Niger

and in authority. Jillifree lay in the ‘ kingdom ’ of
Barra, and the Emir of that indefinite territory laid
a duty of £20 or so on every vessel that sought his
harbours. Chattering, grinning wide-lipped, and
quite disregardful of the cool observant gaze of
Mungo, the servants of the chief magistrate of
Jillifree—el caid, or ‘ the Alkaid ’ as Mungo somewhat
stutteringly dubs him—swarmed on board the En¬
deavour. Maize, cotton cloth, elephants’ teeth and
gold dust Mungo saw or heard were brought down
the rivers to Jillifree to trade with Europeans. It was
a thriving and busy place, with a seemly hustle of
which Mungo approved.
He does not tell us if he landed there, but that is
the probability, making notes and edging a cautious
courteous way through the bazaars, considering the
shape of the natives’ skulls, the tonation of their
voices, the appearance of their earrings, and their
habits in coition. Such of these observations as
were seemly and exploratory Mungo committed to
paper, regained the Endeavour, took to the smell
and cockroaches of his bunk (but probably noted
neither), and on the 23rd saw Jillifree hull-down to
the north.
They passed up the river to the southern side and
so up a creek which can still be identified, bright
with rotting mangroves, to the town of Vintain.
Vintain was the chief trading station for Europeans,
and an important port of call for Captain Richard
Wyatt, in search of beeswax.
Here, disregarding the town, its buildings, appear-
39