Eight — — Footuck- Sisajee. Nine ------ Fooiuck-Sibakeer. Ten — — Sibankonyen. On the 26th we left Vintain, and continued our course up the river, anchoring whenever the tide failed us, and frequently towing the vessel with the boat. The river is deep and muddy ; the banks are covered with impenetrable thickets of mangrove; and the whole of the adjacent country appears to be flat and swampy. The Gambia abounds with fish, some species of which are excellent food; but none of them that I recollect are known in Europe. At the entrance fVom the sea, sharks are found in great abundance ; and, higher up, alligators, and the hippopotamus (or river horse) are very numerous. The latter might with more propriety be called the river-elephant, being of anenor- mous and unwieldy bulk, and his teeth furnish good ivory. This animal is amphibious, with short and thick legs, and cloven hoofs ; it feeds on grass, and such shrubs as the banks of the river afford, boughs of trees, &c. seldom venturing far from the water, in which it seeks refuge on hearing the approach o f man. I have seen many, and always found them of a timid and inoffensive disposition. In six days after leaving Vintainy we reached Jonkakonda, a place of considerable trade, where our vessel was to take in part of her lading. The next morning, the several European traders came from their different factories to receive their letters, and learn the nature and amount of the cargo ; and the Captain dispatched a messenger to Dr. Laidley to inform him of my arrival. He came to Jonkakonda the morning following, when I delivered him Mr, Beaufoy's letter, and he gave me a .kind invitation to spend my time at his house until an opportunity s h o u l d offer of prosecuting my journey. This invitation was too acceptable to be refused, and being furnished by the Doctor With a horse and guide, I set out from Jonkakonda at daybreak on the 5th of July, and at eleven o’clock arrived at Pisania, where I was accommodated with a room, and other conveniences in the Doctor's house. Pisania is a small village in the King of Yan y ’s dominions, established by British subjects as a factory for trade, and inhabited solely bv them and their black servants. It is situated on the banks of the Gambia, sixteen miles above Jonkakonda. The white residents* at the time of my arrival there, consisted only of Dr. Laidléy, and two gentlemen who were brothers, of the name of Ainsley ; but their domestics were numerous. They enjoyed perfect security under the king's protection, and being highly esteemed and respected b y the nativesat large,wanted no accommodation or comfort which the country could supply ; and the greatest part of the, trade in slaves, ivory, and gold, was in their hands. Beirig now settled for some time at my ease, my first object was to learn the Mandirigo tongue, being the'language in almost general use throughout this part of Africa ; and without which I was fully convinced that I never could acquire an extensive knowledge of the country or its inhabitants. In this pursuit I was greatly assisted by Dr. Laidley, who, by a long residence
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