20 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

ed on a mat outside his tent, approached the

spot, accompanied by one of his attendants, named Salihou, and, without further ceremony,

seating themselves near him, began to destroy

a portion of the vermin with which even royalty

in that country is covered. They opened a con-

versation on the dangerous part of the country we were then in, and the difficulty of preventing

the natives from robbing and otherwise annoy-

ing us, adding that we should not have left the Bontong Ko without consulting them.

Although we were aware that the object of all

this was to induce Captain Campbell to make

the prince a present, he nevertheless took no

notice of them. Salihou then, taking hold of

the prince's trowsers (which, by the way, were

in very bad repair), and holding them up, asked

if it was a fit dress for the brother of Almamy to

appear in before the white people ? But even this

failing to produce the desired effect, they closed

the conversation, and, at the same time, their more disgusting occupation.

On the following morning, we left the Poosa

at nine o'clock, and at eleven, entered a valley

of great beauty and fertility. The light co-

loured sandy and rocky soil, which, with little

variation, we passed over since entering the

Foolah country, here changed to a rich dark mould 5 hills on all sides, rising gently one