Europe, either by the way of the Gambia, or by such other route as, under
all the then existing circumstances of my situation and prospects, should
appear to me to be most advisable."

We sailed from Portsmouth on the 22d day of May 1795. On the 4th of June
we saw the mountains over Mogadore, on the coast of Africa, and on the
21st of the same month, after a pleasant voyage of thirty days, we
anchored at Jillifree, a town on the northern bank of the river Gambia,
opposite to James' Island, where the English had formerly a small port.

The kingdom of Barra, in which the town of Jillifree is situated,
produces great plenty of the necessaries of life; but the chief trade of
the inhabitants is in salt; which commodity they carry up the river in
canoes as high as Barraconda, and bring down in return Indian corn,
cotton cloths, elephants' teeth, small quantities of gold dust. The
number of canoes and people constantly employed in this trade, make the
King of Barra more formidable to Europeans than any other chieftain on
the river; and this circumstance probably encouraged him to establish
those exorbitant duties, which traders of all nations are obliged to pay
at entry, amounting to nearly L. 20 on every vessel, great and small.
These duties, or customs, are generally collected in person by the
Alkaid, or governor of Jillifree, and he is attended on these occasions
by a numerous train of dependants, among whom are found many who, by
their frequent intercourse with the English, have acquired a smattering
of our language; but they are commonly very noisy, and very troublesome;
begging for every thing they fancy with such earnestness and importunity,
that traders, in order to get quit of them, are frequently obliged to
grant their requests.

On the 23d we departed from Jillifree, and proceeded to Vintain, a town