SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 105 



I discovered in a singular manner that one of the sailor ne- 

 groes attached to our establishment, and who had been in 

 Demerary about two years, had seen Mungo Park, in his 

 travels in the interior of Africa. I was going down to Essc- 

 quebo in the schooner, and, as was my custom, I had 

 put three or four books into my portmanteau, Mungo Park's 

 Travels was among the number ; in looking over the vo- 

 cabulary of the Mandingo tongue, I called Peter, a negro 

 of that nation, and asked him a question in his own lan- 

 guage. " Kie ! massa, you sabbe talk me country," was 

 the exclamation. I had now an opportunity of proving 

 Mungo Park's correctness, and desired Peter to turn the 

 question I had put to him into English, which he did, with 

 several others, and from their agreeing with the translation, 

 he convinced me that the travels in Africa deserved credit and 

 confidence. However, to prove further, I told Peter what I 

 was reading, when he replied with energy, *' massa, me been 

 " see that white man in me country, in de town where me 

 *' live, he been come dere one night for sleep, one blacksmith 

 " countryman for me been with him, me been give him rice 

 " for he supper, and soon, soon, in the morning he been go 

 ** towards the moor's country." From the earnest manner in 

 which this artless tale was delivered, I was convinced that 

 Peter had seen Mungo Park, the name of the village, and the 

 reception he met with, agreed so exactly with what was nar- 

 rated, that there could be no doubt of it. 



