Discoveries in the Interior of Africa. 71 



of Captain Alexander Gordon Laing, of the Royal African 

 Lif'lit Infantry, from the interior, in the full enjoyment of good 

 health. He left Falaba, the capital of Soolimana, on the 17th 

 of September last, and on the night of the 28th ult. arrived at 

 the village of Maharie, on the left bank of the Rokelle, -svhere 

 he was met by Captain Stepney, Senor Altavilla, and the Hon. 

 K. Macauley ; next day he proceeded to this colony, where 

 he arrived on Tuesday last, the 29th ult. It may be recol- 

 lected that Captain Laing left this colony on the 16th of April 

 last on a mission to the King of the Soolimana nation, on which 

 occasion the most entei'prising portion of the merchants em- 

 braced the opportunity of forwarding a caravan with such ar- 

 ticles of merchandise as wei'e supposed suited for the ti'ade of 

 the interior. 



The path by which the Mission returned has been what is 

 called opened, and many natives of the Soolima and Kooranko 

 nations have accompanied it for the purpose of trading with 

 the colony. Captain Laing, on his return, had sent a mes- 

 senger to intimate his intention of visiting the King of the nor- 

 thern Koorankos, but was, nevertheless, compelled to wait two 

 weeks for his arrival at Kamato, although his majesty had ex- 

 pressed a strong desire of seeing him ; he treated the party well, 

 and agreed to permit the people of Sangara to pass tln-ough 

 his country to this colony. The Sangaras are great travellers 

 and great traders, resemblmg in both respects the Saracooles; 

 but as yet they have been obliged to barter their gold and fine 

 cloths in the Soolima and Footah countries for Euro])ean arti- 

 cles, the natives of the latter countries, for political reasons, 

 pi-eventing their approach to the water side. The Koorankos, 

 under the dominion of Ballansama, seem to be a better and 

 more liberal people, manifesting an anxious wish to facilitate 

 the intercourse of more distant nations to this colony. Several 

 traders from Sangara, who were on a visit to the kmg, accom- 

 pany the Mission, and have brought a considerable quantity of 

 gold ; and the king has sent one of his sons and his only bro- 

 ther to assure His Excellency the Governor of his wish to open 

 and cultivate an intercourse with the colony. The King of the 

 Soolimas has also sent a son of his to make similar assmances. 



Captain Laing has traced the whole course of the noblest 

 branch (jf this river, the llokellc, to its very source. He slept 

 at its source on the 3d of September last. It rises in 9 (leg. 

 45 min. N. lat. and 10 deg. 5 min. W. long. After receiving 

 many tributary streams near its source, it swells out to a con- 

 sidcral)le river before it has run 30 miles — it migiit here be 

 navigated, were it not for the numeious scattered rocks over 

 which it has to lluw. — From llic Sierra Lconc Gazef/e, Nov. 2. 



From 



