154 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
pealed to as to the justice of the demand. Their 
answer was, that they were not aware of any 
such custom having been before paid in Bon- 
doo, but that Almamy, as chief of the country, 
might, on all occasions, demand such tribute or 
duty as he thought proper. 
Osman called me aside, and told me, that had 
I only bought the small horses and asses of the 
country, Almamy w^ould never have asked a 
duty from me, and which, he said, was evident 
by his never having done so before I bought 
this mare ; but she being so fine a creature, he 
was jealous of seeing her in my possession, and 
although he could not, in any justice, demand 
a duty, he took advantage of the circumstance 
to occasion a disagreement between us, to 
arrange which, he supposed I should either give 
him the mare in question, or find it necessary to 
make him a present likely to answer his purpose 
as well. The former I of course would not listen 
to ; not that I fixed any particular value on that 
animal more than another, but I was aware that, 
had I pelded to his wishes on this occasion, I 
could not be safe on any future one of this kind. 
I therefore told his messenger, who was extreme- 
ly haughty and impertinent (all which I bore 
with extreme sang froid), to return and let his 
master know I should send a person to speak 
with him on the subject in a few days. The 
