316 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XLVIII. 
from Kiikawa to their native country, had assured 
them that I was a most dangerous person, and that the 
vizier of Bornu himself had told them there was 
great danger that, if I should enter the country of 
Bagirmi in the absence of the sultan, I might upset 
his throne, and ruin his kingdom. As there were 
some of the chief men of the village in the boat, we 
used every means to convince them of the absurdity 
of such calumnies ; but all was in vain, and it became 
evident that we should certainly not be allowed to 
cross the river at this spot. 
For a moment I hesitated whether I should retrace 
my steps to Logon birni, there to await the return of 
a messenger whom I might send to the sultan of 
Bagirmi, or whether I should try my fortune at 
some other point of the river. I could not well per- 
ceive from whence the obstacle proceeded ; whether 
it was really the vizier of Bornu who was the cause 
of these intrigues, as he knew that it was my earnest 
desire, if possible, to penetrate into Waday ; or whether 
it was the Sultan of Logon, who, by compelling me 
in this way to retrace my steps, might think to 
persuade me to stay longer in his company. The 
Bagirmi man, I had, as far as I knew, never offended 
in my life — on the contrary, in the town of Logon I 
had treated his whole troop, and given besides some 
small presents to himself; but he might have been 
jealous of me, seeing that the sultan of Logon ho- 
noured me in so remarkable a manner. He had been 
to Kiikawa, in order to purchase there some articles of 
