194< TRAVELS IN THE 
clothes: another asked me if ray horse was sick; a third wished 
to purchase it, &c. ; so that I believe the very slaves were 
ashamed to be seen in my company. Just before it was dark, 
we took up our lodging for the night at a small village, where 
I procured some victuals for myself, and some corn for my 
horse, at the moderate price of a button ; and was told that I 
should see the Niger (which the Negroes call Joliba, or the 
great zvater), early the next day. The lions are here very 
numerous: the gates are shut a little after sunset, and nobody 
allowed to go out. The thoughts of seeing the Niger in the 
morning, and the troublesome buzzing of musketoes, prevented 
me from shutting my eyes during the night; and I had saddled 
my horse, and was in readiness before daylight ; but, on account 
of the wild beasts, we were obliged to wait until the people 
were stirring, and the gates opened. This happened to be a 
market-day at Sego, and the roads were every where filled with, 
people, carrying different articles to sell. We passed four large 
villages, and at eight o'clock saw the smoke over Se^o. 
As we approached the town, I was fortunate enough to over- 
take the fugitive Kaartans, to whose kindness I had been so 
much indebted in my journey through Bambarra. They 
readily agreed to introduce me to the; king; and we rode 
together through some marshy ground, where, as I was anxi- 
ously looking around for the river, one of them called out, 
geo qffilli, (see the water) ; and looking forwards, I saw with 
infinite pleasure the great object of my mission ; the long sought 
for, majestic Niger, glittering to the morning sun, as broad as 
the Thames at Westminster, and flowing slowly to the eastward. 
