272 ALTERED BEHAVIOUR OF LAMFIA. 
safe with you.*' He felt this reproach, and was visibly 
affected by it, but endeavoured to extricate himself from his 
embarrassment, by disputing the fact of the robbery, and 
observing, that a thief would not have been content with 
part of my goods, but have carried off the whole. This way 
of talking, however, served to confirm my suspicion ; because, 
if the thief had been a stranger, he would probably have 
taken all, but he, fearing the consequences of detection, had 
pilfered only a part, in the hope that the loss would escape 
my notice. 
The situation became painful; he feared that, if I 
continued much longer in the place, my complaints might 
be attended with more disagreeable effects to himself ; he 
was therefore anxious to hasten our departure. In the even- 
ing 1 went with him to take leave of the mansa, and, though 
perfectly convinced that he had robbed me, I resolved to 
travel through the forest with him, rather than take the 
chance of being worse served by another guide. We did 
not find the chief at home, as he had gone to the ouronde 
to inspect his slaves. We therefore postponed our farewell 
interview until the following morning. On the same day 
the women and children assembled about me in the yard, 
and pretended to shew me glass beads similar to those I had 
lost. Lamfia affected not to notice these insults, fearing, 
perhaps, a new altercation with me. I stifled my displea- 
sure, and waited patiently to see the end of this scene, with- 
out shewing any anger, which I was certain would only 
serve to prolong it, I had eaten nothing all day, and a little 
after sun-set, he gave me some rice very well prepared. 
Previously to this affair, he always took care to order his 
supper to be got ready early, that we might take that meal 
together a little before the sun went down, because, as he 
said, the Arabs do not like late suppers. Indeed, I could 
not but feel grateful for the attention he had hitherto paid 
me. When I fell asleep during the day in my hut, I was 
