This second failure in the attainment of an object I had so much at heart, and the impossibility which presented itself of inducing any of the natives of the country to undertake such a voyage, had I even promised them the whole baggage of the expedition, added to my anxiety for the arrival of Mr. Partarrieau, had such an effect on my spirits that I could with difficulty at times force myself to take the exercise necessary for my health, which, in spite of all those annoyances and the effects of the late season, continued unimpaired. The month of March was spent in anxious suspense on these subjects, and in visiting the country about Boolibany, which is beautifully diversified by hill and dale thinly covered with wood. Almamy during this month received a hasty report from the north-east frontier that the Kartan army was within a day’s march of the capital, where the utmost confusion prevailed in consequence of the inhabitants from all the neighbouring villages having fled to it for protection. So great was the crowd that many could not find room to lie down in the streets. On one occasion when all the women were busily employed drawing water from the wells, where were also many of the men endeavouring to procure for their horses a share of the scanty and muddy supply they afforded, the alarm was given by some people who had been attending herds of cattle to the eastward of the town, from which direction they were seen running in the utmost confusion, the altercations at the wells, and the busy scene going on there, soon closed by one of a still more extraordinary and confused nature. The supposed approach of the enemy was no sooner made known amongst them, than they all, as if by magic, dropped their jars, calabashes, and leather bags, and ran with all their might to the nearest gate of the town, which, being rather narrow, was so much crowded, that an old man and a girl about eight years of age were trampled to death. A council of war, composed of some of the princes and their followers, with Almamy at their head, assembled between our camp and the town. I attended to witness their proceedings, which were carried on with the utmost contempt to the rules of order or regularity; every one present proposing some plan of his own, and rejecting that of his companions. I had been all this time sitting on horseback unobserved by Almamy, who had scarcely said a word on the subject. When he perceived that I was present he beckoned me to approach him, and, with much earnestness and anxiety depicted on his countenance, asked my opinion, which I hesitated in giving; but being requested by the whole council to do so, I said that I thought it would be advisable, previous to deciding on any plan either of attack or defence, to reconnoitre for the purpose of ascertaining beyond a doubt the enemy’s strength and position, in case they were really in the country, but which I much doubted.