On the 25th of June, I inspected my baggage, which I did not keep fastened up. I found that I had been robbed of part of my paper. Lamfia continued to show me so much kindness, that I could not possibly suspect him. When I mentioned the circumstance to him, he seemed greatly astonished and protested that he was not the thief. He went and fetched the things which I had given him, and desired a negro, who was in my hut, to return them to me. But I refused to accept them, observing that I placed too much confidence in him to suspect that he had robbed me. He then told me that he had seen the Foulah, who was my fellow-lodger in the hut, rummaging among my things; for which he (Lamfia) had been very angry with him, and desired him never again to touch the Arab’s property. The poor Foulah, whom he thus accused, had been gone three days on his return to his own country. I passed over this little dishonesty in silence. In the evening I went with Lamfia to see a negro just arrived from Jenné: this man’s hair was indescribably filthy, but in spite of this disadvantage he had an air of pretension about him and appeared perfectly self-satisfied. He moved his head from one side to another, and shook his dirty hair, which was long and platted. I and my guide sat down beside him, and he began to scrutinize me with great curiosity, appearing to doubt whether I was an Arab. He was told whence I came and that I wished to go to Jenné. I inquired of him the distance from that town to Kankan, and begged him to inform me what sort of people I should meet with on the road. He assured me positively that it was a journey of three months and ten days, and when I remarked that it would consequently be necessary to rest by the way, he told me that, on the contrary, the caravans travelled every day. He said that most of the tribes between Kankan and Jenné were idolaters, and that there were very few Musulmans among them. He assured me that I should have many difficulties to encounter; that the negroes would take me for a white; and that they had no great liking for people of my colour. As for the difficulties, which he spoke of, I had made up my mind to meet and to surmount them, but I was somewhat startled by the length of the journey which I should be obliged to perform on foot; I soon bethought myself, indeed, that the negroes never count the time which their journeys take and that this man could not know for certain how long he had been on his. I was desirous of setting off as soon as possible, before the rains became heavier, but I wanted a guide, and I could not find one willing to accompany me to Sambatikila, though I promised a handsome present as a reward. I was therefore persuaded to wait for an opportunity, which would, I was told, soon occur; and I was glad to hear, that there were numerous communications between Kankan and the country to which I was bound.