TRAVELS AND DISCOVERIES 
IN 
AFRICA. 
CHAPTER LXX. 
BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR. — ANOMALOUS RISING OF THE 
NIGER. — COMMERCIAL RELATIONS OF TIMBUKTU. 
I HAD long cherished the hope that the beginning of 
1854 would have found me far advanced on my home- 
ward journey ; but greatly disappointed in this ex- 
pectation, I began the year with a fervent prayer for 
a safe return home in the course of it. 
El Medani, my friend from Swera, or Mogadore, 
whom I used to call my political thermometer, or 
rather my politico- meter, on account of his exhi- 
biting towards me friendly feelings only at times 
when he saw everything quiet, sent me his compli- 
ments in the morning of the first of January ; nay, 
even the two leaders of the hostile factions, — Ham- 
madi, the rival of my protector, and Taleb Moham- 
med, the wealthiest merchant in the town, and the 
leader of the intriguing merchants from Morocco, 
— gave me to understand that they wanted to enter 
VOL. V. B 
