park's second JOtJRNEV. 11)3 



along the Gambia, till he saw it flowing from the south be- 

 tween the hills of Foota Jalla and a high mountain called 

 Muianta. Turning his face almost due west, he passed the 

 streams of the Ba Lee, the Ba Fing, and the Ba Woollima, 

 the three principal tributaries of the Senegal. This change 

 of direction led him through a tract much more pleasing 

 than that which he passed in his dreary return through Jal- 

 lonka and its wilderness. The villages, built in delightful 

 mountain-glens, and looking from their elevated precipices 

 over a great extent of wooded plain, appeared romantic be- 

 yond any thing he had ever seen. The rocks near Sullo 

 assumed every possible diversity of form, towering like 

 rumed castles, spires, and pyramids. One mass of granite 

 so strongly resembled the remains of a Gotiiic abbey, with 

 its niches and ruined staircase, that it required some time 

 to satisfy him that it was composed wholly of natural stone. 

 The crossing of the rivers, now swelled to a considerable 

 magnitude, was attended with many difficulties ; and in one 

 of them Isaaco the guide was nearly devoured by a cro- 

 codile. 



It was near Satadoo, soon after passing the Falene, that 

 the party experienced the first tornado, which, marking the 

 commencement of the rainy season, proved for them " the 

 beginning of sorrows." In these tornadoes, ^'iolent storms 

 of thunder and lightning are followed by deluges of rain, 

 which cover the ground three feet deep, and have a pecu- 

 liarly malignant influence on European constitutions. In 

 three days twelve men were on the sick list. The natives, 

 as they saw the strength of the expedition decline, became 

 more bold and frequent in their predatory attacks. At Gim- 

 bia attempts were made to overpower, by main force, the 

 whole party, and seize all they possessed ; but the assault 

 was repelled without bloodshed, by their merely presenting 

 their muskets. At Maniakarro the whole population hung 

 on their rear for a considerable time, headed by thirty of the 

 king's sons ; and great delicacy was felt as to the mode of 

 dealing with these august thieves, so long as their pioceed- 

 ings were not quite intolerable. One of them came up, and 

 engaged Mr. Park in conversation, while another ran off 

 with his fowling-piece ; and, on his attempting pursuit, the 

 first took the opportunity of seizing his great coat. Orders 

 were now given to fire on all depredators, royal or plebeian ; 



