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On the 2nd of December, 1795. Mr. P. commenced his painful and perilous journey, attended by a Negro fervant of the name of Johnfon, who spoke both English and Mandingo; and a Negro boy named Demba, who, befides understanding Mandingo, (poke the language of the Serawoollies, an inland people refiding on the Senegal. Mr. P. was furnished with a horfe for himfelf, and two affes for his interpreter and fervant. His baggage confifted of provifions for two days; and an affortment of beads, amber, and tobacco, for the purchase of a freth fupply as he proceeded; a few changes of linen, and other neceflary apparel, an umbrella, a pocket fextant, a magnetic compafs, and a thermometer; together with two fowlingpieces, two pair of piftols, and fome other fmall articles (p. 29).

With this equipage, accompanied by two Slatees, or flavemerchants, a Bufhreen, and a Negro, Mr. P. proceeded, eastward from the Gambia, through the kingdoms of Walli and Woolli, without moleftation. The king of the latter country attempted to diffuade him from perfevering in his journey, but Mr. Park determined to proceed.

At Koojai, the frontier town of Woolli, he was prefented, by way of refreshment, with a liquor, which, he says,

"Tafted fo much like the ftrong beer of my native country (and very good beer too) as to induce me to enquire into its compofition; and I learnt, with fome degree of furprife, that it was actually made from corn, which had been previously malted, much in the fame manner as barley is malted in Great Britain: a root, yielding a grateful bitter, was used in lieu of hops, the name of which I have forgot; but the corn, which yields the wort, is the holcus fpicatus of botanilts." P. 42.

From hence he paffed, through a defert of two days journey, to the kingdom of Bondou; the foil of which, in native fertility, is not furpaffed by any part of Africa.

"From the central situation of Bondou, between the Gambia and Senegal rivers, it is become a place of great refort, both for the Slatees, who generally pafs through it, in going from the coaft to the interior countries; and for occafional traders, who frequently come hither from the inland countries to purchase falt. Thefe different branches of commerce are conducted principally by Mandingoes and Serawoollies, who have fettled in the country. Thefe merchants likewife carry on a confiderable trade with Gedumah, and other Moorish countries, bartering corn and blue cotton clothes, for falt; which they again barter in Dentila and other diftricts for iron, shea butter, and fmall quantities of gold duft. They likewife fell a variety of fweet-fmelling gums, packed up in fmall bags, containing each about a pound. Thefe gums, being thrown on hot embers, produce a very pleafant odour, and are ufed by the Mandingoes for perfuming their buts and clothes." P. 58.

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In Tallika, a frontier town towards Woolli, the inhabitants, who are chicflv Mahomedans, live in confiderable affluence, partly by furnishing provifions to the Coffles, or caravans of flaves, that pafs through the town, and parily by the fale of ivory, obtained by hunting elephants; in which employment the young men are generally very fuccessful (p. 46).

At Fauteconda, the capital of Bondou, Mr. Park had an audience of the king, to whom he explained the motives of his journey. The king, however, he says,

"Seemed but half fatisfied. The notion of travelling for curiofity was quite new to him. He thought it impoffible that any man in his fenfes would undertake fo dangerous a journey, merely to look at the country and its inhabitants; however, when I offered to fhew him the contents of my portmanteau, and every thing belonging to me, he was convinced; and it was evident that his fufpicion had arifen from a belief, that any white man muft of neceffity be a trader. When I had delivered my prefents he feemed well pleafed, and was particularly delighted with the umbrella, which he repeatedly furled and unfurled, to the great admiration of himself and his two attendants; who could not for fome time comprehend the use of this wonderful machine. After this I was about to take my leave, when the king, defiring me to ftop awhile, began a long preamble in favour of the whites, extolling their immenfe wealth and good difpofitions. He next proceeded to an eulogium on my blue coat, of which the yellow buttons feemed particularly to catch his fancy, and he concluded by entreating me to prefent him with it; affuring me, for my confolation under the lofs of it, that he would wear it on all public occafions, and inform every one who faw it, of my great liberality towards him. The request of an African prince, in his own dominions, particularly when made to a stranger, comes little fhort of a command. It is only a way of obtaining by gentle means, what he can, if he pleafes, take by force; and, as it was against my intereft to offend him by a refufal, I very quietly took off my coat, the only good one in my poffeffion, and laid it at his feet." P. 54.

Mr. Park next entered Kajaaga, the country of the Serawoollies, where he was plundered of half his baggage. After this misfortune, he was vifited by Demba Sego, the king's nephew, who offered to conduct him in fafety to the kingdom of Kaffon. They left Joag, the capital of Kajaaga, with a nu merous retinue.

"Our company," fays Mr. P. « confifted of thirty perfons, and fix loaded affes; and we rode on cheerfully enough for fome hours, without any remarkable occurrence, until we came to a fpecies of tree, for which my interpreter, Johnfon, had made frequent inquiry. On finding it, he defired us to ftop, and producing a white chicken, which he had purchafed at Joag for the purpofe, he tied it by the leg to one of the branches, and then told us we might now fafely proceed, for shat our journey would be profperous. This circumitance is men

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tioned merely to illuftrate the difpofition of the Negroes, and to fhew the power of fuperftition over their minds; for, although this man had refided seven years in England, it was evident that he still retained the prejudices and notions he had imbibed in his youth. He meant this ceremony, he told me, as an offering or facrifice, to the fpirits of the woods, who were, he faid, a powerful race of beings of a white colour, with long flowing air. I laughed at his folly, but could not condemn the piety of his motives." P. 71,

The fame evening Mr. P. arrived at the town of Samee, on the banks of the Senegal, which is here a beautiful, but fhallow riyer, moving flowly over a bed of fand and gravel. The banks are high, and covered with verdure; the country is open and cultivated; and the rocky hills of Felow and Bambouk add much to the beauty of the landscape.

Mr. P. croffed the river in a canoe, which was overfet by the careleifnefs of Demba Sego; and the next day reached Teesee, a large unwalled town in Kaffon, where he was treated with great kindnefs by the inhabitants, who fupplied him with provisions on very eafy terms (p. 75); but his conductor Demba plundered him of half his remaining property.

From Teesee Mr. P. proceeded to Jumbe, the native town of the Negro who had accompanied him from the Gambia. This man had been employed fome years by Dr. Laidley as a blacksmith, and was returning to his native country with the favings of his labour (p. 30). On his arrival near Jumbo,

His brother, who had by fome means been apprized of his com ing, came out to meet him, accompanied by a finging man*: he brought a horfe for the blacksmith, that he might enter his native town in a dignified manner, and he defired each of us to put a good charge of powder into our guns. The finging man now led the way, followed by the two brothers; and we were prefently joined by a number of people from the town, all of whom demonftrated great joy at seeing their old acquaintance the blackfmith, by the most extravagant jumping and finging. On entering the town, the finging man began an extempore fong in praife of the blackfmith, extolling his courage in having overcome fo many difficulties; and concluding with a strict injunction to his friends to drefs him plenty of victuals.

When we arrived at the blackfmith's place of refidence, we difmounted and fired our mufkets. The meeting between him and his relations was very tender; for thefe rude children of nature, free from reftraint, difplay their emotions in the ftrongeft and most expreffive manner. Amidst thefe tranfports the black fmith's aged mother was led forth, leaning upon a staff. Every one made way for her; and fhe ftretched out her hand to bid her fon welcome. Being totally

A fort of travelling bards and musicians, who fing extemporaneous fongs in praife of thofe who employ them.

blind,

blind, she stroked his hands, arms, and face, with great care, and feemed highly delighted that her latter days were blefled by his return, and that her ears once more heard the mufic of his voice. From this interview, I was fully convinced that whatever difference there is between the Negro and European, in the conformation of the nofe and the colour of the fkin, there is none in the genuine fympathies and characteristic feelings of our common nature." P, 82.

The remainder of this highly interefting fcene is well worthy of notice, but is too long for tranfcription.

At Kooniakary, the capital of Kailon, Mr. P. received a very seasonable supply, of the value of three flaves, in geld duft, from a Gambia trader, on Dr. Laidley's account (p. 87); but his wealth being whispered abroad, he was obliged to refign a part of it to the king.

Unfortunately for the traveller, the adjoining kingdom of Kaarta was at war with the Bambarrans, through whofe country he meant to pafs in his way to the Niger. On his arrival therefore at Kemmoo, the capital of Kaarta, the fovereign of that country carneftly reprefented to him the danger of entering Bambarra. Mr. P. however, dreading to spend the rainy feafon in the interior of Africa, and anxious to make a greater progrefs in difcovery, determined to go forwards. The king, finding he was refolved to proceed, pointed out to him a route, which, though not free from danger, was the only one which remained; which was to go northwards from Kaarta into the Moorish kingdom of Ludamar, whence he might pafs, by a circuitous route, into Bambarra; and appointed guides to conduct him to Jarra (p. 95). On the 18th of February, 1796, he reached Simbing, the frontier village of Ludamar. It was from this place that

"Major Houghton (being deferted by his negro fervants, who refufed to follow him into the Moorifh country) wrote his laft letter, with a pencil, to Dr. Laidley. This brave but unfortunate man, having fur mounted many difficulties, had taken a northerly direction, and endeavoured to pafs through the kingdom of Ludamar, where I afterwards learned the following particulars concerning his melancholy fate. On his arrival at Jarra, he got acquainted with certain Moorish merchants, who were travelling to Jifheet (a place near the falt pits in the Great Defert, ten days journey to the northward) to purchafe falt, and the Major, at the expence of a mufket and fome tobacco, engaged them to convey him thither. It is impoffible to form any other opinion on this determination, than that the Moors intentionally deceived him, either with regard to the route that he wished to purfue, or the fate of the intermediate country between Jarra and Tombuctoo. Their intention probably was to rob and leave him in the Defert. At the end of two days he fufpected their treachery, and infifted on returning to Jarra. Finding him perfift in this determina

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tion, the Moors robbed him of every thing he poffeffed, and went off with their camels; the poor Major being thus deferted, returned on foot to a watering place in poffeffion of the Moors, called Tarra. He had been fome days without food, and the unfeeling Moors refufing to give him any, he funk at laft under his diftreffes. Whether he actually perifhed of hunger, or was murdered outright by the favage Mahomedans, is not certainly known; his body was dragged into the woods, and I was fhewn, at a distance, the spot where his romains were left to perish." P. 103,

Having obtained permiffion of Ali, the Moorish fovereign of Ludamar, to pafs through his dominions, Mr. P, left his fervant Johnfon at Jarra, with directions to return to the Gambia with duplicates of his papers; and proceeded eastward, accompanied by his faithful boy, who though advised by Johnson to return, refolved to fhare the dangers of his mafter (p. 114). Mr. P. now approached the frontiers of Bambarra, when an event occurred that was as calamitous as unexpected. He had spent the 6th of March with the hofpitable Doo (chiefman) of a Negro village, who had killed two fine fheep on the

occafion.

We will transcribe the journal of the following day; a day, the occurrences of which, we are perfuaded, will never be effaced from Mr. Park's memory.

"March 7. Our landlord was fo proud of the honor of entertaining a white man, that he infifted on my ftaying with him and his friends until the cool of the evening, when, he faid, he would conduct me to the next village. As I was now within two days journey of Goomba, I had no apprehenfions from the Moors, and readily accepted the invitation. I fpent the forenoon very pleasantly with these poor Negroes: their company was the more acceptable, as the gentleness of their manners prefented a striking contraft to the rudeness and barbarity of the Moors. They enlivened their converfation by drinking a fermented liquor made from corn; the fame fort of beer that I have defcribed in a former chapter; and better I never tafted in Great Britain.

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"In the midst of this harmless feftivity, I flattered myself that all danger from the Moors was over. Fancy had already placed me on the banks of the Niger, and prefented to my imagination a thousand delightful fcenes in my future progrefs, when a party of Moors unexpectedly entered the hut, and dispelled the golden dream. They came, they faid, by Ali's orders, to convey me to his camp at Benowm. If I went peaceably, they told me I had nothing to fear; but if I refufed, they had orders to bring me by force. I was struck dumb with furprise and terror, which the Mors obferving, endeavoured to calm my apprehenfions, by repeating the affarance that I had nothing

* In Bambarra,

$9.

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