394 
MR PARK'S FIRST JOURNEY. 
the nitta tree, but were not permitted to bring it 
within the village, as the inhabitants believed that 
some great calamity would happen to the place 
whenever the inhabitants lived upon the nitta. On 
the 4th they arrived at Medina, and on the day 
following at Jindey, where Mr Park had left Dr 
Laidley, eighteen months before. Here Karfa 
left his slaves, after hiring huts for their accommo^- 
dation, and a piece of land, on which to employ 
them for raising provisions for their subsistence ; 
and proceeded with one of the Foulhas of the coffle 
towards Pisania. Mr Park could not leave, with- 
out sensible emotion, those unfortunate persons 
doomed to a life of slavery in a foreign land, who 
had often alleviated his sufferings, when their own 
were infinitely greater, who, of their own accord, 
had often brought him water to quench his thirst, 
and formed his bed of leaves in the wilderness. 
At Pisania, he was received like one returned from 
the dead by Dr Laidley, as all the traders on the 
Gambia had been informed that he was murdered 
by the Moors of Ludamar. Dr Laidley under- 
took to discharge all pecuniary engagements which 
he had entered into since his departure from the 
Gambia, and assured Karfa that he would assist 
him to dispose of his slaves to the best advantage. 
This respectable negro was surprised when he 
was informed that he would receive goods to the 
amount of double the sum which he had been pro- 
