112 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
were not less troublesome. Goulahs, or singing 
people, who in Africa always flock around those 
who have any thing to give, no doubt thought 
this a good opportunity to turn to good account 
their abilities in music, and we were continually 
annoyed by their horrid noise. Dozens of them 
would, at the same moment, set up a sort of 
roaring extempore song in our praise, accompa- 
nied by drums and a sort of guitar, and we 
found it impossible to get rid of them by any 
other means than giving something. They were 
not, however, to be put off with a trifle. People 
who lived by that sort of gain, and not unfre- 
quently received from their own chiefs presents 
to the amount of several slaves, were not to be 
put off with trifles, particularly by persons with 
(apparently to them) so much riches as we had. 
The consequence was, we were in a continual 
state of uproar with those wretches. Never did 
I find my patience so much tired as on those oc- 
casions. 
On the 31st a man arrived from Boolibany, 
to say that Almamy would be at Goodeerie on 
the following day, but it was not until the 5th 
of June that we heard any thing more of him. 
During this time we were plagued out of our 
lives by a host of his nephews, nieces, cousins, 
&c. all begging. 
On the 5th, Saada, Almamy's eldest son, ac- 
