i8 discoveries in Africa. Sept. ^, 



to be the universal wear, they appear to weave, by a 

 difficult and laborious procefs.' 



The common food of the people is rice. They 

 make a kind of fermented. liquor from honey. 



He was here pillaged of a great part of his small 

 remaining stores by the king of Bondou, who liad 

 just terminated a succefsful waf» by which he acqui- 

 red a considerable part of the dominions of the king 

 of Bambouk. This calamity the latter ascribed to the 

 French, with whom he traded from Senegal, having 

 neglected to supply him with gunpowder and mili- 

 tary stores ; while the Englifh with whom his ene- 

 my dealt, had been regularly supplied with those 

 articles from the Gambia. 



He afterwards proceeded with great difficulty to 

 Ferbanna the capital of the kingdom of Bombouk, si- 

 tuated on the eastern side of the Serra Coles, or river 

 of gold, where he was kindly entertained. He there 

 made an agreement with a respectable merchant of 

 Bambouk, who offered to conduct him on horseback 

 to Tombuctoo, and to attend him back to the Gam- 

 bia. The king gave him at parting, as a mark of 

 his esteem, and a pledge of future fnendlhip, a pre- 

 sent of a purse of gold. 



' With an account of these preparations the major- 

 closes his dispatch of the 14th of July; and as the 

 society are informed by a letter from Dr Laidley, 

 his correspondent on the Gambia, that on the 2 2d of 

 December no later advices had been received, there- 

 seems the strongest reason to believe that the major 

 descended the eastern hills of Bambouk, and proceed- 

 ed on his road to Tombuctoo.' 



