280 TRAVELS IN AFRICA.

same direction until we came to the river, along the north bank of which we continued our march through deserted and ruined towns until three p.m., when we reached Goosela, a small walled town of Gidumagh, at which we halted for the night.

Goosela is one of a few Gidumagh towns which remain on the north bank of the Senegal, tributary to the Kaartans and Moors, and which makes itself very evident in the miserably wretched and poverty struck appearance of the inhabitants, whose numbers do not exceed one hundred and fifty. It is situate on an elevated spot about 500 yards from the river.

A march of two hours along the banks of the river brought us opposite Fort St. Joseph, on the morning of the 19th, at eight o'clock, when canoes having been provided by Samba Congole, we crossed without delay, and found our baggage safely deposited in a square mud building in his yard, where I was myself accommodated with quarters.

My first object was to despatch a messenger to Modiba, requesting that one of his confidential servants might be sent without delay to conduct us into that country. One of Samba's brothers was selected for that service, and proceeded on the 1st of December with directions from Samba to make as little delay as possible.