At five o’clock on the morning of the 21st, we again started. We proceeded seven or eight miles amidst stony hillocks, which rendered our journey exceedingly fatiguing. At length we passed near a village inhabited by slaves who are employed in agriculture. All villages of this kind receive the general denomination of ourondé: the particular name of the one which we passed is Sancoubadialé.
About ten in the morning, we halted near a little spring shaded by lofty trees, which seemed to rear their majestic heads to the very clouds. The spring is in a ravine, forty or fifty feet deep, and surrounded by huge masses of quartz. The neighbourhood is inhabited by numbers of red apes, who come to the spring to drink. Two of these animals, which spied me, suddenly stopped and began to bark like dogs. They advanced upon me and as I was unprovided with any defensive weapon, I must confess that I felt somewhat alarmed. Fortunately, however, at this moment I perceived two Mandingoes of our party, who were coming to fetch some water. At their approach, the apes ran off to the woods, and we were left in undisturbed possession of the spring. About noon, we again resumed our course, proceeding to south east. Our road was less stony than it had been during the morning, but it was interspersed with hillocks, which obliged us to make frequent windings. The country was covered with large trees, the shade of which skreened us from the excessive heat of the day. I observed many wild fig-trees, and a sort of plum-tree, which the negroes call caura. This tree bears a very good fruit, it is shaped like a plum. The pellicle is reddish and marked with somewhat lighter spots. Beneath the pellicle is a pulp, which is very agreeable to the taste. It is not more than four lines thick, and it envelops a kernel as large as that of the peach. The negroes are very fond of this fruit.
After proceeding about nine miles, we passed the ruins of a village, and then continued for a mile and a half in the same direction. The road became more stony than hitherto; and at three in the afternoon, we arrived, greatly fatigued, at the village of Daourkiwar, or Daour-Kiwarat, where we passed the night. This village contains about four hundred inhabitants, partly Foulahs and partly Mandingoes. It is situated near a lake, the water of which is very good. This lake is surrounded by bombaces, plum-trees, and a few naucleas. We gathered and ate the plums, which we found delicious.
On the 22d, at five in the morning, we continued our journey in the direction of E.S.E. On the slope of a mountain, about three hundred and fifty, or four hundred feet high, we discerned the pretty Dhialonké village, called Lom-bar, which lay to our right. We next reached the little hill, on which is situated a second Daourkiwar village. The soil here is very good and susceptible of much higher cultivation. We proceeded onwards to some distance, and, having descended a mountain, we found a little stream, on the bank of which we halted. The stream flows through an extensive plain, which is surrounded by well wooded hills. These hills are composed of a red kind of earth, which might be rendered highly productive by cultivation. The road during the morning had been exceedingly stony and fatiguing; and, as my sandals galled me, I was obliged to take them off and walk barefoot; but the stones hurt my feet still more. I remarked that all the trees and shrubs were scorched with the heat of the sun. The environs were covered with reeds, which the natives use in building their huts. Some rice was boiled in water for our dinner; and after this frugal repast we again started about half-past twelve o’clock. We ascended the mountain, proceeding eastward; the path was very stony and nearly blocked up by the roots of trees. On reaching the level top of the hill we rested a little, and afterwards pursued our journey to the S.E. The road now became more agreeable than it had been during the morning. We found many caura trees, and amused ourselves in gathering the fruit; and, after travelling six miles, we arrived, at five in the evening, much fatigued, at Coussotami, a pretty little village, situated on a hill. Bananas were brought to us; we purchased them for a few glass beads. Some Foulahs of the village, being informed of my arrival, came to see me, and, as it was night, they lighted a taper made of a kind of wax, which is found in great abundance among these hills. During the night we lay down beneath some trees, upon the stones which covered the ground.
On the 23d of April, about five in the morning, we left Coussotami. Proceeding eastward, we passed a dry ravine, surrounded by trees, forming the most romantic groups. The aspect of the country was generally pleasing. Advancing to the S.E., we arrived in a beautiful valley covered with rich pasture, and next reached a deep ravine, the passage of which we found exceedingly difficult, owing to many large blocks of granite which we were obliged to climb over. This ravine brought us to the foot of a mountain, five or six hundred feet high, which we ascended by a circuitous route, and, after journeying about four or five miles, we reached its summit. Here, being greatly fatigued, we made a halt. About one in the afternoon we again started, and proceeded about four miles in the direction of E.S.E. We now reached a pretty little stream, whose limpid waters flow over a bed of granite: its course is from south to N.N.E. The natives call it Naufomou, and they informed me that it emptied itself into the Rio Nuñez. We seated ourselves for a short time on the margin of this stream, and ate some little cakes made of rice-flour, mixed with honey and allspice, and baked in the sun. I thought them very good. The Mandingo and Foulah traders always take care to provide themselves with these cakes for their journeys. We next passed Dougué, a pretty village, containing three or four hundred inhabitants, Foulahs and Dhialonkés. It is situated in a plain of grey sand, which might be rendered very fertile by cultivation. This plain is surrounded by high hills, which afford fine pasturage. We stopped near a spring to pass the night. The little village of Mirayé is situated on the declivity of a high mountain, a mile S.E. of Dougué. Several Foulah shepherds who were tending their flocks in the neighbourhood came to see us, and sold us what they call cagnan: this is a sort of small loaves or rolls, made of pistachio-nuts, baked and pounded, then mixed with maize, and sweetened with honey. These loaves form a portion of their provision when travelling. I observed a young Foulah who gazed at me very stedfastly: he invited me to go with him to his camp, where he said he would give me some milk. As I did not like to go alone, he requested some of my fellow-travellers to accompany me, which two of them readily consented to do. The young man walked before to shew us the way, and he took the trouble to remove some large pieces of stone which obstructed our path. On reaching his camp, which was not far from the place of our halt, he spread out a bullock’s hide, upon which he begged me to seat myself. The camp consisted of five or six straw huts of a roundish form, and so exceedingly low that it was necessary to stoop nearly double to get into them. The furniture consisted of a few mats and sheep-skins, and calabashes to hold milk: the bed was composed of four stakes fixed in the ground, supporting long planks of wood, which were covered with a bullock’s hide. He went to fetch his old mother and sisters to see me. He told them that I was an Arab, a countryman of the Prophet’s, going to Mecca. They looked at me with great interest, and, making several gestures, exclaimed, La allah il allah, Mahommed rasoul oullahi (There is no god but God, and Mahomet is his prophet) to which I replied according to the usual form. They seated themselves at a little distance from me that they might view me at their ease. The young Foulah went to fetch me some milk in a calabash, which he washed, an extraordinary ceremony in this part of the world; and he afterwards brought me a little fried meat: I requested him to eat with me, but, pointing with his finger to the moon, he said, smiling, and with an air of timidity, “I fast; it is the Ramadan.”
From this little camp we discerned the village of Mirayé, situated on the declivity of a high hill, apparently thickly wooded. The village is inhabited partly by Foulahs and partly by Dhialonkés, all Mahometans. We took our leave of the hospitable young Foulah, and returned to our halting place, where we found some of our party returning from Dougué, whither they had been to purchase rice for our journey. We slept in some little huts, made of branches of trees, covered with straw. These huts served to shelter travellers in rainy weather, for the village of Dougué lies at some distance from the road.
At four in the morning of the 24th of April, our caravan again moved forward. We proceeded eastward, along a pleasant road covered with fine gravel, and soon reached a stony mountain, which we ascended. In turning another mountain, seven or eight hundred feet high, we almost made the round of the compass. We then came to a beautiful valley, watered by a large rivulet, which the natives call Bangala: it runs from N. to S. We proceeded E.S.E. for the distance of half a mile. We then ascended a mountain of the same height as that just mentioned, and exceedingly steep. On reaching the summit we descended the other side by a very rapid slope, and, at eleven in the morning, we halted in a fine valley, near a spring surrounded by hillocks. We took our dinner beneath the shade of a bombax. At one in the afternoon we proceeded to the S.S.E. still across mountains. We passed near the huts of some Foulah herdsmen. When we were about four miles from the place where we had stopped to dine, we were overtaken by a violent storm. The thunder roared tremendously, and the rain poured in torrents. We took shelter in the herdsmen’s huts. The storm lasted nearly two hours and a half. When it was over we journeyed onward to Dongol, a small slave village,[45] about a mile and a half from the herdsmen’s huts. It was about three in the afternoon when we reached this place. The hospitable chief of the village received us very kindly. He sent me a supper of rice and sour milk, to which he added a little melted butter. The village contains about three hundred inhabitants, and it has a mosque of the same form as the huts.
At five in the morning of the 25th of April, we took leave of our host, to whom my guide, Ibrahim, gave a little salt. Our road lay to the S.E. We descended the hill on which the village is situated, and then crossed a very fertile plain. We arrived at a chain of mountains called, by the natives, Lantégué. It extends from N.E. to S. Each of these mountains rises perpendicularly to the height of nearly two hundred fathoms, and they exhibit scarcely any trace of vegetation. We soon found ourselves surrounded by large blocks of grey granite of a pyramidal form, resembling the ruins of an ancient castle. Having penetrated into the gorges of these mountains, which are composed of beautiful grey granite, we forded the rivulet called the Doulinca, which flows rapidly over a bed of granite from east to south. The water was more than knee-deep. We next proceeded to the distance of a mile over a fertile and very beautiful plain, surrounded by large rocks of grey granite. Large bamboos grow in the clefts of these enormous rocks. We again crossed the Doulinca, near a point where it falls in a cascade, the pleasing murmur of which charms the ear of the weary traveller. I seated myself for a few moments on the banks of the rivulet, while the poor negroes were reposing at a little distance, and I contemplated with admiration the beautiful scene around me. Though interspersed with mountains this district is fertile in the utmost degree, and it is watered by numerous streams and rivulets, which keep the verdure constantly fresh. The mountains are inhabited by Foulah herdsmen, who live secluded from all other society. The milk of their cattle, together with the rice which they cultivate, suffices for their support. I did not see a wild beast among these mountains. The country, which seems to be favoured by nature, is inhabited by numerous birds, whose plumage exhibits an endless variety of colours. I saw many of the same species as those found on the banks of the Senegal. We resumed our journey, and passed the huts of some Foulahs, who brought us milk. I bought some for a few glass beads. They looked at me with manifestations of earnest curiosity, and they said they had never seen a Moor so white as I was. On leaving them we found ourselves in a valley formed of two hills of granite. The soil, which consists of grey sand, is fertile and covered with good pasturage.
We were obliged once more to cross the Doulinca, and, about one in the afternoon, we halted among some Foulah herdsmen. Their huts were built beneath the shade of large trees, a most enviable situation in this part of the world. Since my departure from Kakondy, I had not seen so beautiful and fertile a tract of country. Instead of rocks, I now beheld on every side delightful plains, which required only the labour of the husbandman to produce every thing necessary for human life. The day had been excessively hot, and about two in the afternoon we heard thunder in the direction of N.E. The sky was overcast with black clouds, and the rain fell abundantly. We repaired for shelter to the huts of the herdsmen, who at first scrupled to admit us. The thunder rolled in terrific peals; and I expected every moment that we should be struck by the lightning. The flashes rapidly succeeded each other, and the sky appeared to be one sheet of flame. We lay down on the herdsmen’s beds, consisting of round pieces of wood placed upon posts which raised them a little from the ground, and we patiently awaited the termination of the storm. When the rain ceased, we left the huts, and the freshness which now pervaded the atmosphere added new charms to the surrounding scene. We ate a little rice, and then proceeded eastward. We crossed a little rivulet which flowed over a bed of granite. The road was wet and muddy, which rendered our journey fatiguing. After travelling half a mile to N.E. and another half mile to the east, we arrived at nightfall at an ourondé, or slave village, called Lantégué. We were again overtaken by rain on the road, and I had recourse to my umbrella which, however, did not entirely protect me. The chief of Lantégué gave us a hut. Before it there was a beautiful orange-tree, beneath which I sat down on a sheep-skin. Thunder was again heard. The sky was covered with clouds, the atmosphere warm and damp, and it continued raining the whole of the night. The incessant flashes of lightning continually illuminated our hut, the door of which would not more than half shut.
We stopped at Lantégué the whole of the 26th, for one of the slaves of our caravan, who was heavily laden, had bad feet. I spent a part of the day in visiting the village and its inhabitants, who were about one hundred and fifty in number. Many of them thought me too white for a Moor.