92 PARR'S FIRST JOURNEY. 



He remained two days in this village, during which he 

 understood that he was the subject of much deliberation 

 at court, the Moors and slave-merchants giving the most 

 unfavourable reports of his character and purposes. A 

 messenger came and asked if he had any present, and 

 seemed much disappointed on being told that the Moors had 

 robbed him of ever}^ thing. On the second day appeared 

 another envoy, bearing an injunction from Mansong that 

 the stranger should not enter Sego, but proceed forthwith 

 on his journey ; to defray the expenses of which, a bag, 

 containing 5000 cowries, was delivered to him. Mr. Park 

 estimates this sum at only twenty shillings ; but according 

 to the rate of provisions, it was worth much more, being 

 sufficient to maintain, for fifty days, himself and his horse. 



Two days brought our traveller to Sansanding, a large 

 town with 10,000 inhabitants. He hoped to enter unno- 

 ticed, finding himself mistaken by the negroes for a Moor. 

 Being taken, however, before Counti Mamadi, the dooty, or 

 chief magistrate, he found a number of Mohammedans, 

 who denied the supposed national connexion, and regarded 

 him with their usual hatred and suspicion. Several even 

 pretended they had seen him before, and one woman 

 swore that she had kept his house three years at Gallam. 

 The dooty put a negative on their proposition of dragging 

 him by force to the mosque ; but they climbed over in great 

 numbers into the court where h|£ had taken up his quarters 

 for the night, insisting that he should perform his evening 

 devotions, and eat eggs. The first proposal was positively de- 

 clined ; but the second he professed his utmost readiness to 

 comply with. The eggs were accordingly brought, but raw, 

 as the natives imagined it a part of European depravity to 

 be fond of them in that state. His reluctance to eat raw 

 eggs exalted him in the eyes of his sage visitants ; his host 

 accordingly killed a sheep, and gave him a plentiful supper. 



His route now lay through woods, grievously infested 

 with all kinds of wild animals. His guide suddenly wheeled 

 his horse round, calling out " Wara billi billi I — a very large 

 lion !" Mr. Park's steed was ill fitted to convey him from 

 the scene of danger ; but, seeing nothing, he supposed his 

 guide mistaken, when the latter exclaimed, " God preserve 

 me !" and the traveller then saw a very large red lion, with 

 the head couched between the fore-paws. His eyes were 

 fixed ajs by fascination on this soverei n of the beasts, and he 



