as the kafirs are not restricted in the number of their wives, every one marries as many as he can conveniently maintain; and as it frequently happens that the ladies disagree among themselves, family quarrels sometimes rise to such a height, that the authority of the husband can no longer preserve peace in his household. In such cases the interposition of Mumbo Jumbo is called in, and is always decisive.

"This strange minister of justice (who is supposed to be either the husband himself, or some person instructed by him), disguised in the dress that has been mentioned, and armed with the rod of public authority, announces his coming (when. ever his services are required) by loud and dismal screams in the woods near the town. He begins his pantomime at the approach of night; and as soon as it is dark he enters the town and proceeds to the bentang, at which all the inhabitants imme. diately assemble.

"It may be easily supposed that this exhibition. is not much relished by the women; for, as the person in disguise is entirely unknown to them, every married female suspects that the visit may possibly be intended for herself; but they dare not refuse to appear when they are summoned; and the ceremony commences with songs and dances, which continue till midnight, about which time Mumbo fixes on the offender. This unfortunate victim be. ing thereupon immediately seized, is stripped naked, tied to a post, and severely scourged with Mumbo's rod, amid the shouts and derision of the whole assembly; and it is remarkable, that the rest of the women are the loudest in their excla.

D

38

PARK REACHES KOOJAR.

mations on this occasion against their unhappy sister. Daylight puts an end to this indecent and unmanly revel."*"

On the 11th, about midday, the party reached Koojar, the frontier town of Woolli, towards the state of Bondou, from which it is separated by an intervening wilderness of two days' journey. Here Park engaged three negro elephant-hunters to serve him as guides and water-carriers across that desolate tract, paying them each three bars in advance. In the evening the inhabitants of Koojar invited him to see a neobering, or wrestling match at the bentang, an exhibition very common in all the Mandingo countries; and they afterward gratified him with a dance, in which many performers were engaged, their motions being regulated by the sound of a drum. In the course of the evening, our traveller was presented, by way of refreshment, with a liquor which tasted so much like the beer of his native country" and very good beer too"-as to induce him to inquire into its composition; when he learned, with some degree of surprise, that it was actually made from corn which had been previously malted, much in the same manner as barley is in England, the substitute for hops being a root which yields a grateful bitter.

As the sun rose on the 12th, Park entered the

* It is among the worst features of barbarism, that, in such a state of society, the condition of woman is uniformly degraded and miserable. It is only as civilization advances that she begins to receive that deference and consideration which are so justly her due. But it is, above all, to the pure and ennobling influences of Christianity that she is indebted for her elevation from a state of servitude and debasement, to the station which properly belongs to her, as the friend, the companion, and the equal of man.-Am. Ed.

JOURNEY ACROSS THE WILDERNESS.

39

wilderness; only two of his water-bearers accompanied him, the third having absconded with the money which he had received in advance. He remarks in his narrative, in taking leave of Woolli, that he was well received by the natives; the fatigues of the day were generally alleviated by a hearty welcome at night; and although the African mode of living was at first unpleasant to him, yet he found, at length, that custom surmounted trifling inconveniences, and made everything palatable and

easy.

CHAPTER IV.

Park's Journey across the Wilderness into Bondou.-Negro Method of treating refractory Asses.--Fishery on the River Falemé.-Park's Arrival at the Capital of Bondou.-His Interviews with the King.-The Royal Dwelling.-The King's Admiration of Park's new blue Coat, and the Consequences. -Park's Interview with the King's Wives.-His Departure from Bondou, and Journey into Kajaaga.-The Serawoollis. -Park's Ill-treatment at Joag.-His Distresses.-Humanity of a Female Slave.-Park's Journey from Kajaaga into Kas.

PARK's first day's journey across the wilderness between Woolli and Bondou was a very long and fatiguing one. His attendants were so extremely apprehensive of banditti, that, instead of resting for the night at the first watering-place, he pushed on for another; this he reached at eight o'clock,

40

REFRACTORY ASSES.

when a large fire was kindled, and the party laid down, surrounded by their cattle, on the bare ground, more than a gunshot from any bush, the negroes agreeing to keep watch by turns, to prevent surprise. At daylight on the following morning the journey was resumed; and about eleven o'clock they reached Tallika, the first town of the Foulah kingdom of Bondou.

On the morrow, being the 14th of December, Park left Tallika, in company with the officer who resided there to watch the arrival of caravans, and whom he had engaged for five bars to conduct him to the capital, Fatteconda. This journey occupied seven days, in the course of which few incidents occurred worthy of notice. At daybreak on the 15th, the two Serawoolli slave-merchants, who had accompanied Park from Pisania, took leave of him, with many prayers for his safety; in the evening he reached a town where one of his remaining companions, the blacksmith, had some relations, and there he rested two days.

In the course of the journey to Fatteconda Park noticed a curious method adopted by the negroes for making a refractory ass tractable. They cut a forked stick, and, putting the forked part into the ass's mouth like the bit of a bridle, tied the two smaller parts together above his head, leaving the lower part of the stick of sufficient length to strike against the ground if the ass should attempt to put his head down. After this the ass walked quietly along, and gravely enough, taking care, after some practice, to hold his head sufficiently high to prevent the stones or roots of trees from striking against the end of the stick, which, experience

had taught him, would give a severe shock to his teeth. This contrivance had a ludicrous appearance, but was said to be constantly adopted by the Slatees, and always to prove effectual.

On the banks of the Falemé, one of the princi. pal affluents of the river Senegal, our traveller had an opportunity of noticing the modes of fishing practised by the natives. The large fish were taken in long baskets made of split cane, and placed in a strong current, which was created by walls of stone built across the stream; certain open places being left, through which the water rushed with great force. Some of these baskets were more than twenty feet long, and, when once the fish had entered one of them, the force of the stream prevented it from returning. The small fish were taken in great numbers in hand-nets, which the natives weave of cotton, and use with great dexterity. The fish last mentioned are about the size of sprats, and are prepared for sale in different ways; the most common is by pounding them entire, as they come from the stream, in a wooden mortar, and exposing them to dry in the sun, in large lumps, like sugar-loaves. "It may be supposed," says Park, "that the smell is not very agreeable; but in the Moorish countries to the north of Senegal, where fish is scarcely known, this preparation is esteemed as a luxury, and sold to considerable advantage. The manner of using it by the natives is by dissolving a piece of this black loaf in boil. ing water, and mixing it with their kouskous."*

*This is a sort of pudding or preparation of flour. It is made by first moistening the flour with water, and then stirring or shaking it about in a large calabash or gourd, till it adheres