look of benevolence, took the basket from her head, and, shewing that it contained ground nuts, asked whether he could eat them; receiving an answer in the affirmative, she presented him with a few handfuls, and walked away before Mr. Park had time to thank her for so seasonable a supply. The old woman had scarcely left him, when he received information that a nephew of Demba Sego Jalla, the Mandingo king of Kasson, was coming to pay him a visit; he soon arrived, and very kindly offered his protection, saying, that he would be the guide to Kasson (provided he would set out next morning), and be answerable for his safety. This gracious offer was gratefully accepted, and the African traveller, with his attendants, set off on the 27th of December. This prince, whose name was Dembo Sego, had a numerous retinue with him. The company together consisted of 30 persons and six loaded asses. While journeying on, Johnson the interpreter discovered a species of tree, for which he had made frequent enquiry. He tied a white chicken to the tree by its leg to one of the branches, and then said that the journey would be prosperous. He said the ceremony was an offering or sacrifice to the spirits of the woods, who were a powerful race of beings, of a white colour, with long flowing hair. December 28, they arrived at Kayee, a large village, a little above which is a considerable cataract, where the river flows over a ledge of whin-stone rock with great force; below this the river is remarkably black and deep, and here it was proposed to make the cattle swim over. After hallooing and firing some muskets, the people on the Kasson side brought over a canoe to carry the baggage. It appeared scarcely possible to get the cattle down the bank, which is here more than 40 feet above the water; but the negroes seized the horses, and launched them one at a time down a sort of trench or gully that was almost perpendicular. After the terrified cattle had been plunged in this manner to the water's edge, every man got down as well as he could. The ferrymen then taking hold of the most steady of the horses by a rope, led him into the water, and paddled the canoe a little from the brink; upon VOL. III E which a general attack commenced upon the other horses, who, finding themselves kicked and pelted on all sides, unanimously plunged into the river, and followed their companion. A few boys swam in after them, and, by laving water upon them when they attempted to return, urged them onwards, and in about 15 minutes they were all safe on the other side. It was a matter of greater difficulty to manage the asses; their natural stubbornness of disposition made them endure a great deal of pelting and shoving before they would venture into the water; and, when in the middle of the stream, four of them turned back, in spite of every exertion to get them forwards. Three hours were employed in transporting the baggage and cattle, and it was near sun-set when Demba Sego and Mr. Park embarked on this dangerous passage. The king's nephew thought this a proper time to have a peep into a tin box of Mr. Park's, that stood in the fore part of the canoe, and, in stretching out his hand. for it, he unfortunately destroyed the equilibrium, and overset the canoe. It happily was not far from the shore, and having reached land and wrung the water from their clothes, they took a fresh departure, and had a safe passage to Kasson. As soon as Mr. Park had arrived in Kasson, -Demba Sego told him that he was now in his uncle's dominions, and hoped he would be grateful for the services he had rendered him; upon which Mr. Park gave him seven bars of amber and some tobacco. After a long day's journey, our travellers arrived at Teesee, and were accommodated in Demba Sego's hut. The next morning he was introduced to Tiggity Sego, brother to the king of Kasson, chief of Teesee. This old man received Mr. Park with great earnestness; having never, he said, beheld but one white man before, who by his description appeared to be major Houghton. He told him he must go to Kooniakary, to pay his respects to the sovereign. In the afternoon, one of the slaves to this chieftain eloped; a general alarm was given; every person who had a horse rode into the woods to apprehend him, and Demba Sego borrowed Mr. Park's horse. The slave was brought back, severely flogged, and put in irons. December 31, Dembo Sego again requested the horse, to go to a town in Gedumah, promising to return at the end of three weeks. This request was complied with. Teesee is a large unwalled town, having no security except a sort of citadel, in which Tiggity and his family reside. The inhabitants, though possessing cattle and corn in abundance, are not very delicate in the choice of their food. They eat rats, moles, squirrels, snakes, locusts, &c. Some of Mr. Park's attendants were feasted upon a large snake. A singular custom prevails here, that no woman is allowed to eat an egg. This prohibition is rigidly adhered to, and nothing will more offend a woman of Tesee than to offer her an egg. The men eat eggs without any scruple. Tiggity Sego held a palaver, which Mr. Park attended, and the debates on both sides displayed much ingenuity; the case was this: a young man, a Pagan of considerable wealth, having married a young and handsome wife, applied to a Mussulman priest to procure him saphies for his protection during the approaching war. The priest consented, and, in order to render the saphies more efficacious, enjoined the young man to avoid any nuptial intercourse with his bride for the space of six weeks. Severe as the injunction was, the husband obeyed, and without telling his wife the cause, absented himself from her company. In the mean time, it was whispered that the priest made frequent visits to his bride, who, upon being interrogated, confessed that he had seduced her. The husband immediately confined her, and called a palaver to examine into the conduct of the priest. The fact was proved, and he was sentenced to be sold into slavery, or to find two slaves for his redemption, according to the pleasure of the plaintiff. The injured husband was unwilling to punish the culprit too severely, and desired to have him publicly flogged before Tiggity Sego's gate. This was agreed to, and the sentence immediately executed. The priest was tied by the hands to a strong stake, and, a long black rod being brought forth, the executioner, after flourishing it round his head for some time, applied it with such force and energy to his back, as to make him roar until the woods resounded with his screams. The surrounding multitude, by their hooting and laughing, manifested how much they enjoyed the punishment of the old gallant, and it was uncommonly singular that the number of stripes was precisely the same as enjoined by the law of Moses: forty, save one. As Teesee was liable to be exposed, during the war, to the excursions of the Moors of Gadumah, Tiggity Sego sent round to the neighbouring villages, to beg or purchase as much provisions as would afford sustenance for the inhabitants for one year, independent of the crop on the ground. This project was well received by the country-people, and they fixed a day on which were to be brought all the provisions they could spare. January 4, 1796, Mr. Park went in the afternoon to meet the escort with the provisions. It consisted of about 400 men, marching in good order, with corn and groundnuts in large calabashes, on their heads. These were preceded by a strong guard of bow men, and followed by eight single As soon as they approached the town, the latter began a song, every verse of which was answered by the company, by a few large strokes on their drums. In this manner they proceeded till they reached the house of Tiggity Sego, where the loads were deposited; and in the evening they all assembled under the Bentang-tree, and spent the night in dancing and merriment. men. January 5, an embassy of ten people from Almami Abdulkader, king of Foota Torra, a country to the west of Bondou, arrived at Teesee, and desired Tiggity Sego to call an assembly of the inhabitants, to whom they declared, "that unless all the people of Kasson would embrace the Mahometan religion, and evince their conversion by saying eleven public prayers, the king, their master, would certainly join the enemies of the king of Kasson." After a long consultation, the inhabitants agreed to the proposition, and publicly offered up eleven prayers, which were considered a sufficient testimony of their having renounced Paganism, and embraced the doctrines of Mahomet. Mr. Park proposing to set out for Kooniakary, Demba Sego, with a number of people, came and informed him that they were sent by Tiggity Sego for a present, and wished to know Mr. Park offered him what goods were intended for the king. Mr. Park found himself divested of almost all the little he had remaining. January 10, he left Teesee and ascended a ridge, from whence he had a view of the hills round Kooniakary; soon after which he arrived at Jumbo, the native town of the blacksmith. His brother came out to meet him, accompanied by a singing-man; he brought a horse for the blacksmith, that he might enter the town in a dignified manner, and desired each of the travellers to put a good charge of powder into their guns. The singingman now led the way, followed by the two brothers, and Mr. Park and his attendants, who were received by the town's t people with great joy, and by the most extravagant jumping and singing. On entering the town the singing-man began an extempore song, in praise of the blacksmith, extolling his valour in overcoming so many difficulties, and concluding with a strict injunction to his friends to dress him plenty of victuals. rived at the blacksmith's place of residence, they dismounted, and fired their muskets. The meeting between him and his relations was very tender. The blacksmith's aged mother was led forth, leaning upon a staff; every one made way for her, and she stretched out her hands to bid her son welcome. Being totally blind, she stroked his hands, arms, and face with great care, and seemed delighted that her ears once more heard the music of his voice. During this affecting scene, Mr. Park had seated himself by the side of one of the huts, unobserved. When all the people present were seated, the blacksmith was desired by his father to give some account of his adventures, and, silence being commanded, he began, after |