BOUKARI CHEERS THE AUTHOR BY HIS ADVICE. 211 
sions to Boukari. " My friend," replied he, " thou must 
have a great heart (that is to say patience) when thou travellest 
among the blacks ; in a long journey thou wilt meet with 
perfidious men, and others who are very humane. Hast thou 
not thyself told me," added he, " that even among the whites, 
so celebrated for their humanity and talents, there are men 
who can murder travellers to obtain possession of a little 
gold or silver! Ali has ill-treated thee, I confess; but how many 
others have received thee with friendship ; be of good cheer, 
the Almighty will protect us." This excellent advice revived 
my spirits, which began to droop in consequence of so many 
troubles and vexations. 
I returned to my hut, tliinking only what means Î should 
employ to reach the sources of the rivers, which, according to 
what had been told me, were in the interior of the country. 
Fearing that I might be attacked in the night, I placed all my 
effects in the court, and notwithstanding the incessant rain, 
we lay in the open air. During the night, I received a visit 
from the son of Ali, who brought me a little calebash of millet 
as a present from his father ; seeing that I scrupled to receive 
it, he assured me, that we were going to traverse a country 
which was a prey to famine, and where it would be impossible 
for me to procure any food. Hence it appears that the African 
robbers are more civilized than ours, since they at least feed 
those whom they have plundered. 
