Mr. Park's Journey into Africa. 199 



The furrounding attendants, and particularly the ladies, 

 were far more curious and inquifitive. They afked a thou- 

 sand queilions, infpe&ed every part of Mr. Park's apparel, 

 fearched his pockets, and obliged him to unbutton his waift- 

 coat and difplay the whitenefs of his ikin, &c. They even 

 counted his toes and fingers, as if they doubted whether he 

 was in truth a human being. When the curiofity of the 

 ladies was in fome meafure fatisfied, he was conducted to 

 the tent of Air's chief flave; into which however he was not 

 permitted to enter, nor allowed to touch any thing belonging 

 to it. He requefted fomething to eaH, and fome boiled corn 

 with fait and water was at length fent him in a wooden 

 bowl ; and a mat was fpread out on the fand before the tent, 

 on which he paffed the night, furrounded by the curious 

 multitude. A hut was afterwards ere£ted, in which he was 

 confined and ftrictly guarded. 



Some time after a ludicrous circumftance took place, 

 which would not deferve attention did it not tend to throw 

 fome light on the national manners of the people among 

 whom our traveller refided. Hearing one morning the found 

 of drums, Mr. Park was informed that the noife was occa- 

 fioned by the celebration of a wedding in one of the neigh- 

 bouring tents. Soon after an old woman entered his hut 

 with a bowl in her hand, and fignified that (lie had brought 

 him a prefent from the bride, Before he could recover from 

 the furprife pecafioned by this mefLige, the woman dif- 

 charged the contents of the bowl full in, his face. Mr. 

 Park finding that it was the fame fort of holy water as that 

 with which the prieft among the Hottentots is faid to be- 

 fprinkle a new-married couple, he began to fufpeft that the 

 old lady was actuated by mifchief or malice : but (he gave 

 him ferioufly to underfland that it was a nuptial benediclion 

 from the bride's own perfon, and which, on fuch occafions, 

 ii always received by the young unmarried Moors as a mark 

 Of difiinguillied favour. 

 The Moorifh ladies fcemed indeed to commifevate his 

 Q 4 conditionj 



