INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 247 
I would remain a few days, until I heard some account of my 
horse, &c. 
I departed accordingly on the next morning of the 28th, and 
stopped at some small villages for refreshment. I was presented 
at one of them with a dish which I had never before seen. It 
was composed of the blossoms or anihenc of the maize, stewed 
in milk and water. It is eaten only in time of great scarcity. 
On the 30th, about noon, I arrived at Wonda ; a small town 
with a mosque, and surrounded by a high wall. The Mansa, 
who was a Mahomedan, acted in two capacities ; as chief magis- 
trate of the town, and schoolmaster to the children. He kept 
his school in an open shed, where I w^as desired to take up my 
lodging, until some account should arrive from Sibidooloo, con - 
cerning my horse and clothes; for though the horse was of 
little use to me, yet the few clothes were essential. The little 
raiment upon me could neither protect me from the sun by 
day, nor the dews and musketoes by night: indeed, my shirt 
was not only worn thin, like a piece of muslin, but withal was 
so very dirty, that I was happy to embrace an opportunity of 
washing it; which having done, and spread it upon a bush, I 
sat down naked, in the shade, until it was dry. 
Ever since the commencement of the rainy season, my health 
had been greatly on the decline. I had often been affected with 
slight paroxysms of fever; and from the time of leaving Bam- 
makoo, the symptoms had considerably increased. As I was 
sitting in the manner described, the fever returned with such 
violence, that it very much alarmed me : the more so, as I had 
