INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 25I 
his great care and attention ; and being accompanied by a 
young man, who was travelling the same way, I proceed- 
ed for Jerijang, a beautiful and well cultivated district, the 
Mansa of which is reckoned the most powerful chief of any in 
Manding. 
On the 15th, I reached Dosita, a large town, where I stayed 
one day on account of the rain ; but I continued very sickly, 
and was slightly delirious in the night. On the 17th, I set out 
for Mansia, a considerable town, where small quantities of gold 
are collected. The road led over a high rocky hill, and my 
strength and spirits were so much exhausted, that before I 
could reach the top of the hill, I was forced to lie down three 
times, being very faint and sickly. I reached Mansia in the 
afternoon. The Mansa of this town had the character of 
being very inhospitable ; he, however, sent me a little corn for 
my supper, but demanded something in return : and when I 
assured him that I had nothing of value in my possession, he 
told me (as if in jest), that my white skin should not defend 
me, if I told him lies. He then shewed me the hut wherein 
I was to sleep ; but took away my spear, saying that it should 
be returned to me in the morning. This trifling circumstance, 
when joined to the character I had heard of the man, made 
me rather suspicious of him ; and I privately desired one of 
the inhabitants of the place, who had a bow and quiver, to 
sleep in the same hut with me. About midnight, I heard 
somebody approach the door, and observing the moonlight 
strike suddenly into the hut, I started up, and saw a man 
stepping cautiously over the threshold. I immediately snatched 
Kk 2 
