PROFESSOR SMITH’S JOURNAL. 315 
The Captain bought a slave of the Mandingo tribe, that - 
is said to live high up inland. Their language is some- 
what different from that of the Congo language. In the 
afternoon I followed the Captain up the hills towards the 
point, in order to observe the winding course of the river, 
which is now contracted within a narrower channel, by 
projecting points. ‘The conical mountain of Yallalla was 
just before us. A projecting bank of rocks is seen on both 
sides the river, which is not passable even by canoes. The 
country appears equally barren higher up, and not likely 
to enable us to procure sufficient provisions on a journey by 
land, which must now be resolved upon, nor are any here 
to be bought. ‘The population is scanty, only a few scat- 
tered small villages, situated on the hills, are discovered 
amidst some groups of trees. ‘The natives are not willing 
to part with their commodities, except at extravagant pri- 
ces. They crowd daily around the vessels with commodi- 
ties for sale, but all we have been able to get are only a 
few fowls, some eggs, and a single sheep. Their know- 
ledge of the country is very limited. They are pretty uni- 
form in asserting that the cataract of Yallalla is a consider_ 
able one, and that above it the river is divided. 
_ August 18. We remained in order to make some obser- 
vations with the barometer, the oscillations of which nearly 
correspond with those observed at the Canaries. Last night 
an uncommonly strong breeze set in. In the morning we 
made a short excursion on shore. The Captain went in a 
boat towards the conical hill of Yallalla, but he found the 
river here to be impassable. A journey by land of four days 
