night being very dark they soon lost sight of the coffle. The
freeman, as soon as he found himself alone with the slaves was aware
of his own danger, and insisted on putting them in irons. The
slaves were at first rather unwilling to submit, but when he
threatened to stab them one by one with his spear, they made no
farther resistance; and he remained with them among the bushes until
morning, when he let them out of irons, and came to the town in
hopes of hearing which route the coffle had taken. The information
that we received concerning the Jallonkas who intended to rob the
coffle was this day confirmed, and we were forced to remain here
until the afternoon of the 30th, when Karfa hired a number of people
to protect us, and we proceeded to a village called Tinkingtang.
Departing from this village on the day following, we crossed a high
ridge of mountains to the west of the Black River, and travelled
over a rough stony country until sunset, when we arrived at
Lingicotta, a small village in the district of Woradoo. Here we
shook out the last handful of meal from our dry provision-bags, this
being the second day, since we crossed the Black River, that we had
travelled from morning until night without tasting one morsel of
food.

May 2.--We departed from Lingicotta; but the slaves being very much
fatigued, we halted for the night at a village about nine miles to
the westward, and procured some provisions through the interest of
the schoolmaster, who now sent forward a messenger to Malacotta, his
native town, to inform his friends of his arrival in the country,
and to desire them to provide the necessary quantity of victuals to
entertain the coffle for two or three days.

May 3.--We set out for Malacotta, and about noon arrived at a