the hog, and the men and women to plague the Christian. It is impossible for me to describe the behaviour of a people who study mischief as a science, and exult in the miseries and misfortunes of their fellow-creatures. It is sufficient to observe that the rudeness and ferocity which distinguish the Moors from the rest of mankind found here a proper subject whereon to exercise their feelings. I was a stranger; I was unprotected; I was a Christian. Each of these circumstances was sufficient to drive every spark of humanity from the heart of a Moor. But when all of them, as in my case, were combined in the same person, and a suspicion prevailed also that I was come as a spy into the country, the reader will easily imagine that in such a situation I had everything to fear. Anxious, however, to gain favour, and, if possible, to afford the Moors no excuse for ill-treating me, I readily complied with every command, and patiently bore every insult; but never did any period of my life pass so heavily. From sunrise to sunset I was obliged to suffer, with an unruffled countenance, the insults of the rudest savages on earth.

MUNGO PARK AMONG THE MOORS.

PART II,

The Moors, though very indolent themselves, are rigid taskmasters, and keep every person under them in full employment. My boy, Demba, was sent to the woods to collect withered grass for Ali's horses; and after a variety of projects concerning myself, they at last found out an employment for me, which was none other than the respectable office of barber. I was to make my first attempt in this capacity in the royal presence,

and to be honoured with shaving the head of the young prince of Ludamar. I therefore seated myself upon the sand, and the boy, with some hesitation, sat down beside me. A small razor, about three inches long, was put into my hand, and I was ordered to proceed ; but whether from my want of skill, or the improper shape of the instrument, I, by accident, made a slight incision in the boy's head. The king, observing the awkward manner in which I held the razor, concluded that his son's head was in very improper hands, and ordered me to give up the instrument, and walk out of the tent. This I considered as a very fortunate circumstance; for I had laid it down as a rule to make myself as useless as possible, as the only means of recovering my liberty.

After this, four Moors arrived from Jarra with Johnson, my interpreter, having seized him before he had received intimation of my confinement. They also brought with them a bundle of clothes which I had left at Daman Jumma's house for my use, in case I should return by the way of Jarra. Johnson was led into Ali's tent, and examined; the bundle was opened, and I was sent for to explain the use of the different articles. When I had satisfied Ali's curiosity respecting the different articles of apparel, the bundle was again tied up, and put into a large cowskin bag, that

stood in a corner of the tent.

The same evening, Ali sent three of his people to inform me that there were many thieves in the neighbourhood, and that to prevent the rest of my things from being stolen, it was necessary to convey them all into his tent. My clothes, instruments, and everything that belonged to me were therefore carried away; and though the heat and dust made clean linen very

necessary and refreshing, I could not procure a single shirt out of the small stock I had brought with me. Ali was, however, disappointed by not finding the quantity of gold and amber in my luggage that he expected; but, to make sure of everything, he sent the same people on the morning following, to examine whether I had anything else concealed about my person. They, with their usual rudeness, searched every part of my apparel, and stripped me of all my gold and amber, my watch, and one of my pocket compasses. I had, fortunately, in the night buried the other compass in the sand; and this, with the clothes I had on, was all that the tyranny of Ali had left me.

The gold and amber were highly gratifying to Moorish avarice, but the pocket compass soon became an object of superstitious curiosity. Ali was very

desirous to be informed why that small piece of iron, the needle, always pointed to the great desert, and I found myself somewhat puzzled to answer the question. To have pleaded my ignorance would have created a suspicion that I wished to conceal the real truth from him; I therefore told him that my mother resided far beyond the sands of Sahara, and that whilst she was alive, the piece of iron would always point that way, and serve as a guide to conduct me to her, and that if she was dead it would point to her grave. now looked at the compass with double amazement, turned it round and round repeatedly, but, observing that it always pointed the same way, he took it up with great caution and returned it to me, showing that he thought there was something of magic in it, and that he was afraid of keeping so dangerous an instrument in his possession.

Ali

Next morning a council of the chief men was held

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in Ali's tent respecting me. Their decisions, though they were all unfavourable to me, were differently related by different persons. Some said that they

intended to put me to death; others that I was only to lose my right hand; but the most probable account was that which I received from Ali's own son, a boy about nine years of age, who came to me in the evening, and with much concern informed me, that his uncle had persuaded his father to put out my eyes, which they said resembled those of a cat, and that all the chiefs had approved of this measure. His father, he said, would not put the sentence in execution until Fatima, the queen, who was at present in the north, had seen me.

Anxious to know my destiny, I went to the king early in the morning, and as a number of chiefs were assembled, I thought this a favourable opportunity of discovering their intentions. I therefore began by begging his permission to return to Jarra, which was flatly refused. His wife, he said, had not yet seen me, and I must stay until she came to Benowm, after which I should be at liberty to depart. My horse, which was taken from me the day after I arrived, he promised should be again restored to me. Unsatisfactory as this answer was, I was forced to appear pleased; and as there were little hopes of making my escape at this season of the year, on account of the excessive heat and the total want of water in the woods, I resolved to wait patiently until the rains had set in, or until some more favourable opportunity should present itself.

But "hope deferred maketh the heart sick." This tedious delay from day to day, and the thought of travelling through the negro kingdoms in the rainy

season, which was now fast approaching, made me very melancholy; and having passed a restless night, I found myself attacked in the morning by a sharp fever. I had wrapped myself close up in my cloak to induce perspiration, and had fallen asleep, when a party of Moors entered the hut, and, with their usual rudeness, pulled the cloak from me. I made signs to them that I was sick, and wished much to sleep, but I begged in vain; my distress was matter of sport to them, and they endeavoured to increase it by every means in their power.

The studied and degrading insolence to which I was constantly exposed was one of the bitterest ingredients in the cup of captivity, and often made life itself a burden to me. In these distressing moments I have frequently envied the situation of a slave, who, amidst all his calamities, could still possess the enjoyment of his own thoughts-the happiness to which I had for some time been a stranger. Wearied out with continual insults, and perhaps a little peevish from the fever, I trembled lest my passion might unawares leap the bounds of prudence, and spur me to some sudden act of resentment, when death must be the inevitable consequence. In this perplexity I left my hut, and walked to some shady trees at a little distance from the camp, where I lay down.

But even here persecution followed me, and solitude was thought too great an indulgence for a distressed Christian. Ali's son, with a number of horsemen, came galloping to the place, and ordered me to rise and follow him. I begged they would allow me to remain where I was, if it was only for a few hours; but they paid little attention to what I said, and after a few threatening words, one of them pulled out a pistol