320 . TRAVELS IN THE 
as soon as the slaves arrived from Kancaba, and were not 
taken off until the morning on which the coffle departed for 
Gambia. 
In other respects, the treatment of the slaves during their stay 
at Kamalia, was far from being harsh or cruel. They were led 
out in their fetters, every morning, to the shade of the tamarind 
tree, where they were encouraged to play at games of hazard, 
and sing diverting songs, to keep up their spirits ; for though 
some of them sustained the hardships of their situation with 
amazing fortitude, the greater part were very much dejected, 
and would sit all day in a sort of sullen melancholy, with their 
eyes fixed upon the ground. In the evening, their irons were 
examined, and their hand fetters put on ; after which they were 
conducted into two large huts, where they were guarded 
during the night by Karfa's domestic slaves. But notwith- 
standing all this, about a week after their arrival, one of the 
slaves had the address to procure a small knife, with which he 
opened the rings of his fetters, cut the rope, and made his 
escape : more of them would probably have got off, had they 
assisted each other ; but the slave no sooner found himself at 
liberty, than he refused to stop, and assist in breaking the 
chain which was fastened round the necks of his companions. 
As all the Slatees and slaves belonging to the coffle were 
now assembled, either at Kamalia, or at some of the neigh- 
bouring villages, it might have been expected that we should 
have set out immediately for Gambia ; but though the day of 
our departure was frequently fixed, it was always found ex- 
pedient to change it. Some of the people had not prepared 
