RETURN OF MESSENGER FROM CORRACU. 5 



In the evening two Mallams came on board 

 and repeated sentences or prayers from the 

 Koran. 



The next day, our interpreter not having re- 

 turned, we became apprehensive that he had been 

 detained by the king in consequence of our facili- 

 tating the escape of the Fundah people the pre- 

 vious night. However, towards noon he returned 

 from Corracu, and stated that the distance to the 

 town where the king resides is very considerable. 

 He brought word that a kafila of merchants from 

 the east, with camels, asses, &c. were in the town. 

 His majesty sent a sheep, fowls, eggs, &c. and an 

 apology for having omitted to send horses ; al- 

 leging as his reason for not doing so, that since 

 he had no ivory for sale, he was desirous of sav- 

 ing us the trouble of taking so long a journey. 

 This was not unreasonable on the part of the 

 king ; but he would no doubt have been glad 

 enough to sell us slaves. Our interpreter was 

 a fine youth of more than six feet high, named 

 Abboo, and had himself been sold by his own 

 brother for thirty thousand cowries (about 25s. 

 sterling) : he had been received on board the 

 Alburkah, and was sent ashore the day before to 

 cut wood, since which we had not seen him. 



