NATURAL HISTORY. 
greater difficulties. | Water, that 
indispensable aliment of man, is 
here not potable. Wells are dug 
in the sand to the depth of five or 
six feet, and water is obtained by 
this means ; but whatever pains are 
taken to freshen it, it ever retains a 
brackish taste. I have distilled this 
water myself, and observed that it 
always kept a disagreeable savour, 
which cannot fail to be hurtful to 
the health : it is true that when the 
river is high, its streams are fresh, 
‘but the water is only the more 
dangerous. It proves the cause of 
most of those maladies which carry 
off the Europeans so rapidly, that at 
the end of every three years the ‘co- 
lony has a fresh set of inhabitants. 
The blacks themselves, although 
accustomed to the climate, are not 
in this season free from disease. 
There is not any good water to 
be got in the country, buat that 
which is brought forty leagues 
down the river, and through the 
most infectious swamps. A spring 
of good water rises, however, four 
leagues above Gandiole, upon the 
way from Senegal to Goree; but 
it is not sufficiently copious to be- 
come of general utility. As to the 
other aliments of life, they are 
equally unwholesome, notwithstand- 
ing the lying report of travellers, 
and their book-makers, who, in 
their aceounts of this sad country, 
seem as if they were striving to-out- 
do'each other in falsehood. ‘The 
meat is in general detestably bad, 
and the fish of an ill taste. It must 
be dressed the day it is caught ; for 
the next morning it is good for no- 
thing. The oxen furnish the best 
meat; but they are not half so tall 
or’so big as those of France, even 
of Brittany. Messrs. Adanson and 
Dumanet have taken a pleasure in 
ats 
205 
embellishing ‘the ‘narratives they 
have written relative to these coun- 
tries, where they have found some- 
thing marvellous at every step. As 
for me, who have gone ‘over ‘the 
greater part of these districts, I 
have found the country only ‘more 
or’ less detestable. No man can 
speak in its favour, except ‘to an- 
swer some particular purpose.’ The 
Senegal Company derive great be+ 
nefit from their commerce,’ and 
conseguently have an interest in 
representing the country as a ter- 
restrial paradise; for if it were 
known to be such as it is ‘in’ fact, 
they would find nobody to go'there, 
the chance being five to one that 
the adventurer will never refurn 
(independent of the hazards of the 
voyage)—and that in the’ space of 
three years. It must, however, be 
confessed that this charming coun- 
try has one advantage, which is, 
that if a man becomes tired of life, 
he may easily terminate his exist- 
ence without committing the crimé 
of suicide. He need ocly remain 
at Senegal a little while ; or, if he 
would wish to make it shorter still, 
let bim undertake a voyage to Ga- 
lam. Those, on the contrary, who 
wish to prolong their life a little, 
must be satisfied with negto food— 
and heavens! what food! The 
females pound millet in wooden 
mortars upon the sand: bat it is-so 
ill prepared, that it grates between 
the teeth. Walking or riding out 
is no amusement here, as it is ever 
attended with danger, and as there 
are no situations tolerably agreeable 
nearer than ten Jeagues from the 
colony. Besides, aman is always 
exposed either to the danger of be- 
ing made captive by the inhabitants 
of the country, or to be devoured 
by wild beasts, such asthe weer 
the 
