Osman called me aside, and told me, that had I only bought the small horses and asses of the country, Almamy would never have asked a duty from me, and which, he said, was evident by his never having done so before I bought this mare; but she being so fine a creature, he was jealous of seeing her in my possession, and although he could not, in any justice, demand a duty, he took advantage of the circumstance to occasion a disagreement between us, to arrange which, he supposed I should either give him the mare in question, or find it necessary to make him a present likely to answer his purpose as well. The former I of course would not listen to; not that I fixed any particular value on that animal more than another, but I was aware that, had I yielded to his wishes on this occasion, I could not be safe on any future one of this kind. I therefore told his messenger, who was extremely haughty and impertinent (all which I bore with extreme sang froid), to return and let his master know I should send a person to speak with him on the subject in a few days. The fellow, with much reluctance, left our camp, and appeared evidently disappointed at not going home loaded with presents. Although I was satisfied that Almamy had sent this fellow with some message to me about the horses purchased, I doubted his having given orders to the people of the country not to bring provisions to us, and therefore delayed sending any one to see Almamy until I might be enabled to ascertain, by a few days’ experience, if the market would be attended as usual. No alteration appearing for three days, I sent Charles Jow to Boolibany, to inform Almamy of what his messenger had said, and, in case he had been instructed by him to bring that message, to say I felt very much annoyed at such treatment, particularly as it appeared to me he did it merely to get something from me which was not his due, and to prevent me from replacing those animals which had died and were stolen in his country. On his return the following day, he brought for answer, that Almamy insisted on getting a duty, the amount or nature of which he would not specify, but if I did not give what pleased him, I might eat my merchandize, and he would eat his corn, meat, &c. I again waited a few days, to see whether his threats, with respect to the market, would be put in execution, when, finding a little milk was the only article offered for sale, and that after sunset, and at exorbitant prices, I was reduced to the necessity of endeavouring, by means of a considerable present, to make peace with him. This, however, took some time, and put me to much inconvenience in sending messengers to him. Although I had a month’s corn in store, I conceived it much better to arrange matters thus, than remain at variance with a man who had so many opportunities of annoying me, and who, the longer I resisted him, would become the more difficult to be satisfied.