Ch. viii. different Parts of Africa. 149 



" bought another boy in the same manner."* In 

 Sooseeta, a small Jallonka village, Mr. Park was 

 informed by the master that he could furnish no 

 provisions, as there had lately been a great scar- 

 city in that part of the country. He assured him 

 that before they had gathered in their present 

 crops all the inhabitants of Kullo had been for 

 twenty-nine days without tasting corn; during 

 which time they had supported themselves entirely 

 on the yellow powder which is found in the pods 

 of the nitta, (so called by the natives,) a species of 

 mimosa, and upon the seeds of the bamboo cane, 

 which when properly pounded and dressed taste 

 very much like rice.^ 



It may be said perhaps that as, according to 

 Park's account, much good land remains uncul- 

 tivated in Africa, the dearths may be attributed 

 to a want of people ; but if this were the case, 

 we can hardly suppose that such numbers would 

 yearly be sent out of the country. What the 

 negro nations really want is security of property, 

 and its general concomitant, industry; and with- 

 out these, an increase of people would only 

 aggravate their distresses. If, in order to fill up 

 those parts which appeared to be deficient in in- 

 habitants, we were to suppose a high bounty 

 given on children, the effects would probably be, 

 the increase of wars, the increase of the exporta- 



* Park's Africa, c. xix. p. 248. 

 t Id. c. xxv. p. 336. 



