entirely taken up with the blacksmith, that I believe none of his friends
had observed me. When all the people present had seated themselves, the
blacksmith was desired by his father to give them some account of his
adventures, and silence being commanded, he began; and after repeatedly
thanking God for the success that had attended him, related every
material occurrence that had happened to him from his leaving Kasson to
his arrival at the Gambia; his employment and success in those parts; and
the dangers he had escaped in returning to his native country. In the
latter part of his narration, he had frequently occasion to mention me;
and after many strong expressions concerning my kindness to him, he
pointed to the place where I sat, and exclaimed, _affille ibi siring_,
"see him sitting there." In a moment all eyes were turned upon me; I
appeared like a being dropped from the clouds; every one was surprised
that they had not observed me before; and a few women and children
expressed great uneasiness at being so near a man of such an uncommon
appearance. By degrees, however, their apprehensions subsided; and when
the blacksmith assured them that I was perfectly inoffensive, and would
hurt nobody, some of them ventured so far as to examine the texture of my
clothes; but many of them were still very suspicious; and when by
accident I happened to move myself, or look at the young children, their
mothers would scamper off with them with the greatest precipitation. In a
few hours, however, they all became reconciled to me.

With those worthy people I spent the remainder of that, and the whole of
the ensuing day, in feasting and merriment; and the blacksmith declared
he would not quit me during my stay at Kooniakary, for which place we set
out early on the morning of the 14th of January, and arrived about the
middle of the day at Soolo, a small village three miles to the south of
it.