V 342 TRAVELS IN THE 
and Gambia; and as the account is somewhat singular, I 
shall here abridge it, for the reader's information. The King 
of Foota Torra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating his 
religion, had sent an embassy to Damel, similar to that 
which he had sent to Kasson, as related in page 79. The 
ambassador, on the present occasion, was accompanied by two 
of the principal Bushreens, who carried each a large knife, 
fixed on the top of a long pole. As soon as he had procured 
admission into the presence of Damel, and announced the 
pleasure of his sovereign, he ordered the Bushreens to present 
the emblems of his mission. The two knives were accordingly 
laid before Damel, and the ambassador explained himself as 
follows: " With this knife, (said he) Abdulkader will con- 
*' descend to shave the head of Damel, if Damel will embrace 
" the Mahomedan faith; and with this other knife, Abdulkader 
" will cut the throat of Damel, if Damel refuses to embrace 
it: — take your choice." Damel coolly told the ambassador 
that he had no choice to make : he neither chose to have his 
head shaved, nor his throat cut ; and with this answer the 
ambassador was civilly dismissed. Abdulkader took his mea- 
sures accordingly, and with a powerful army invaded DameFs 
country. The inhabitants of the towns and villages filled up 
their wells, destroyed their provisions, carried off their effects, 
and abandoned their dwellings, as he approached. By this 
means he was led on from place to place, until he had advanced 
three day's journey into the country of the JalofFs. He had, 
indeed, met with no opposition; but his army had suffered so 
much from the scarcity of water, that several of his men had 
