south-west. About ten o'clock we met a coffle o f twenty-six people, and seven loaded asses returning from the Gambia. Most o f the men were armed with muskets, and had broad belts of scarlet cloth over their shoulders, and European hats upon their heads. They informed us that there was very little demand for slaves on the Coast, as no vessel had arrived for some months past. On hearing this, the Serawoollies, who had travelled with us from the Faleme river, separated themselves and their slaves from the coffle. They had not, they said, the means o f maintaining their slaves in <Gambia, until a vessel should arrive; and were unwilling to sell them to disadvantage : they therefore departed to the northward for Kajaaga. We continued our route through the Wilderness, and travelled all day through a rugged country, covered with extensive thickets of bamboo. At sunset, to our great joy, we arrived at a pool of water near a large Tabba tree, wheuGe the place is called Tabba-gee, and here we rested a -few hours. The-water at this season of the year is by no means plentiful in these woods; and as the days were insufferably hot, Karfa proposed to travel in the night. Accordingly, about eleven o'clock, the slaves were taken out of their irons, and the people of the coffle received orders to keep close together; as well to prevent the slaves from attempting to escape, as on account of the wild beasts. We travelled with great alacrity until daybreak, when it was discovered that a free woman had ■parted from the coffle in the night: her name was called until the woodsresounded; but no answer being given, we conjectured that she had either mistaken the road, or that a lion had seized her unperceived. At length it was agreed that four people should go back a few miles to a small rivulet, where some of the coffle had stopt to drink, as we passed it in the night; and that the coffle should wait for their return. The sun was about an hour high before the people came back with the Woman, whom they found lying fast asleep by the stream. We now resumed our journey, and about eleven o'clock reached a walled town called Tambacunda, where we were well received. Here we remained four days, on account o f a palaver which was held on the following occasion : Modi L e- mina, one of the Slatees belonging to the coffle, had formerly married a woman o f this town, who had borne him two children ; he afterwards went to Manding, and remained there eight years, without sending any account of himself, during all that time, to his deserted wife ; who, seeing no prospect o f his return, at the end of three years had married another man, to Whom she had likewise borne two children. Lemina now claimed his wife ; but the second husband refused to deliver her up ; insisting that by the laws of Africa, when a man has been three years absent from his wife, without giving her notice of his being alive, the woman is at liberty to marry again. After all the circumstances had been fully investigated in an assembly of the chief men, it was determined that the wife should make her choice, and be at liberty either to return to, the first husband, or continue with the second, as she alone should think proper. Favourable as this determination was t o , the lady, she found it a difficult matter to make up her mind, and requested, time for consideration: but I think I could per?--
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