Baunan produces colat-nuts and a great quantity of gold, which the inhabitants exchange for salt and cloth. The soil of Baunan, although fertile and hilly, is uncultivated. The inhabitants, who employ themselves in working the mines, obtain provisions from their neighbours. The Kong trader told me that he had been many times at Baunan, and that beyond Kong there were no Bambara negroes; the people had, indeed, curly hair, but they spoke a different language. They are all idolaters, and do not travel, having markets of their own. The Mandingo merchants trade in Baunan, and go in caravans to Jenné, taking with them gold, colat-nuts, allspice, and long pepper. The negro, from whom I learned these particulars, told me that there were at that time many traders of his country at Jenné, and that I might, perhaps, see them. From Kong, caravans of pilgrims sometimes go to Mecca. The Baunan country, to which this negro alluded, is most probably the Tauman, which I heard mentioned by the good old woman at Timé.
On the 11th of February, as we were still sojourning at Douasso, awaiting the arrival of a party of our companions, who remained behind, I thought I would make an observation, at least approximatively, of the meridian altitude of the sun, by measuring a shadow at noon. For this purpose, I stationed myself near a large baobab, at a little distance from the village, in order to escape notice; but, notwithstanding this precaution, I had nearly involved myself in a serious scrape. Owing to the peculiarity of my colour, I was immediately missed from among my companions; I was sought for and discovered under the tree: as I was rising to look at the road, I perceived at a little distance some women, who walked round me to watch me; on seeing me writing they ran to inform the men, who thought themselves all lost, imagining that I was a sorcerer, and had bewitched their village; they assembled in great numbers, and made a great disturbance, desiring my guide to prohibit me from writing any more. I confess that I was not quite at ease as to the consequences of this affair. Some persons came to me and declared, in an authoritative tone, that I must relinquish my magical operations; they even shook me by the shoulders, and used threats to me. I had foreseen that, if observed, I should excite suspicion, and accordingly took the precaution of writing on the ground where I was making my observation the sacred words, Bism’ Allah erralmân errahym (in the name of the merciful and forgiving God); but the ignorant Bambaras could not read writing. Fortunately, I had finished my observation when this unpleasant scene occurred. The people gathered round me, and asked me what I had been doing: I told them I had been making an amulet, which was a safeguard against all sorts of illness, and my guide heartily seconded this evasion. At length they appeared satisfied; some begged me to write similar grigris for them; and, had I complied with the requests of all, I might have continued at work all day. I gave to two Bambaras a little bit of paper, on which I had written some Arabic characters: they appeared much pleased with the present, and wrapped it up very carefully in a bit of dirty rag. On returning to my hut, it was some time before I entirely recovered from the agitation into which I had been thrown. Old Kai-mou, my guide, asked me why I had remained so long under the tree: he told me that I had exposed myself to danger, for the Bambaras were not well disposed people; that I must be on my guard with them, and, in future, if I wished to write, I must remain in my hut; as for himself, he was fully persuaded that I had been writing grigris. In the evening our company arrived.
On the 12th of February, at six o’clock in the morning, we left the superstitious inhabitants of Douasso, and proceeded northward over a tolerably level soil, covered in some places with ferruginous stones and gravel.
We proceeded four miles and a half in this same direction. As we advanced the soil became sandy and well cultivated. The country was generally open, yet there were some cés and nédés, rhamnus lotus, and nauclea. We met a numerous caravan from Jenné, laden with salt. This caravan was composed of about two hundred men, sixty women, and twenty-five asses. About nine o’clock in the morning we halted at Sanasso. From Toumané to Jenné wood is so scarce, that the greater part of the inhabitants burn millet-stubble. Sanasso is shaded by bombaces and baobabs. Like all Bambara villages in this region, it is built of bricks baked in the sun. The houses have only a ground-floor: they are very dirty, and surrounded with walls.
On the 13th of February, at six o’clock in the morning, we proceeded on our journey, in a direction N.N.E. After advancing six miles, we crossed an extensive dry marsh. The country was even more open than that through which we had passed on the preceding day. The soil, which was level, consisted of grey and very hard sand. About nine o’clock in the morning, we stopped at Garo, a large village, containing from eight to nine hundred inhabitants. It is situated in a beautiful plain, fertile in cotton and millet. Round the huts tobacco is cultivated. A great market is held at this place.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 14th of February, we proceeded northward, and journeyed four miles over the same kind of soil as on the preceding day. About eight o’clock we halted at the village of Béré, the environs of which are covered with cés and nédés. I observed a great deal of ferruginous stone on the surface of the soil. Here are several furnaces for smelting iron. We lodged with a smelter, who explained to me the process which he employed in his business. The stones containing particles of iron are first broken with a large hammer. They are then put into a furnace, having a fire both above and below. These furnaces are constructed like those in Fouta-Dhialon, which I have already described. The iron, when melted, is run into a convenient form, and carried to Jenné to be exchanged for salt. The forges are constructed like those of Senegal; but the smiths of Béré have not so many tools. Their bellows are made of two sheep or kid skins; they have a very small anvil and two large hammers. They use charcoal, although it is very scarce. The forges are in a long and narrow building, rudely constructed, having seven doors opening to the west. At Béré I disposed of some glass trinkets. The poor Bambaras seemed quite enchanted with the beauty of the things which I exhibited; I took care, however, to shew them very little.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 15th of February, we set out in the direction of N.N.E. and proceeded five miles over a soil similar to that observed on the preceding day. About nine o’clock we halted at Nibakhasso, a village containing from six to seven hundred inhabitants, and having a well stocked market. The people were celebrating a festival, and amusing themselves by singing and dancing. The old men were assembled round great calabashes filled with beer, drinking, singing, and smoking. Some musicians helped to enliven the scene. A very fat dog was killed for the occasion, and broiled with the skin on. Although it was almost raw, the owner speedily disposed of it: each person bought a small piece for five or ten cowries, devoured it greedily, and washed it down with a draught of beer. The flesh was of a reddish colour, but looked very well; and I dare say it was much better than that of the camel which I was afterwards obliged to eat in the desert. Our Mandingoes exhibited their stock of nuts, and sold some of them to the merry Bambaras. I also disposed of those which I brought from Tangrera, and which they bought in preference. There are people in this country who make beer and sell it retail. I had a great wish to taste it, but my character of Musulman rendered that impossible. On holidays, these dealers in beer station themselves at the scene of festivity, and are soon surrounded by the lovers of this liquor, which they sell in small calabashes. I observed that they looked very sharply after their payment, and refused to serve those who had no money. In the evening, the inhabitants of the place were almost all intoxicated. They brought out about twelve or fifteen horses, and made them prance about to the sound of drums. The young people danced all night. Old Kai-mou, my guide, was so extravagant as to buy a large fowl for supper, and I gave him salt to season the sauce. We made an excellent meal.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 16th of February, we again set forth, and proceeded four miles in a N.N.E. direction. The soil was composed of sand and gravel, and the vegetation consisted of numerous cés and nédés, some mimosas, wild figs, rhamnus lotus, and bombaces. At eleven o’clock in the morning, we arrived at Wattouro. We met a caravan of traders returning from Jenné. They informed us that the war between Ségo and that town interrupted all communication, and that the Moorish traders were afraid to go to Sansanding on account of this war. They also told us that colat-nuts fetched no price at Jenné. The market at Wattouro, which was in the shade of some bombaces, was well supplied with dried fish, millet, a little rice, and butcher’s meat.