In the middle of December, Karfa, who proposed to complete his purchase of slaves, departed for Kancaba, a large town on the banks of the Niger, and a great slave market.  It was his intention to return in a month, and during his absence left Mr. Park to the care of a good old bushreen, who was schoolmaster at Kamalia.  The name of this schoolmaster was Fankooma, and although a Mahometan, was not intolerant in his principles.  He read much, and took great pleasure in professional efforts.  His school contained seventeen boys, mostly of pagan parents, and two girls.  The girls were taught by daylight, but the boys were instructed before the dawn and late in the evening; by being considered, while pupils, as the domestic slaves of the master, they were employed by him during the day in various avocations.  Emulation is encouraged by their tutor to stimulate his scholars.  When the pupil has read through the Koran, and learned a certain number of public prayers, he undergoes an examination by the bushreens, who, when satisfied with his learning and abilities, desire him to read the last page of the Koran.  This being done, the boy presses the paper to his forehead, and pronounces the word Amen; upon which the bushreens rise, shake him by the hand, and bestow upon him the title of bushreen.  The parents then redeem their son, by giving his master the value of a slave; but if they cannot afford it, the boy continues the slave of the schoolmaster, until he ransoms himself by his own industry.

On the 24th January, Karfa returned to Kamalia, with thirteen prime slaves, whom he had purchased.  He also brought a young girl for his fourth wife, whom he had married at Kancaba.  She was kindly received by her colleagues, who had swept and whitewashed one of the best huts for her accommodation.

On the day after his arrival, Karfa having observed that Mr. Park’s clothes were become very ragged, presented him with a garment and trousers, the usual dress of the country.

Karfa’s slaves were all prisoners of war, who had been taken by the Bambarran army.  Some of them had been kept three years at Sego in irons, whence they were sent with other captives up the Niger to Yamina, Bammakoo and Kancaba, where they were sold for gold dust.  Eleven of them confessed that they had been slaves from their birth, but the other two refused to give any account of themselves to Mr. Park, whom they at first regarded with looks of horror, and repeatedly asked if his countrymen were cannibals.  They were very desirous to know what became of the slaves after they had crossed the salt water.  Mr. Park told them that they were employed in cultivating the land, but they would not believe him:  and one of them putting his hand upon the ground, said with great simplicity, “Have you really got such ground as this to set your feet upon?”