“but that will not bring back my glass beads. It is now too late; I should have put a lock on my baggage sooner, if I had not thought that every thing was safe with you.” He felt this reproach, and was visibly affected by it, but endeavoured to extricate himself from his embarrassment, by disputing the fact of the robbery, and observing, that a thief would not have been content with part of my goods, but have carried off the whole. This way of talking, however, served to confirm my suspicion; because, if the thief had been a stranger, he would probably have taken all, but he, fearing the consequences of detection, had pilfered only a part, in the hope that the loss would escape my notice. The situation became painful; he feared that, if I continued much longer in the place, my complaints might be attended with more disagreeable effects to himself; he was therefore anxious to hasten our departure. In the evening I went with him to take leave of the mansa, and, though perfectly convinced that he had robbed me, I resolved to travel through the forest with him, rather than take the chance of being worse served by another guide. We did not find the chief at home, as he had gone to the ourondé to inspect his slaves. We therefore postponed our farewell interview until the following morning. On the same day the women and children assembled about me in the yard, and pretended to shew me glass beads similar to those I had lost. Lamfia affected not to notice these insults, fearing, perhaps, a new altercation with me. I stifled my displeasure, and waited patiently to see the end of this scene, without shewing any anger, which I was certain would only serve to prolong it. I had eaten nothing all day, and a little after sun-set, he gave me some rice very well prepared. Previously to this affair, he always took care to order his supper to be got ready early, that we might take that meal together a little before the sun went down, because, as he said, the Arabs do not like late suppers. Indeed, I could not but feel grateful for the attention he had hitherto paid me. When I fell asleep during the day in my hut, I was often surprised on awaking, to find pistachio-nuts roasted and properly prepared, laid down beside me. I was also indebted to him for always taking my part against any one who wished to injure me. I was nevertheless destined to be the dupe of his assiduities. On the 7th of July we repaired again to the house of the mansa, to take leave of him, but he was still absent. On our way home I said to Lamfia, perhaps imprudently, that the thief had also taken the razor with which he had shaved himself on the day before the festival. He replied in a very confident manner, that he considered this impossible, and that it was certainly in my sack.