TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 129 but alas ! without effect :—the answer we got from her inhuman master to an offer of three times the value of a prime slave, or indeed any price he might demand, was " that it was much fitter for us to make him a present of the son, who would thereby be enabled to enjoy the society of his mother and brother."

The poor woman was a constant visitor at our huts, where she every day got one good meal, but it would have been useless to give her any thing else, as her master would not have left it (let it be of never so little value) with her.

Since our arrival at Boolibany we had been as badly supplied with provisions as at Goodeerie. Almamy made us a present of a bullock, but we found it impossible to purchase any, and as to rice or corn it was extremely scarce and dear.

So small was the quantity of milk purchased that the officers were stinted to a few spoonfulls each, which, with as limited a quantity of rice, meal, or meat, constituted our daily bill of fare.

To add to the unpleasantness of our situation nearly all the European soldiers were affected with fever or dysentery, two of the officers, Messrs. Nelson and Pilkington, were likewise ill, and we found it impossible to obtain from AI-mamy the fulfilment of his promises. At one time he would say he was preparing for us some provisions ; at another, that he was only waiting K