CURRENCY OF SANSANDING.

77

The currency of Sansanding was cowries, 3,000 of which were worth a minkali of gold, or 12s. 6d. sterling.

A prime male slave was worth

A prime female slave from

A horse from two to ten prime male slaves.

An ass

A fat cow

A sheep

A fowl

Cowries.

40,000

80 to 100,000

17,000

15,000

3 to 5,000

250 to 300

40

10

A sheet of writing paper

A gold bead

Sansanding has no public buildings, except the mosques, two of which, though constructed with mud, are not inelegant.

At Sansanding, the black men took me for a Moor, but the Moors found out that I was a Christian, and insulted me accordingly. The go vernor of the town, with whom I lodged, begged me to write him a safi: I wrote him the best I could; it was the Lord's Prayer. My next day's journey was to a village called Sibili; and my next to Nyara, a large town at some distance from the river. The governor here had a very commodious house two stories high.

On the following day, we rode nearly in a direct line through the woods; but with great circumspection, as my guide said that lions were very numerous here, and frequently attacked travellers. As we were crossing a large, open plain, on which were a few scattered bushes, my guide wheeled his horse round in a moment, crying, "A very large lion," and making signs for me to ridea way. I saw no lion, and thought the man was mistaken.

He exclaimed, "God preserve us !" and I then perceived a large, red lion very near us, with his head couched between his fore-paws. I expected he would have sprung upon me in a moment; but he suffered us to pass without molestation. My eyes were so riveted upon this sovereign of the woods, that I saw no other object till we had got to a considerable distance. At sun-set we arrived at Modiboo, a delightful village on the banks of the Great river, commanding a view of its waters, to the east and west, for many miles. The small green islands, the peaceful retreats of some industrious Foolahs, whose cattle grazed here in security from ravenous beasts, and the majestic breadth of the river, which was here much larger than atSego, rendered the situation one of the most enchanting in the world. But man was obliged to share these beautiful productions of nature with myriads of musquitoes, which rose from the swamps. These harassed the most torpid of the black men ; and I, far more sensible of their attacks, passed the night in walking backward and forward, and waving my hat, vainly endeavouring to shield myself from their stings.

The next day, I was feverish, and little able to walk; but my horse was still less able to carry me. He fell, and the united strength of myself and my guide could not again place him on his legs. I sat down by this worn-out associate of my travels for some time; then taking off his bridle and saddle, with a sigh, I left him to his fate. At a small fishing village called Kea, I parted with my guide, and entered a canoe which was going down the river to Silla, a large town. We reached it about four o'clock. I remained under a tree sur

rounded by hundreds of people, till it was quite dark, when the Dooty gave me a lodging. Silla is about seventy or eighty miles from Sego.

At Silla I was told that I was only two days journey from Jinnie, a city more populous than Sego, and only fourteen from Timbuctoo, the great mart of central Africa; but I was worn down with fatigue, exhausted by sickness and hunger, and had not the smallest article in my possession, except the few remaining cowries given me by the King of Bambarra, to purchase food or clothing, lodging, or protection. With Timbuctoo before me, and Jinnie almost within my grasp, I therefore most reluctantly turned my face to the westward, doubtful, in my forlorn situation, whether I should ever again reach the Gambia.

On the 31st of July, I arrived at Modiboo on my return, when I heard a horse neigh in the stable, and the chief asked if I knew who was speaking to me. He then informed me that my horse was there, and somewhat recovered by two days rest. The next morning we set out together, and I drove him before me.

The rains were now violent, and sometimes for two or three days together incessant. The country was overflowed for miles, and I was told that the roads would soon be impassable. Not having been received by Mansong, I was regarded with distrust, and was frequently refused both shelter and provisions.

On the 18th of August, I reached a small village within half a mile of Sego, where I was informed that Mansong had sent out people to apprehend me, and that I must lose no time if I wished to get safe out of Bambarra. From Sego

I pursued a route more to the southward, keeping on the banks of the river. The country was populous and well cultivated, and I rode through two large towns, in one of which was a market for cattle, corn, cloth, and other articles.

The next day I passed a large town called Sai; it was surrounded by two very deep trenches at about two hundred yards distance from the walls, with a number of square towers on the top of the trenches. The whole had the appearance of a regular fortification. In the evening I arrived at a village, the inhabitants of which taking me for an Arab, would not permit me to enter their gate, I lay down near it under a tree, and, about ten o'clock, I heard the hollow roar of a lion at no great distance: he kept prowling about the village, and once advanced so near me that I heard him rustling among the grass. About midnight, the chief, attended by some of his people, let me in, convinced, they said, that I was not an Arab, for no Arab ever waited at the gate of a village, without cursing the inhabitants.

On the following day, the country began to rise into hills, and I saw the summits of high mountains to the westward. The town of Yamina had a fine appearance at a distance; but, terrified as I was at the very name of an Arab, and knowing this town, as a place of trade, to be much frequented by these people, I rode through it without stopping. I saw numbers of them sitting upon the bentangs, and other places of public resort; every body looked at me with astonishment, but as I rode briskly along they had no time to ask questions.

To the present moment, I am unable to deter

mine what portion of my horror of the Arabs was founded in reason, and what arose from my having fallen into their hands. In their native deserts they are plunderers by profession, yet inviolably faithful to their engagements. The characteristic of such of them as are dispersed through the negro kingdoms, as merchants, can scarcely be treachery; for integrity is a requisite for their avocation, and, as far as I know, they have not been deficient in it. I was not true to my tacit engagement with the chief of one of their tribes, when I ran away from the guide I had obtained from him; and how far this circumstance might influence their future conduct, or how far my own fears might render me suspected by them, cannot be ascertained.

From Yamina, the low lands were so inundated that the Neel of the Negroes had the appearance of an extensive lake, and the road ran along the side of the hill. At the village where I slept the following night, the chief bade me welcome, and gave me some milk and meal. This was the first kindness I had experienced since Mansong refused

to see me.

On the 18th of August I arrived at Taffara, a walled town. Here the corrupt dialect of Bambarra was exchanged for the pure Mandingo. The dooty being dead, and no person inviting me to his house, I sat alone under the bentang tree, exposed to the wind and rain of a tornado, and at length obtained a lodging on some wet grass, in the corner of a court.

On the 20th I reached Koolikorro, a considerable town, and a great market for salt. The master of the house where I lodged brought me his