[(Higher-res)]

MAP
of the
ROUTE travelled by M. CAILLIE
TO JENNÉ AND TIMBUCTOO,
Compiled from his Journal
By M. JOMARD
Member of the Royal Institute of France
1829

TRAVELS
TO
TIMBUCTOO,
&c., &c.

CHAPTER XIX.

Departure for Timbuctoo on the 13th of March — Description of the banks of the river — Slaves released from their chains — Populous villages — Vessels of from sixty to eighty tons burthen — Branch of the river forming a large island — Mode of building canoes — Villages of Banan — Character of the Mandingoes — Description of Lake Debo — Islands called St. Charles, Henry, and Maria-Theresa.

About half past nine o’clock we left the port. We did not waste much time in adieus; my friends saw me on board, wished me a safe voyage, and departed exclaiming: Salam alécoom, Abdallah. The sherif, with whom the gift of my umbrella rendered me such a favourite, directed me to his correspondent at Timbuctoo, to whom he particularly recommended me in a letter, which he sent by the superintendent of the cargo. I had reason to be grateful for his kind foresight, to which I was indebted for the friendly reception I experienced on my arrival in the capital of the Western Soudan.

Though the heat was beginning to be exceedingly oppressive, I remained on deck, for the canoe was very full. The river makes several windings; its course is rapid; and as it is extremely shallow, we were obliged several times to unload the vessel in order to pass over the sandbanks. The negroes in the neighbourhood helped to load and unload the canoe, and to push it forward; all this, of course, occasioned considerable delay.

About two o’clock we reached the majestic Dhioliba, which flows slowly from W. N. W. At this part it is very deep, and about three times the width of the Seine at the Pont-Neuf. It takes a turn of about two miles to the south; its banks are low and very barren. The distance from Jenné to this river is, I should imagine, about ten miles. After flowing two miles to the southward, it turns to the N. N. E. About four o’clock we arrived at Cougalia, where I had previously crossed the river. Aided by the current I suppose we made about two miles an hour.

A little before sun-set we passed Kera, a pretty little village on the right bank of the river, containing about three hundred inhabitants. It is nearly seven miles from Cougalia. Here the river turns to the N. E. A little to the left there is a small island submerged during the inundation The river is much wider here than at Cougalia, and it is quite as deep. On the plain I observed some slaves tilling the ground; they had pickaxes like those of the Bambaras. We continued our course till near midnight. As I had no compass I observed the direction of our course during the night by the polar star. In the evening we stood to the N. E., still going at the rate of about two miles an hour.