Thus, all seemed ready for my departure, although I had not many people at my disposal; but when it had only been delayed one day by accident, there appeared suddenly, in the afternoon of the 28th, ʿAlí Zíntelma, that same servant of Díggelma who had stolen part of the merchandise which he was bringing from Zínder to Kúkawa, at the head of four horsemen armed with muskets, bringing me an order from the Sheikh to return to the town. Feeling convinced, from the character of the messenger, that if I did not obey the order I should expose myself to all sorts of insults from this contemptible villain, if I did not rid myself of him in a violent and unlawful manner, I thought it prudent, heartrending though it was, to resign myself in obedience to the tyrannical will of these people. It happened rather fortunately for me that Sídi Áhmed, the chief of Sídi el Bakáy’s messengers, was staying with me at the time in my encampment. Having therefore sent my people in advance to my old quarters, I went to see the Sheikh. I then protested against such a proceeding; but he himself did not speak, a younger brother of his, of the name of Abba ʿOthmán, taking the lead in the conversation, and stating that the Sheikh could not allow me to depart in this manner; and from all that I could learn, I concluded that it was especially this man who had persuaded his elder brother that it was not prudent to allow me to go unsatisfied as I was, and without having settled my claims, the dangers of the road also being very great. But the principal reason was, that a Tebu messenger had arrived with letters from the north, although I did not hear what the letters addressed to the Sheikh himself contained; but I afterwards learned that this man had brought the news of the approach of a caravan, and it was but natural that the Sheikh should wish to await its arrival. This messenger brought nothing for me except a copy of a despatch of Lord Clarendon’s, dated 10th June, 1853, and consequently more than twenty months old. The news of my death seemed to be fully accredited in Tripoli and Fezzán, my letter, forwarded from Kanó, of course not having arrived in the latter place when this parcel left; and the only thing which afforded me satisfaction in my unpleasant situation were a few Maltese portfolios, which gave me some information of what had been going on in Europe four months previously.