RILEY. 119 



should his expectations as to the ransom fail, he would cut 

 all their throats. Having procured, therefore, a reed and 

 some black liquid, Riley wnrote a pathetic representation of 

 his sufferings, addressed generally to the consuls or to any 

 Christians who might happen to be resident at Mogadore. 

 After eight days of dreadful suspense, a letter arrived. His 

 emotion was too great to allow him to read it ; but one of 

 his companions found it to be from Mr. Willshire, the Eng- 

 lish consul, expressed in the most sympathizing terms, 

 and with an assurance that the ransom would be provided. 

 This was faithfully performed ; and a hospitable reception 

 at Mogadore soon restored Riley to health and to his former 

 dimensions. 



The most interesting part of the intelligence, however, 

 obtained on this occasion, was that communicated to Riley 

 by Sidi Hamet, concerning his own journeys and adven- 

 tures. He had accompanied a caravan to Timbuctoo, and 

 after much exertion and suffering had arrived at the banks 

 of the Gozen Zair, which, running eastward through Sou- 

 dan, falls into the Niger. He followed its current till he 

 reached the capital just named, which, like Adams, he de- 

 scribed as being entirely ruled and possessed by negroes ; 

 though a smaller town, separated by a strong wall, was as- 

 signed to the Moors, who were only allowed to enter the 

 principal city by fifties at a time. He represents Timbuc- 

 too, on the whole, as being larger and handsomer than it 

 had appeared to his countryman. The shegar, or king, 

 happened to send a caravan southward to the city of Was- 

 sanah, which Sidi Hamet resolved to accompany. A ride 

 of two hours brought the travellers to the banks of the Zo- 

 hbib (Joliba of Park, and our Niger). Its course for six 

 days was nearly due east, when it turned to the south-east, 

 and continued to flow in that direction during the remainder 

 of their journey. At length, after travelling in all about 

 sixty days, they arrived at Wassanah, which appeared to 

 Sidi Hamet a city twice as large as Timbuctoo. The inha- 

 bitants were pagans, but honest, hospitable, and kind- 

 hearted. Oleebo, the king, lived in a large and lofty pa- 

 lace, had 150 wives, 10,000 slaves, and a very large army 

 But the chief interest was excited by a report received from 

 the king's brother, of expeditions which were sent down 

 the river, consisting of numerous boats with large cargoes 



