DEPARTURE FROM OUAMKRORE. 77 
adhere to the resokition I had taken, he thus addressed me : 
" I will remain faithful to my oaths ; my heart feels, I confess, 
the deepest anguish at parting from my son, who will nurse 
me if I fall sick ? But since thou insistest on his return, I 
consent that he shall go." I then gave the two youths one 
of my asses and some merchandize, to enable them to return 
to St. Louis. 
February 17th. There were now only two of us left 
to continue our journey ; I mounted my horse, and Boukari 
drove the ass before him. 
According to the advice of my host, I went to take leave 
of the Bourb-Jololfs, and called him my father, which flat- 
tered him exceedingly: one of his slaves was desired to 
accompany us to Medina, and to my great astonishment, he 
sent an order to the chief of this village, to furnish me with 
a guide into the Foutatoro country ; this attention on the part 
of the Bourb-Joloffs, was the more remarkable, as I had made 
him only a small present ; another inhabitant of Medina had 
received an order to lodge me and supply me well with p ro visions . 
Our host, conceiving himself to be inferior to us in dignity, 
refused to eat with us ; for custom in Africa forbids the mas. 
ter of the house to eat with his superior, even when he enter- 
tains the latter. If the host is a rich or powerful man, a 
stranger does not presume to invite him ; if he is the stranger's 
equal, he puts his hand into the calebash, and invites his 
guest to do the same. 
