Niger

with the same attitude of respect as he would have
carried before a Selkirk magistrate, informed the
king of his purpose in entering the country and his
desire to pass through it.
King Jatta was an old and kindly man who had
assisted Houghton and appears to have looked on
white men with considerable favour. He told the
young traveller in the blue coat that he had full per¬
mission to pass through Woolli ; and added the
gracious information that he would pray for the
traveller’s safety. Mungo records his graciousness
without apparent reserve. He was a king and
gracious ; that he was also a negro and a savage
did not confuse these facts in the mind of the genteel
young Scot. Hearing of the king’s promised prayer,
one of Mungo’s attendants, probably Demba, burst
into a song—some kind of hymn, Mungo gathered,
for at every pause king and courtiers beat their fore¬
heads with their hands and cried Amen !
These necessary preliminaries satisfactorily con¬
cluded by both Mungo and the blacks, Jatta and
Mungo entered into matters of business. A guide
was promised the latter through the remainder of
Woolli; and Mungo, returning to his lodging, diplo¬
matically despatched to the king an order on Dr.
Laidley for three gallons of rum. Plus the guide,
this order evoked from the benevolent ruler of
Medina a quantity of provisions for Mungo’s
caravan. It was a pleasant city and a pleasant
ruler : only once was Mungo to look upon his like
again.
57