NARRATIVE. 215 



neighbourhood, and a passage from the Koran is inscribed over 

 each door. The mosque is one of the worst huts in the town. 



The watering-place, or spring, looking like a muddy pool, is at 

 the back of the town. We approached it by a path cut through 

 the small wood that surrounds it, and wliich entirely excluded the 

 light of the full moon. It was perfectly still, and the enormous 

 monkey-bread trees (Adansonia digitata) threw their large arms 

 over the lower ones, as if to protect them and the source to which 

 they perhaps owed their massy grandeur. I did all in my power 

 to frighten my female companion, to whom the sound of a wild 

 beast was perfectly new, by rustling the trees close to her, and 

 suggesting the probable attendance of a ferocious escort, not 

 imagining there was so much truth in my pretended fears, for a 

 panther, who was killed on the spot a few nights afterwards, was 

 roaming round the neighbourhood. 



Every town has its Alcade or Governor, always subject to the 

 reigning King, who at all interviews demands a present in behalf 

 of his sovereign, and another for himself. The old Alcade at 

 Bakkow, was one of the most rapacious of his tribe, and although 

 he had already received a handsome present, for granting per- 

 mission to build a cooking-house, and form a garden close to 

 tlie Government-House, he attended at the measurement of the land 

 to secure another ; and on its being laid out, and marked for 

 railing-in the next morning, he re-appeared to dispute every inch, 

 in the hope of further extortion. The deposed prince of Barra 

 paid us a visit, who was a fine powerful man in appearance, but 

 extremely forward in deportment, and surrounded by the filthiest 

 black children I ever saw. It is the custom of the country, when 

 a King dies, to change the capital, or rather, every town in the 

 kingdom becomes capital in turn, and its chief Sovereign and 

 great care is always taken of that next in succession. The 

 above prince, thinking he was more powerful than the lawful 



