160 
BAY OF AMPHILA. 
about thirty to be ready in sixteen days, for wliicli I would 
engage to give them one hundred dollars ; forty to Alii Goveta, 
and sixty to be distributed among the tribes : and should this be 
agreed upon, I would either go myself, or send a person from the 
ship with Alii Manda, to convey the intelligence to the Ras. 
This proposal was debated for about three hours, with great 
violence, during the heat of which I went out, being insutFerably 
incommoded by the closeness of the tent. At length, AUi Manda 
came to me, and told me they would agree to my proposition, if 
I would protract the period to twenty days, to which I consented. 
At the same time, he strongly recommended me not to think of 
going myself on this occasion, but to send some other person ; 
as he assured me, nothing would be done, if both he (Alii Manda) 
and I should be absent together. On more mature consideration, 
I gave up the idea of going myself, though with some reluctance, 
as the journey might have enabled me to improve very materially 
the geography of this unexplored part of the country. In earnest 
of our agreement, I gave Alii Goveta a turban of muslin, and 
after feasting the whole party^ returned with Alii Manda on board, 
for the purpose of carrying into effect the proposed plan. 
I had now secured one important point, the means of again 
communicating with the Ras, and of giving him early infor- 
mation of my plans, though I own it was with great hesita- 
tion that I finally resolved upon the route it might be advisable 
to pursue. During my stay I had acquired sufficient insight 
into the character, of these tribes to feel assured that I might 
have been enabled by great management, though with consi- 
derable risk, to accomplish my journey through their country ; 
