AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE

OF THE LOSS OF THE

AMERICAN BRIG COMMERCE,

WRECKED ON THE WESTERN COAST OF AFRICA, IN THE MONTH OF
AUGUST, 1815.

WITH

AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUFFERINGS

OF HER

SURVIVING OFFICERS AND CREW,

WHO WERE ENSLAVED BY THE WANDERING ARABS ON THE GREAT

AFRICAN DESART, OR ZAHAHRAH;

AND

OBSERVATIONS HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, &c.

MADE DURING THE TRAVELS OF THE AUTHOR, WHILE A SLAVE TO

THE ARABS, AND IN THE EMPIRE OF MOROCCO.

BY JAMES RILEY,

LATE MASTER AND SUPERCARGO.

Preceded by a brief sketch of the Author's life; and concluded by a description of the famous city
of Tembuctoo, on the river Niger, and of another large city, far south of it, on the same river,
called Wassanah; narrated to the Author at Mogadore, by Sidi Hamet, the Arabian merchant.

WITH AN ARABIC AND ENGLISH VOCABULARY.

ILLUSTRATED AND EMBELLISHED WITH TEN HANDSOME
COPPERPLATE ENGRAVINGS.

HARTFORD;

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR.

1817.