Here Mr.Park lodged at the house of a Serawoolli negro, and was visited by a number of Moors, who treated him with great civility.

A slave-merchant, who had resided many years on the Gambia, gave Mr.Park an imperfect account of the distance to that river, but told him the road was impassable at that season of the year, and added, that it crossed the Joliba at about half a day's journey westward of Bammakoo; and as there were not any canoes large enough to receive his horse, he could not possibly get him over for some months to come.

Mr.Park consulted with his landlord how to surmount this difficulty, who informed him that one road which was very rocky, and scarcely passable for horses, still remained, but if he procured a proper guide over the hills to a town called Sibidooloo, he had no doubt but he might travel forwards through Manding.

Being informed that a _jilli-kea_, or singing-man, was about to depart for Sibidooloo, Mr.Park set out in company with him; but when they had proceeded up a rocky glen about two miles, the singing-man discovered that he had brought him the wrong road, as the horse-road lay on the other side of the hill.

He then threw his drum upon his back, and mounted up the rocks, where, indeed, no horse could follow him, leaving Mr.Park to admire his agility, and trace out a road for himself.
Mr.Park rode back to the level ground, and following a path, on which he observed the marks of horses' feet, came to some shepherds' huts, where he was informed that he was on the right road to Sibidooloo.