great seriousnes, what could possibly have induced me, who was . no trader, to think of exploring so miserable a country as Africa? He meant.by this to signify that, after what I must have witnessed in my own country, nothing in Africa could in his opinion deserve a moment's attention. I have preserved these little traits of character in this worthy Negro, not only from regard to the man, but also because they appear to me to demonstrate that he possessed a mind above his condition : and to such of my readers as love to contemplate human nature in all its varieties, and to trace its progress from rudeness to refinement, I hope the account I have given of this poor African will not be unacceptable. No European vessel had arrived at Gambia for many months previous to my return from the interior ; and as the rainy season was now setting in, I persuaded Karfa to return to his people at Jindey. He parted with me on the i 4 th with great tenderness ; but as I had little hopes of being able to quit Africa for the remainder of the year, I told him, as the fact was, that I expected to see him again before my departure. In this, however, I was luckily disappointed ; and my narrative now hastens to its conclusion ; for on the 15th, the ship Charles-Town, an American vessel, commanded. by Mr. Charles Harris, entered the river. She came for slaves, intending to touch at Goree to fill u p : and to proceed from thence to South Carolina. As the European merchants on the Gambia, had at this time a great many slaves on hand, they agreed with the Captain to purchase the whole of his cargo, consisting chiefly of rum and tobacco, and deliver him slaves to the amount, in the course of two days. This afforded me such an opportunity of returning (though by a circuitous route) to my native country, as I thought was not to be neglected. I therefore immediately engaged my .passage in this vessel for America; and having taken leave of Dr Laidley, to whose kindness I was so largely indebted, and my other friends on the river, I embarked at Kaye on the 17th day of June. Our passage down the river was tedious and fatiguing; and the weather was so hot, moist, and unhealthy, that before our arrival at Goree, four of the seamen, the surgeon, and three o f the slaves had died of fevers. At Goree we were detained for want of provisions, until the beginning of October. The number of slaves received on board this vessel, both on the Gambia, and at Goree, was one hundred and th ir ty ; of whom about twenty-five had been, I suppose, of free condition in Africa ; as most of those, being Bushreens, could writealittle Arabic. Nine of them had become captives in the religious war between Abdulkader and Darnel, mentioned in the latter part of the preceding Chapter. Two of the others had seen me as I passed through Bondou, and many o f them had heard of me in the interior countries. My conversation with them, in their native language, gave them great comfort; and as the surgeon was dead, I consented to act in a medical capacity in his room for the remainder o f the voyage. They had in truth need of every consolation in my power to bestow ; not that I observed any wanton acts of cruelty practised either by the master, or the seamen, towards them ; but the mode of confining and securing Negroes in the American slave ships, (owing chiefly to the 3 A
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