Chap. LII. 
PLEASANT STARTING. 
457 
and that I had not come to their country as a merchant, 
but as a messenger. It had always been a subject 
of great annoyance to them that I refused to sell my 
horse, as all the people who visit this country from 
the other side of Bornu are in the habit of bringing 
horses with them expressly for sale. They revenged 
themselves, therefore, by giving me another nick -name, 
as an ambitious and overbearing man, — " derbaki 
ngolo." But I would not have parted with the com- 
panion of my toils and dangers for all the treasures in 
the world, although it had its faults, and was cer- 
tainly not then in the best condition. I had some 
foreboding that it might still be a useful companion 
on many an excursion ; and it was in reality still to 
carry me for more than two years, and was to excite 
the envy both of my friends and enemies in Timbuktu 
as it had done here. 
Having received the letter of the sultan, with the 
contents of which I could not but express myself 
highly satisfied*, I set fairly out on my journey; and 
my heart bounded with delight when, gaining the 
western gate, I entered the open country, and once 
more found myself at liberty. 
The whole country was adorned with the most 
beautiful verdure, the richest pasture-grounds and 
fine corn-fields alternately succeeding each other ; 
but as for the crop, the height which it had attained 
in the different fields varied greatly, — it being in 
* I sent this letter, with the sultan's seal, to the Foreign Office 
at the time. 
