When we lay to, the negroes who had the management of the canoe sought to pick a quarrel with me: they would not allow me to sleep on board. They told me that I had given them nothing, and that if I did not pay them they would put me on shore. I saw very well that their only object was to intimidate me and thereby to extort something from me. I disregarded their threats, and prepared to sleep on board in spite of them, for the cold night air and the damp were very unpleasant. I arranged my resting place as well as I could on a heap of baggage, where I was almost folded double and unable to move. I had not a wink of sleep during the whole night, and the negroes annoyed me in every possible way to induce me to leave the canoe. They even began to address insulting language to me, and threatened to put me on shore next day if I did not satisfy their demands. I suffered much from this annoyance; but the negroes gained nothing by their insolence. When the common people of these countries meet with a stranger who does not speak their language, they think they may insult him with impunity; but it is sufficient to shew firmness to make them more tractable. They gave me for supper a little rice boiled in water, which was the food of the slaves. I had not eaten any thing all day, for there was no possibility of cooking on account of the crowded state of the canoe.
At four in the morning of the 24th of March we stood to the N. E. The sailors pushed forward the canoe with a long pole: they rowed it in deep water, and sometimes towed it along shore.
At this part, the river is about half a mile broad and very deep. Its banks, though low, are adorned with a species of mimosa, which grows only to the height of a small shrub. About seven in the morning we stopped before the village of Soufara, situated on the right bank, on a height which preserves it from the inundation. Beside this village is little stream, which runs in an eastward direction. We went ashore to purchase some maumies and pistachio-nuts for breakfast. In this place there is no regular market; but people go through the streets selling pistachios, and other little productions of the country. The village probably contains about two hundred and fifty inhabitants. They live in wretched huts, built of earth like those of the Bambaras, which do not approach the perfection of the habitations of Jenné. The people catch a great quantity of fish. They generally use nets made of cotton, but sometimes fish with the line. When I returned on board the canoe, the negro who was the master of the slaves and superintendent of the cargo gave me a piece of cake for my breakfast. Fortunately I had provided myself with some on shore, otherwise I should have made a sorry repast. The negroes again importuned me for cowries; but I persisted in my resolution to give them nothing. At half past seven we continued our course. The river now took a northerly direction. It continued wide, and its depth was about ten or twelve feet. This I ascertained by observing the long pole with which the sailors pushed the canoe. It was nearly eleven o’clock when we passed Cabia. In front of this village there are three little islands; here the river takes a turn to the N. E. and becomes narrower. About two o’clock I observed its direction was north, and at half past three, north-east. Its width and depth continued much the same; its banks were barren and low. On both sides I observed immense plains, the uniformity of which was broken only by some ronniers which rise majestically to the height of about eighty feet from the ground and bound the horizon. About five in the afternoon we perceived the village of Taco, which is situated on the left bank.
At sun-set I discerned, in the direction of the east, two little hills about six miles from the bank of the river, which in this part runs to the north. About seven in the evening we stopped before the village of Coona, which is inhabited by Foulahs, who live in straw huts. In the port there were some canoes, all going to Timbuctoo. Here we could plainly perceive the two hills I have just mentioned, and a little to the north-east were three others of similar height. We passed the night in this village, which, like Taco, is situated on the left bank.
On the 25th of March I was informed that the great canoe which was to convey us to Timbuctoo was in the port and ready for our reception. It was covered with mats, and laden with rice, millet, cotton, honey, vegetable butter, and other productions of the country. The canoe appeared to me very fragile; like the smaller ones its planks were joined with cords; its burthen was about sixty tons.
We were occupied all day in getting the merchandise from the small canoe, and putting it on board the large one. There was on the shore a great concourse of people, all engaged in some kind of labour; they had pitched tents to shelter themselves from the heat, which was excessive. The negroes offered us their merchandise for sale. On seeing them I almost imagined myself in a market on the banks of the Senegal. The village is situated on a little eminence, and is scantily shaded by ronniers and mimosas. The heat was suffocating. I went to visit the market, which was very badly provided; for it was then the time of the Ramadan: there was a little milk, some pistachios, dry and fresh fish, maumies, and other light articles of food. The people looked at me with indifference. The young girls, who offered their merchandise for sale, had a very pleasing mode of address; but I bought nothing, on account of the presence of the Foulahs, who are even more fanatical than the Moors, and who, if they had seen me eat, would have set me down for an infidel. My hosts at Jenné had however made me promise that I would not fast on my passage, observing that I could make up by fasting at Timbuctoo for the number of days during which I might neglect the practice of that religious duty. I sat down beneath a tree on the bank of the river, and amused myself for a short time by observing a group of young negroes of both sexes, who were bathing, dancing and gamboling about in the water.
A little to the north of the village the river is intersected by a sand-bank. This bank was covered by a multitude of water-fowl of various kinds, whose white plumage looked like a sheet of snow in the midst of the river. The channel for the passage of canoes is near the right bank. The surrounding country is very barren: not a single shrub is to be seen. The soil consists of immense marshes, which are inundated at the swell of the waters. The shore on either side is so extremely low that the river seems on the point of overflowing its banks. In the village I met with a Moorish trader, who was returning from Timbuctoo in a common canoe, laden with salt. He told me that he had been a month on his way from Cabra to Coona. I invited him to come on board our vessel and take a little refreshment of dokhnou and water. Dokhnou, as I have before observed, consists of a mixture of the flour of millet and honey, which is afterwards mixed with water for drink. He requested me to wait until sun-set on account of the Foulahs, who, if they saw us drink, would have a bad opinion of us. He left me to take a turn in the village, but I did not see him again.
In the port, there were many fishermen’s canoes. When the fishermen catch their fish, either with the net or the line, they dry it in the sun and sell it to the vessels which are continually stopping in their port: they also carry it to Jenné for sale. At two o’clock in the afternoon, I was informed that dinner was ready, and was asked whether I would partake of it; for the slaves were not required to fast, and I was ranked among them. That I might not be observed by any one, I went on board the canoe to take my dinner at my ease. It consisted of a little boiled millet-flour, without any seasoning. After this frugal repast, the slaves were freed from their chains, and I was gratified in witnessing the pleasure which these poor creatures experienced during their temporary release from bondage. They appeared perfectly happy. They tried to walk, but it was with difficulty that they could move a few steps, for the chains which they had worn since they left Jenné had wounded their feet.
Having nothing more to detain us in the village, we left it in the afternoon during a calm, taking a northern direction. The large canoe did not get on so well as the small one which we had left behind us, consequently we scarcely made two miles an hour.
About five o’clock we passed Taguetia, situated on the left bank. In front of this village a marigot, or branch, about twenty-five or thirty fathoms wide, runs off to the east. The village of Sangouno is on one of the banks of this branch. At its mouth are two little islands, about a quarter of a mile in circumference, on which are some fishermen’s huts. The river still continues of the same width, running to the north. It is very deep, and its banks are low and barren.