452 MR park's second journey. 
had the effect of relieving the difficulties under 
which the king's mind laboured ; and he no longer 
hesitated to grant permission to pass through his 
territories. 
Mr Park remained three days at Bangassi, in 
hopes of in some degree restoring the health of the 
soldiers, but it became continually worse. One of 
them died, and it was necessary to leave another at 
Bangassi, Soon after their departure, on the Qyth 
July, four men lay down, and declared themselves 
unable to proceed, Mr Park himself felt very sick 
and faint ; and seems to have been about to give 
way to despondence, till coming to an eminence, 
he had a view of some very distant mountains to 
the south-east. Then, indeed, " the certainty that 
" the Niger washed the southern base of these 
mountains made him forget his fever ; and he 
" thought of nothing but how to climb over their 
" blue summits." 
The party now reached Nummasoolo, formerly 
a large town, but having been destroyed, in a re- 
cent war, three-fourths of it were now in ruins. 
Here a prodigious shower came on, which not only 
wetted themselves completely, but threatened to 
destroy great part of the merchandise ; and it was- 
necessary to employ two days in drying it. They 
came next to Sobee, a town which had been twice 
destroyed in the course of the last ten years. The 
whole route being on the frontier between Man- 
10 
