140 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LVI. 
with, and I declared myself satisfied. I was well 
aware how extremely difficult it is to make these 
people understand the forms of the articles in which 
European governments are wont to conclude com- 
mercial treaties. In regions like this, however, it 
seems almost as if too much time ought not to be lost 
on account of such a matter of form before it is well 
established whether merchants will really open a 
traffic with these quarters ; for as soon as, upon the 
general condition of security, an intercourse is really 
established, the rulers of those countries themselves 
become aware that some more definite arrangement is 
necessary, while, before they have any experience of 
intercourse with Europeans, the form of the articles in 
which treaties are generally conceived fills them with 
the utmost suspicion and fear, and may be productive 
of the worst consequences to any one who may have 
to conclude such a treaty. 
The sultan was kind enough, before he left in the 
afternoon, to send me word that I might come and 
take leave of him ; and I wished him with all my heart 
success in his expedition, as the success of my own 
undertaking, namely, my journey towards the west, 
partly depended upon his vanquishing his enemies. 
Giving vent to his approval of my wishes by re- 
peating that important and highly significant word 
not more peculiar to the Christian than to the Mo- 
hammedan creed, u Amin, amin," he took leave of 
me, in order to start on his expedition, accompanied 
only by a small detachment of cavalry, most of the 
