INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 337 
retain him as a slave without the schoolmaster's knowledge ; 
and therefore stripped off the boy's clothes, and permitted 
him to return. 
April 28th. Early in the morning we departed from Soo- 
seeta, and about ten o'clock, came to an.unwalled town called 
Manna ; the inhabitants of which were employed in collecting 
the fruit of the nitta trees, which are very numerous in this 
neighbourhood. The pods are long and narrow, and contain a 
few black seeds enveloped in the fine mealy powder before 
mentioned ; the meal itself is of a bright yellow colour, resem- 
bling the flour of sulphur, and has a sweet mucilaginous taste : 
when eaten by itself it is clammy, but when mixed with milk or 
water, it constitutes a very pleasant and nourishing article of diet. 
The language of the people of Manna, is the same that is 
spoken all over that extensive and hilly country called Jallon- 
kadoo. Some of the words have a great affinity to the Man- 
dingo, but the natives themselves consider it as a distinct 
language : their numerals are these, 
One — — - Kidding. 
Two — — Fid ding, 
Three Sarra. 
Four Nani. 
Five — — Soolo. 
Six Sent. 
Seven Soolo majidding. 
Eight Soolo ma sarra* 
Nine ■ Soolo ma nani. 
Ten Nuff. 
X x 
