Extracts from the Travels of Mr. Mungo Parlce. 



Sego, the capital of Bambarra, consists properly of 

 four distinct towns, two on the north bank of the Niger, 

 and named Sego-korro and Scgo-boo, two on the south 

 called Sego-soo-korro and Sego-see-korro. They are all 

 surrounded with high mud walls, the houses are built of 

 clay, of a square form, with flat roofs, some of them have 

 two stories, and many of them are whitewashed. Besides 

 these buildings, Moorish mosques are seen in every quarter, 

 and the streets, though narrow, are broad enough for every 

 useful purpot.e where wheel carriages are entirely unknown. 

 From the best enquiries I could make, I have reason to 

 believe that Sego contains altogether about thirty thousand 

 inhabitants. The King of Bambarra resides at Sego-see- 

 korro, he employs a great many slaves in conveying people 

 over the river, and the money they receive (though the fare 

 is only ten cowries for each person) furnishes a very large 

 revenue in the course of the year. The canoes are of a 

 singular construction, each of them being formed of the 

 trunks of two large trees, rendered concave and joined 

 together, not side by side but end to end, the junction being 

 exactly across the middle of the canoe, they are therefore 

 very long and disproportionably narrow, and have neither 

 decks nor masts, they are however very roomy, for I obser- 

 ved in one of them four horses and several people crossing 

 over the river. When we arrived at this ferry, we found a 

 great number waiting for a passage, they looked at me with 

 silent wonder, and I distinguished with concern many 

 Moors among them. 



There were three different places of embarkation, and 

 the ferry-men were very diligent and expeditious; but 

 from the crowd of people that had assembled, I could not 

 immediately obtain a passage, and sat down upon the 

 bank of the river, to await a more favourable opportu- 

 nity. The view of this extensive city, the numerous 



