mbers of his own family, fleeing before the
army of Bambarra--all but his mother, who had refused to leave her
kraal. Three days later he was with her, in his native place of
Montogou, and there stayed forty days, whether carousing, or
fighting, or praying, he does not say. Then, prudently burying his
heavy luggage, he departed, still carrying his people with
him--through Moundoundou, where the chief killed a sheep in his honor
and was rewarded with a flask of powder--on through Couchiar, a sleepy
sort of place by name and situation, with a spreading bark tree,
beneath which he drowsed the length of a day--on to Saabic, a village
solely inhabited by Maraboos or priests. To gain the goodwill of
Allah, he dwelt there a few days, and discovered a relation of one of
his wives (no rare occurrence, seeing how many he kept) whose heart he
rejoiced with some gunpowder and a gay piece of cloth. At the very
next village, Tallimangoly, he fell across another, who cost him three
grains of amber. Indeed, it seemed as though his store of presents
would never hold out; for, no sooner had he digested the sheep his
cousin killed for him, than the Bambarra army came up, and with fear
and trembling Isaaco must needs dole out a whole heap of stuff--10
flasks of powder, 13 grains of amber (this time No. 1), 2 grains of
coral (No. 1) and a handsome tin box. These to the King. And the
King's chamberlain, goldsmith, and singing men had to be tipped as
well.[3]

IV

So they paid their way through Sangnonagagy and Saamcolo (where there
was a "grand palaver" to rescue Isaaco's dog, which had bitten a man
and been condemned to die), on to Diggichoucoumee, a place as long as
its name, which took them four days to get through. It took still
longer to get clear of the next village of Dramana, for the family of
one of his wives came up and bitterly opposed her going with him on a
journey so hazardous. There was another "grand palaver." In the end
Isaaco lost his temper and divorced his wife; and, as the law required
her to return what she had received at marriage, he came rather well
out of it--to be exact, with a bullock and four sheep. A little
further on Isaaco met an Arab with an exceptionally fine mare, which
he bought with his wife's dowry and so consoled himself. He found the
mare more tractable than a wife with obstinate relations. After this
episode the pace of the party mended. Numbers of villages with
unpronounceable names were hurried