236 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

that village would allow us to remain there, as we had proposed, until the return of the messenger from Foota. They returned at a late hour the same evening, 7th, bringing for answer that Thierno Amadoo had consented to receive us as friends at his village, where we might remain as long as we wished. This did not appear to please the other chief and his party, who went off grumbling.

I made small presents to all who interested themselves in our behalf at Seindoo, and, having passed a comparatively quiet night, left it at half after six on the morning of the 8th June, and reached Looboogol at nine ; but here we found such difficulty in obtaining a very limited supply indeed of water the first day, that the men had scarcely enough, and the animals none at all.

Thierno Bayla, the chiefwho had sent the party to Seindoo, came to Looboogol on the 9th, attended by a large body of horse and foot. He paid us a visit in the course of the day, and demanded to be made acquainted with our intentions in entering the country. I told him that having been deceived and plundered by Almamy and the princes of Bondoo, I had decided on returning to the coast through Foota j but, as there was no reigning Almamy in that country, I did not think it safe to enter it without per-