Mr. Park's Journey'inU Aj'r'ica. 197 



fa!e of one of his fowling-pieces. Daman undertook t» 

 negotiate the bufinefs, and at the end of a fortnight pennif- 

 tion arrived from Benowm. 



This permiffion was brought by one of Ali's own naves, 

 who faid he was ordered to ferve Mr. Park as a guide to 

 Bambara ; and on the 27th of February he took his depar- 

 ture from Jarra, accompanied by this dave, his own faithful 

 boy, and a negro belonging to Daman ; the interpreter re- 

 filling to proceed any farther. 



On the third day after his departure from Jarra they 

 reached a large town called Deena ; on entering which Mr. 

 Park was furrounded by many of the Moorifh inhabitants, 

 who harafTed him with fhoiits of infult, fpit in his face, and 

 ieized his baggage, which they robbed of what things they 

 fancied. He got refuge, at length, in the houfe of a negro ; 

 and after experiencing much difficulty in perluading his at- 

 tendants to proceed any farther, he fet out on the fecond day 

 for Sampaka. Here he procured lodging at the houfe. of a 

 negro, who underflood the art of making gunpowder. The 

 nitre was obtained in confiderable quantities from the fwamps 

 or ponds, which are filled in the rainy feafon, and to which 

 the cattle refort in the heat of the day for coolnefs. As the 

 water of jhefe ponds is flowly exhaled by the fun, the nitre 

 appears in a white efflorefcence on the mud, and is carefully 

 feraped off in the form of fmall cryftais. Sulphur is pur- 

 chafed of the Moors, and the feveral ingredients are blended 

 together in fuch proportions as experience has fhewn will 

 anl'wer the purpofe ; though the powder thus made is far 

 inferior to that of Europe. 



On the morning of the 7th of March, Mr. Park had 

 reached a fmall village called Sami, within two days journey 

 of Goomba, the frontier town of Bambara; and was reft i rig 

 himfelf in the hut of a friendly negro, pleafed with the hopes 

 of being foon out of danger, when he was alarmed by the 

 arrival of two Moors, who announced that they came by 

 pr< t lcr of Ali to convey him to the camp at Benowm. They 

 O 3 added, 



