154 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

pealed to as to the justice of the demand. Their answer was, that they were not aware of any such custom having been before paid in Bondoo, but that Ahuamy, as chief of the country, might, on all occasions, demand such tribute or duty as he thought proper.

Osman called me aside, and told me, that had I only bought the small horses and asses of the country, Almamy would never have asked a duty from me, and which, he said, was evident by his never having done so before I bought this mare ; but she being so fine a creature, he was jealous of seeing her in my possession, and although he could not, in any justice, demand a duty, he took advantage of the circumstance to occasion a disagreement between us, to arrange which, he supposed I should either give him the mare in question, or find it necessary to make him a present likely to answer his purpose as well. The former I of course would not listen to ; not that I fixed any particular value on that animal more than another, but I was aware that, had I yielded to his wishes on this occasion, I could not be safe on any future one of this kind.

I therefore told his messenger, who was extremely haughty and impertinent (all which I bore with extreme sang froid), to return and let his master know I should send a person to speak with him on the subject in a few days. The