102 
TRAVELS IN AFEICA. 
Chap. LXXIII. 
taking possession of them, he requested me to keep 
them for him till another time ; for he himself was no 
doubt fully aware that our journey was not yet fairly 
begun ; and its abortive character became fully ap- 
parent the following day, when, after a march of 
less than seven miles, we encamped near the tents 
of Teni, or E' Teni, the first chief of the Tarabandsa. 
The locality, which is called Tens-arori, was of so 
swampy a character that we looked for some time in 
vain for a tolerably dry spot to pitch our tents, and it 
had a most unfavourable effect upon my health. Here 
we remained this and the two following days : and it 
became evident that as this chief persisted in his dis- 
obedience to his liege lord Alkuttabu, the other more 
powerful chief, A'khbi, whose mutinous behaviour had 
been the chief reason of the former not coming to 
Timbuktu, would certainly follow his example. The 
fact was, that, irritated against their superior chief, 
or more probably treating him with contempt on ac- 
count of his youth and want of energy, after the death 
of his predecessor, Ndbegha, they had fallen upon 
his mercenaries, especially the Shemman-A'mmas, and 
deprived them of their whole stock of cattle. 
This was the first time that I saw these more 
easterly Tawarek in their own territory ; and I was 
greatly astonished at their superior bearing in com- 
parison with the Tademekket and Fregendten, both 
in their countenance and in their dress. They were 
also richly ornamented with small metal boxes, made 
