On the following morning I gave to the men who accompanied me as guides, half a piece of baft each, and in fulfilment of my promise, delivered to them for Bayla, a present, amounting to fifty bars or thereabouts. They were thankful for the former, and seemed surprised on receiving the latter, for they decidedly thought I should decline giving any thing, at least, so considerable as what I had done, when once removed from the power of their master.
The men since their arrival at Baquelle had been encamped on the north bank of the river, and had commenced forming huts on that side; but I found the situation so low, and liable to inundation during the rains which had then so completely set in that the river had risen some feet, that I took up another and better position on the south bank, on a rock, elevated about sixty feet above the river, and surrounded partly by the then unfinished walls of the French fort, and partly by the half demolished ones of a part of the town of Baquelle, which formerly stood there. In taking up this position I was also influenced by a report which was in circulation that Almamy Bondoo had privately assembled a large force at Conghel, for the purpose of attacking our post on the opposite side of the river. In settling ourselves in our new quarters we received the most ready and cordial assistance from Messrs. Dupont and Dusault, and the gentlemen of the Senegal Company’s vessels then trading there, and which was most acceptable at that moment, as a great many of our native soldiers were affected with Guinea Worm, and the Europeans were so fatigued from the effects of the late retreat, that they were unable to do much.
Almamy, who was not yet satisfied with throwing difficulties in the way of my progress, thinking that I should without delay take the road through Kaarta, made preparations to oppose me; but here I would have put his abilities to the test, as I should have ascended the river in boats, had not the state of the season, and the losses we had experienced in our retreat from Bondoo, and particularly that from Fadgar, rendered it imprudent, nay impossible, to proceed.
The uncertainty I was in with respect to Mr. Dochard’s proceedings at Sego, although of a very perplexing nature, would not then have prevented my moving on towards that place, and which I would have attempted, had not the foregoing insurmountable difficulties presented themselves.
The 28th of June brought letters from him bearing date 10th of May, which, however, gave no prospect of a favourable answer from the king.
He informed me that he reached Dhaba, a town of Bambarra, on the 9th of November, where Lamina left him, and went forward, accompanied by Private Wilson, to acquaint the king with his arrival, and promised to be back in ten days at farthest. It was not however until the 21st that Wilson returned. He stated that Lamina, who left him at Sego Korro, and went to see the king at Sego See Korro, despatched him to acquaint Mr. Dochard that his brother, who was the king’s treasurer and receiver of customs, having died three days after his arrival there, he could not return until his affairs should be settled. This although unpleasant news was to be borne with, for it was useless to attempt putting those people out of their usual routine of business.
In this state of anxious suspense he remained until the 12th of December, when he moved forward to Ko, a small village within a few miles of Nyamina, where he arrived on the 9th of January, 1819; and on the 11th received a message from the king to halt at Ko until he should see people from him. Those people did not, however, make their appearance until the 14th February, when Lamina, accompanied by three of the king’s men, arrived, and stated that they were sent by his majesty to apologize for having detained Mr. D. so long, and to see the present he brought for him. Mr. Dochard immediately complied with their request; when each article was strictly examined, and seemed to give much satisfaction, but they said that Dha had directed them to be also submitted to the inspection of a Bushreen, who would see them on the following day.
This man made his appearance on the 15th, and having examined the present in the same way as the others had done, and expressed his approbation of the different articles, left Mr. Dochard to deliver it to the persons sent by Dha, whose orders they said it was that Mr. Dochard should go to Bamakoo, and there remain until he should decide on what answer to give in reference to the business which brought the “white people” to Bambarra.
Mr. Dochard in vain made many objections to moving so far from Sego, to which the only answer given was, that “It was the king’s orders, and must be obeyed.” They stated, however, that his reason for acting in that manner was his fear that his enemies (the Massina Foolahs) would hear of the arrival of the whites.
This said nothing: and all that could be done was to comply. Mr. Dochard, therefore, on the 17th, moved towards the river, where a canoe was to be in readiness to conduct them to Bamakoo. He reached Cumeney on the south bank of the Niger (having crossed it in canoes) on the 18th February, and on the same day ascended the river, then nearly half a mile wide.