THE AUTHOR SETS OUT WITH A NEW GUIDE. 225 
preparing, I received visits from a great number of women, 
who arrived from all the neighbouring villages. Before they 
entered my hut, they knelt at the door, saluting those within, 
and remained in this attitude outside until I requested them 
to enter, when they would not sit down except on the ground. 
One of them informed me that the English Captain Campbell, 
in his expedition for the purpose of penetrating into the inte- 
rior of Africain 1817, had lost all his asses, and had been 
obliged to throw the greater part of his merchandize into the 
river Thomine or Dunzo. As a reward for her intelligence 
this woman asked me for a gris-gris, which she intended to 
put into her bath, and oifered me a dozen oranges for my 
trouble. The joy I felt at the sight of the fruit, was equal to 
that felt by M. Bougainville's savage on beholding a cocoa- 
nut tree once more. The hope of walking in a few days under 
the trees which produced them, caused me to hasten my de- 
parture. However, Ali, my guide was not ready ; I was 
accustomed to similar delays : they no longer put me out of 
patience ; but this vexed me much, for the rainy season was 
approaching. An immense column of sand, the summit 
of which reached to the clouds, had passed along the hori- 
zon during the day ; an infallible indication of the near 
approach of the rains, which in these inland countries last six 
months. 
April 10th. Before we set out, my new guide demanded 
G G 
I 
