Meanwhile I waxed impatient. At length, on the evening of the 6th of April, my escort Gréma (whom on the last day of March I had sent to the capital to bring me a decisive answer without delay) returned with a messenger of the lieutenant-governor,—not, however, to grant either of my requests, but rather to induce me to wait patiently till an answer should arrive from the sultan himself. In order that I might not starve in the meanwhile, they brought me a sheep and a shirt, with which I might buy provision in some neighbouring village; but as there was nothing to be got besides millet and sorghum, I declared it to be absolutely necessary for me either to be admitted into the capital, or to retrace my steps. I requested Gréma to stay with me; but he pretended he was obliged to return to the town, where his servant lay sick. Not suspecting that he wanted to leave me alone, and to join the Sultan on the expedition, I allowed him to go, and resolved to wait a few days in patience. But, restless and impatient as I was, the delay pressed heavily upon me; and when on the 13th my kind and amiable host Bú-Bakr Sadík himself went to the capital, I had nothing to calm my disquietude. Through my host, I had once more addressed myself to the lieutenant- governor, requesting to be admitted into the capital without further delay; and Bú-Bakr had promised me, in the most distinct terms, that before Thursday night, which was the 15th, I should have a decisive answer. Having only one weak camel to carry my luggage, I had taken scarcely any books with me on this excursion to Bagírmi, and the little information which I had been able to gather was not sufficient to give my restless spirit its proper nourishment; and I felt, therefore, mentally depressed. The consequence was, that when Thursday night passed away, and neither Bú-Bakr himself arrived, nor any message from him, I determined to put my threat into execution, and to retrace my steps the following morning. [Footnote 37: Sheríf el Edrísi, trad. Jaubert, vol. i. p. 72. كركدان] [Footnote 38: I think it is this animal which is mentioned by Burckhardt (Travels in Nubia, Appendix I., p. 433.) as the ام قرغي. This name must be given to it by the Shúwa, but I did not hear it.] [Footnote 39: Before coming to the main river I had to traverse a small stream of very cold and limpid water, running in the opposite direction to the river; but I do not know whence it may proceed.]