TRAVELS IN AFRICA 
31 
prised and disappointed to find, that on the fol- 
lowing day, not only those, but the thirteen who 
came with the prince, had decamped without 
any previous notice of such being their inten- 
tion. Abdul Hamed despatched one of his fol- 
lowers, on the 9th, to recal them, but as they 
did not obey the summons, — he sent, on the 
10th, to request Almamy to issue fresh orders 
concerning them. 
Brahima, who had been absent from the camp 
for some days, watching Almamy's manoeuvres 
(by Captain Campbell's orders), returned and 
informed us that many debates had arisen, 
and various proposals been made with respect 
to what conduct they should pursue towards the 
expedition. Some of the chiefs proposed plun- 
dering us, to which Almamy would not consent, 
but said we should pay well before he would al- 
low us to pass. A third party insisted that the 
country w^as already polluted by the presence of 
so large a body of Cafirs*, and that their offence 
against the will of their prophet, in allowing us 
to pass, with such valuables as we possessed, to 
their enemy, the king of Sego, who was himself 
a Cafir, would be much aggravated. By this it 
was evident that the general feeling on the sub- 
ject of our going to Sego, was not favourable, 
Infidels. 
