TRAVELS IN AFRICA 
287 
which our path lay being infested at that 
time by several bands of robbers from Kasson 
under Hawah Demba, he could not undertake 
to lead me into it, before he could (by returning 
to Kaarta) bring a force to escort me. This was a 
disappointment indeed. I urged him to banish 
his fears on my account ; and told him that 
although I well knew such robbers were on the 
road, and actually murdered and robbed several 
people, I was nevertheless ready and anxious to 
proceed, as I felt satisfied that no party of those 
people, were they even three times our number, 
would dare to attack us. Remonstrance was 
vain. I was obliged to submit to farther delay, 
which both Samba and the Guide (Bokari ) pro- 
mised should not be longer than twelve days. 
This unexpected procrastination was almost 
insupportable. I saw my means fast diminishing, 
the fine weather as rapidly passing away, and 
no more prospect of sincerity on the part of 
Modiba than I had experienced from Almamy. 
The hope, however, that I might be deceived in 
my opinion, and that the promised day would 
bring back Bokari with an escort, rendered it 
passingly tolerable to one who, from constant 
disappointment, had, in some measure, become 
insensible to the anxiety incident to such a state ; 
but to add to my annoyance on that head, I 
