In this state of anxious suspense did things remain with me at Baquelle, whence I despatched Dhangina a second time with letters and supplies to Mr. Dochard. The effects of our late retreat began to make themselves evident in the health of the party; many of the Europeans (one of whom was killed by lightning on the 20th of June) were dangerously ill with fever and dysentery, and more than half the native soldiers, as I have already observed, were partially crippled by the Guinea-worm, which had visited Mr. Partarrieau so severely, that he was confined to his bed for some weeks. The chiefs of Foota having been made acquainted with the manner in which we had been treated by Bayla (who had neither consulted with them on that occasion, nor divided with them what he had received and plundered from us), and supposing that such was the cause of our not pursuing the road through their country to the coast, and consequently of their not receiving large presents, &c., were actuated by a feeling of jealousy, which led them to request we would give to their messengers (who arrived at Baquelle on the 8th of July) a detailed account of his conduct towards us, and the losses we had sustained in consequence, all which, they promised, should be laid before the tribunals of the country, and judged impartially. Although I felt convinced that these chiefs were only acting from an impulse of self-interest, which they knew would, in some degree, be gratified by the presents, which their apparent efforts to render me satisfaction for the injuries received at the hands of one of them, would draw from me, I nevertheless thought it a fit opportunity of putting their justice to the test, and (if decided in our favour) of proving to the people of that part of the country, that although we had been treated ill by Almamy Bondoo and this chief, their conduct had been contrary to their own laws, and as such disgraceful only to themselves. I was in hopes also that a favourable decision in this case would lead to an investigation of Almamy Bondoo’s treatment of us, and induce him, if he had any honor left, to evince it in making restitution for the losses we sustained in his country. I therefore delivered to the messengers a letter to those chiefs, in which I gave the information they required, and requested their immediate decision, and having made them a small present each, and appointed Charles Joe to accompany them, they left us on the 19th of July. The month of August passed over without any remarkable occurrence, save the death of one of the European civilians (Hudson), who died of fever on the 14th.