At two o’clock we pursued our route to the E. ¼ N.E. and, having proceeded eight miles, crossed a rivulet in which the water was up to our waists: its current, which is very rapid, runs to the N.N.W. I was told that this stream descends from the mountains situated near Galam, the direction of which was pointed out to me to the E.S.E.; according to the Moors, it is absorbed by a lake about three days’ journey from the spot where we halted.
After crossing this rivulet, my guides changed their direction: we travelled five miles to the east over ground covered with khakames, which incommoded me exceedingly. It then became stony and hilly, and we proceeded a mile to the north that we might arrive at water; and about eleven we reached a pool, the water of which was tolerably good. We kindled a fire for the purpose of cooking our supper, but, by the time it was ready, a violent storm came on. The Moors took off their coussabes—a sort of tunics—and put them into the pots to protect them from the rain: I did the same, so that we were all naked. We collected wood, made a great fire, and huddled round it, and in this state were drenched with the rain, which fell for two hours in torrents: it was extremely cold, and as it may be easily conceived, we were very uncomfortable. When the storm had ceased, we again put on our coussabes, which were perfectly dry; but a mizzling rain, which lasted all night, incommoded us much. The bad weather having prevented us from getting our supper, we breakfasted at the dawn of day with a keen appetite, though our sangleh had been exposed to the rain the whole night. At sunrise we spread out the goods to dry; all of them had got wet, the soil, composed of ferruginous rock, being too hard to allow us to dig holes to shelter them in.
September 5th. At noon we resumed our route, travelling to the N.E. for the space of twelve miles, and at ten at night we arrived at a camp situated on the bank of a rivulet: here we halted a moment, and one of our people went to apprize the marabouts of our arrival: he soon returned and we entered the camp; I was immediately surrounded. The marabouts made me repeat the usual form of prayer of the Musulmans: There is but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet. I was besieged, and could not obtain a moment’s rest the whole evening. The females, squatted behind the men, thrust their heads between the legs of the latter to get a sight of me; but at every motion that I made they drew back their heads with loud screams, at the risk of upsetting the men, producing confusion among the throng which kept constantly increasing. Being warned by my conductors not to leave the centre of the camp, lest I should be robbed, I lay down upon the ground, and covered myself with a pagne, hoping that the Moors would retire; but this precaution was of no avail; they continued to torment me: the women, having grown bolder, uncovered me; the children, after their example, pulled me one by the leg, another by the arm, while others struck my feet or pricked me with thorns. Being unable to endure this treatment any longer, I started up in a rage, and my persecutors run away: I then went to Boubou-Fanfale, and expressed my dissatisfaction at his conduct towards me. I represented to him that I was about to turn Musulman, and that on this account he ought to protect me and to procure me a little rest. He spoke to an old marabout, who had great difficulty to keep off the crowd; I then accompanied my protector to prayers, and on my return lay down upon a mat. A calabash of milk, containing about four quarts, was given me for supper; and more was offered me in case I had not had enough. This was the season when the pastures were in the best condition; there was abundance of milk and we were supplied with more than we could drink.
September 6th. At seven in the morning, we prepared to depart. The women and children had assembled round me; for more than half an hour the rabble of the camp followed at my heels; the women, with their faces concealed by the end of the Guinea cloth which serves them for a garment, affected to take no notice of me, and turned their heads when I looked at them, while the boys pelted me with stones, crying: Tahale ichouf el nasrani! “Come and see the christian!” I faced about several times, and then they all ran away; but they returned the next moment, and were more troublesome than before. At length my guides, weary themselves of these importunities, drove off the crowd, who returned to the camp.
It was nine o’clock when we arrived at the camp of Sidi-Mohammed: we stopped there to obtain bullocks, for ours were exceedingly fatigued. The whole camp thronged round me, and I had to endure a repetition of all the annoyances of the preceding night. To quench our thirst we were supplied with a large calabash full of sour milk mixed with three parts of water; this pleasant and wholesome beverage is called cheni by the Moors, and is common in all the Arab countries that I have visited. We hired two carrier-bullocks, and at ten o’clock resumed our journey. I had walked all the way from Podor to this place; but, as we had increased the number of our oxen, I obtained permission to ride one of them.
After travelling eight miles to the N.E. over a stony soil, we came to a small camp composed of fifteen tents and some ill built straw huts, the dwellings of slaves. The baggage was deposited in a tent, and I was invited to retire to another. To avoid disagreeable visits, I pretended to be asleep, but it was to no purpose; the whole evening I had to endure the same kind of persecutions as I had suffered in the preceding camps. We supped very late; our meal consisted of sangleh, made with fresh milk. Having observed that the grains of which this mess was composed were whole, I inquired the reason, and was told that it was not millet, but haze[15], and that at this season the marabouts employ their slaves in gathering it. This grain is very common, and grows naturally without cultivation. Some slaves employed in this sort of harvest were pointed out to me: they were females, provided with a small broom, and two baskets, one of which, less than the other, is of an oval shape and has a handle above. When the haze is in the ordinary state and has not been trampled by cattle, they go along swinging this basket to the right and left, so as to rub the ears of the plants against it by striking them with their hands; the ripe grains fall into the basket, and when they have obtained a certain quantity they pour it into the larger one, which is destined to receive the produce of their labour. This method furnishes the grain in a much cleaner state than the second, but the quantity obtained is smaller, for, as it may be easily conceived, the whole of the grain beaten out does not fall into the basket. When the haze has been trodden, or a first gathering made in the manner just described, they cut the plant with a serrated knife which they have for this purpose, then sweep the grain together upon the ground into little heaps, which they afterwards take up; and, as in this way they get more mould than grain, they separate them by means of the layot,[16] which requires a great deal of time. On their return home, they take from the quantity collected (which may be estimated at five pounds of haze in a day) as much as they need for their supper, and carry the rest to their master’s tent. The haze is not pounded like millet: it is separated from the straw, washed several times to clear it from all the particles of earth and made to burst: this grain swells much and makes a very white but not very nourishing sangleh. To reduce it to flour, a little water is thrown upon it, and after steeping a short time, a few strokes of the pestle are sufficient to pound it.
In this camp we passed part of the 7th of December, because we were approaching that of the king, and my guides did not wish to reach the latter till night. We left it at two o’clock, and proceeded northward for three miles upon a soil composed of black sand, covered with ferruginous stones. The country is studded with patches of verdure, which afford pasturage for the cattle.
It was near three o’clock when we arrived at the camp of Mohamed-Sidy-Moctar, head marabout of the king, and chief of the tribe of Dhiedhiebe. He had been apprised of my coming, and had waited for me, he said, with impatience: he came to meet us, took me by the hand, and having led me to the front of his tent, made me sit down upon a sheep-skin. He appeared highly pleased, seated himself beside me, and having sent for Boubou-Fanfale, who spoke Wolof, to act as interpreter, he inquired what were the motives that induced me to change my religion; what I had been doing at St. Louis; of what country I was; whether I had any relatives in France; and lastly, whether I was rich. I was obliged to answer these questions, for I perceived from the way in which they were put, that this marabout had conceived suspicions in regard to me, which, for my security, it was of consequence to remove: I replied therefore, that, having met with a French translation of the Koran, I had there found important truths, with which I was deeply impressed; that ever since I had ardently desired to embrace Islamism, and had been incessantly engaged in devising the means of accomplishing this purpose, but that my father had opposed it; that since I had resided at the Senegal, where I had settled as a trader, I had received intelligence of his death, on which I returned to France to secure what property he had left; and that, being then my own master, I had sold every thing I had in my country, and bought merchandise, for the purpose of carrying my design into execution. I added that, at the Senegal, I had heard the wisdom of the Braknas highly extolled, and had in consequence determined to come and live among them; but that, on entering the Senegal, the vessel which I was in was wrecked, and I had saved but a small part of my goods; that I had left them with M. Alain, who lived at St. Louis and was advantageously known to them, and intended to lay out the produce of the little pack which I had brought with me in the purchase of cattle, for the purpose of settling in their country, as soon as my education should be finished. He seemed satisfied with my answers; the intimation concerning the goods was what pleased him most, and I congratulated myself on having resorted to this artifice. It was agreed that I should remain with him, that he should undertake my education and provide for my wants; and he added, in an emphatic manner, that he already considered me as one of his children.
Several young persons, doubtless with a view to learn my business, invited me to accompany them to prayer; but the chief marabout opposed it, alleging that I was not yet a Musulman. One of the sons of my host came and asked me if I would choose meat or sangleh for supper. I replied that all dishes were alike to me; on which he left me, and at nine o’clock a large plate of meat swimming in melted butter was brought to me: I have since learned that this dish is considered as a great luxury by these people. After supper, Mohamed Sidy Moctar informed me that next day we should set out for the king’s camp, and that it would be necessary for me to bathe before I was presented to that prince; to this I agreed with the greater pleasure, as a bath could not but be very beneficial to me and refresh me much after the fatigues of the journey.
September 8th. When I had risen, I took out of my sack some articles which I had brought with me, and offered them as a present to my host, who seemed highly flattered and accepted them with pleasure. A little milk was brought to us; he then made me mount a camel with him and we set out for the king’s camp. We proceeded to the N.E.; the whole plain was studded with ferruginous rocks, and here and there small islands of sand remarkable for their verdure; they are cultivated by the Moors, who sow them with millet. We passed on the way several camps of zenagues, or tributaries, but at great distances from one another.