TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
345 
of assistance in the prosecution of my journey, 
but literally plundered me of the few articles 
which his avarice had hitherto spared. As on 
other occasions, I was here at a loss to con- 
jecture the cause of such treatment, and upon 
the most mature and unprejudiced considera- 
tion, can only attribute it to the same causes as 
operated on his brother chiefs of Woolli and 
Bondoo. 
The King of Sego was at war with the Mas- 
sina Foulahs when Mr. Dochard entered his 
country, and as his enemies were a powerful peo- 
ple, he was unwilling to admit of our nearer ap- 
proach, until, as he said, they should either be 
defeated, or yield to terms of peace which he 
should dictate to them. That Mr. Dochard's 
delay might have been caused by such a dispo- 
sition, is not at all impossible, but it is neverthe- 
less evident, that the very great distance he 
ordered the removal of Mr. Dochard, pending 
these negociations, affords room for supposing 
that he was actuated by other motives than 
those which he had previously assigned, namely, 
a superstitious fear of the too near approach of 
a person who was supposed to possess superna- 
tural powers, and likely to become a trouble- 
some neighbour. That the general persuasion 
throughout the country of Bambarra, and par- 
