tnterhr PaHs of Africa* {T^ 



Would ni^ver have ventured to do what I here faw performed 

 by nndifcipllned troops. We had before us the two enor- 

 mous rido-es of mountains which we had aheadv croffed in 

 one of their turnings ; but which in this place were far fteeper 

 and more inaccefliblc than in the former, infomuch that 

 I thought it abfohitely impoffible for us to furmount them :' 

 but I witnelfed what I had eonfidered to be impradi- 

 cable. 



*' At break of dav the king iiTued the neceffary orders to 

 his officers; whereupon, in half an hour the cavahy that 

 were with us drew up, (lung their mufquets^ and raifed a 

 horrid fhout that re-echoed from the mountains. They 

 cried out : Ofotbfiigo^ koato aqulaty ! that is, ' Death and 

 *■ the place of torment (with us Hell) (hall not deter us !' and 

 the whole troop fprung up the mountain ; fo that, though 

 pieces of the rock flew off, not one of them met with any 

 accident. The royal camp was now broke up, and it was 

 our turn to clamber up the fteep declivity. I alighted from 

 my horfc, and with extreme difficulty attained the fummit. 

 The king continued fitting on his camel, fmoking a pipe of 

 tobacco completely undifmayed. A hew obftacle now made 

 its appearance ; for below ran an arm of the Niger, which 

 we muft inevitably crofs. The king remained on the camel, 

 led by the fwimming (laves, and got fafc oixT. I followed 

 on horfeback, and likewife happily fucceeded ; but I felt 

 great pain in my feet, as the ropes here ufed for (lirrups had 

 chafed the fkin fo forely, that the blood ran down. In like 

 rnanner we were now to climb the fecond mountain ; and 

 during this perilous bufinefsthe evening came on. On reaching 

 the bottom of the other fide of the mountain we halted, and 

 pitched our camp on the enemy's ground. At the dillance of 

 about three leagues before us we difcerhed a fire with fmoke 

 rifingj which proceeded from the infantry that had marched 

 on, and were already bufily employed in plundering, burn- 

 ings and ^deilroying.- At the fight of this, joy fpread through- 

 out our camp; which now burft forth in fhouting and fing- 

 ing. The next morning powder and fniall pebbles, infl:ead 

 of balls, were diftribu ted to all the people of the camp; as. 

 well to the fcrvanis, (lave?, and priefts, as to the foldiers, that 



VoL^ IX. K \ve 



