g6 TRAVELS IN THE 
was consistent with safety. Finding that I was determined to 
proceed, the king told me that one route still remained, but that, 
he said, was by no means free from danger ; which was to go from 
Kaarta into the Moorish kingdom of Ludamar, from whence I 
might pass, by a circuitous route, into Bambarra. If I wished 
to follow this route, he would appoint people to conduct me to 
Jarra, the frontier town of Ludamar. He then inquired very 
particularly how I had been treated since I had left the Gam- 
bia, and asked in a jocular way how many slaves I expected to 
carry home with me on my return. He was about to proceed, 
when a man mounted on a fine Moorish horse, which was 
covered with sweat and foam, entered the court, and signi- 
fying that he had something of importance to communicate, 
the king immediately took up his sandals, which is the signal 
to strangers to retire. I accordingly took leave, but desired 
my boy to stay about the place, in order to learn something 
of the intelligence that this messenger had brought. In about 
an hour the boy returned, and informed me that the Bam- 
barra army had left Fooladoo, and was on its march towards 
Kaarta ; that the man I had seen, who had brought this intelli- 
gence, was one of the scouts or watchmen employed by the 
king, each of whom has his particular station (commonly on 
some rising ground) from whence he has the best view of the 
country, and watches the motions of the enemy. 
In the evening the king sent me a fine sheep ; which was 
very acceptable, as none of us had tasted victuals during the 
day. Whilst we were employed in dressing supper, evening 
prayers were announced ; not by the call of the priest, as usual, 
