On the 25th, not hearing any thing of the messenger’s return or any more reports about the circumstance, I and all the officers waited on Almamy, to endeavour, if possible, to obtain leave to proceed. We found him seated in a large straw hut, in one of the inner courts of his palace, surrounded by some of his ministers and chiefs. He evaded giving a direct answer to our request, by relating some of his youthful achievements in a very jocular strain, until the call to prayers obliged us to leave his royal presence, and return as we went, to submit to delay and disappointment for another day, which, however, only made things appear as less likely to be arranged to our satisfaction than they had hitherto been. He asked those about him many questions respecting the path through Kasson to Foolidoo, which he seemed to be well acquainted with, and made much objection when we had told him the disappointment we experienced in his conduct to us, and the seeming disinclination on his part to forward our views, notwithstanding his promise to do so in consequence of the very large and handsome presents we had given him and his people. His son Saada told us “there was no use in much words, but that, if we would satisfy Almamy, he should satisfy us,” which was merely hinting, if we would give Almamy presents until he should say he had enough, we should be then allowed to proceed. We did not pretend to understand his meaning, and finding that nothing was to be obtained from them, we left the place, in order to consult with the officers, and decide on the step to be taken. After taking into consideration the then advanced state of the season, the illness of almost the whole of the Europeans, and the reduced state of our means of subsistence, in consequence of the very great expenditure incurred to replace our animals (all those we had on leaving Kayaye having died), and the exorbitant presents to Almamy and his chiefs, ministers, &c., we came to the determination of remaining in Bondoo until after the rains, and sending forward an officer to Sego, to apprize the King of our being stopped by Almamy, and to ascertain beyond a doubt his intentions towards our intended entrance into his country. A train of incidents, as tedious to relate as uninteresting to peruse, occurred between our making known to Almamy this our intention, and our establishing ourselves at Samba Contaye[12], which we were enabled to do, after much toil and trouble, by the 17th of July.