208 
CHAPTER IX. 
Message from Almamy — My Visit to Boolibany — Subject 
of Interview with him — His hostile Conduct and per- 
emptory Demand for my leaving Samba Contaye — The 
Necessity of my Compliance — Return to the Camp ac- 
companied by an Escort — Preparations for the March — 
Departure for Boolibany — Arrival there — Almamy en- 
deavours to make us enter the Town — My Refusal;, and 
Selection of a Position for the Camp — Return of my 
first Messenger to Mr. Dochard — His Misfortune and 
Failure — False Alarm at the Capital^, and its Conse- 
quences — Indecision of Almamy and the Chiefs. 
The month of January, 1819, also rolled over 
without any intelligence from either Mr. Do- 
chard or Mr. Partarrieau, and what could detain 
the latter from joining me, or prevent the for- 
mer from sending some person to make me ac- 
quainted with his proceedings and their result at 
Sego, I was at a loss to conjecture. Had the lat- 
ter, however, either joined or forwarded the sup- 
plies which I was so much in w^ant of, I would 
have endeavoured to reach Sego with the whole 
expedition, and try if it were not possible, by 
some means or other, to obtain Dha's permission 
to erect boats, and embark on the Niger, but to 
