88 
TRAVELS IN AFlllCA. 
Chap. LXXII. 
afraid that he might take an opportunity of revenging 
himself upon me. There is no doubt that, in the 
murderous assault upon Major Laing in Wddi Ahen- 
net, the Tawdrek were partly instigated by a feeling 
of revenge for the heavy loss inflicted upon them by 
Mungo Park in his voyage down the Niger. At 
this very moment the dreaded chief, with part of 
his people, was here in the neighbourhood, and caused 
great anxiety to Mini, a younger brother of W6gh' 
dugu, one of the chiefs of the Tarabanasa, who had come 
on a visit to the Sheikh. Our frightened friend, in 
consequence, was rambling about the whole day on the 
fine black horse which my host had made me a present 
of, in order to spy out the movements of his enemy. 
He even wanted me to exchange my horse for two 
camels, in order that he might make his escape. 
This man, who was an amiable and intelligent sort of 
person, gave me a fair specimen of what trouble I 
should have in making my way through those nume- 
rous tribes of Tawarek along the river; for, when he 
begged a present from me, I thought a common blue 
shirt, or "rishaba," of which kind I had prepared about 
a dozen, quite sufficient for him, as I had had no deal- 
ings whatever with him, and was under no obligation 
to him ; but he returned it to me with the greatest 
contempt, as unworthy of his dignity. 
My supplies at this time were greatly reduced, and 
in order to obtain a small amount of shells I was 
obliged to sell a broken musket belonging to me. 
Under all these circumstances I was extremely glad 
