456 MR park's second journey. 
tives, and without suffering even any serious de- 
predation. He even considered it as proved, that 
the journey, if undertaken in the dry season, 
might be performed without the loss of more than 
three or four men out of fifty. 
On the 21st, Mr Park hired a canoe to carry 
the baggage to Marraboo, and on the following 
day embarked in it with Mr Anderson. Several 
rapids intervened ; but the river, being swelled by 
the rains, was navigable over them. The Niger was 
here an English mile in breadth, and at the rapids, 
was spread out to two miles ; so that it was already 
a much larger river than the Senegal or Gambia. 
The current carried them down at the rate of five 
knots an hour, and the oar was required only for 
giving the boat its proper direction. The rapids 
are formed by a ridge of hills, which here cross 
the channel of the river. There are three princi- 
pal ones in the middle, and numerous smaller ones, 
which are easily avoided by following one of the 
branches that lie near the shore. Even there the 
velocity was such as to make our traveller sigh. 
On arriving at Marraboo, Mr Park sent forward 
Isaaco to Sego, in order to treat for permission to 
pass through Bambarra, and to build a boat for his 
navigation down the Niger. Several days elapsed 
without any answer ; and unfavourable rumours 
arose ; it was even asserted, that Mansong had with 
his own hand killed Isaaco, and had declared his 
