290 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

he said that he had some business to transact with the chiefs of Upper Galatn, but that ifonce settled, he would not give me farther delay. He made much inquiry respecting my transactions with Almamy Bondoo, and said that his conduct to me was of a piece with all his former acts. He expressed his regret that I had not demanded assistance from Modiba when I found it was Almamy's intention to deceive me, and was much surprised when I told him that, although I was very badly treated by the princes and chiefs of Bondoo, I did not consider myself authorized, much less feel inclined, to bring war into their country. As only a part of the Kaartan force was bivouacked near our huts, I went to the adjoining towns for the purpose of ascertaining their numbers, which I found to amount to about one thousand, all horse. They had made one hundred and seven prisoners, chiefly women and children, and had taken about two hundred and forty head of cattle. Many of these unfortunate beings were known to me. The men were tied in pairs by the necks, their hands secured behind their backs ; the women by the necks only, but their hands were not left free from any sense of feeling for them, but in order to enable them to balance the immense loads of pangs, corn or rice, which they were forced to carry on their heads, and