262 PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 
Wassoulo, which were infested with robbers. I informed him 
of my resolution of going to Sambatikila^ and thence to 
Jenne. After inquiring of some Mandingoes, whether that 
road^ with which he was not acquainted, would answer my 
views, he bade me adieu. I confess I was heartily glad to 
be rid of him. Perhaps, as I have said before, I was pre- 
judiced against the saracolets, in consequence of what I had 
seen of their conduct at Sierra-Leone. This man certainly 
appeared to be very obliging, and possibly might not have 
been as great a rogue as the rest ; yet I could not prevail 
upon myself to trust him. 
Being resolved to take advantage of the first opportunity 
for departing, I disposed of part of my merchandise, in order 
to lighten my baggage, and sold a flask of powder, and a piece 
of Guinea cloth ; the rest of my property, consisting of silks, 
glass trinkets, amber, and coral, I kept to carry with me. 
I sold the gunpowder and cloth at a profit of sixty per cent. ; 
for I would take nothing in payment but gold, which had 
0 became extremely scarce in the country since the communica- 
tions between Boure and Kankan had been interrupted by 
the war. I did not speak the Mandingo language sufficiently 
well to dispose of the things myself, and I commissioned 
Lamfia to transact the business for me. He told me that, to 
make sure of a good sale for his commodities, he was in the 
habit of writing a grigri on a board such as school-boys 
learn to write on ; then washing oflT the writing, he sprinkled 
with the water the articles he wished to dispose of : by this 
method he said he was sure of a good profit. 1 believe, 
however, that an understanding existed between him and 
the persons who bought my powder and Guinea cloth, and 
that he gained some little advantage himself by the transac- 
tion. He expressed a desire to purchase my tobacco for 
some trumpery glass trinkets, which he could not otherwise 
dispose of. To persuade me to strike the bargain, he assured 
me that, in the countries through which I was about to pass. 
