were so covered with reeds and bushes that it would have been almost
impossible to land on the other side, except at the pathway, which,
on account of the rapidity of the stream, it seemed very difficult
to reach. No traveller however arriving, and there being a great
appearance of rain, I examined the grass and bushes for some way up
the bank, and determined upon entering the river considerably above
the pathway, in order to reach the other side before the stream had
swept me too far down. With this view I fastened my clothes upon
the saddle, and was standing up to the neck in water, pulling my
horse by the bridle to make him follow me, where a man came
accidentally to the place, and seeing me in the water, called to me
with great vehemence to come out. The alligators, he said, would
devour both me and my horse, if we attempted to swim over. When I
had got out, the stranger, who had never before seen a European,
seemed wonderfully surprised. He twice put his hand to his mouth,
exclaiming, in a low tone of voice, "God preserve me! who is this?"
but when he heard me speak the Bambarra tongue, and found that I was
going the same way as himself, he promised to assist me in crossing
the river, the name of which he said was Frina. He then went a
little way along the bank, and called to some person, who answered
from the other side. In a short time a canoe with two boys came
paddling from among the reeds. These boys agreed for fifty kowries
to transport me and my horse over the river, which was effected
without much difficulty, and I arrived in the evening at Taffara, a
walled town, and soon discovered that the language of the natives
was improved from the corrupted dialect of Bambarra to the pure
Mandingo.