NARRATIVE, 211 



attempt description, but must leave them to imagine contortion 

 of body, carried to the most indecent length. 



There is a breed of small horses in INIandingo, which is useful 

 for the saddle, but is never employed for burthens. The§e animals 

 are tolerably swift, but not remarkably handsome; their chief paces 

 are walking and cantering, both of which are well adapted to the 

 cUmate ; they seldom trot well. The Moors sometimes bring 

 down beautiful, thorough-bred Arabians from the interior, which 

 fetch a great price, even in their native country. The sheep are 

 aU wire-haired, and long-legged, but their flesh is well flavoured. 

 The goats give more milk than those further south, and the cows 

 and oxen are of a large size : the former do not give milk after 

 their calves die, and it is the practice to let the calf suck at inter- 

 vals, milking between each. At certain periods there is plenty of 

 pasturage for the cattle of the island, and ground nut tops make 

 up for any deficiency. The native butter is extremely rancid, and 

 unpleasant to a European palate, from their method of making it ; 

 the milk not being sufficiently washed out, which soon turns it 

 sour, and gives it a bad flavour. I tasted some made at Bakkow 

 with a patent churn, by an Englishman, which was equal to that 

 of Europe. 



The land on both sides of the river is divided among petty 

 diiefs, who are constantly at war with each other. The King of 

 Coomba is owner of the island of Banjole, and requires more 

 chastisement for his frequent assumption, than our military force 

 on that station is able to inflict. The merchants of Bathurst are 

 kept in constant apprehension by the threatened invasions of the 

 King of Barra, who rules the land immediately opposite. They 

 even deemed it necessary to apply to the Commandant wliile I 

 was there, to take some precautions against this fearful enemy : 

 the guards were accordingly doubled, and other military pre- 

 parations made. There was no occasion, however, for any extra 



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