Dwarf cotton. — Coloni. — The Iolas, a Foulah tribe. —
Bancousso. — Carabara. — Marshes. — Ropes made of the
hibiscus. — Brick-making. — Construction of houses. — Kerina. —
Foudouca. — Medina. — Lotus bread. — Touma-dioman. —
Manianan. — Arrival at Galia on the banks of the Dhioliba, opposite
to Jenné.
On the 17th of February, at six o’clock in the morning, we proceeded
northward. The caravan, intimidated by the reports of the war with
Ségo, and being in the neighbourhood of that town, put itself on
the defensive. At a little distance from the village we halted, to
put ourselves in order. The men carrying loads, who were all armed
with bows and arrows, were divided into two bodies, and between them
the women were placed; while the old merchants, and the chiefs of the
caravan, driving their asses, brought up the rear. I seated myself to
see them pass, which occupied at least a quarter of an hour. The order
of our march was well observed, and had an imposing effect. When we
wished to rest, the advanced guard halted with the women. The rear
went forward to a certain distance, and then rested in its turn,
till those who had stopped first should come up. The old men with the
asses being now in the van halted till the whole caravan had passed,
and resumed their usual place in the rear. We proceeded four miles
N.N.E. on a soil similar to that which we passed over on the previous
day. About eleven o’clock we stopped at Saraclé, a little walled
village, having a very well supplied market. At the entrance of the
village I observed a well: the soil in which it was dug, consisted of
greyish earth, mixed with sand and gravel. The well was from fifteen to
eighteen feet in depth, and the water it contained clear and pleasant
to the taste. It had no enclosure, and near it was a great hole,
forming a pond, into which the negresses throw the water in which
they wash their clothes. Although this water was very dirty, both men
and women washed their faces in it every morning; and many persons
belonging to our company followed their example. In the neighbourhood
of Saraclé there are some mimosas, and a great quantity of cés
and nédés. Many traders from Ségo, and other adjacent places,
attended the market. From some of these people I learned that the
capital of Bambara was four days’ journey N.N.W. of Saraclé. I sold
in the market some glass wares, and some pieces of coloured calico,
between eighteen and twenty inches long and four broad, for three
hundred cowries each, (equal to one franc and fifty centimes). The
women rolled these pieces of cloth round their heads, drawing them
rather forward upon the brow. They wear no other kind of head-dress.
On the 18th of February, as we were preparing to depart, one of old
Kai-mou’s men laid hold of my baggage with a disdainful air, and
threw it on one side, telling me in a very uncivil tone that henceforth
I must carry it myself. I paid no attention to this impertinence, and
turned my head another way, having nothing to do with the man, though
I could plainly perceive that his intention was to insult me. During
all the time I was among the Mandingoes I never saw a man so insolent
as this: he was full of self-sufficiency, and often insulted the
Bambaras whilst selling his merchandise to them. He despised them,
and considered himself their superior. He met with one, however,
who, instead of giving way to him, shook his fist in his face, and
threatened to punish him for his insolence. Our braggadocio who, like
all cowards, was brave only when he believed himself the stronger,
was silent immediately, and even appeared somewhat frightened. The
dispute drew together a numerous crowd of Bambaras, and might perhaps
have led to serious consequences. At the moment of our departure
Kai-mou gave orders for arranging the loads, and the man who used to
carry my bag placed it amongst his baggage. I knew very well that all
this was occasioned by a little misunderstanding which had occurred
at Wattouro between me and my old guide, and which arose out of the
following circumstance. Being in the market I bought some rice for
twenty cowries; I asked my guide, who had likewise purchased a similar
quantity, to put our shares together. He declined this, assigning
some reason which I could not comprehend. I perceived that he spoke
in an authoritative tone, and I answered him in the same manner. He
was several days without speaking to me, and even cherished a sort
of animosity against me.
At six o’clock in the morning, we proceeded N.E. over a very level
sandy soil. The country was very open, but I saw here and there some
cés, nédés, mimosas, and _rhamnus lotus_. The caravan advanced in
the same order as on the preceding day. The heat, which was greater
than usual, became overpowering. After proceeding four miles we
halted at the village of Bamba, which is shaded by baobabs. At
the market I observed that the women wore glass rings in the nose;
and some had these ornaments made of gold or copper. This village
contains from three to four hundred inhabitants. I was assured that,
after travelling N.W. three days longer, we should see the Dhioliba,
and that the fourth day would bring us to Ségo.
In the evening we were harassed by parties of female singers, who, by
dint of importunity, extort money from travellers. Old Kai-mou gave
them two colats to get rid of them. Afterwards, perceiving me in a
corner, they came to me; but, as I had nothing to give them, I left
the room, at which they did not seem well pleased. These itinerant
singers are followed by a number of well dressed girls, each of whom
carries a little calabash to receive what may be given, whilst the
concert is going on. Shortly afterwards we were attacked by another
set of beggars, who sing prayers from the Koran in a loud voice. These
singers stood at the doors, and the people gave them some colat nuts.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 19th of February, we proceeded
in a N.E. direction. We travelled three miles through a very open
country, the soil being similar to that which I had observed for
several preceding days. I saw many fields of cotton of a very small
species. On the road, a poor woman carrying a heavy load was taken
in labour and delivered in a cotton field. We went forward, leaving
the poor creature in the care of two females. Next morning I was much
surprised to see her following the caravan, with an empty calabash
on her head. Her countenance had undergone a change.
We halted at Sanso, where we passed the remainder of the day. In the
environs of this village were many plantations of cotton, of a kind
which I had not before seen, either on the banks of the Senegal or in
the neighbourhood of Sierra-Leone. It does not grow higher than five
or six inches above the ground. It has very few branches, and the
plant has the same appearance as the large cotton. The wool which
it produces is of inferior quality, very short, and not of a good
white. I likewise saw here a cotton plant which grows to the height of
four or five feet. Dwarf cotton is cultivated at some distance from the
village. It is very abundant, and is sown at random among the millet as
in Wassoulo. This cotton is annual. A great deal of it is sold to the
women belonging to the caravans which are continually passing through
the country. The inhabitants also make with it a narrow cloth, which
is manufactured throughout all the interior; for, in proportion as I
advanced towards the banks of the Dhioliba, I perceived a great change
in the industry of the natives. Here they are much better clothed;
they apply themselves to trade, their markets are better supplied and
their agricultural operations are more carefully performed. All sorts
of provisions are dear here: indeed it is frequently difficult to
procure them at all, owing to the great number of strangers passing
this way. In this part of Bambara the only kind of grain is large
and small millet. Rice grows in very small quantities. Yams which
are so useful in the south, are here small and so inferior in quality
that they are very little cultivated, In the market I sometimes saw
a dozen at most. They were extremely dear. Travellers buy them and
roast them in the ashes to eat at their departure in the morning on
the road, when they rest. The environs of Sanso are wooded with cés
and nédés. The butter extracted from the cé, is sold at Jenné to
the caravans which pass through the village. The greater part of the
inhabitants have nothing to burn but millet stubble, for wood is so
scarce that those who have it prefer selling it in the market.
At six o’clock in the morning of the 20th of February we set out
proceeding in a N.E. direction for six miles, through a level, open
country, the soil consisting of hard grey sand. I saw a few _naucleas_
and nédés. The heat, already very powerful, was increased by a
burning wind from the east. About eleven we halted at Saga, a very
pretty village, shaded by bombaces. I now found myself less an object
of curiosity than hitherto. Every one took me for a Moor. My beautiful
coloured cloth and my glass wares wholly occupied the attention of
my companions. Throughout all this country the costume is nearly the
same as in the south, except that it is neater. The women likewise
wear their hair platted; they may be compared with the Mandingo
women of Timé and Tangrera, but not with the Bambara females who
wear scarcely any clothing. They have also rings at the nose such as
I have before described.
On the 21st of February, at six o’clock in the morning, we took a
N.E. direction, and proceeded five miles and a half, the caravan still
observing the same order as before. The soil was similar to that we had
passed over for several preceding days, except that it was a little
more gravelly. The surrounding country is well cropped with millet,
and I observed some _rhamnus lotus_. At ten in the morning we arrived
at Coloni, a little village situated in a beautiful, fertile and well
cultivated plain, surrounded by a great number of large bombaces. On
my arrival, I seated myself on the ground in the shade of a tree under
which there were some female traders, from whom I bought some boiled
pistachios for my breakfast, to which I added some cakes. While I was
taking my frugal repast, I was accosted by a Foulah of Massina, whom
I had seen at Sanasso. He seated himself beside me on the ground, and
several of his comrades soon followed his example. This negro already
knew all about me, and he related my history to the rest. He told them
that I was a sherif, and that I had come from amongst christians, for
whom they testified the greatest aversion. After annoying me by their
teazing questions, they advised me, when I arrived at Jenné, to visit
Ségo Ahmadou, who would certainly give me some handsome presents and
a guide to conduct me to my native country. All these Foulahs were
settled at Coloni, and were natives of Massina, a country situated a
little to the north of Jenné. The village of Coloni is the first of
those of which Ségo Ahmadou is chief, and it forms part of the little
kingdom of Jenné. This country was conquered from the Bambaras by the
Foulahs. Ségo Ahmadou has erected mosques here. The Bambaras, who do
not profess the Mahometan religion, pay a small tribute to the chief:
there are many Mandingoes settled in this country, where they are
usually called _Iaulas_, _Diaulas_, or _Iolas_; they are the principal
traders. The Foulahs who inhabit this country follow no occupation but
the duties of religion; they have numerous slaves, who cultivate the
land, and provide for the wants of their masters. These Foulahs wear
the same dress as those of the Fouta-Dhialon; they are also as clean as
the latter, and resemble them in hair, complexion, and features; they
are tall and well made men, and have rather a dignified deportment;
they speak both the language of Fouta and that of the Mandingoes:
they are all armed with three or four lances, which they hold in
one hand; these lances are fixed on slender shafts about five feet
long. The village of Coloni, which is surrounded by two mud walls,
contains a population of about four hundred, consisting of Foulahs,
Bambaras, and Mandingoes: it is shaded by large mimosas and some
bombaces. We were lodged in a hut belonging to my acquaintance,
the Foulah, who came to see me very often; he was almost always
accompanied by some of his friends, who gave me colat-nuts, of which
these people appear to be exceedingly fond. As to my host, during
his frequent visits, he overwhelmed me with questions, but made
me no present: he asked me whether I had any gold to sell; for he
supposed that as I had come from Bouré, where it was very abundant,
I must have some. Though I assured him that I was poor and had no
money, yet he constantly repeated the same inquiry. In the evening,
a man of our caravan bought a kid, by way of speculation. He divided
it into small portions, which he sold among his comrades for eighty
cowries each. I bought one of the pieces, having fared very badly
for several days past. I had it cooked for supper, sharing it with
my guide and some of his people. The room in which we were to pass
the night was so dreadfully smoky that I determined to sleep in the
court. I had caught such a cold that I could not sleep; my continued
cough affected my lungs and brought on a spitting of blood.
On the 22nd of February, as we were preparing to depart, I had
to encounter a repetition of the scene which had taken place at
Saraclé. The same negro had the insolence to throw my leather bag
down at the door, telling me that I must take it on my own head,
for the man who had hitherto carried it was ill. I took no notice
of him and went away, though, owing to his insolence on several
former occasions, I had been obliged to exercise great self-command
to refrain from replying to him. I stopped for a moment to buy some
maumies for my breakfast, for I understood that we should have a long
journey before we made a halt. I saw all the people of the caravan
ranging themselves in order, with their loads on their heads, and
my luggage still continued lying on the ground. As my guide had not
reproved the insolence of the negro, I thought he did not wish to
take charge of my things, and, taking a mat and some trifles which I
had given to a negress to carry, I determined to stay in the village,
and change my guide. The old man, with the ass, who had not yet set
out, told me that I was wrong to take the things from the woman,
who was already somewhat in advance, and, that I should have taken
no notice of what the negro said. He observed that he was the only
master there, and that as the man who had hitherto carried my luggage,
had really some ailment in his neck, he would put my bag on the back
of his own ass. He added, that if he had intended me to carry it, he
would have told me so himself. However, I am fully persuaded that had
he seen me inclined to carry it he would willingly have allowed me to
do so, for his ass was already sufficiently loaded. I declared that
if I again experienced such treatment, I would change my guide; for,
paying as I did, I might find one any where. I had made him a present
of a piece of coloured calico and some paper, and I was to pay him
for his services on arriving at Jenné. I complained that he had not
repressed the insolence of his slave. He appeared much out of humour,
and having with a very ill grace put my luggage on the back of the ass,
we continued our journey. I followed him, carrying the mat on which
I slept, an earthen vessel, and my umbrella; when we rejoined our
party, some of the women relieved me from this little burden. Several
Foulahs of Coloni escorted me to a little distance from the village,
and, at parting, they begged me to give them my blessing. One of them
put his hand in mine, and the others in succession did the same. I
muttered a few verses of the Koran, and to make an end of the ceremony,
I blew upon their hands, which they rubbed over their faces, devoutly
exclaiming, _Alam-doul-illahi_, and went away satisfied.
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.
About nine in the morning we halted at Syenso, where some of the
inhabitants were engaged in storing the fruit of the baobab. For this
purpose they break the shell with a large piece of wood, and then
take out the pulp, which, after being thoroughly dried in the sun,
they slightly pound to extract the fecula, which is much esteemed
in this country. The people put it into their sauces and use it as a
substitute for honey in preparing their dokhnou. At Syenso ropes are
made of the _hibiscus cannibinus_, or hemp, discovered at Gambia by
a Frenchman named Baudery, and which is also used on the Senegal. No
machinery is employed in making these ropes; they are merely twisted by
hand, consequently they are not very strong, especially as the hemp,
which is not wetted before it is used, is gathered when very dry. I
bought two of these ropes, which were about six yards long and an
inch thick: I paid for each fifteen cowries, (equivalent to a sou and
a half.) I met with a man from Jenné, who was very kind and civil
to me. On my complaining of fatigue, he advised me to be patient,
as we had not far to go before we should reach Jenné.
At six in the morning of the 2nd of March, we left Syenso, and advanced
between north and east the distance of seven miles. A little beyond
the village we crossed a marsh, in which the water was knee-deep. The
surrounding country is covered with rich pasturage. About eleven we
stopped at Somou, a village situated in an open and well cultivated
plain. I was astonished at the great quantity of fish which I saw in
the market; I bought some for supper and found it very good. I also
purchased some lotus bread, which had a very pleasant taste: it was
rather acid and in colour resembled gingerbread. It was made of the
fruit of the _rhamnus lotus_, mentioned by Mungo Park. There were in
the market some women selling millet stubble, which is used for fuel
on account of the scarcity of wood. I also saw a small quantity of
sulphur in sticks; it is brought from the markets of Jenné, Ségo,
Sansanding, and Yamina, but I know not what use is made of it here. All
the villages on this road, from Oulasso to Jenné, are built of bricks
baked in the sun. These bricks, which are a foot long, eight inches
broad and a foot thick, are made without the aid of a mould. The earth,
being mixed to a proper consistence, is spread upon the ground, and
when half dry it is shaped into the form of bricks, which are laid in
the sun, and turned from side to side until sufficiently baked. The
houses, or rather huts, are eight or nine feet high, twelve or fourteen
long, and eight wide. The walls are eighteen inches thick and rudely
built, the bricks being not even cemented together. They have all flat
roofs, which are supported by thick posts, placed within at suitable
distances from each other, and similar posts are erected for the same
purpose in the middle of the room. The whole is so badly constructed
that the wall cannot for any length of time support the roof, which
is very heavy, and consists of untrimmed branches of trees covered
with earth. The huts have in general but one door and no chimney,
and when fires are kindled in them, which is the case every evening,
the smoke is unbearable. For my part I always preferred sleeping in
the open air. These huts are entered by door-ways about five feet
high and of the usual width, and they are closed by very weak and
ill joined straw doors. Each inhabitant has several of these houses,
and in his court-yard a little round store-house, made of earth and
thatched with straw, in which provisions are kept. The villages in
this part of the country are very dull and far from being so cheerful
as those further southward. I was no longer amused by witnessing the
dancing and merrimaking of the people.
On the 3rd of March, at sun-rise, we set out and proceeded five miles
north-east. When we had advanced a mile and a half from Somou, we
crossed a great marsh, where the water was knee-deep. In this marsh
there are many fish and aquatic birds. In the direction of N.W. it
forms a great lake and in the S.E. it is filled with high grass and
weeds. We went seven miles further N.N.E. The soil, consisting of
hard sand, was level and open. About noon, we arrived, much fatigued,
at Kinana, a village containing about two hundred inhabitants, and
surrounded by an infinite multitude of ronniers.
On the 4th of March, at ten in the morning, after proceeding two miles
N.N.E. we turned to E.N.E., then again to N.N.E. having travelled
altogether about ten miles. The aspect of the country was barren,
being covered with volcanic stones and red gravel. About eleven
o’clock we reached Kirina, a village surrounded by bombaces and
baobabs, containing a population of about five or six hundred. The
inhabitants are, for the most part, rope-makers. They sell their
ropes to the caravans which pass through the country, and also take
them to Jenné. They are used in making the canoes employed in the
passage to Timbuctoo. Some of these ropes are made of hemp; but most
of them of the bark of trees and of the leaves of the ronnier. Some
clasp-knives were offered us for sale. They were tolerably well made,
and it was the first time that I had seen any such articles in the
interior. They were not of European manufacture; I presume therefore
that they had been brought from Tafilet.
There were in the village some wells, twelve or thirteen feet deep: the
soil in which they were dug was full of gravel and small pebbles. They
contained good clear water.
On the fifth of March, at six in the morning, we left the village of
Kirina, and advanced four miles N.E. over the same sort of soil as
on the preceding day. We halted at Foudouca, another village, shaded
by nédés and baobabs. Here we found provisions very dear. Foudouca
contains about five or six hundred inhabitants, which is the average
amount of the population of all the villages as far as Jenné. They
are, as I have already mentioned, walled, though sometimes only
partially; a village being occasionally composed of four or five
little enclosures, in each of which reside several families. The
wells are usually seven or eight feet deep.
At sun-rise on the 6th of March, we again set out and advanced six
miles, first to N.E. and then to N.W. The soil still continued the
same; but the country was more open than it had previously been. I
saw many millet fields, which had been cultivated in the rainy
season. Some of the stubble yet remained on the ground. About eleven
in the forenoon we halted at Medina, the environs of which are well
cultivated. The market is small, but well supplied. I saw in it some
very fine fish both fresh and dry. The fresh fish, I was told, had
been caught in the Dhioliba. It was about two feet and a half long
and one in circumference. It had no scales, and the head was rather
long. This fish had only one large bone and no small ones. I bought a
piece for my supper and found it excellent. There is no better fish in
Europe. I also saw in the market a great deal of lotus bread. It had a
somewhat saccharine and acid taste, owing to the fruit being gathered
before it is ripe. It is very common in this part of the Soudan. The
inhabitants sell it at Jenné, whence it is conveyed to Timbuctoo.
At six in the morning of the 7th of March, we pursued a
N.E. direction. The soil continued the same as it had been for several
preceding days; I saw however some naucleas. At ten in the morning
we halted at Counignan, a village situated in a plain covered with
gravel, which, nevertheless, is cultivated in the rainy season. As far
as the eye can reach, nothing is to be seen but bushes at considerable
distances from each other. Near the village there are some ronniers and
bombaces. In the market, which is well supplied with necessaries, I saw
some butchers. They skewer together bits of beef and suet, which, after
being broiled or merely smoke-dried, they sell to their customers.
On the 8th of March, about seven in the morning, we prepared for
departure. At the entrance of the village we were met by the butchers,
who on the preceding evening had boiled the heads and feet of the
animals which they had killed, and now offered them for sale to the
people of the caravan. This detained us a little while, as we all
bought something to eat before dinner, which we should not have till
late. After advancing eight miles to the N.E. over a soil composed
of hard, red sand, strewed with gravel, we crossed a marsh, choosing
a narrow part which was dry, though it was flooded elsewhere. Rice is
cultivated on the higher parts of this marsh, on which the negroes have
constructed dikes to check the inundation. After crossing the marsh,
we came to a large village called Touma-dioman. We did not stop here,
but proceeded five miles to the N.N.E. over a soil composed of hard
sand, but less gravelly than it had been on the preceding days, and
covered with mimosas, cés, nédés, and the _rhamnus lotus_. The
road was thronged with people, travelling from village to village
with various commodities, such as millet, cotton, dried fish, &c.,
and caravans of dealers in salt.
At the village of Touma-dioman there are two large ponds of muddy
water, to which both men and beasts went to slake their thirst.
About one in the afternoon, we stopped at Manianan, a large village,
with a well furnished market, in which the dealers are sheltered from
the heat of the sun by small straw huts. The ronnier grows abundantly
in the neighbourhood of this village, there many Iolas are settled:
they are an artful, but industrious people, and devote themselves to
trade and the manufacture of cotton cloth. Manianan is situated on
an eminence, which is nearly surrounded by large ditches formed by
nature, which serve as fortifications to the village. These ditches
contain a great deal of water, which, though impure, is nevertheless
drunk by the inhabitants. I saw several children in small canoes made
of pieces of plank joined together, amusing themselves by paddling
about in these ditches, on the edges of which the women of the village
throw dirt and all sorts of filth. One of my fellow travellers bought
an ass here, for which he paid eleven thousand cowries.
We started from Manianan at eight in the morning of the 9th of
March. On leaving the village on the north side, I saw several huts
built like those of the Foulah shepherds, and in the surrounding fields
there were cattle, goats, sheep, and some asses. After proceeding
three miles over a soil composed of loose sand, in which in many
places the vegetation is similar to that which I had observed on
the preceding day, we came in sight of Tomga, a village which, like
Manianan, is surrounded by deep moats and numerous ronniers.
On the 10th of March, at six in the morning, we set out, proceeding
two miles north and then three miles N.N.W. We crossed an inundated
marsh, being up to our waists in water. Here I observed the blue and
white nymphæa, the seed and root of which the natives use as food. In
the marshes are to be seen a few small shrubs at great distances from
each other. In many inundated places it was found necessary to unload
the asses to get them through the water. The men took the loads on
their heads, and it was only by supporting themselves with sticks
that they could maintain their equilibrium.
About eleven in the morning, we arrived much fatigued at Galia
(or Cougalia), situated on a slight elevation, on the bank of the
Dhioliba. Galia is a hamlet consisting of five or six earth huts,
and an equal number of straw cabins, of the same shape as those of
the Foulahs. The neighbourhood, to some distance, is not inundated
at this season. I saw many ronniers, and, on the bank of the river
two large tamarind-trees, which serve to vary the uniformity of
the landscape. In this little village are settled some Foulahs,
whose business is to convey in canoes the numerous caravans going
to Jenné. I found them very civil. I purchased from them a little
milk, and some pistachios, for we could not procure either millet
or rice for supper. In the evening, I saw several large canoes,
descending the river on their way to Timbuctoo. The Dhioliba, which,
in this part, seems to come from W. ¼ N.W. flows slowly to N.E.,
its current running about a knot and a half an hour. The water was
tolerably clear, but it had a whitish tint. The banks of the river are,
for the most part, open and low, except before Cougalia, where they
are somewhat high, and composed of grey argillaceous sand. Here and
there, small veins of red clay are observable. At a little distance,
in the direction of N.E. I perceived a small island, which, though dry
at this season, is under water during the inundations of the river,
which are periodical. The market of Cougalia, is held on the bank
of the river, in the shade of two tamarind-trees. It was scantily
supplied; but, fortunately, we had provisions with us. We bought
some dried fish. Our caravan was so numerous, that we could not all
find lodgings within the village. The greater part of my companions
took up their quarters in tents, which were erected in the fields,
and consisted of poles driven into the earth, and covered with pagnes.