6 
TRAVELS IN THE 
Footuck'Sisqjee. 
Footuck-Sibakeer. 
Sihankonyen. 
On the 26th we left Vintain, and continued our course up the 
river, anchoring whenever the tide failed us, and frequently 
towing the vessel with the boat. The river is deep ahd muddy; 
the banks are covered with impenetrable thickets of mangrove ; 
and the whole of the adjacent country appears to be flat and 
swampy. 
The Gambia abounds with fish, some species of which are 
excellent food ; but none of them that I recollect are known in 
Europe. At the entrance from the sea, sharks are found in great 
abundance ; and, higher up, alligators, and the hippopotamus 
(or river horse) are very numerous. The latter might with 
more propriety be called the river-elephant, being of an enor- 
mous and unwieldy bulk, and his teeth furnish good ivory. 
This animal is amphibious, with short and thick legs, and 
cloven hoofs ; it feeds on grass, and such shrubs as the banks of 
the river afford, boughs of trees, &c. seldom venturing far from 
the water, in which it seeks refuge on hearing the approach 
of man. I have seen many, and always found them of a timid 
and inoffensive disposition. 
In six days after leaving Vintain, we reached Jonkakonda, a 
place of considerable trade, where our vessel was to take in part 
of her lading. The next morning, the several European tra- 
ders came from their different factories to receive their letters, 
and learn the nature and amount of the cargo ; and the Captain^ 
Eight 
Nine 
Ten 
