TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 129 
but alas ! without effect : — the answer we got 
from her inhuman master to an offer of three 
times the value of a prime slave, or indeed any 
price he might demand, was that it was much 
fitter for us to make him a present of the son, 
who would thereby be enabled to enjoy the so- 
ciety of his mother and brother." 
The poor woman was a constant visitor at our 
huts, where she every day got one good meal, 
but it would have been useless to give her any 
thing else, as her master would not have left it 
(let it be of never so little value) with her. 
Since our arrival at Boolibany we had been as 
badly supplied with provisions as at Goodeerie. 
Almamy made us a present of a bullock, but we 
found it impossible to purchase any, and as to 
rice or corn it was extremely scarce and dear. 
So small was the quantity of milk purchased that 
the officers were stinted to a few spoonfulls each, 
which, with as limited a quantity of rice, meal, 
or meat, constituted our daily bill of fare. 
To add to the unpleasantness of our situation 
nearly all the European soldiers were affected 
with fever or dysentery, two of the officers, 
Messrs. Nelson and Pilkington, were likewise ill, 
and we found it impossible to obtain from Al- 
mamy the fulfilment of his promises. At one 
time he would say he was preparing for us some 
provisions ; at another, that he was only waiting 
K 
