402 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXV. 
merchants from Morocco, who were instigated by the 
most selfish jealousy to raise all sorts of intrigues 
against me. 
Having heard my address with attention, although 
I was not able to establish every point so clearly as I 
could have wished, the sheikh's brother promised me 
protection, and desired me to be without any appre- 
hension with regard to my safety ; and thus ter- 
minated my first interview with this man, who, on 
the whole, inspired me with a certain degree of con- 
fidence, although I was glad to think that he was not 
the man upon whom I had to rely for my safety. 
Having then had a further chat with his telamid or 
pupils, with whom I passed for a Mohammedan, I 
took leave of the party and retired to rest in the 
close apartments of the lower story of the house. 
Wednesday, After a rather restless night, the day 
September 7th. k ro k e w hen I was at length to enter Tim- 
buktu ; but we had a good deal of trouble in per- 
forming this last short stage of our journey, deprived 
as we were of beasts of burden; for the two camels 
which the people had brought from the town in order 
to carry my boxes, proved much too weak, and it 
was only after a long delay that we were able to 
procure eleven donkeys for the transport of all my 
luggage. Meanwhile the rumour of a traveller of 
importance having arrived had spread far and wide, 
and several inhabitants of the place sent a break- 
fast both for myself and my protector. Just at the 
moment when we were at length mounting our horses, 
