was to the lady, she found it a difficult matter to make up her
mind, and requested time for consideration; but I think I could
perceive that first love would carry the day. Lemina was indeed
somewhat older than his rival, but he was also much richer. What
weight this circumstance had in the scale of his wife's affections I
pretend not to say.

On the morning of the 26th, as we departed from Tambacunda, Karfa
observed to me that there were no shea-trees farther to the westward
than this town. I had collected and brought with me from Manding
the leaves and flowers of this tree, but they were so greatly
bruised on the road that I thought it best to gather another
specimen at this place. The appearance of the fruit evidently
places the shea-tree in the natural order of Sapotae, and it has
some resemblance to the mudhuca tree described by Lieutenant Charles
Hamilton in the "Asiatic Researches," vol. i., p. 300.

About one o'clock on the morning of the 26th we reached Sibikillin,
a walled village; but the inhabitants having the character of
inhospitality towards strangers, and of being much addicted to
theft, we did not think proper to enter the gate. We rested a short
time under a tree, and then continued our route until it was dark,
when we halted for the night by a small stream running towards the
Gambia. Next day the road led over a wild and rocky country,
everywhere rising into hills and abounding with monkeys and wild
beasts. In the rivulets among the hills we found great plenty of
fish. This was a very hard day's journey; and it was not until
sunset that we reached the village of Koomboo, near to which are the
ruins of a large town formerly destroyed by war. The inhabitants of
Koomboo, like those of Sibikillin, have so bad a reputation that