60 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

in honour of his arrival, and in order to amuse him.

We had seen several of the chiefs of Western Africa, both moors and negroes, but never saw any so wretchedly poor and unlike what he intended to represent as this man ; he is intolerably fond of rum, and would be for ever drunk if he could obtain the means of being so ; his last demand was for two bottles of it, which I gave him. He left us on the 19th, in a state of excessive inebriety, as were most of his followers.

Aware of the great respectability Bon-ama, in his character of Mahomedan priest, would enjoy in all the countries in the interior, and of his having before offered his services to Governor McCarthy, we endeavoured to prevail on him to accompany us to Sego, Tombuctoo, or further, but it was not without much difficulty and objection on his part, together with the promise of a very large reward, that he could be induced to do so. He, however, at length agreed, in consideration of a recompense of five hundred pounds British, to accompany us to Tombuctoo or Jinne, but no sum, however large, or other advantage, he said, would induce him to go further. He made it a previous article in his agreement, to be allowed to return to Cayor, to arrange some private affairs, and promised to