jobson's V0YA(?E. 
177 
was always considered to be nearer to the coast 
than it really was. Hence every traveller, who 
had made any progress up the river, daily expect- 
ed that the next city he came to would be Tom- 
buctoo. Jobson, however, did not visit it ; and, 
for reasons not fully explained, did not push his 
discoveries farther. He does not even express 
any regret upon that subject, though he alludes 
at one place to a bar of sand, stretching across 
the river, as forming the chief obstacle. But he, 
perhaps, conceived, that having reached the vici- 
nity of Tomb uc too, and the country of gold, and 
liaving discovered traces of the Arabs, or Bar- 
bary Moors, who, he was informed, visited this 
district, he had accomplished the main purposes 
of his mission, and that little could be gained by 
ascending farther. 
Jobson, being now favoured by the stream, re- 
turned to Barraconda in six days, whereas it had 
cost him twelve to ascend. In passing a place 
called Batto, he had an opportunity of witnessing 
the ceremony of circumcision, performed on all 
the youths who had reached the age of sixteen. 
It was totally unconnected with any religious 
ceremony, and was performed in a very rough 
manner. No remedy was employed for curing 
the wound, and the offered aid of the English for 
this purpose was positively rejected ; but the 
young people were allowed to roam about for 
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