say, as much as had reached him, for the road expenses
had eaten a great hole in it.
Front View of Musa's Temte at Eaze.
Once settled down into position, Sheikh Snay and the
whole conclave of Arab merchants came to call on me.
They said they had an army of four hundred slaves armed
with muskets ready to take the field at once to hunt down
Manua Séra, who was cutting their caravan road to pieces,
and had just seized, by their latest reports, a whole convoy
of their ammunition. I begged them strongly to listen to
reason, and accept my advice as an old soldier, not to
carry on their guerilla warfare in such a headlong hurry,
else they would be led a dance by Manila Séra, as we had
been by Tantia Topee in India. I advised them to allow
me to mediate between them, after telling them what a
favourable interview I had had with Manila Séra and
Ma.Tila, whose son was at that moment concealed in Musa’s
tembé. My advice, however, was not wanted. Snay
knew better than any one how to deal with savages, and
determined on setting out as soon as his army had “ eaten
their beef-feast of war.”
On my questioning him about the Nile, Snay still