INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 355 
said, for Dentila, to purchase iron, there bAng a great scarcity 
of that article on the Gambia. A little before it was dark, we 
arrived at a village in the kingdom of Woolli, called Seesukunda. 
Near this village there are great plenty of nitta trees, and the 
slaves in passing along had collected large bunches of the 
fruit ; but such was the superstition of the inhabitants, that 
they would not permit any of the fruit to be brought into the 
village. They had been told, they said, that some catastrophe 
would happen to the place, when people lived upon nittas, 
and neglected to cultivate corn. 
June 2d. We departed from Seesukunda, and passed a 
number of villages, at none of which was the coffle permitted 
to stop, although we were all very much fatigued : it was 
four o'clock in the afternoon before we reached Baraconda, 
where we rested one day. Departing from Baraconda on the 
morning of the 4th, we reached in a few hours Medina, the 
capital of the King of Woolli's dominions, from whom the 
reader may recollect I received an hospitable reception in the 
beginning of December, 1795, in my journey eastward.* I im- 
mediately inquired concerning the health of my good old be- 
nefactor, and learnt with great concern that he was dangerously 
ill. As Karfa would not allow the coffle to stop, 1 could not 
present my respects to the king in person ; but I sent him word, 
by the officer to whom we paid customs, that his prayers for my 
safety had not been unavailing. We continued our route until 
sunset, when we lodged at a small village a little to the west- 
ward of Kootakunda, and on the day following arrived at Jindey ; 
* Vide p. 34. 
Z Z 2 
