A. D. 1797, ■ 431 



the aflbciation for difcovering the interior parts of Africa, and com- 

 municated to the public many new and intcrefting particulars refpeding 

 that unknown quarter of the world. 



On the 2* of December 1795 he fet out from the houfe of Dodor 

 Laidley at Pifania on the River Gambia, about 200 miles from its 

 mouth; and on the 16'" of July 1796 he arrived at the great river, 

 called, by Europeans the Niger, by the Moors, Nil-il-abeed (the river 

 of flaves), and by the inhabitants of Sego the Joliba (the great wafer), 

 the courfe of which has been difputed for ages, but is now unquelUon- 

 ably afcertained by Mr. Park to he from the weji to the cajl. 



Sego, the capital of the kingdom of Bambara, lies on both fides of the 

 river, and feems to contain 30,000 inhabitants. Many of the houfee 

 have two llories, and are white waflied. Moorifh mofques are feen in 

 every quarter. Thefe objeds, the numerous boats on the river, the 

 crowded population, and the cultivated ftate of the furrounding country, 

 formed altogether a profped of civilization and magnificence, which our 

 traveler little expeded to find in a Negro city in the heart of Africa. 



About 200 miles below, or eaft of, Sego the Joliba runs into a lake, 

 the extent of which may be judged of by the canoes being a whole day 

 without a fight of land in croffing it. Jenne, 'I'ombiidoo, and Houfla, 

 towns on the north fide of the river beyond Mr. Park's fartheft travels 

 eafiward, are, as he was told, very large, efpecially Houfla, and either 

 of the others is larger than Sego. Tombudoo is reckoned the mart of 

 the Mandinga gold, from whence it is difiributed over the noithern re- 

 gions of Africa by the merchants of Tunis, Tripoli, Fezzan, and INIo- 

 rocco ; and moft of it, no-doubt, afterwards finds its way to Europe. 



At Downie, a place near Tombudoo, there is a very great manu- 



fadory of earthen ware of a very good confifiience, but not glazed , 



The Mandingas cultivate cotton and indigo, and make cloth of the cot- 

 ton of a pretty good quality, and of a rich blue colour. They tan the 

 fkins of fiieep and goats, and fi;ain them with durable yellow and red 

 colours. And they make good foap from a mixture of ground nuts 

 and a lye of wood-aflies. The inlaiid Negroes have the art of fmeltmg 

 and feparating iron from iron-fi:one, which they have in abundance. 

 The metal, though rather brittle, is made into various weapons and 

 tools. They have even attempted to make guns, but without luccels. 



• In their works of gold they difplay a variety of tafte, and an elegance 



• of fancy, which would excite admiration, even among the beft artifts 



• of Europe.' At Sampaka Mr. Park lodged with a Negro, who prac- 

 tifed the art of making gun-powder. He obtained nitre from the mud 

 of the ponds in which the cattle bathed themfelves in the heat of tlic 

 day, atter the water was exhaled from them by the fun. The fulphur 

 was puichafed from the Moors : and the ingredients were mixecl in 

 fuch proportions as experience had direded. But the powder was far: 

 inferior to that of Europe. 



