158 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA^ 
by the shrieks of women and the bustle of my 
men running from all quarters, where they had 
been either on duty or amusing themselves, and 
seizing their arms. Such preparations on their 
part led me to suppose we had been attacked. 
I therefore ran into my hut for my arms, and 
without delay proceeded to the spot where all 
seemed to be directing their steps. 
On my arrival at the place where the market 
was usually held, under the shade of a large aca- 
cia, about two hundred yards outside our fence, 
I found a woman lying dead, a musket ball 
having passed through her head. She had just 
disposed of a little corn, and was sitting on the 
ground in the crowd, tying up a few beads she 
had received in exchange, when she received 
the fatal wound. 
On my inquiring by whom it was done, one 
of my own men (Shaw, a black soldier), an- 
swered from within his hut, that it was his rifle 
which went off while he was cleaning the brasses 
of it. Some men of the town who were present, 
and armed, as they always are, shewed symp- 
toms of wishing to take steps of retaliation, 
under the impression, no doubt, that it had been 
done designedly. One or two Marabouts, who 
were also present, and on whom I called to as- 
sist me in preventing unnecessary effusion of 
