ijgi. discoveries in Africa. 1 7 



tune ; and journeying by a north-east course, arrived 

 on the fifth day at the uninhabited frontier which se- 

 parates the kingdoms of Woolli and Bondou. 



' He had now pafsed the former limit of European 

 discovery, and while he remarks with pleasure the 

 numerous and extensive population of this unvisited 

 country, he observed that the long black hair, and 

 copper complexion of the inhabitants announce their 

 Arab origin.' 



After a journey of 150 miles, he reached the banks 

 of theFaleme, the south-western boundary of the king- 

 dom of Bambouk. Its stream was exhausted by the 

 advanced state of the dry season, and its bed exhibi- 

 ted an appearance of slate intermixed with gravel. 

 ■■ * Bambouk is inhabited by a nation whose woolly 

 hair and sable complexions bespeak them of the 

 negro race, but whose character seems to be varied 

 in proportion as the country rises from the plains of 

 its western division to the high lands on the cast. 

 Distinguiflied into sects, like the people of Woolli 

 and Bondou, by different tenets, of Mahommedans 

 and Deists, they are equally at peace with each other, 

 •and mutually tolerate the respective opinions they 

 condemn. 



' Agriculture and pasturage, as in the negro 

 states on the coast of the Atlantic, are their chief oc- 

 cupations ; but the progrefs which they have made 

 in the manufacturing arts is such as enables them to 

 smelt their iron ore, and to furnifh the several in- 

 struments of hufbandry and war j cloth of cotton on 

 ihe other hand, wbich on this part of Africa seems 



VOL. xi. g t 



