If the first part of my discourse was rather out of the depth of my hearers, the conclusion enabled them, in nautical phrase, to “strike soundings,” which they did with a readiness that did them credit. The eldest man of the party beckoned to Aminé, who had been standing at a little distance listening, round-eyed and open-mouthed. “Whither does thy master journey?” he asked. “We journey to Bontúku,” she replied, with admirable presence of mind. “We go towards Bori,” said the man, “so for the next two days we travel the same road; and if it please thy master to walk with us we will gladly share our provisions with him.” “I will ask him,” said Aminé; and stepping over to me she put her mouth to my ear and gave a shout that nearly stunned me, by way of arousing me from my reverie. I staggered to my feet in quite unfeigned confusion. “This good man,” said she calmly, “asketh if thou wilt walk with his party and rest by his fire until our ways part.” I regarded the man with assumed surprise, as if I had not noticed him before, and then said: “The companionship of a believer is good when one journeys through the land of the heathen. I thank thee for thy courtesy and will very gladly walk in thy company.” The man--whose name appeared to be Isaaku--seemed highly gratified, and assured me that all that he possessed was at my service, and, when I had again thanked him, he and his party took up their burdens and resumed their journey, Aminé and I following. We tramped on for a couple of hours through the shadeless, monotonous orchard country, until we arrived at a small hamlet which was built in the narrow strip of woodland that fringed a small stream. Here, to my unspeakable joy, Isaaku announced his intention of staying for the night, having been on the road since daybreak; and as his people piled the loads under the village shade-tree, he entered into lengthy negotiations with the headman (or village chief) with a view to obtaining the necessary accommodation for the night and permission to light a fire. The headman, a good-natured, jocose, elderly man, readily gave permission for our party to put up for the night in his own house, and led the way into the compound, whither we removed our baggage. The house was of the type peculiar to the district of Gwandjiowa or Gonja, and quite different from anything I had previously seen. The compound or courtyard was enclosed by a low wall of clay-like mud, which connected a number of circular huts with high conical roofs of grass thatch; each hut had an oval doorway about three feet high which opened on to the compound, excepting a larger hut in the centre of the wall, which had two doorways, one opening on to the compound and the other on to the street, so that this hut formed a kind of gate-house, giving entrance to this miniature walled town.