Chapter XVII

Dwarf cotton. — Coloni. — The Iolas, a Foulah tribe. — Bancousso. — Carabara. — Marshes. — Ropes made of the hibiscus. — Brick-making. — Construction of houses. — Kerina. — Foudouca. — Medina. — Lotus bread. — Touma-dioman. — Manianan. — Arrival at Galia on the banks of the Dhioliba, opposite to Jenné.

On the 17th of February, at six o’clock in the morning, we proceeded northward. The caravan, intimidated by the reports of the war with Ségo, and being in the neighbourhood of that town, put itself on the defensive. At a little distance from the village we halted, to put ourselves in order. The men carrying loads, who were all armed with bows and arrows, were divided into two bodies, and between them the women were placed; while the old merchants, and the chiefs of the caravan, driving their asses, brought up the rear. I seated myself to see them pass, which occupied at least a quarter of an hour. The order of our march was well observed, and had an imposing effect. When we wished to rest, the advanced guard halted with the women. The rear went forward to a certain distance, and then rested in its turn, till those who had stopped first should come up. The old men with the asses being now in the van halted till the whole caravan had passed, and resumed their usual place in the rear. We proceeded four miles N.N.E. on a soil similar to that which we passed over on the previous day. About eleven o’clock we stopped at Saraclé, a little walled village, having a very well supplied market. At the entrance of the village I observed a well: the soil in which it was dug, consisted of greyish earth, mixed with sand and gravel. The well was from fifteen to eighteen feet in depth, and the water it contained clear and pleasant to the taste. It had no enclosure, and near it was a great hole, forming a pond, into which the negresses throw the water in which they wash their clothes. Although this water was very dirty, both men and women washed their faces in it every morning; and many persons belonging to our company followed their example. In the neighbourhood of Saraclé there are some mimosas, and a great quantity of cés and nédés. Many traders from Ségo, and other adjacent places, attended the market. From some of these people I learned that the capital of Bambara was four days’ journey N.N.W. of Saraclé. I sold in the market some glass wares, and some pieces of coloured calico, between eighteen and twenty inches long and four broad, for three hundred cowries each, (equal to one franc and fifty centimes). The women rolled these pieces of cloth round their heads, drawing them rather forward upon the brow. They wear no other kind of head-dress.

On the 18th of February, as we were preparing to depart, one of old Kai-mou’s men laid hold of my baggage with a disdainful air, and threw it on one side, telling me in a very uncivil tone that henceforth I must carry it myself. I paid no attention to this impertinence, and turned my head another way, having nothing to do with the man, though I could plainly perceive that his intention was to insult me. During all the time I was among the Mandingoes I never saw a man so insolent as this: he was full of self-sufficiency, and often insulted the Bambaras whilst selling his merchandise to them. He despised them, and considered himself their superior. He met with one, however, who, instead of giving way to him, shook his fist in his face, and threatened to punish him for his insolence. Our braggadocio who, like all cowards, was brave only when he believed himself the stronger, was silent immediately, and even appeared somewhat frightened. The dispute drew together a numerous crowd of Bambaras, and might perhaps have led to serious consequences. At the moment of our departure Kai-mou gave orders for arranging the loads, and the man who used to carry my bag placed it amongst his baggage. I knew very well that all this was occasioned by a little misunderstanding which had occurred at Wattouro between me and my old guide, and which arose out of the following circumstance. Being in the market I bought some rice for twenty cowries; I asked my guide, who had likewise purchased a similar quantity, to put our shares together. He declined this, assigning some reason which I could not comprehend. I perceived that he spoke in an authoritative tone, and I answered him in the same manner. He was several days without speaking to me, and even cherished a sort of animosity against me.

At six o’clock in the morning, we proceeded N.E. over a very level sandy soil. The country was very open, but I saw here and there some cés, nédés, mimosas, and _rhamnus lotus_. The caravan advanced in the same order as on the preceding day. The heat, which was greater than usual, became overpowering. After proceeding four miles we halted at the village of Bamba, which is shaded by baobabs. At the market I observed that the women wore glass rings in the nose; and some had these ornaments made of gold or copper. This village contains from three to four hundred inhabitants. I was assured that, after travelling N.W. three days longer, we should see the Dhioliba, and that the fourth day would bring us to Ségo.

In the evening we were harassed by parties of female singers, who, by dint of importunity, extort money from travellers. Old Kai-mou gave them two colats to get rid of them. Afterwards, perceiving me in a corner, they came to me; but, as I had nothing to give them, I left the room, at which they did not seem well pleased. These itinerant singers are followed by a number of well dressed girls, each of whom carries a little calabash to receive what may be given, whilst the concert is going on. Shortly afterwards we were attacked by another set of beggars, who sing prayers from the Koran in a loud voice. These singers stood at the doors, and the people gave them some colat nuts.

At six o’clock in the morning of the 19th of February, we proceeded in a N.E. direction. We travelled three miles through a very open country, the soil being similar to that which I had observed for several preceding days. I saw many fields of cotton of a very small species. On the road, a poor woman carrying a heavy load was taken in labour and delivered in a cotton field. We went forward, leaving the poor creature in the care of two females. Next morning I was much surprised to see her following the caravan, with an empty calabash on her head. Her countenance had undergone a change.

We halted at Sanso, where we passed the remainder of the day. In the environs of this village were many plantations of cotton, of a kind which I had not before seen, either on the banks of the Senegal or in the neighbourhood of Sierra-Leone. It does not grow higher than five or six inches above the ground. It has very few branches, and the plant has the same appearance as the large cotton. The wool which it produces is of inferior quality, very short, and not of a good white. I likewise saw here a cotton plant which grows to the height of four or five feet. Dwarf cotton is cultivated at some distance from the village. It is very abundant, and is sown at random among the millet as in Wassoulo. This cotton is annual. A great deal of it is sold to the women belonging to the caravans which are continually passing through the country. The inhabitants also make with it a narrow cloth, which is manufactured throughout all the interior; for, in proportion as I advanced towards the banks of the Dhioliba, I perceived a great change in the industry of the natives. Here they are much better clothed; they apply themselves to trade, their markets are better supplied and their agricultural operations are more carefully performed. All sorts of provisions are dear here: indeed it is frequently difficult to procure them at all, owing to the great number of strangers passing this way. In this part of Bambara the only kind of grain is large and small millet. Rice grows in very small quantities. Yams which are so useful in the south, are here small and so inferior in quality that they are very little cultivated, In the market I sometimes saw a dozen at most. They were extremely dear. Travellers buy them and roast them in the ashes to eat at their departure in the morning on the road, when they rest. The environs of Sanso are wooded with cés and nédés. The butter extracted from the cé, is sold at Jenné to the caravans which pass through the village. The greater part of the inhabitants have nothing to burn but millet stubble, for wood is so scarce that those who have it prefer selling it in the market.

At six o’clock in the morning of the 20th of February we set out proceeding in a N.E. direction for six miles, through a level, open country, the soil consisting of hard grey sand. I saw a few _naucleas_ and nédés. The heat, already very powerful, was increased by a burning wind from the east. About eleven we halted at Saga, a very pretty village, shaded by bombaces. I now found myself less an object of curiosity than hitherto. Every one took me for a Moor. My beautiful coloured cloth and my glass wares wholly occupied the attention of my companions. Throughout all this country the costume is nearly the same as in the south, except that it is neater. The women likewise wear their hair platted; they may be compared with the Mandingo women of Timé and Tangrera, but not with the Bambara females who wear scarcely any clothing. They have also rings at the nose such as I have before described.

On the 21st of February, at six o’clock in the morning, we took a N.E. direction, and proceeded five miles and a half, the caravan still observing the same order as before. The soil was similar to that we had passed over for several preceding days, except that it was a little more gravelly. The surrounding country is well cropped with millet, and I observed some _rhamnus lotus_. At ten in the morning we arrived at Coloni, a little village situated in a beautiful, fertile and well cultivated plain, surrounded by a great number of large bombaces. On my arrival, I seated myself on the ground in the shade of a tree under which there were some female traders, from whom I bought some boiled pistachios for my breakfast, to which I added some cakes. While I was taking my frugal repast, I was accosted by a Foulah of Massina, whom I had seen at Sanasso. He seated himself beside me on the ground, and several of his comrades soon followed his example. This negro already knew all about me, and he related my history to the rest. He told them that I was a sherif, and that I had come from amongst christians, for whom they testified the greatest aversion. After annoying me by their teazing questions, they advised me, when I arrived at Jenné, to visit Ségo Ahmadou, who would certainly give me some handsome presents and a guide to conduct me to my native country. All these Foulahs were settled at Coloni, and were natives of Massina, a country situated a little to the north of Jenné. The village of Coloni is the first of those of which Ségo Ahmadou is chief, and it forms part of the little kingdom of Jenné. This country was conquered from the Bambaras by the Foulahs. Ségo Ahmadou has erected mosques here. The Bambaras, who do not profess the Mahometan religion, pay a small tribute to the chief: there are many Mandingoes settled in this country, where they are usually called _Iaulas_, _Diaulas_, or _Iolas_; they are the principal traders. The Foulahs who inhabit this country follow no occupation but the duties of religion; they have numerous slaves, who cultivate the land, and provide for the wants of their masters. These Foulahs wear the same dress as those of the Fouta-Dhialon; they are also as clean as the latter, and resemble them in hair, complexion, and features; they are tall and well made men, and have rather a dignified deportment; they speak both the language of Fouta and that of the Mandingoes: they are all armed with three or four lances, which they hold in one hand; these lances are fixed on slender shafts about five feet long. The village of Coloni, which is surrounded by two mud walls, contains a population of about four hundred, consisting of Foulahs, Bambaras, and Mandingoes: it is shaded by large mimosas and some bombaces. We were lodged in a hut belonging to my acquaintance, the Foulah, who came to see me very often; he was almost always accompanied by some of his friends, who gave me colat-nuts, of which these people appear to be exceedingly fond. As to my host, during his frequent visits, he overwhelmed me with questions, but made me no present: he asked me whether I had any gold to sell; for he supposed that as I had come from Bouré, where it was very abundant, I must have some. Though I assured him that I was poor and had no money, yet he constantly repeated the same inquiry. In the evening, a man of our caravan bought a kid, by way of speculation. He divided it into small portions, which he sold among his comrades for eighty cowries each. I bought one of the pieces, having fared very badly for several days past. I had it cooked for supper, sharing it with my guide and some of his people. The room in which we were to pass the night was so dreadfully smoky that I determined to sleep in the court. I had caught such a cold that I could not sleep; my continued cough affected my lungs and brought on a spitting of blood.

On the 22nd of February, as we were preparing to depart, I had to encounter a repetition of the scene which had taken place at Saraclé. The same negro had the insolence to throw my leather bag down at the door, telling me that I must take it on my own head, for the man who had hitherto carried it was ill. I took no notice of him and went away, though, owing to his insolence on several former occasions, I had been obliged to exercise great self-command to refrain from replying to him. I stopped for a moment to buy some maumies for my breakfast, for I understood that we should have a long journey before we made a halt. I saw all the people of the caravan ranging themselves in order, with their loads on their heads, and my luggage still continued lying on the ground. As my guide had not reproved the insolence of the negro, I thought he did not wish to take charge of my things, and, taking a mat and some trifles which I had given to a negress to carry, I determined to stay in the village, and change my guide. The old man, with the ass, who had not yet set out, told me that I was wrong to take the things from the woman, who was already somewhat in advance, and, that I should have taken no notice of what the negro said. He observed that he was the only master there, and that as the man who had hitherto carried my luggage, had really some ailment in his neck, he would put my bag on the back of his own ass. He added, that if he had intended me to carry it, he would have told me so himself. However, I am fully persuaded that had he seen me inclined to carry it he would willingly have allowed me to do so, for his ass was already sufficiently loaded. I declared that if I again experienced such treatment, I would change my guide; for, paying as I did, I might find one any where. I had made him a present of a piece of coloured calico and some paper, and I was to pay him for his services on arriving at Jenné. I complained that he had not repressed the insolence of his slave. He appeared much out of humour, and having with a very ill grace put my luggage on the back of the ass, we continued our journey. I followed him, carrying the mat on which I slept, an earthen vessel, and my umbrella; when we rejoined our party, some of the women relieved me from this little burden. Several Foulahs of Coloni escorted me to a little distance from the village, and, at parting, they begged me to give them my blessing. One of them put his hand in mine, and the others in succession did the same. I muttered a few verses of the Koran, and to make an end of the ceremony, I blew upon their hands, which they rubbed over their faces, devoutly exclaiming, _Alam-doul-illahi_, and went away satisfied.

We had now come up to the caravan, which had stopped for a short time to range itself in the order which had been observed on several preceding days. We proceeded five miles eastward over a good road. The country was better wooded than that through which we had passed the day before, and was in many places covered with stubble. The soil consisted of firm sand. We crossed a stream, which delayed us a considerable time. Both men and women threw off their clothes and forded it, the water being up to their waists. Those who had no loads to carry crossed it by a tottering bridge, consisting of a row of perpendicular poles planted in the bed of the stream, to which other poles were negligently tied in a transverse direction. The negroes stepped upon these transverse poles, and held by the upright ones: they every moment ran the risk of falling into the water; however, we all got across without accident. The banks of this stream are well wooded. We continued our course five miles to the S.E. over a sandy soil, the surface of which was covered with gravel. The excessive heat rendered our journey very fatiguing. About eleven in the morning we arrived at Bancousso, a large village containing a population of five or six hundred, and situated in a well cultivated plain, shaded by baobabs. This village has a large market, well supplied with the productions of the country; I saw in it a great quantity of cloth, and earthen pots, which are made here.

At six o’clock in the morning of the 23rd of February, we advanced six miles to the N.E. We crossed a stream which was nearly dry, and then continued seven miles further in the same direction. The soil, which is level, is composed of grey sand, and in some places of red earth mixed with gravel. The country was open, and I saw but very few nédés and cés. We were greatly oppressed by the heat, and unfortunately found very little water on the road. About two in the afternoon we arrived at Gniapé, excessively thirsty and fatigued. The environs of this village are tolerably well cultivated. Old Kai-mou, my guide, had a serious quarrel with one of his wives: he threatened to strike her; she imprudently dared him to do so; and the old man, in a fit of rage, beat her unmercifully. The poor creature took up a stick to defend herself, but fortunately some Mandingoes of the caravan, hearing the noise, came and interfered. The woman, being prevented from taking her revenge, had recourse to tears, and, in the violence of her passion, struck her own bosom. This was the only time I ever saw among these people a wife presume to resist her husband. The animosity was long kept up between the parties, and they did not even speak to each other; at length, after the lapse of three or four days, a Mandingo negro endeavoured to effect a reconciliation; what he said, certainly had some influence, for he succeeded in restoring peace between the husband and wife. The woman was obliged to confess that she was in the wrong, for the husband would never have yielded. To ratify the peace, Kai-mou broke a colat-nut, half of which he gave to his wife, and he ate the other half himself. From that moment they were friends. The women of these countries easily forget this kind of treatment, to which they are accustomed.

At six o’clock in the morning of the 24th of February, we directed our course to E.N.E., and proceeded three miles across a country similar to that through which we passed the day before. We met a caravan of Mandingo traders coming from Jenné, and halted, at eight in the evening, at Couriban-Sanso.

On the 25th of February, we started at sun-rise, travelling eight miles E.N.E. The soil continued unvaried, and the country very open. At ten o’clock in the morning we reached a small neat village, called Kimpana, where we passed the remainder of the day and the succeeding night.

On the 26th of February, at six in the morning, we again resumed our journey, proceeding six miles N.E., over a fine gravelly soil. I observed several specimens of the _rhamnus lotus_, and various other trees, of which I did not know the names. At ten o’clock we halted at Carabara, a village containing five or six hundred inhabitants. A great market is held here. The wells, which are without the boundaries of the village, are twelve or fourteen feet deep, and contain very good water.

On the 27th of February, we advanced six miles to N.N.W. The ground was covered with fine gravel; cés and nédés were becoming less frequent, but I observed some bombaces and mimosas. It was near eleven o’clock when we halted at the village of Nenesso, the environs of which are well cropped with millet and cotton, and I saw also some baobabs.

At ten in the morning of the 28th February, we resumed our course N.N.W., and advanced four miles over a sandy and well cultivated soil, in which grow many large baobabs. We halted at Nomou, a village situated in a beautiful open plain, where I saw some fine plantations of cotton and tobacco; the latter had long pointed leaves, and, if properly prepared, it would, no doubt, be as good as ours. The people take great pains in cultivating it. They first sow the seed in beds, and when the plant has attained a certain growth, they transplant it; for this purpose they prepare the ground by two diggings, and dividing it into little squares, the plants of tobacco are there placed at the distance of eighteen inches asunder; they are watered twice a day, there being wells for that purpose near the plantations. The leaves of the tobacco are not gathered until the plant is in seed, as the practice of topping is not understood here. There is a great consumption of tobacco; for the people take snuff and smoke very much: smoking is indeed the only recreation of the old men; their pipes are of the same size and form as those used in the Wassoulo. They take snuff with a small brush or hair pencil. The dress, customs, and manners of the people in this part of the country vary but little.

At six o’clock on the morning of the 29th of February we directed our course to N.E. and advanced three miles through an open country, similar to that which we had seen the day before. We halted at Tamero. While I was in the market purchasing some cakes, a woman, tolerably well dressed, accosted me, and taking me for an Arab, requested me to go and see a Moor who was ill in the village. I followed her, and found the sick man, sitting under the shade of a bombax, employed in killing the vermin with which he was tormented. He seemed very poor, being no better clothed than myself, and he had a sore on his foot which prevented him from walking. He invited me to sit down by him, and then asked me whence I came. He was astonished when I told him that Alexandria was my country: he said he had heard of it, but that it was a great way off. He told me that he was a native of Tafilet, whither he wished to return, but that he was prevented from so doing by his inability to walk. He lived with a good Mahometan negro, who supplied him with food out of mere charity. The miserable condition of this poor creature excited my pity, and I gave him a few glass beads. On returning home I told my guide that I had seen a Moor who knew my country; Kai-mou seemed much pleased at this and appeared more cheerful than usual.

At the market I saw some good dried fish, which I bought for supper, and my travelling companions partook of it. The village of Tamero is, like all the others, composed of several walled inclosures. It is shaded by baobabs, and contains a population of about three or four hundred. The fruit and leaves of the baobab are carefully gathered and the inhabitants carry on a great trade in them.

On the 1st of March, we set out at six in the morning, and travelled five miles N.N.E. Shortly after leaving the village we crossed a large inundated marsh, being up to our waists in water. This marsh is frequented by numbers of aquatic birds, as the pelican, the egret, the trumpet-bird, the marabou, the puffin, the Barbary duck, the teal, and various other species, which I could not distinguish. The natives do not shoot these birds, gunpowder being with them a very scarce article. Having crossed the marsh, we passed over a tract, the soil of which was composed of a kind of loose sand. Here I observed tamarind-trees and samps in abundance, as well as the _rhamnus lotus_, the cé, the nédé, and the baobab.

About nine in the morning we halted at Syenso, where some of the inhabitants were engaged in storing the fruit of the baobab. For this purpose they break the shell with a large piece of wood, and then take out the pulp, which, after being thoroughly dried in the sun, they slightly pound to extract the fecula, which is much esteemed in this country. The people put it into their sauces and use it as a substitute for honey in preparing their dokhnou. At Syenso ropes are made of the _hibiscus cannibinus_, or hemp, discovered at Gambia by a Frenchman named Baudery, and which is also used on the Senegal. No machinery is employed in making these ropes; they are merely twisted by hand, consequently they are not very strong, especially as the hemp, which is not wetted before it is used, is gathered when very dry. I bought two of these ropes, which were about six yards long and an inch thick: I paid for each fifteen cowries, (equivalent to a sou and a half.) I met with a man from Jenné, who was very kind and civil to me. On my complaining of fatigue, he advised me to be patient, as we had not far to go before we should reach Jenné.

At six in the morning of the 2nd of March, we left Syenso, and advanced between north and east the distance of seven miles. A little beyond the village we crossed a marsh, in which the water was knee-deep. The surrounding country is covered with rich pasturage. About eleven we stopped at Somou, a village situated in an open and well cultivated plain. I was astonished at the great quantity of fish which I saw in the market; I bought some for supper and found it very good. I also purchased some lotus bread, which had a very pleasant taste: it was rather acid and in colour resembled gingerbread. It was made of the fruit of the _rhamnus lotus_, mentioned by Mungo Park. There were in the market some women selling millet stubble, which is used for fuel on account of the scarcity of wood. I also saw a small quantity of sulphur in sticks; it is brought from the markets of Jenné, Ségo, Sansanding, and Yamina, but I know not what use is made of it here. All the villages on this road, from Oulasso to Jenné, are built of bricks baked in the sun. These bricks, which are a foot long, eight inches broad and a foot thick, are made without the aid of a mould. The earth, being mixed to a proper consistence, is spread upon the ground, and when half dry it is shaped into the form of bricks, which are laid in the sun, and turned from side to side until sufficiently baked. The houses, or rather huts, are eight or nine feet high, twelve or fourteen long, and eight wide. The walls are eighteen inches thick and rudely built, the bricks being not even cemented together. They have all flat roofs, which are supported by thick posts, placed within at suitable distances from each other, and similar posts are erected for the same purpose in the middle of the room. The whole is so badly constructed that the wall cannot for any length of time support the roof, which is very heavy, and consists of untrimmed branches of trees covered with earth. The huts have in general but one door and no chimney, and when fires are kindled in them, which is the case every evening, the smoke is unbearable. For my part I always preferred sleeping in the open air. These huts are entered by door-ways about five feet high and of the usual width, and they are closed by very weak and ill joined straw doors. Each inhabitant has several of these houses, and in his court-yard a little round store-house, made of earth and thatched with straw, in which provisions are kept. The villages in this part of the country are very dull and far from being so cheerful as those further southward. I was no longer amused by witnessing the dancing and merrimaking of the people.

On the 3rd of March, at sun-rise, we set out and proceeded five miles north-east. When we had advanced a mile and a half from Somou, we crossed a great marsh, where the water was knee-deep. In this marsh there are many fish and aquatic birds. In the direction of N.W. it forms a great lake and in the S.E. it is filled with high grass and weeds. We went seven miles further N.N.E. The soil, consisting of hard sand, was level and open. About noon, we arrived, much fatigued, at Kinana, a village containing about two hundred inhabitants, and surrounded by an infinite multitude of ronniers.

On the 4th of March, at ten in the morning, after proceeding two miles N.N.E. we turned to E.N.E., then again to N.N.E. having travelled altogether about ten miles. The aspect of the country was barren, being covered with volcanic stones and red gravel. About eleven o’clock we reached Kirina, a village surrounded by bombaces and baobabs, containing a population of about five or six hundred. The inhabitants are, for the most part, rope-makers. They sell their ropes to the caravans which pass through the country, and also take them to Jenné. They are used in making the canoes employed in the passage to Timbuctoo. Some of these ropes are made of hemp; but most of them of the bark of trees and of the leaves of the ronnier. Some clasp-knives were offered us for sale. They were tolerably well made, and it was the first time that I had seen any such articles in the interior. They were not of European manufacture; I presume therefore that they had been brought from Tafilet.

There were in the village some wells, twelve or thirteen feet deep: the soil in which they were dug was full of gravel and small pebbles. They contained good clear water.

On the fifth of March, at six in the morning, we left the village of Kirina, and advanced four miles N.E. over the same sort of soil as on the preceding day. We halted at Foudouca, another village, shaded by nédés and baobabs. Here we found provisions very dear. Foudouca contains about five or six hundred inhabitants, which is the average amount of the population of all the villages as far as Jenné. They are, as I have already mentioned, walled, though sometimes only partially; a village being occasionally composed of four or five little enclosures, in each of which reside several families. The wells are usually seven or eight feet deep.

At sun-rise on the 6th of March, we again set out and advanced six miles, first to N.E. and then to N.W. The soil still continued the same; but the country was more open than it had previously been. I saw many millet fields, which had been cultivated in the rainy season. Some of the stubble yet remained on the ground. About eleven in the forenoon we halted at Medina, the environs of which are well cultivated. The market is small, but well supplied. I saw in it some very fine fish both fresh and dry. The fresh fish, I was told, had been caught in the Dhioliba. It was about two feet and a half long and one in circumference. It had no scales, and the head was rather long. This fish had only one large bone and no small ones. I bought a piece for my supper and found it excellent. There is no better fish in Europe. I also saw in the market a great deal of lotus bread. It had a somewhat saccharine and acid taste, owing to the fruit being gathered before it is ripe. It is very common in this part of the Soudan. The inhabitants sell it at Jenné, whence it is conveyed to Timbuctoo.

At six in the morning of the 7th of March, we pursued a N.E. direction. The soil continued the same as it had been for several preceding days; I saw however some naucleas. At ten in the morning we halted at Counignan, a village situated in a plain covered with gravel, which, nevertheless, is cultivated in the rainy season. As far as the eye can reach, nothing is to be seen but bushes at considerable distances from each other. Near the village there are some ronniers and bombaces. In the market, which is well supplied with necessaries, I saw some butchers. They skewer together bits of beef and suet, which, after being broiled or merely smoke-dried, they sell to their customers.

On the 8th of March, about seven in the morning, we prepared for departure. At the entrance of the village we were met by the butchers, who on the preceding evening had boiled the heads and feet of the animals which they had killed, and now offered them for sale to the people of the caravan. This detained us a little while, as we all bought something to eat before dinner, which we should not have till late. After advancing eight miles to the N.E. over a soil composed of hard, red sand, strewed with gravel, we crossed a marsh, choosing a narrow part which was dry, though it was flooded elsewhere. Rice is cultivated on the higher parts of this marsh, on which the negroes have constructed dikes to check the inundation. After crossing the marsh, we came to a large village called Touma-dioman. We did not stop here, but proceeded five miles to the N.N.E. over a soil composed of hard sand, but less gravelly than it had been on the preceding days, and covered with mimosas, cés, nédés, and the _rhamnus lotus_. The road was thronged with people, travelling from village to village with various commodities, such as millet, cotton, dried fish, &c., and caravans of dealers in salt.

At the village of Touma-dioman there are two large ponds of muddy water, to which both men and beasts went to slake their thirst.

About one in the afternoon, we stopped at Manianan, a large village, with a well furnished market, in which the dealers are sheltered from the heat of the sun by small straw huts. The ronnier grows abundantly in the neighbourhood of this village, there many Iolas are settled: they are an artful, but industrious people, and devote themselves to trade and the manufacture of cotton cloth. Manianan is situated on an eminence, which is nearly surrounded by large ditches formed by nature, which serve as fortifications to the village. These ditches contain a great deal of water, which, though impure, is nevertheless drunk by the inhabitants. I saw several children in small canoes made of pieces of plank joined together, amusing themselves by paddling about in these ditches, on the edges of which the women of the village throw dirt and all sorts of filth. One of my fellow travellers bought an ass here, for which he paid eleven thousand cowries.

We started from Manianan at eight in the morning of the 9th of March. On leaving the village on the north side, I saw several huts built like those of the Foulah shepherds, and in the surrounding fields there were cattle, goats, sheep, and some asses. After proceeding three miles over a soil composed of loose sand, in which in many places the vegetation is similar to that which I had observed on the preceding day, we came in sight of Tomga, a village which, like Manianan, is surrounded by deep moats and numerous ronniers.

On the 10th of March, at six in the morning, we set out, proceeding two miles north and then three miles N.N.W. We crossed an inundated marsh, being up to our waists in water. Here I observed the blue and white nymphæa, the seed and root of which the natives use as food. In the marshes are to be seen a few small shrubs at great distances from each other. In many inundated places it was found necessary to unload the asses to get them through the water. The men took the loads on their heads, and it was only by supporting themselves with sticks that they could maintain their equilibrium.

About eleven in the morning, we arrived much fatigued at Galia (or Cougalia), situated on a slight elevation, on the bank of the Dhioliba. Galia is a hamlet consisting of five or six earth huts, and an equal number of straw cabins, of the same shape as those of the Foulahs. The neighbourhood, to some distance, is not inundated at this season. I saw many ronniers, and, on the bank of the river two large tamarind-trees, which serve to vary the uniformity of the landscape. In this little village are settled some Foulahs, whose business is to convey in canoes the numerous caravans going to Jenné. I found them very civil. I purchased from them a little milk, and some pistachios, for we could not procure either millet or rice for supper. In the evening, I saw several large canoes, descending the river on their way to Timbuctoo. The Dhioliba, which, in this part, seems to come from W. ¼ N.W. flows slowly to N.E., its current running about a knot and a half an hour. The water was tolerably clear, but it had a whitish tint. The banks of the river are, for the most part, open and low, except before Cougalia, where they are somewhat high, and composed of grey argillaceous sand. Here and there, small veins of red clay are observable. At a little distance, in the direction of N.E. I perceived a small island, which, though dry at this season, is under water during the inundations of the river, which are periodical. The market of Cougalia, is held on the bank of the river, in the shade of two tamarind-trees. It was scantily supplied; but, fortunately, we had provisions with us. We bought some dried fish. Our caravan was so numerous, that we could not all find lodgings within the village. The greater part of my companions took up their quarters in tents, which were erected in the fields, and consisted of poles driven into the earth, and covered with pagnes.