On the 5th of May, at five in the morning some new milk was brought for my breakfast; I drank it, and was soon seized with a violent retching and pains in my stomach, which continued during a great part of the day. This illness obliged me to stop in the village with my guide. I must confess, that I entertained some apprehension of having been poisoned; but the conduct of the Foulahs, who came to inquire after me, and who appeared greatly concerned for my illness, removed this suspicion. One of them made me a present of a large fowl, which was eaten by my guide and his slaves; for my part, I could not touch food. The caravan set off, leaving me behind; but, about three in the afternoon, finding myself better, we started with the intention of overtaking it. Proceeding over a gravelly tract in a S.S.E. direction, we passed Foucouba, a village containing a population of five or six hundred. We next reached the village of Digui, containing three or four hundred inhabitants. Here we halted a little before sun-set, and went to visit a friend of my guide’s, who gave us a very kind reception. The chief invited me and Ibrahim to his hut, and asked us to partake of his supper of rice and sour milk. I ate a little of it; but this sort of food was not calculated to restore my disordered stomach. The chief proposed that I should go and see the almamy, who, he said, would receive me well, and make me handsome presents. I was not inclined to put his generosity to the test, being fearful that he might detain me. My guide answered for me, and observed, that when we should arrive at Kankan-Fodéa, his country, he would conduct me to the chief of Timbo. Our host sent us a supper of rice with roasted pistachio-nuts.
The morning of the 6th was rainy. I was visited by several women, who brought me little presents of milk, rice, oranges, &c. A shoemaker gave me a pair of sandals, which were very acceptable, mine being out of repair. About nine o’clock, the rain having ceased, we departed. Several of the inhabitants escorted us out of the village. Our course was E.S.E. The rain had purified and refreshed the air. We passed Courou, a village situated at the foot of a hill, twenty-five or thirty fathoms high. We passed through a fertile and picturesque plain, thickly bespangled with small white flowers. I saw a number of slaves employed in preparing the ground for sowing rice and various kinds of grain. After crossing a little stream, we arrived near Bady, a village agreeably situated on the banks of a rivulet which we forded, the water being nearly as high as our waists. This village contains a population of three hundred and fifty, or four hundred; it is situated in a plain, and overlooked by a hill. I saw in the neighbourhood some good plantations of a small species of tobacco.
At five o’clock in the afternoon we arrived at Doudé, a village of the same size as Bady, and about a mile and a half to the E.S.E. of it. The chief came to receive us at the entrance of the palisade, by which his grounds were surrounded. I remarked some cotton very badly cultivated. They sow it broad-cast, as we do corn, so that it grows too close, which prevents its thriving. I saw a young negress gathering the cotton, which appeared to me to be of inferior quality. We were lodged in a large and handsome hut with two doors, situated on the left of our route. Our host felt highly honoured in having beneath his roof a countryman of the prophet’s; for my guide had related to him the pretended events of my youth. He came up close to me, stroked my head with his hands, and then rubbed his own face, as if this contact with a countryman of the prophet’s had in it something holy or salutary. We performed our devotions together. The old man had collected near an orange-tree a great number of small flints, on which, in the spirit of penitence, he knelt to prayer. This greatly annoyed me; for I was obliged to follow his example. He afterwards presented to me a child of four or five years of age, who had sore eyes, and begged me to cure him if I could. I was much embarrassed, and told him that I had no remedy for the disorder; but my guide had assured him of the contrary, and the old man, supposing there was a want of inclination on my part, offered to pay me. I told him that my baggage had been sent forward, and that I could not overtake it till next day. He was silent, but appeared not to be best pleased with my answer. In all my life I never saw such a disease as that under which this child laboured. It suffered no pain, but it was almost deprived of sight. I have since thought that it might be a kind of cataract. The marabouts, who officiate as doctors in this country, had ineffectually exhausted all their skill in grigris, or amulets, for the patient. They could do nothing more, and the child was abandoned to its fate. I advised the parents to wash its eyes with a decoction of baobab leaves, which might serve as a substitute for mallows, and to take the child to Sierra-Leone for medical assistance; but they shrunk with horror from the idea of placing it in the hands of christians.
Our host gave us rice and sour milk for supper, which we ate seated under an orange tree.
At seven o’clock in the morning of the 7th of May, we prepared for departure. On going out I observed that the goats had been put for the night into a loft, ten or twelve feet high. We set out in an E.S.E. direction, and proceeded four miles down hill, by a very stony road, which brought us to Couraco, a village situated near a hill, at the foot of which flows a pretty stream. We seated ourselves on the margin of this stream to take our breakfast of rice, which we had saved from the preceding evening. Our repast being ended, we proceeded gaily on our way, in the same direction, over a very good sandy soil. We passed near Coulinco, a village containing from five to six hundred inhabitants, and surrounded by a quick-set hedge. Farther on we came to Cagnola, a fine village, situated near a hill, below which runs a stream, that we had to cross. After we had ascended the hill, the road was covered with ferruginous stones. We found ourselves on an elevated plain, whence we could perceive a chain of very high mountains, extending further than the eye could reach, from N.E. ¼ E. to S.W. They appeared to be covered with fine vegetation. The Bâ-fing has its source there; and there are likewise numerous ponds of beautiful limpid water. These mountains give rise to several large rivers and streams, which fertilize this fine country and clothe it with a verdure, that is incessantly renewed. On the slope there are to be seen many small slave villages, surrounded with plantations of cotton and the fruits which are to be found in our colonies. These charming and picturesque spots delight the eye and help to relieve the monotony of the journey. Rice and many other articles are cultivated here.
A violent storm came on from the east. We rapidly descended by a declivity, covered with large blocks of black granite, and red sand mixed with stones of the same colour. We proceeded three miles E.S.E. over a stony road. I observed some ferruginous rocks, and numerous springs issuing from among them. The storm approached, and we were overtaken by the rain, which fell in torrents. I used my umbrella, but it was of little service. On every side the rain water came pouring down the hills, and swelled the streams. We hurried forward to some huts, situated near a little hill, and there we halted. This hamlet is called Bâfila, a name probably derived from its vicinity to the Bâ-fing (black river). We entered the hut of an old woman, who cheerfully afforded us hospitality. She gazed earnestly at me, and told me that she had never till then seen a Moor. Her little dwelling was surrounded with cassavas, caribbee cabbages, giraumons, pistachios, and gombos. I likewise observed many kinds of herbs, with which I was unacquainted. As soon as the rain ceased, I went out to walk round the garden. The sun was not visible, and the clouds which had gathered upon the tops of the mountains, rendered the atmosphere gloomy and damp. I saw, at some distance in the plain, a stream running over a bed of pebbles, and producing a soft murmur. I might almost have fancied myself in some romantic region of fairy-land. I returned to the humble habitation of the old woman: she was gathering herbs for the supper of her little family, which consisted of two lads, who, she told me, were working in the fields. I went back to our hut and roasted in the ashes some pieces of cassava, which the old woman had given me. Shortly afterwards the two young negroes entered. They had no clothing except a small piece of cloth fastened round their middle. As soon as they learned that a Moor proceeding to Mecca had become their guest, they came to me, and asked me how I was, in a very kind tone. They invited me to their hut, which was much larger than ours; and they fetched a large mat to cover me. The rain, which had begun again, continued all night, accompanied with dreadful claps of thunder and flashes of lightning, in quick succession. When I entered their hut, the kind negroes seated me near the fire upon a sheep-skin, and offered me a little sour milk, which probably they had intended for their own supper; but I should have offended them by refusing it. The mother cooked a little foigné, which grows in abundance in these mountains, for the family’s supper. She placed a small pot on the fire, by the side of a large one, for boiling the herbs which she had gathered that evening. I recognized among them the calabash, the giraumon, allspice, brette, sesamum, and many others;—to these she added a little gombo. The foigné, when cooked, was placed in calabashes to be eaten. I now perceived two little girls, whom I had not before remarked. They ate their supper apart, and the old woman reserved her own portion in the pot. Ibrahim sent me my supper of rice and milk which the negroes had given me. They would not partake of it although I pressed them. They invited me to take some of theirs, which I at first declined; but, as they urged me, I took a handful and withdrew. I really wondered how the poor creatures could eat this rice; for it was without either salt or butter. They did not like to touch my supper because they were slaves. We said prayers together, and lay down upon mats; but I was kept awake all night by the thunder.
On the 8th of May, at six in the morning, after eating a piece of the cassava which was cooked the evening before we took leave of our hostess; for the lads were already gone to the fields. We proceeded eastward; then turning into the mountains, we were obliged to climb from rock to rock. There is, however, some very good soil. We arrived on the banks of the Bâ-fing (the black river) so called because its bed consists of enormous rocks of black granite. Some of these rocks are pointed and very sharp, so that they often cut the feet of the negroes in crossing the river. The Bâ-fing is the principal tributary of the Senegal: it runs from south to north among the mountains. The masses of granite, of which its bed is composed, form several islets. Its current is astonishingly rapid and white with foam, which I supposed to be occasioned by some cataract. I questioned the negroes on the subject and their answers verified my conjecture. They told me they had seen the cataract in going to Timbo, and assured me that it fell from a great height with a loud noise. We were very near the source of the river, which in this part might be about a hundred feet wide and a foot or eighteen inches deep; but its depth varies. We crossed it not without some difficulty and with the assistance of poles. I saw with some alarm a poor negro tottering beneath his load; however, we all reached the left bank without any serious accident. Several of our party had their feet cut by the sharp rocks, and although I had nothing to carry I did not escape unhurt. A great number of persons were assembled at the place where we crossed. They took no notice of me, supposing me to be a Moor.
On the right bank of the river I observed some wretched huts occupied by smiths. We continued our route to E.S.E. The soil consisted of very good red mould covered with the finest vegetation. We arrived at Langoué, a village containing between three and four hundred inhabitants. It is situated on a somewhat elevated plain, whence high mountains are to be seen in every direction. Here a storm overtook us. The inhabitants gave us a hut and sheep-skins to sit on. We made a good fire, for the atmosphere was damp. The Foulahs soon came to visit us. Not having observed me enter the place, they were much surprised to see me and took me at first for a white. They asked my guide in the Mandingo language whither I has going, and what was the object of my journey. Ibrahim very promptly informed them how I had been taken by the Europeans. The Foulahs congratulated me on my zeal and my attachment to my religion. They presented me with some rice, milk, cassava, and a fowl. They urged me to go to Timbo, assuring me that the almamy would be very happy to see me, and that he would most willingly give me a horse and a guide to take me into my own country, because, as they said, he held the countrymen of the prophet in high estimation. They added that the almamy had at that moment gone to make war against Firga, an idolatrous country, but that doubtless he would soon return to Timbo.
Seated round the fire we made a cheerful breakfast on what the Foulahs gave me. The storm having ceased, we left them, and about nine o’clock proceeded to the S.E. The sun was obscured by clouds, and the atmosphere gloomy and cool. The country, refreshed by the morning’s rain, presented a most beautiful prospect. I perceived in the distance some pretty hamlets, watered by a multitude of small clear streams, flowing over beds of pebbles. They wind among the small hillocks, and seem to quit those enchanting scenes with regret. The hamlets are inhabited by agricultural slaves.
We entered the passes of the mountains, which are five or six hundred feet high, and covered with large trees, among which I observed the nédé and the caura, or plum-tree of this country. The soil is composed of very rich grey sand, mixed with gravel. I remarked likewise some blocks of white quartz. My attention was arrested alternately by the cries of large red monkeys from two feet to two feet and a half in height, and the warbling of a multitude of birds whose plumage exhibits an endless variety of colours. We descended into a plain composed of very productive black mould, watered by a little stream, which, I was told, after many windings empties itself into the Senegal. The natives call it the Telonco. It takes its rise in the neighbourhood of a high mountain, which we had much trouble in ascending. Having crossed it, we arrived at Bougnetery, a slave village where we rested a short time, having proceeded four miles and a half to the S.E.