222 
TRAVELS IN THE 
following, (August 9th,) a Moor and his wife, riding upon two 
bullocks, and bound for Sego with salt, passed the village, and 
agreed to take me along with them ; but I found them of little 
service ; for they were wholly unacquainted with the road, and 
being accustomed to a sandy soil, were very bad travellers. 
Instead of wading before the bullocks, to feel if the ground was 
solid, the woman boldly entered the first swamp, riding upon 
the top of the load ; but when she had proceeded about two 
hundred yards, the bullock sunk into a hole, and threw both 
the load and herself among the reeds. The frightened husband 
stood for some time seemingly petrified with horror, and suffered 
his wife to be almost drowned before he went to her assistance. 
About sunset we reached Sibity ; but the Dooty received me 
very coolly : and when I solicited for a guide to Sansanding, 
he told me his people were otherwise employed. I was shewn 
into a damp old hut, where I passed a very uncomfortable 
night ; for when the walls of the huts are softened by the rain, 
they frequently become too weak to support the weight of the 
roof. I heard three huts fall during the night, and was appre- 
hensive that the hut I lodged in would be the fourth. In the 
morning, as I went to pull some grass for my horse, I counted 
fourteen huts which had fallen in this manner, since the com- 
mencement of the rainy season. 
It continued to rain with great violence all the 10th ; and 
as the Dooty refused to give me any provisions, I purchased 
some corn, which I divided with my horse. 
Aug. 11th. The Dooty compelled me to depart from the 
town, and I set out for Sansanding, without any great hopes of 
