Chap. LXIV. INDISCREET INQUIRIES. 
365 
was, that lie had persisted in representing that those 
presents did not come from me, but had employed 
them in order to make his own peace with that 
powerful chief, and to conclude some bargain with 
him. After all this, he had the insolence to propose 
that I also should go to that chief, in order to sur- 
render to him some more of my property as his own ; 
but I could not prevent it, and my only object was 
necessarily to get over my difficult situation as well 
as possible.. 
Having, after the return of my friend from Thursday, 
his important embassy, still been obliged to Au s ust 25th - 
stay another day in this miserable place, and having 
had the misfortune to lose my best ox of burden, 
which El Walati had sold to the Tawarek who came 
along with us, pretending that it had been stolen, I at 
length set out on my journey to Sarayamo. But just 
as we were about to start, a circumstance happened 
which might have proved fatal to my further pro- 
ceedings ; for, at the moment of departure, there ar- 
rived an Arab, a native of Tisit, who, besides having 
visited St. Louis, had made the pilgrimage to Mekka, 
and knew something about Europeans as well as 
about the Arabs of the East ; and as I asked a great 
many questions about the ancient and celebrated 
town of Biru, and the modern Walata, he began to 
make some stricter inquiries concerning my native 
home, and the places from whence I had gathered 
my information ; for not having found any one on 
his journey towards the East who knew anything 
