148 
ANOTHER KNAVE. 
to forget the offence, and I made a few presents to their 
chief, after which we were as good friends again as ever. 
This little incident served as a lesson to me. I found 
that I must use greater caution, and that above all I must 
pretend to be very poor, that 1 might not excite rapacity. 
Notwithstanding my reconciliation with the Mandin- 
go merchants, I did not think it prudent to set out with 
them, and I sought a better opportimity of travelling through 
the Fouta-Dhialon. I thought that I had found one when I 
made acquaintance with a Mandingo, a very devout man, 
according to his own account, who was honoured with the 
title of sherif. I did not hesitate to ask leave to accompany 
him to Tembo, the capital of Fouta-Dhialon : he consented 
very readily, and, when I offered him a reward he replied, 
with downcast eyes, that whatever he did would be for the 
love of God and the prophet, and that there was only one 
thing which he should beg of me, and that was to obtain a 
passport from the governor of Sierra-Leone. In spite of 
my entreaties and all I could do, the governor had given me 
no answer on the day before that which we had fixed for 
our departure. I went to inform Ibrahim (for that was my 
guide's name) of this unlucky circumstance, and he did not 
chuse to wait any longer for me. He hastened his journey, 
and took with him an Arabian dress that I had had made 
and left with him the evening before. As soon as I recol- 
lected this, I ran after the devout sherif and asked for my 
bundle : he pretended to be greatly surprised at first, and 
then, rubbing his forehead, exclaimed, with the air of a man 
who is vexed : O, good God ! those rogues of slaves have 
gone on before, and taken your clothes along with them ; but 
be not uneasy, I will send them back to you." The safest 
way would have been to have detained the thief by way of 
hostage ; but it was dangerous for me to make enemies, and 
I allowed him to continue his journey, reflecting sorrowfully, 
