Seeing the guards' carelessness, I went (still in the night) to my landlord, who had still some influence near the king, and gave him one of my wives necklaces, nine grains of amber, and seven grains of coral. From thence I went to Madiguijou, and told him I was sent on a mission to the King of Sego, with some papers; in order to facilitate me on my voyage in search of a white man gone in the interior of this country long ago. I went from there to Sabila and told him the same thing. Afterwards I went back to the guard-house, and laid myself down to sleep; while the guards were amusing themselves in dancing, singing, and drinking. My slumber being disturbed by my uneasy mind, I awoke and found all the guards gone.

I went to take the air, and returned again to sleep, but could not. I heard the feet of several horsemen in the street, going, I presumed, to Sabila's house. Early in the morning I sent another message to the ambassadors, to let them know how critically I was situated; that I heard they were going away to Sego without me; and my uneasiness at not hearing a word from them. They sent to ask me why I did not follow this time the same road I had followed on my other voyage. I sent back the man to let them know as the two kingdoms were at peace, I thought it secure and safe to travel through this part; that Mungo Park had promised King Mansong a present; and Mungo Park not returning, the Governor of Senegal had entrusted this same present to me for Mansong, and that I was now the bearer of it. However, since they were determined to go without me, they might do so, and whether I should be released or die; they should hear it soon enough at Sego. They sent to Tiguing-Coroba [Footnote: Vulgarly Tiguing-coro.] (the King) a message saying; We have heard that Isaaco our friend is at Giocha, bearer of a present to Dacha (King of Sego) which Mr. Park had promised to Mansong (Dacha's father); that Mr. Park not returning in time to his country, his friends had appointed Isaaco to be the bearer of that present, which is with him now, and is destined for Sego, to the King our master. In case Isaaco wishes to go back, we beg you will not let him do so; but if he wishes to go on, on his mission to Sego, we also beg and hope you will give him all assistance, and some trusty persons to conduct him to Sego. [Footnote: This equivocal invitation was given to the King, who well knew that the King of Sego was more powerful than him; and if he should injure Isaaco in any manner, he would be driven from his dominions.]

Then came Massatan Wague, a Marabou, who told me what I have above related, and how I had been arrested with an intention to destroy me, and take what I had; that Sibila had been the means of my escaping such danger, and had saved my life; to which story I gave little credit, knowing well the reason why they shewed me such mercy; but I thanked God alone for my preservation. Massatan Wague advised me to give the King's only son something. I went to that prince, and gave him half a piece of white baft, and two grains of amber No. 1. I went back to the guard-house, where I passed the following night.

Next morning my landlord went to the King to beg (as every thing was settled and appeared favourable on my side) that he might take me to his lodging; to which the King consented. He immediately came and took me away to his house with my people. I went with my land-lord (Tong-Manchong) and my people to the King: on arriving, after the usual salutations, I presented him with a fine tin box. The King addressed Sabila, and said with a nod, "Here is the business." Sabila said, "This man is our old friend, and is a good man." My landlord said the same. The King turned to me and said, "No; here is your box and keep it; what else you have brought in my country I shall keep; you may return to the place you first started from, and travel on your mission by the same road you travelled first, with the white men; but your goods, and every thing else you have with you, I shall keep. I know what you have is destined to the King of Sego." I said, "I might, it is true, have traveiled by other roads, and you would never have heard of me; but in my way, I heard you lived in peace and friendship with the King of Sego; I therefore thought I might with security travel through your country." He stopped me, saying, "What I have said to you is enough."

I left the house with part of his slaves. I went to my lodging, and immediately completed the amount of sixty bars in powder, amber, &c. I took the horse Robert Ainsley had bought for me, three ducks, and the tin box he refused. I gathered all these things, and went with my landlord and offered them as presents to the King, which he accepted: in his presence I gave Sabila one bottle of powder; to the King's singer one snuff-box. The King, on seeing these presents, (the only thing to cool his anger) told me he would lend me somebody who would conduct me straight to Sego. I said, "I could not go so soon; because if I did, whoever would see me would think I deserted from him; and I therefore thought proper to stay where I was and rest myself awhile." The King said to Sabila, "You see Isaaco appears to be a courageous man; if he had been of a weak-spirited mind, he would have run away, and left his things in my hands." I went home, and spent the rest of the day and the night.

In the morning I departed with my people to Wassaba, to fetch my family and things; I staid there two days; but being uneasy in my mind, and being afraid of something planning against me, and as I had good reason to think so by the few words I heard at different times, I went back to Giocha, presented myself to the King; and told him that before I left his dominions, I had thought proper to come and swear fidelity and friendship to him; and that whenever I should go backwards or forwards from Senegal to Sego, I should always pass through his country and see him; but that I should wish also at the same time that he would swear to protect and treat me well, and be my friend; even should he be at war with the King of Sego. He sent for Chiaman, the eldest son of the royal family, who swore the same to me in his and the King's name. I likewise swore before them what I related above. After swearing, Chiaman told me to give him a handsome gun or a coussabi (shirt) by way of cementing our oaths. I told him, I had none at present fit to present to him, but gave him my word, that if I should go back to the white men's country, on my return I would bring him one of those two objects.

I staid in the village until the next morning. I had in the mean while wrote a prayer (Grisgris) or amulet, to a man who gave me a bullock, which I carried to Wassaba; I slept there. Next morning I had the bullock killed. The next day Iaque, Chiaman's brother, sent me word to wait there for him. I immediately sent my family and things by another road, and waited for Iaque. He came and presented me with an ass loaded with kouskous to help me in my travels. I gave him half a piece of fine white baft, five bottles of powder, two looking-glasses, and two snuff-boxes. He then left me, and I went the same day to Giocha, to take leave of the King, and beg he would let me have the promised conductor (between Wassaba and Giocha there being seven rivulets to cross.) He gave me a man named Mourocouro, who went on foot. He then shook hands with me, saying, "Isaaco, I bear you no malice now; but did so once, because you conducted white men to Sego; and never passed here to let me have something from them, whilst every body else shared their generosity." I took my leave of him and went to Chicouray, Chiaman's village, where I met my family and things safe. I staid there two days. Chaiman killed me a bullock, and I gave him one pagne, worth two pieces of bafts, one bottle of powder, twenty flints, and one bar of scarlet cloth.

We started in the evening and arrived at Chicouray. [Footnote: These two last villages bear the same name.] Sambabile (Chiaman's other brother) gave me some corn and a sheep. I gave him a blue pagne, a striped ditto, one bottle of powder, twenty flints, and one bar of scarlet cloth; which pagnes I got by the sale of three slaves I was obliged to sell to help me in my expenses. I staid there two days; in the morning I started, and arrived at noon at Jyallacoro; where resided Madifoutane, the King's son, to whom I had given half a piece of fine cotton and two grains of amber; he gave me some corn. Madimarian, a Marabou, killed me a bullock; I give him one bottle of powder.

Next morning I started from thence, passed three villages, and arrived at three P.M. at Cobla. I received cooked victuals from the village; I gave two flints. We departed next morning early, and arrived at noon at Amadifalouma bougou, the last village belonging to King Tiguing-coro, it being on Wednesday, and six moons [Footnote: July 2, 1810.] after my departure from Senegal. I bought there an ass.

Having before me a large forest to cross, and uncertain of the right road, I hired four men to conduct me. I departed next morning, and crossed a small river near the village. We entered the forest at noon, and came to a large muddy pond, where the hogs could not pass safely; our guides shewed us a better road, where we crossed easily. At two P.M. we stopped where had been formerly a village. We found in our way after sun-set, a large land turtle, which we killed; and passed the night there. Departed early; at ten A.M. passed Sarina, formerly a village; stopped awhile. The four men I had charged to go as guides, wished to go back; they were afraid to go on further. I was much disappointed at such behaviour, and got angry with them, and said I would sooner go back than be left in such a forest. They shewed me a road, and told me to follow it straight along, and to be careful not to turn either to the right or left, and that I should soon find a village inhabited. I gave them half a bottle of powder and ten flints, and let them go, as I could not do otherwise.