Malacotta is an unwalled town; the huts are made of unsplit canes twisted into wicker work, and plastered over with mud.  The inhabitants are active and industrious; they make good soap by boiling ground nuts in water, and adding a lye of wood ashes.  They also manufacture excellent iron, which they exchange in Bondou for salt.

A party of traders brought intelligence to this town of a war between the king of Foota Torra and the king of the Jaloffs, which soon became a favourite subject of conversation in this part of Africa.  Its circumstances were as follow:—­Almami Abdulkader, king of Foota Torra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating the religion of the prophet, sent an ambassador to Damel, king of the Jaloffs, accompanied by two principal bushreens, each bearing a long pole, to the end of which was fixed a large knife.  When admitted into the presence of Damel, the ambassador ordered the bushreens to present the emblems of his mission, which he thus explained:—­“With this knife,” said he, “Abdulkader will condescend to shave the head of Damel, if Damel will embrace the Mahometan faith; and with the other knife, Abdulkader will cut the throat of Damel, if Darnel refuses to embrace it.  Take your choice.”

The king of the Jaloffs having told the ambassador he chose neither of his propositions, civilly dismissed him.  Abdulkader soon after invaded Damel’s dominions with a powerful army.  As he approached, the towns and villages were abandoned, the wells filled up, and their effects carried off by the inhabitants.  He advanced three days into the country of the Jaloffs, without opposition; but his army had suffered so greatly for want of water, that many of his men had died by the way.  This compelled him to march to a watering-place in the woods, where his men, having quenched their thirst, and being overcome with fatigue, lay down among the bushes to sleep.  Thus situated, they were attacked by the forces of Damel in the night, and completely routed.  King Abdulkader himself, with a great number of his followers, being taken prisoners.  The behaviour of the king of the Jaloffs on this occasion we shall relate in Mr. Park’s own words.  “When his royal prisoner was brought before him in irons, and thrown upon the ground, the magnanimous Damel, instead of setting his foot upon his neck, and stabbing him with his spear, according to custom in such cases, addressed him as follows:—­’Abdulkader, answer me this question.  If the chance of war had placed me in your situation, and you in mine, how would you have treated me ?’—­’I would have thrust my spear into your heart,’ returned Abdulkader, with great firmness, ‘and I know that a similar fate awaits me.’—­’Not so,’ said Damel; ’my spear is indeed red with the blood of your subjects killed in battle, and I could now give it a deeper stain, by dipping it in your own; but this would not build up my towns, nor bring to life the thousands, who fell in the woods; I will not, therefore, kill you in cold blood, but I will retain you as my slave, until I perceive that your presence in your own kingdom will be no longer dangerous to your neighbours, and then I will consider of the proper way of disposing of you.’  Abdulkader was accordingly retained, and worked as a slave for three months, at the end of which period, Damel listened to the solicitations of the inhabitants of Foota Torra. and restored to them their king.”