344 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXI. 
I thought it prudent to spare him the mortification 
of returning. 
Mr. Overweg and I, having then made a selection 
from the articles that remained to us, presented to 
the vizier, on the morning of the ninth, those 
destined for him, and in the afternoon we pre- 
sented the sheikh with his share. These presents 
could not be now expected to please by their novelty, 
or to awaken a feeling of gratitude in the receivers, 
who had long been in possession of them ; but 
although made to understand by Mr. Richardson's 
interpreters that he alone had been authorized by the 
British Government, Mr. Overweg and I not being em- 
powered to interfere, and that consequently they might 
regard themselves as legitimate possessors of our de- 
ceased companion's property, they must yet have 
entertained some doubt about the equity of their 
claim ; and as soon as I arrived, and began to act 
with firmness, they grew ashamed of having list- 
ened to intriguing servants. In short, though we 
had put them to shame, they esteemed us all the 
better for our firmness, and received their presents 
in a very gracious manner. 
We now spoke also about the treaty, the negotiation 
of which, we said, had been specially intrusted to our 
companion, but now, by his death, had devolved on 
us. Both of them assured us of their ardent desire 
to open commercial intercourse with the English, but 
at the same time they did not conceal that their 
principal object in so doing was to obtain fire-arms. 
