352 MR park's first journey. 
their mouths. When he had retired to his hut, 
and was sitting almost asleep, an old woman enter- 
ed, and told him she had brought him a present 
from the bride, and immediately discharged in his 
face the contents of a wooden bowl which she car- 
ried in her hand. As Mr Park, who perceived 
that it was the same species of holy water with 
which the priest sprinkles a new married couple 
among the Hottentots, did not exhibit much gra- 
titude for the favour, the old lady informed him 
seriously, that this nuptial benediction of the bride 
was received by the unmarried Moors as the high- 
est mark of esteem. 
Before Johnson had time to depart from Jarra, 
he was also seized by the Moors, and conveyed to 
Benowm, with all the effects of Mr Park that had 
been left in the house of Daman Jumma, except 
the papers which had been committed by Johnson 
to the care of one of the wives of Daman. These, 
with Mr Park's watch, his gold, amber, and pockets 
compass, were deposited in the tent of Ali, whose 
superstitious fears were soon excited by the com- 
pass, and he inquired why that small piece of iron 
(the needle) always pointed to the great desert. 
As a scientific explanation would have been unin- 
telligible, and affected ignorance would have excit- 
ed suspicion, Mr Park told him that it pointed to 
his mother, who resided beyond the great desert, 
and would conduct him to her if she was alive, 
