presents and a good-supper terminated all animosities among my attendants ; and the night was far advanced before any of "us thought of going to sleep. We were amused by an itinerant singing man,* who told a number of diverting stories; and played some swfeét airs, by blowing his breath upon' a bowstring, and striking it at the same time with a stick, f December 15th. At daybreak my fellow-travellers, the Sera- woollies. took lèave of me, with many prayers, for my safety. About a mile froin Gànadó,' we cróSséd a considerable branch o f thè Gambia, called Neriko. The banks were stéèp, and covered with mimosas ; and I observed in the mud a number-of large •muscles* but the natives do not eat them. About noon, the sun being exceedingly hot,-wè rested two hours in the shade of a tree,-and purchased some milk and pounded corn from some Foulàh hèrdsmen, and at sunset reached a town called Koor- karanyy where the blacksmith had some relations ; and here we rested two days. Koorkarany is a Mahomedan town, surrounded by a high wall, and is provided with a mosque. Here I was shewn a number o f Arabic manuscripts, particularly a copy of the book before mentioned called Al Shara. The Maraboò, or priest, in whose possession it was; read and explained to me in Mandingo, many of the most remarkable passages ; and in return I shewed him Richardson’s Arabic grammar, which he very much admired. On the evening of the second day (Dec. 17th) we departed . * Thes.e are a sort o f . travelling bards and musicians, [who sing extempore songs in praise o f those who employ them. A fuller account o f them will be given hereafter. from Koorkarany. We were joined by a young man who wks travelling to Fatteconda for salt; and as night set in We reached Dooggi, a small village about three miles from Koorkarany. Provisions were here so cheap that I purchased a bullock for six small stones of amber for I found my company increase or diminish according to the good fare they met with. Dec. 18th. Early in the morning we departed from Dooggi, and being joined by a number of Foulahs and other ■ people, made a formidable appearance ; and were under no apprehension of being plundered in the woods. About eleven o’clock one of the asses proving very refractory, the Negroes took a curious method to make him 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 along quietly, 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 o f the stick, which experience had taught him would give a severe shock to his teeth. This contrivance produced a ludicrous appearance, but my fellow-travellers told me it was-constantly adopted by the Slatees, and always proved effectual. In the evening we arrived at a few ‘scattered villages, surrounded with • extensive cultivation ;p‘ at one o f which, called Buggil, we passed the night in a miserable hut, having rioother H
27f 60
To see the actual publication please follow the link above