Chap. LXXIV. QUARREL OF THE IGWA'dAREN. 113 
and Hammddi, who, seeing that the political power 
of the Sheikh El Bakay was based upon his friend- 
ship with the chief of the Aweliramiden, used all his 
endeavours to raise up an adversary to the latter ; 
and the progress of this struggle, of which I did not 
see the end, may have been productive of great changes 
in the political relations of Timbuktu. 
The endeavour to preserve the unity of the whole 
tribe of the Awelimmiden, which my protector had sin- 
cerely at heart, and thus to keep up the friendly rela- 
tion of this tribe with that of the Tgwadaren, induced 
him to postpone my interests, and to return once 
more westward, in order to exert liis utmost to settle 
this serious affair. For the very tribe of the Tgwa- 
daren, from the first, when they were settled in A'za- 
wad, had been the protectors of the Kunta, the tribe 
to which the family of Mukhtar belonged, and had 
especially defended them against the hostilities of the 
Fgelad, by whose subjection the former had founded 
their power. El Bakay could not but see with the 
most heartfelt sorrow his former supporters likely to 
become the auxiliaries of his enemies ; and his brother, 
Sidi Mohammed, whom he had left to fill his place in 
Timbuktu during his absence, had sent an express 
messenger from the town, requesting him to come, in 
order that he might consult with him upon the state 
of affairs. 
As for myself, being anxious about my own interest, 
and fearing even for my life, which I was convinced 
was seriously threatened by another return towards 
VOL. v. I 
