Here Park Ascended A Hill, Which Commanded A Wide Prospect Of
The Course Of The Gambia, Distinguished By A Range Of Dark Green Trees,
Which Fringed Its Banks.
At this place the first disaster of the
expedition occurred.
John Walters, one of the soldiers, fell down in an
epileptic fit, and soon after died. They lay down to rest, apprehensive
of an attack from the natives, each man sleeping with his loaded musket
under his head.
For some days they travelled on a line with the banks of the river; they
then crossed the river Nerico, and on the 20th May, came to Bady, in the
territory of Tenda. The chief of that place behaved with great audacity
and violence; and some of his people having carried off the guide's
horse, and Isaaco demanding it in person, he was seized, flogged, and
detained as a prisoner. His disconsolate wife and child sat, in tears,
under a tree. It would, indeed, have been an easy matter for Park and his
companions to have set fire to the town in resentment for this ill usage,
but this would have brought destruction on the innocent, and might not
have produced the desired effect of the restoration of Isaaco. But they
determined next morning, should other means prove ineffectual, to employ
force. Early in the morning, however, Isaaco was sent back by the chief,
with the lame apology that he had no desire to quarrel with Park, and
merely wished the customary tribute to be paid him.
They went on, nearly along the same way by which Park had returned in
1797, and, having traversed the wilderness of Samarkara, came to a place
which they called Bee's Creek, from a singular accident which befel them
there. No sooner had they unsaddled their asses, and kindled a fire to
cook their supper, than an immense swarm of bees attacked both men and
asses so violently, that they took to flight precipitately in all
directions; while the burning embers set fire to some bamboos, and nearly
consumed the baggage. They, however, succeeded in snatching it up before
the flames reached it; but by this untoward accident, they lost six asses
and one horse, and most of the party were severely stung about the face
and hands.
On the 28th May, Park came to Bamboo, where he was compelled to disburse
presents to a large amount. Thence he sent two letters to England, by the
way of Gambia, - one addressed to his wife, and the other to Sir Joseph
Banks. To the former, he gave a brief account of his journey, and then
adds, "You must not imagine, my dear friend, from this hasty sketch, that
I have neglected astronomical observations. I have observed the latitude
every two or three days, and have observed three eclipses of Jupiter's
satellites, which settle the longitude, by the help of the watch, to the
nearest mile. I find that my former journeys by foot were underrated;
some of them surprise myself when I trace the same road on horseback.
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