Niger

Mungo loaded his goods and his invalid expedition,
and launched out on the Niger again. Protected
now under Mansong’s name, he came to Sansanding
and met his old friend, the duti of that town, who
had brought him raw eggs to eat ten years before.
He extended an official welcome to Mungo and
provided him with two huts for himself and his
party. Mungo resolved to set up shop and dispose
of his trade goods for the cowrie currency of the
country.
While he made preparations, two more of the
soldiers died. It was October the 2nd. In the
night the wolves came and carried away the corpse
of Garland, one of the soldiers. This was in the
heart of Sansanding, not the wilds of the country.
Mungo noted the event in his diary, and went on
with his preparations to turn himself into a shop¬
keeper.
His mood induced an unusually flippant style.
He records that he opened shop, and c had of
course a great run ’. Sansanding flocked to buy
the cloth and beads and leather goods lugged from
the coast on the backs of sweating porters and
sweating asses. Mungo proved an ideal salesman—
polite, exorbitant, servile and imperturbable. The
Moorish traders of the town were beating up an
agitation against him : he disregarded them coolly,
sweeping up the loads of cowries which customers
brought. With these and canoes
The waters were sinking. It was time to be gone.
Still the promised canoes failed to arrive from
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