TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 115 
ful, but said that we should first settle with his 
father. We were asked if what we had laid be- 
fore them was intended merely as service (as 
they call it), meaning thereby a present or dou- 
ceur, or as all we intended to give him ; and 
we answered that we intended it as the full 
amount of present. To which they replied, they 
were only directed to receive service, that 
was then shewn, and objected to, as too small. 
After much conversation on both sides, with- 
out being able to arrange with those fellows, we 
determined on again going to Almamy, to en- 
deavour to settle with him personally. In this, 
however, we were deceived ; he was, if possible, 
more difficult to please than his ministers, and 
told us, that as we did not choose to act in com- 
pliance with their wishes, he should not wait 
where he was any longer, but return to his 
house, where we might come to see him when 
we thought proper to act consistently with, 
what he considered, our duty, namely, the in- 
creasing of the present ; that as all the sur- 
rounding kings were averse to our going to the 
east, and even his own chiefs did not like it, he 
was taking a great responsibility on himself in 
allowing us to do so. This, and much more of 
the same nature, too tedious to mention, closed 
the interview. We therefore, to avoid more de- 
I 2 
