TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
251 
me go so easily) were concerting measures for 
my release and that of the men with me, but 
these were now rendered unnecessary. 
On the following morning I gave to the men 
who accompanied me as guides, half a piece of 
baft each, and in fulfilment of my promise, de- 
livered to them for Bayla, a present, amounting 
to fifty bars or thereabouts. They were thankful 
for the former, and seemed surprised on receiv- 
ing the latter, for they decidedly thought I should 
decline giving any thing, at least, so consider- 
able as what I had done, when once removed 
from the power of their master. 
The men since their arrival at Baquelle had 
been encamped on the north bank of the river, 
and had commenced forming huts on that side ; 
but I found the situation so low, and liable to 
inundation during the rains which had then so 
completely set in that the river had risen some 
feet, that I took up another and better po- 
sition on the south bank, on a rock, elevated 
about sixty feet above the river, and surrounded 
partly by the then unfinished walls of the French 
fort, and partly by the half demolished ones 
of a part of the town of Baquelle, which for- 
merly stood there. In taking up this position 
I was also influenced by a report which was 
in circulation that Almamy Bondoo had pri- 
vately assembled a large force at Conghel, for 
