LIFE OF MUNGO PARK, 
Ixvii 
view of the extent of Park's labours, it may be useful on 
this, as on the former occasion, to note the more important 
dates, and some of the principal circumstances of the 
journey. 
The persons composing the expedition, being assembled 
at Kayee, a small town on the Gambia a little below 
Pisania, Park engaged a Mandingo priest, named Isaaco, 
who was also a travelling merchant and much accustomed 
to long inland journies, to serve as the guide to his caravan. 
On the 27th of April 1805, he took his departure from 
Kayee, and arrived in two days at Pisania, from whence 
he had set out for the interior of Africa nearly ten years 
before. Some of the practical dithculties of the march 
were apparent during this short journey : and he found it 
necessary to stop at Pisania six days (a delay which must 
have been highly inconvenient), to purchase additional 
beasts of burden, and make other arrangements for the 
expedition. 
He quitted Kayee on the 4th of May, and arrived on the 
11th at Madina, the capital of the kingdom of Woolli. 
The effects of the season had already become apparent ; 
two of the soldiers having fallen ill of the dysentery on 
the 8th. On the 15th he arrived on the banks of the 
Gambia ; and about this time lost one of his soldiers, by 
an epilepsy. 
On the 26th, the caravan experienced a singular accident 
(almost unintelligible to an European) from the attack of 
a large swarm of bees ; in consequence of which, besides 
that many of the people were most severely stung, seven 
of their beasts of burden perished or were lost; and owing 
