him that ere he departed from me I should like to bid him farewell, and he replied that he would send his troops on ahead, and join them later in the day.

But, although he promised to give me warning of his departure he refrained from doing so, and started almost immediately after his men had left. There remained of the day but two hours when news reached me that Billali had already set forth: I caused my horse to be saddled that I might follow