We had now come up to the caravan, which had stopped for a short time to range itself in the order which had been observed on several preceding days. We proceeded five miles eastward over a good road. The country was better wooded than that through which we had passed the day before, and was in many places covered with stubble. The soil consisted of firm sand. We crossed a stream, which delayed us a considerable time. Both men and women threw off their clothes and forded it, the water being up to their waists. Those who had no loads to carry crossed it by a tottering bridge, consisting of a row of perpendicular poles planted in the bed of the stream, to which other poles were negligently tied in a transverse direction. The negroes stepped upon these transverse poles, and held by the upright ones: they every moment ran the risk of falling into the water; however, we all got across without accident. The banks of this stream are well wooded. We continued our course five miles to the S.E. over a sandy soil, the surface of which was covered with gravel. The excessive heat rendered our journey very fatiguing. About eleven in the morning we arrived at Bancousso, a large village containing a population of five or six hundred, and situated in a well cultivated plain, shaded by baobabs. This village has a large market, well supplied with the productions of the country; I saw in it a great quantity of cloth, and earthen pots, which are made here.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 23rd of February, we advanced six miles to the N.E. We crossed a stream which was nearly dry, and then continued seven miles further in the same direction. The soil, which is level, is composed of grey sand, and in some places of red earth mixed with gravel. The country was open, and I saw but very few nédés and cés. We were greatly oppressed by the heat, and unfortunately found very little water on the road. About two in the afternoon we arrived at Gniapé, excessively thirsty and fatigued. The environs of this village are tolerably well cultivated. Old Kai-mou, my guide, had a serious quarrel with one of his wives: he threatened to strike her; she imprudently dared him to do so; and the old man, in a fit of rage, beat her unmercifully. The poor creature took up a stick to defend herself, but fortunately some Mandingoes of the caravan, hearing the noise, came and interfered. The woman, being prevented from taking her revenge, had recourse to tears, and, in the violence of her passion, struck her own bosom. This was the only time I ever saw among these people a wife presume to resist her husband. The animosity was long kept up between the parties, and they did not even speak to each other; at length, after the lapse of three or four days, a Mandingo negro endeavoured to effect a reconciliation; what he said, certainly had some influence, for he succeeded in restoring peace between the husband and wife. The woman was obliged to confess that she was in the wrong, for the husband would never have yielded. To ratify the peace, Kai-mou broke a colat-nut, half of which he gave to his wife, and he ate the other half himself. From that moment they were friends. The women of these countries easily forget this kind of treatment, to which they are accustomed.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 24th of February, we directed our course to E.N.E., and proceeded three miles across a country similar to that through which we passed the day before. We met a caravan of Mandingo traders coming from Jenné, and halted, at eight in the evening, at Couriban-Sanso.
On the 25th of February, we started at sun-rise, travelling eight miles E.N.E. The soil continued unvaried, and the country very open. At ten o’clock in the morning we reached a small neat village, called Kimpana, where we passed the remainder of the day and the succeeding night.
On the 26th of February, at six in the morning, we again resumed our journey, proceeding six miles N.E., over a fine gravelly soil. I observed several specimens of the rhamnus lotus, and various other trees, of which I did not know the names. At ten o’clock we halted at Carabara, a village containing five or six hundred inhabitants. A great market is held here. The wells, which are without the boundaries of the village, are twelve or fourteen feet deep, and contain very good water.
On the 27th of February, we advanced six miles to N.N.W. The ground was covered with fine gravel; cés and nédés were becoming less frequent, but I observed some bombaces and mimosas. It was near eleven o’clock when we halted at the village of Nenesso, the environs of which are well cropped with millet and cotton, and I saw also some baobabs.
At ten in the morning of the 28th February, we resumed our course N.N.W., and advanced four miles over a sandy and well cultivated soil, in which grow many large baobabs. We halted at Nomou, a village situated in a beautiful open plain, where I saw some fine plantations of cotton and tobacco; the latter had long pointed leaves, and, if properly prepared, it would, no doubt, be as good as ours. The people take great pains in cultivating it. They first sow the seed in beds, and when the plant has attained a certain growth, they transplant it; for this purpose they prepare the ground by two diggings, and dividing it into little squares, the plants of tobacco are there placed at the distance of eighteen inches asunder; they are watered twice a day, there being wells for that purpose near the plantations. The leaves of the tobacco are not gathered until the plant is in seed, as the practice of topping is not understood here. There is a great consumption of tobacco; for the people take snuff and smoke very much: smoking is indeed the only recreation of the old men; their pipes are of the same size and form as those used in the Wassoulo. They take snuff with a small brush or hair pencil. The dress, customs, and manners of the people in this part of the country vary but little.
At six o’clock on the morning of the 29th of February we directed our course to N.E. and advanced three miles through an open country, similar to that which we had seen the day before. We halted at Tamero. While I was in the market purchasing some cakes, a woman, tolerably well dressed, accosted me, and taking me for an Arab, requested me to go and see a Moor who was ill in the village. I followed her, and found the sick man, sitting under the shade of a bombax, employed in killing the vermin with which he was tormented. He seemed very poor, being no better clothed than myself, and he had a sore on his foot which prevented him from walking. He invited me to sit down by him, and then asked me whence I came. He was astonished when I told him that Alexandria was my country: he said he had heard of it, but that it was a great way off. He told me that he was a native of Tafilet, whither he wished to return, but that he was prevented from so doing by his inability to walk. He lived with a good Mahometan negro, who supplied him with food out of mere charity. The miserable condition of this poor creature excited my pity, and I gave him a few glass beads. On returning home I told my guide that I had seen a Moor who knew my country; Kai-mou seemed much pleased at this and appeared more cheerful than usual.
At the market I saw some good dried fish, which I bought for supper, and my travelling companions partook of it. The village of Tamero is, like all the others, composed of several walled inclosures. It is shaded by baobabs, and contains a population of about three or four hundred. The fruit and leaves of the baobab are carefully gathered and the inhabitants carry on a great trade in them.
On the 1st of March, we set out at six in the morning, and travelled five miles N.N.E. Shortly after leaving the village we crossed a large inundated marsh, being up to our waists in water. This marsh is frequented by numbers of aquatic birds, as the pelican, the egret, the trumpet-bird, the marabou, the puffin, the Barbary duck, the teal, and various other species, which I could not distinguish. The natives do not shoot these birds, gunpowder being with them a very scarce article. Having crossed the marsh, we passed over a tract, the soil of which was composed of a kind of loose sand. Here I observed tamarind-trees and samps in abundance, as well as the rhamnus lotus, the cé, the nédé, and the baobab.