Chap. LXV. KORO'jME BRANCH OF THE NIGER. 393 
what sort of person I was. It was here that we 
heard the unsatisfactory news that El Bakay, whose 
name as a just and intelligent chief alone had given 
me confidence to undertake this journey, was absent 
at the time in Giindam, whither he had gone in order 
to settle a dispute which had arisen between the 
Tawarek and the Berabish ; and as from the very 
beginning, when I was planning my journey to Tim- 
buktu, I had based the whole confidence of my suc- 
cess upon the noble and trustworthy character which 
was attributed to the Sheikh El Bakay by my in- 
formants, this piece of information produced a serious 
effect upon me. 
At length we set out again on our interesting 
voyage, following first a south-easterly, then a north- 
easterly direction along this branch, which, for the 
first three miles and a half, retained some impor- 
tance, being here about 200 yards wide, when the 
channel divided a second time, the more considerable 
branch turning off towards Yelluwa and Zegalia, 
and other smaller hamlets situated on the islands 
of Dav, while the watercourse which we followed 
dwindled away to a mere narrow meadow-water, 
bearing the appearance of an artificial ditch or canal, 
which, as I now heard, is entirely dry during the 
dry season, so that it becomes impossible to embark 
directly at Kabara for places situated higher up or 
lower down the river. But at that time I had formed 
the erroneous idea that this canal never became na- 
vigable for more than four months in the year, 
