Chap. XLVIIT. TRYING ANOTHER FORD. 
317 
manufacture which were not to be had in Bagirmi, 
and which he hoped to sell to advantage to the sultan 
of his country. Perhaps he thought that I was also 
a merchant, and might spoil his market. Considering 
therefore all these points, I at length decided upon 
trying to cross the river at another place. 
Having in consequence retraced our steps a little 
more than two miles, along the path we had come, 
in order to make the people believe that we were 
returning to Logon, we turned off from our track 
to the northward, and winding along in a north- 
easterly direction, at times through a dense forest, at 
others, passing small villages or hamlets, where 
scarcely any corn was cultivated, though cotton was 
grown to some extent, and evidently employed the 
activity of the inhabitants in weaving and dyeing, we 
reached the larger village Bugari. Here the inhabitants, 
who, like those of most of the villages hereabouts, be- 
long to the Kanuri race, received us with great kindness 
and hospitality, and without delay assigned us quarters 
in a large courtyard. My companions told the people 
that we had missed the direct road to Mele, and tried 
even to pass me off as a " sherif ; " but unfortunately 
there was a person who had seen me at the ferry of 
A'su, so that the hope of crossing the river at some 
other place without further obstacle was not very 
great. 
Nevertheless, I was resolved to try every means in 
my power in order not to miss the opportunity of 
exploring a new country ; and for a dora, or small 
