Chap. XLVIII. SENT BACK BY THE FERRYMEN. 315 
their master. However uncommon such a precau- 
tion seemed to be, I had as yet no idea of the real 
state of affairs. We therefore sat down patiently to 
await the answer, which we thought a mere matter of 
form. The atmosphere was very sultry, and the sky 
overcast ; clouds were hanging over the river, as fore- 
runners of the rainy season. In order to keep off the 
deadly stings of the blood-flies from our horses, we 
made a large fire. The sting of this fly is almost 
as fatal as that of the " tsetse" in the southern parts 
of this continent ; and many travellers lose all their 
horses on the shore of this river. 
I was suddenly aroused from my tranquil repose 
by the arrival of a numerous troop of pilgrims on 
their way to Mekka ; all of them belonged to the tribe 
of the Fiilbe or Fellata, mostly from the western parts 
of Negroland, and some from Gottoko, the little-known 
country between Bambara and Kong. Amongst them 
were also the people who had accompanied me on my 
journey to A'damawa, and whom I had again met a 
second time near the town of Logon. I made them 
a present of needles, in order to assist them in their 
praiseworthy undertaking. While we were chatting 
together, the boatmen returned, bringing with them 
the astounding answer that the chief of the village, 
A'su, would not allow me to cross the river. 
We could at first scarcely imagine what was the 
reason of this unforeseen obstacle, when the boatmen 
informed us that Haj A'hmed, the head man of those 
Bagirmi people whom I have mentioned as returning 
