ROAD FROM POTINGAH TO FUNDAH. 197 



alarmed at my not having appeared sooner, and 

 was overjoyed to meet me again. He had receiv- 

 ed the greatest civility from his escort, but, like 

 most sailors, had experienced quite enough of 

 horse exercise. After taking some coffee, I went 

 into my hammock, and, accompanied by a caval- 

 cade of about twenty horsemen, set out for Fun- 

 dah, distant about nine miles. My Kroomen were 

 obliged to carry me, as the natives objected to 

 carrying a white man, alleging that they were 

 not horses. I offered three times as much as I 

 gave them for carrying the goods, but to no pur- 

 pose ; they still repeated that they were men, 

 and not horses. 



The road from Potingah to Fundah is nearly 

 due north, and, with the exception of three 

 ravines with a little water in the bottom of each, 

 is an excellent bridle-road. These ravines are 

 impassable in the rainy season, and a detour is 

 then made to the northward, the road run- 

 ning along the declivity of a range of hills, 

 which, beginning at the confluence of the Shary 

 and Niger, runs parallel to the river at the dis- 

 tance of seven or eight miles. The country was 

 cleared and appeared well cultivated. On emerg- 

 ing from a ravine, we entered fhe plain on which 



