accompanied by his faithful boy, by the man sent down from Ali, and by a Negro belonging to Daman: the interpreter refusing to proceed any farther.

On the third day after their departure from Jarra, they reached a large town called Deena; on entering which, Park was surrounded by many of the Moorish inhabitants, who are here in a far greater proportion to the blacks than at Jarra. They harassed him with shouts of insult, spit in his face, and seized his baggage, robbing it of what things they fancied. He got refuge at length in the house of a Negro; and after experiencing much difficulty in persuading his attendants to proceed any farther, he set out on the second day for Sampaka, a large town, formerly belonging to the king of Bambara ; but, with other towns as far as Goomba, given up, for the sake of peace, to the Moors.

At Sampaka, he procured lodgings at the house of a Negro, who understood and practised the art of making gunpowder. The nitre was obtained, in considerable quantities, from the swamps or ponds; which are filled in the rainy season, and to which the cattle resort in the heat of the day for coolness. As the water of these ponds is slowly exhaled by the sun, the nitre appears in a white efflorescence on the mud, which is carefully scraped off in the form of small crystals. Sulphur is purchased of the Moors; and the several ingredients are blended together in such a manner, and in such proportions, as experience has shewn will answer the purpose; though the powder thus made is far inferior to that of Europe.

Pursuing his journey, under many inconveniencies from the heat of the weather, the scarcity of water, and the insulting conduct of the

Moorish inhabitants of the villages and towns through which he passed, Mr. Park, on the morning of the 7th of March, had reached a small village called Sami, within two days journey of Goomba, the frontier town of Bambara. He now pleased himself with the hopes of being speedily out of danger; when, as he was resting during the heat of the day in the hut of a friendly Negro, he was alarmed by the arrival of two Moors, who announced, that they came by the order of Ali, to convey him to the camp at Benowm. They added, that if he consented to go with them peaceably, he had nothing to fear; but that if he refused, they had orders to carry him by force.

Finding entreaty and resistance equally fruitless, for the messengers were joined by others, all of them armed, our traveller, guarded by the Moors, and accompanied by the Negro boy, (Daman's Negro having made his escape on seeing the Moors; and the slave sent by Ali having previously left him on the road) set out on the evening of the same day for the camp at Benowm; which, after a journey insupportably distressing, they approached on the 12th. . It presented to the eye a great number of dirty looking tents, scattered without order over a large space of ground; and among the tents were seen herds of camels, bullocks, and goats. They reached the skirts of this camp a little before sunset, and with much entreaty, being absolutely perishing of thirst, procured a little water. The arrival at the camp of a white man was no sooner made known, than all the people who drew water at the wells threw down their buckets, those in the tents mounted their horses; and men, women, and children came running or gallopping towards him. He soon found himself surrounded with such crowds that he could scarcely walk;-some pulled his clothes-another took off his hat-a third stopped him to examine his waistcoat buttons-and a fourth called out "la illa ill D

"Allahi, Mahomed rasowl Allahi,"* and signified, in a threatening manner, that he must repeat those words.

He reached at length the king's tent, who was sitting upon a black leather cushion, clipping a few hairs from his upper lip; a female attendant holding up a looking-glass before him: there were many other females in the tent. The king appeared to be an old man, of the Arab cast, with a long white beard; and he had a sullen and indignant aspect. He regarded our traveller with attention, and inquired of the Moors if he could speak Arabick; being answered in the negative, he appeared much surprised, and continued silent.

The surrounding attendants, and especially the ladies, were abundantly more curious and inquisitive. They asked a thousand questions; inspected every part of Mr. Park's apparel; searched his pockets; and obliged him to unbutton his waistcoat, and display the whiteness of his skin, &c. They even counted his toes and fingers, as if they doubted whether he was in truth a human being.

At length, the curiosity of the ladies being in some measure satisfied, Mr. Park was conducted to the tent of Ali's chief slave, into which however he was not permitted to enter, nor allowed to touch any thing belonging to it. He requested something to eat; and some boiled corn, with salt and water, was at length sent him in a wooden bowl; and a mat was spread upon the sand, before the tent, on which he passed the night, surrounded by the curious multitude. A hut was afterwards erected, wherein he was confined and strictly guarded.

#66 There is no god but God, and Mahomet is his Prophet."

A ludicrous circumstance happened a short time afterward, which would hardly bear recital, if a just representation of national manners was not expected from every traveller that records his observations. Hearing one morning the sound of drums, and the shouts of rejoicing, Mr. Park was informed that the noise was occasioned by the celebration of a wedding in one of the neighbouring tents: soon after which an old woman entered his hut with a bowl in her hand, and signified that she had brought him a present from the bride. Before he could recover from the surprise which this message created, the woman discharged the contents of the bowl full in his face. Finding that it was the same sort of holy water with which, among the Hottentots, the Priest is said to sprinkle a new married couple, Mr. Park began to suspect that the old lady was actuated by mischief or malice, but she gave him seriously to understand, that it was a nuptial benediction from the bride's own person, and which, on such occasions, is always received by the young unmarried Moors as a mark of distinguished favour.

The Moorish ladies seemed indeed to commiserate his condition; and one of them once privately sent him a small supply of meal and milk; but their kindness extended no farther. If they pitied his situation, it is probable that they dared not administer to his wants, and his distress at length became almost insupportable. He was allowed only a single meal of Kouscous (a preparation of boiled corn) in the twenty-four hours. All his effects were taken from him, and he was not even indulged with a change of linen out of the few shirts hė had brought in his portmanteau: oppressed at the same time with a burning fever, his situation was truly deplorable. In this condition "from sunrise to sunset (says he,) was I obliged to suffer, with "an unruffled countenance, the insults of the rudest savages `on "earth."

A full recital of his sufferings, on this occasion, would occupy too large a space in this abridgement, and it is therefore reserved for the larger work. Some circumstances however occurred, during his confinement, which are too important to be overlooked.

Having sometimes an opportunity of conversing in the Mandingo language with the Negroes that attended the camp, he learnt the following particulars concerning his unfortunate predecessor Major Houghton. They related, that having reached Jarra, he there met with some Moors who were travelling to Tisheet, (a place by the salt pits in the Great Desert, ten days' journey to the northward,) to purchase salt; and that the Major, at the expence of a musket and some tobacco, engaged them to convey him thither. It is impossible to form any other opinion on this determination, than that the Moors intentionally deceived him, either with regard to the route, or the state of the intermediate country between Jarra and Tombuctoo. Their intention probably was to rob, and leave, him in the Desert. At the end of two days he suspected their treachery, and insisted on returning to Jarra. Finding him persist in this determination, the Moors robbed him of every thing he possessed, and went off with their camels. The poor Major being thus deserted, returned on foot to a watering place, in possession of the Moors, called Tarra. He had been some days without food, and the unfeeling Moors refusing to give him any, he sunk at last under his distresses. Whether he actually perished of hunger, or was murdered outright by the savage Mahometans, is not certainly known. His body was dragged into the woods, and Park was shewn, at a distance, the spot where his remains were left to perish.

To return to Mr. Park himself:-In about a month after he had. been confined at Benowm, a Shereef arrived there with some salt, and