298 
CHAR LXII. 
UNSETTLED PROVINCES OBSTRUCTED BY NATURE AND INFESTED BY 
MAN. — ARIBINDA. — HOMBORI. 
Thursday ^ T l en gth I se ^' ou * on the last and most 
July 21st. dangerous stage of my journey to Tim- 
buktu, thinking at the time that I should be able to 
reach that celebrated place in about twenty days. 
But I underrated the distance, such a very different 
position having been assigned to that mysterious place 
by geographers ; and I had no idea of the diffi- 
culties which attended this journey, at least for a 
Christian, and the delays which would be caused me 
by the character of the new companion whom I had 
attached to me. 
On leaving the turbulent town of D6re, a great 
many armed people accompanied me, much against 
my inclination ; and their conduct was so suspicious 
that we were obliged to make a halt and send them 
about their business : for the inhabitants of this place, 
not long before, had robbed and killed, in a similar 
manner, a wealthy sherif, whom they pretended to 
escort, on his way from Sansandi. Just in crossing 
the shallow concavity where every year a very ex- 
tensive sheet of water is formed, which often as- 
