But The Sad Realities Of Suffering And Death Were Soon To Break In On
His Dreams Of Success.
They had now arrived at Julifunda, the chief of which place extorted from
Park goods to the value of two hundred bars, before he would suffer the
party to proceed.
The next day, being his Majesty's birthday, Park
halted, pitched one of the tents, and purchased a bullock and a calf for
the soldiers, who were drawn up in the afternoon, and fired a salute.
They made this as much a day of festivity as circumstances would admit
of, though they were under the necessity of drinking the king's health in
_water_, in the absence of any more stimulating and genial fluid. At
Baniserile, a Mahometan town, they met with a most hospitable reception
from the chief man, Fodi Braheima, to whom Park presented a copy of the
New Testament, in Arabic. On the 6th June, one of the carpenters, who had
been sick of the dysentery ever since they had crossed the Nerico, became
very ill. On the 7th the sick man was so ill that he had to be mounted on
an ass, which was driven forward by two soldiers; next day he threw
himself from the beast, and expressed a wish to be left alone to die, and
could only be held on by force. About noon they arrived at Medina, and
halted upon the banks of the Faleme, which the rain had discoloured, but
little increased in volume.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 433 of 546
Words from 117761 to 118010
of 148366
