260 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

although not very high, added much to the richness of the scene.

On tlie evening of the 7tli of October, Charles Joe returned from Foota, bringing witli him the animals, and some of the articles belonging to the mission, which had been left at Fadgar, and gave the following account of his embassy.

On his arrival at Chuloigne, the capital of Foota, he was obliged to wait until the election of an Almamy took place. This delayed him six weeks j when Thieno Biram, a known friend to Europeans, was chosen, and a general assembly of the chiefs then present called, before whom the affair was brought, and, after much discussion, given against Bayla, who was declared to have committed a crime worthy death, but which, in this instance, should be mitigated into banishment from the country. Bayla endeavoured to excuse himself, by saying, that he was instigated to treat us as he had done by Almamy Bondoo ; whose letters to that eifect he was going to produce, when he was told by Almamy Foota, that, as he was not a subject of Bondoo, nor amenable, in any way, to the laws of that country, he was unwarranted in carrying into effect the orders of its chief, who should have been ashamed of his conduct towards us.

It was also decreed by the assembly, that every