MR PARK'S FIRST JOURNEY. , 855 
were no remarkable towns. From Walet to Tom- 
buctoo, he reported to be eleven days' journey, 
which was usually performed on bullocks. Houssa 
was the largest town he had ever seen. When 
Mr Park inquired so particularly concerning the 
distance between Walet and Tombuctoo, he asked 
if he intended to travel in that direction : being 
answered in the affirmative, he said it would not 
do, and added, that Christians were regarded there 
as children of the devil, and enemies of the pro- 
phet. He said that many Jews resided at Tom- 
buctoo, who spoke Arabic, and used the Moorish 
prayers. The other traveller, a native of Marocco, 
had resided some months in Gibraltar. He relat- 
ed, that the route from Marocco to Benowm oc- 
cupied fifty days, having the following intervals 
between the stations ; from Marocco to Swera, 
three days ; to Agadier, three \ to Jiniken, ten ; 
to Wal de Non, four ; to Lakeneig, five ; to Zee- 
riwin Zeriman, five ; to Tisheet, ten ; to Benown, 
ten. 
On the 30th of April, the Moorish camp broke 
up from Benowm, at the approach of the army of 
Bambarra to the frontiers of Ludamar, and retreat- 
ed by the way of Farani, towards the north, to an 
encampment in the vicinity of Bubaker, a town in- 
habited by the negroes. Here Mr Park had an 
interview with Fatima, the queen, who was at first 
shocked with the appearance of a Christian, but 
t 
