Having made all the preparations necessary for the departure of those officers and men, they embarked on the 29th of September on board the fleet returning to St. Louis, the commandant of which, Mr. Le Blanc, received at his table Mr. Dochard. The vessels did not sail until the 30th: I accompanied them to Tuabo. On taking leave of my companions my feelings were such as I am unable to describe. I leave those who have themselves parted from friends whom they had every probability of never seeing more, to judge what mine must have been; suffice it to say, that my spirits for the remainder of that day were at their lowest ebb. From that unpleasant state of mind I was awakened by the reflection that the step I had taken was the only one which offered any prospect of success. I took advantage of a boat going to Fort St. Joseph on the 5th of October, for the purpose of soliciting the interest of Samba Congole with Modiba King of Kaarta, for my passage through that country. Contrary winds and strong currents prevented my arriving there before the 8th, when having made known to Samba the object of my visit, and made him a small present, he assured me that I might depend on his forwarding my views in every way he could; he also agreed to send a party of horse to escort me from Baquelle, which place I purposed leaving in November. On my return to Baquelle, I found the French commandant, Mr. Hesse, in dispute with the Tonca of Tuabo, who having made some demands for customs, with which the former did not think right to comply, declared hostilities. Angry words and threats on both sides, however, were alone resorted to, and continued to the 18th, during which time I was busily employed in making preparations for our march. These being completed, on the 31st of October I despatched a messenger to demand the promised escort from Samba, whose brother arrived at Baquelle on the 6th of November, accompanied by four horsemen and ten foot. He informed me that having some business of his brother’s to transact at Tuabo, he could not be ready to return before three or four days.