About A Mile From This Place I Heard A Loud And Confused Noise
Somewhere To The Right Of My Course, And In A Short Time Was Happy
To Find It Was The Croaking Of Frogs, Which Was Heavenly Music To My
Ears.
I followed the sound, and at daybreak arrived at some shallow
muddy pools, so full of frogs, that it was difficult to discern the
water.
The noise they made frightened my horse, and I was obliged
to keep them quiet, by beating the water with a branch, until he had
drunk. Having here quenched my thirst, I ascended a tree, and the
morning being calm, I soon perceived the smoke of the watering-place
which I had passed in the night, and observed another pillar of
smoke east-south-east, distant twelve or fourteen miles. Towards
this I directed my route, and reached the cultivated ground a little
before eleven o'clock, where, seeing a number of negroes at work
planting corn, I inquired the name of the town, and was informed
that it was a Foulah village belonging to Ali, called Shrilla. I
had now some doubts about entering it; but my horse being very much
fatigued, and the day growing hot - not to mention the pangs of
hunger, which began to assail me - I resolved to venture; and
accordingly rode up to the dooty's house, where I was unfortunately
denied admittance, and could not obtain oven a handful of corn
either for myself or horse. Turning from this inhospitable door, I
rode slowly out of the town, and, perceiving some low, scattered
huts without the walls, I directed my route towards them, knowing
that in Africa, as well as in Europe, hospitality does not always
prefer the highest dwellings.
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