The King of Sego was at war with the Massina Foulahs when Mr. Dochard entered his country, and as his enemies were a powerful people, he was unwilling to admit of our nearer approach, until, as he said, they should either be defeated, or yield to terms of peace which he should dictate to them. That Mr. Dochard’s delay might have been caused by such a disposition, is not at all impossible, but it is nevertheless evident, that the very great distance he ordered the removal of Mr. Dochard, pending these negociations, affords room for supposing that he was actuated by other motives than those which he had previously assigned, namely, a superstitious fear of the too near approach of a person who was supposed to possess supernatural powers, and likely to become a troublesome neighbour. That the general persuasion throughout the country of Bambarra, and particularly at Sego, was of this nature, has been already proved by Mr. Park, to whose appearance there the death of Mausong himself, and of other great personages immediately after his passage through, was industriously attributed by the Mahomedans. A second opportunity was afforded to their malice against us, and their hatred of our faith, upon the occasion of the subsequent death of some of Dha’s chief men, particularly the governor of Bamakoo, who died suddenly a few days after Mr. Dochard’s arrival at that town. The existence of slavery as connected with the endeavours of England to abolish it, tends in a material degree to awaken the jealousy of the native chiefs, who, in common with the Moorish and Negro traders, derived, and are still deriving, a very lucrative income from that abominable traffic, which they designate by the softened appellation of a lawful branch of commerce. In order to give an adequate idea to my readers of the profits attending this trade in human flesh, it will be necessary for me to state a few particulars. I have already stated in page 326, that in order to save from the fate which I had good reason to know awaited my baggage at Moonia, I had released from slavery a Bondoo woman and her child, with the intention of restoring them to their family, and had paid for each of them a larger sum in merchandize than is generally considered the ransom of a slave taken in war, but in reality amounting to a mere trifle when put in competition with the liberty of a fellow-creature, as will appear by the following statement:— ARTICLES PAID FOR THE WOMAN AND HER CHILD. Value in England. 3 pieces of blue India equal in Kaarta each to 40 baft 75s. bars, of the nominal value of 1s. 6d. ea. 120 30 lbs. trade gunpowder 30s. of the same bars 300 1000 common flints 12s. 10 one bar 100