TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 215 hundred horse and foot, which augmented at every village we passed through. When about half way, Saada, who complained much of being fatigued from the heat of the sun ! ! ! halted, and wished me to follow his example, to which, as I would not consent, he sent forward some of his party with me.

Two days were spent in the preparations necessary for the march, which we commenced at five o'clock in the morning of the 13th of February. We halted that night at Gamby, and reached the capital the following morning at half after eight. Almamy, who, with some of his train, came out to meet us, wished us to enter the town and remain there, as he said, till huts could be prepared for us ; but, as I would not listen to his proposal under any pretence whatever, he proceeded with me to select a site for our camp convenient to water. A little eminence, the summit of which was shaded by a large tamarind tree, and within a few yards of some wells, west of the town, from which it was distant about two musket shots, offered more advantages than any other spot around Boolibany. We therefore, having unloaded the animals, and arranged the baggage under the tree, commenced, on the following morning, to surround our post with a strong fence of stakes and thorny bushes, which, with our huts and the addi-