338 THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION. 
remained at Goree in the capacity of fort-major^ 
he sailed up the Gambia to Pisania, the residence 
of the hospitable Dr Laidley. Pisania is a small 
village in the kingdom of Yani, established by the 
English on the banks of the Gambia as a trading 
factory. It lies in N. lat. 13° 85', and W. long, 
13° 28'. From Pisania, Major Houghton proceed- 
ed to the Mandingo kingdom of Woolli, bounded 
by Walli on the west, Bondou on the north-east, 
and on the east by the Simbani wilderness. It is 
agreeably diversified by plains and rising grounds, 
extremely fertile, and well cultivated in the vici- 
nity of the towns. The highest parts of the moun- 
tainous ridges exhibit the red iron stone, amidst 
the stunted shrubs, which hardly detract from the 
bleakness of the prospect ; cotton, tobacco, and 
esculent plants, are raised in the valleys ; and the 
intermediate sloping grounds are covered with 
corn. The Pagans are more numerous than the 
Mahometans, and retain the ascendancy in the 
government. At Medina, the capital, the Major 
was received with great hospitality and kindness 
by the king of Woolli, from whom he received 
various directions concerning the routes by which 
it was possible to penetrate into the interior re- 
gions. The accounts of these regions, which he 
was able to collect from the slatees, or slave- 
traders, and travelling Shereefs and Marabouts, 
he communicated to Dr Laidley, by whom they 
