RAPACITY OF THE IMAN's WIFE. 
207 
mine. I therefore added to the three grains of coral, three- 
grains of amber. " How trifling !" cried she ; " give me coral ;" 
I was in a critical situation. I perceived that this shrew would 
by degrees rob me of all my merchandize ; I however gave 
her two more grains of coral. " This blanket," then said she, 
" pleases me ; make me a present of it." " But I am in want of 
it for the night ;" replied 1. " Thou wilt not go to Timbo then," 
rejoined she in an angry tone. I trembled at hearing this 
threat, gave my blanket to Boukari, and his to the princess ; 
she found it so dirty that she threw it at my head with scorn, 
saying: "this European is buta poor devil. I will return 
in the evening to know if he has reflected on his situation, and 
if he intends to continue to treat me in a manner so unworthy 
of my rank." 
At four o'clock Ali sent his son, accompanied by a 
troop of ill-looking attendants, to receive the present which 
I intended for him. Boukari advised me to give him one, 
whilst on the other hand, one of his friends told me that Ali 
possessed no authority, and that I must refuse him every 
thing. I followed the counsel of the former, and gave ten 
grains of coral to the son of the Iman, to whom he would 
not take them without deliberating whether he durst present 
them to him. A messenger afterwards came to tell me that 
Ali \yas waiting for me behind the mosque. I went to him 
directly. His people formed a crcle round him ; the faces of 
these satellites were suflicient to excite serious alarm. " I 
have been to St. Louis," said Ali to me: " I know that the 
