Mr. Park's Journey into Africa. 243 



to be paid on his fafe arrival at the Gambia, this worthy- 

 negro, whofe name was Karfa Taura, not onlv undertook 

 to conduct him fafe to Pifania, but offered him likewife the 

 accommodation of his houfe until the time of the caravan's 

 departure. Under this man's roof our traveller was con- 

 fined to a mat, which was his only bed, by a fevere and dan- 

 gerous fever for upwards of a month. Five months longer 

 he was detained for the caravan. During this long interval 

 not a murmur efcaped the lips of Karfa, or of any of his 

 wives, at the trouble and expence which their inmate brought 

 upon them. To the kind attentions, the tender foiicitude, 

 the cheerful affiduity, and warm hofpitality of thefe poor 

 Pagans, Mr. Park declares he is indebted not only for his 

 fafe return to Great Britain, but alfo for the prefervation 

 of his life; and he admits that he made his friend Karfa but 

 an inadequate return, though the beft in his power, by pre- 

 feminghim, on their arrival at Gambia, with double the fum 

 that he had originally promifed. 



The whole of Mr. Park's route, both in going and re- 

 turning, having been confined to a tract of country bounded 

 nearly by the 12th and 15th parallels of latitude, it muft be 

 imagined that he found the climate in all places exceedingly- 

 hot. On the borders of the defert, where the fiercenefs of 

 the tropical fun is reflected from the fauds, the heat was 

 fcarcely fupportable. Having been robbed of his thermo- 

 meter, he had no means of forming a comparative judg- 

 ment ; but he well remembers that in the dry feafon, when 

 the wind blows from the eaft and north-eaft acrofs the de- 

 fert, the ground became fo hot in the middle of the day as 

 not to be borne by the naked foot. In the camp at Benowm 

 even the negro (laves, accullomed as they were to this tem- 

 perature, could not walk from one tent to another without 

 their fandals. At this time of the day the Moors lie ftretched 

 at length in their tents, either ?.3eep or unwilling to move ; 

 and Mr. Park declares, that, as he lay liftlefsly along after 

 their manner in his hut of reeds, he could not hold his hand 

 R 2 againft 



