TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
ing by force, that they scarcely merit attention. 
They serve however to shew, that if he had not 
the power, he had at least the inclination to 
throw every obstacle in the way of our proceed- 
ing eastward, but in which direction, it is 
equally true, that none but his enemies resided. 
It may be naturally supposed he did not wish 
such persons to be enriched by sharing in the 
booty expected from our baggage, exaggerated 
reports of whose value had been circulated 
through the interior long before even the first 
expedition had left Senegal. At Bondoo the 
fairest promises were in the first instance held 
out to us by Almamy ; nay, an apparent impa- 
tience was evinced by him to send us forward, 
but this we soon discovered to have originated 
in a desire on his part to grasp at those presents 
which he supposed we should make him in con- 
sideration for so laudable an attention to our 
interests, but which (although more than we 
could well afford) not being sufficiently valuable 
in his eyes, were no sooner handed over to him, 
than the appearance of things changed, and he 
made a demand for nearly as much more, under 
the name of customs. The English name, and the 
liberality of the British governors of St. Louis, 
and Senegal, to Almamy Bondoo were well 
and long known to him previously to our enter- 
ing his country, but it appears that not only the 
