108 
MUNGO PARK'S 
proposed a raft to be hauled from side to side with ropes ; 
whilst the Mandingoes were decidedly of opinion that 
nothing would answer our purpose but a bridge, which 
they said they would complete by two o'clock. I set to 
work with the carpenters to make a raft ; but when the 
logs were cut into lengths, we could not muster healthy 
people enough to carry them to the water side. We were 
forced to give up the attempt and trust entirely to the 
Negro bridge, which was constructed in the following 
manner. A straight pole was cut to sound the depth of the 
river, and notches made on it to shew the depth at different 
distances from the shore. Two straight trees were now 
cut, and their tops fastened strongly together with slips of 
bark. These were launched across the stream with the 
assistance of two people, and a rope on the further side ; 
the roots of the trees were firmly fastened with ropes to 
the roots of the trees on each side of the river. Along the 
upper side of these trees they planted a range of upr-ight 
forked sticks, cut correctly to the lengths on the sounding 
pole. These upright forks supported two other trees tietl 
as the first, but which were not, like the first, permitted to 
sink into the water, but were kept about a foot above the 
surface by means of the forks. Another range of forks 
was placed a little farther up the stream, which likewise 
supported two trees fastened as the above ; the whole was 
