8KNEOAMBIA. 



SENEGAMBIA. 



eon*idetM, but the 



r do not ppr to rue above the line of tree*. The 



nnrrl r _ _ IT bare, their surface consulting of iron-stone, 



nvUi atbw, and TeUow wind ; in some place* they exhibit trace* of 

 Toicanio action. The valley, are ooTered with large tree*. The 

 inhabitant* are mostly herdsmen. 



Tb table-land of Foota Jallon cotuisU properly of a plain of eon- 

 nderable extant, surrounded by higher ground*, and chiefly by lofty 

 mountain.. From north to south it extends about SO mile*, and 

 perbap* rtUl more from e**t to wejt. The Burfaoe is diversified by 

 ratle hill*. The deration of thi* plain can hardly be less than 2000 

 feet above the Ma. In the mounUina which inclose it on the south, 

 and which appear to be connected with the Kong Mountains, are the 

 ouroe* of the Ba King, the principal branch of the Senegal, and the 

 watr* U*uing from them run aboTe a thoucand miles before they 

 reach the tea. Thia river forms many rapids in it* course. The 

 greatart part of the plain is converted into a temporary lake at the 

 end of the rainy season, but this is very favourable to the growth of 

 rice, which i extenmely cultivated. Indian corn is also grown, but 

 millet, to the growth of which humidity is not favourable, is seldom 

 Men. Orange*, papaw-tree*, and bananas are abundant, and there are 

 many large forest-trees. Cattle are numerous. This is the best cul- 

 tivated and the most populous part of Senegambia, The inhabitants 

 derive considerable advantages from the commercial road through 

 their country, which connects the countries south of the Joliba with 

 Sierra Leone. 



Sirm. Beside* the Senegal and Gambia [GAMBIA COLONY; SE.<K- 

 OAiA which are the largest rivers of Senegambia, the country south 

 of the Gambia is drained by two rivers, which are navigated to a 

 considerable distance from their mouth : these are the Bio Grande 

 and the Nunez, or Kakoondee. The Rio Grande is stated to originate 

 on the western declivity of a range of mountains, the waters from the 

 eastern slope of which form the most remote branch of the Gambia, 

 near 10 N. lat, 11 W. long. As far as its course lies within the 

 mountain region it is joined by numerous tributaries, among which 

 however the Coomba only is a considerable stream, and its course is 

 rapid. At a distance exceeding a hundred miles from the sea the 

 river divides into several branches. That branch which continues to 

 flow in a western direction is commonly called on our maps Rio 

 Grande, but the native name is Butolah. Its mouth is opposite to 

 Bulama Island, which belongs to the group of the Bissngos, or Bijooga 

 Island*. [BissAoos.] That arm which runs northward from tbe 

 point where the bifurcation takes place is called Jeba River. Having 

 continued in that direction about 50 miles, it turns westward and 

 divides again at the Portuguese settlement of the same name. This 

 branch is navigable for small vessels from Jeba to the sea, and for 

 larger vessels from a point about 5 miles above Bissao. The most 

 northern arm, which is called the Cacheo River, is navigable for small 

 Teasel* to the settlements of Cacheo. The river Nunez, or, as it is 

 called by the natives, Kakoondee, is much inferior in size : its whole 

 course probably does not exceed 250 miles, while the Rio Grande runs 

 more than 400 miles ; but it offers a safe navigation to a great distance 

 from the sea. It rises in that chain of hilla which separates Sene- 

 gambia from Sierra Leone near 13 W. long. In the upper part of 

 its coune it is full of rapids and falls. It becomes navigable for 

 vessels of moderate size above the settlement of Debucko, or Rebucko, 

 and up to this place the tide ascends. The river has three channels 

 at its mouth, two of which are navigated by vessels. They are 

 separated from one another by an island called Sandy Island. 



Climate. The commencement of the rainy season varies between 

 the 1st of April and 1st of June, and its termination is between the 

 l*t and 31st of December. The rains in July and August are heavy, 

 and are frequently accompanied by violent gusts of wind, called tor- 

 nadoes, attended with thunder. In September the rains are generally 

 slight, and tornadoes with heavy rains ore comparatively rare. Tor- 

 nadoes occur at the beginning and termination of the rainy season. 

 The prevailing winds during this season are from the south-west to 

 the wct and north-west; towards the end of November from the 

 north-east and east, and they immediately produce a great change in 

 the face of the country. The grass soon becomes dry and withered ; 

 the riven subside rapidly, and many of the trees shed their leaves. 

 About this period the 'hainattan' is generally felt, a dry and parch- 

 ing wind which blows from the north-east, and is accompanied by a 

 thick smoky haze, through which the sun appears of a dull-red colour. 

 Thi* wind pane* over the sandy plains of the Sahara, where it acquires 

 an extraordinary degree of dryness, parching up everything which is 

 exposed to it It is however considered healthy, especially by Euro- 

 pean*. During the long rainy season the air is loaded with moisture. 

 The hamattan quickly changes this state of things, and many persons 

 who have fallen ill during the rains recover in a short time. But it 

 produces chaps in the lips, and afflicts many of the natives with sore 

 jrem. The easterly winds of the dry season extend to the shores of 



> aea a* far south a* Cape Verd. But south of it westerly and 

 north-westerly winds prevail, except in some places where there is 

 a regular alternation of land- and sea-breezes. 



Senegambia has long been noted for the great degree of heat to 



iich it is subject all the year round. But it does not appear to be 

 subject to a greater degree of heat than other countries situated in the 

 ame latitude, except those tract* which lie along the banks of the 



river Senegal, and consequently in the vicinity of the Sahara. At the 

 French settlement of Bakel, on the river Senegal, about 300 miles from 

 the sea in a straight line, the thermometer occasionally rises to 110 

 in April and May, which are the hottest months of the year, and 

 sinks in December to 66'25. In the parts of Seuegambia which ore 

 remote from the coast, the hottest part of the year is during the last 

 months of the dry season and at the beginning of the rains ; but on 

 the coast the rains immediately depress the temperature several 

 degrees. On the coast the range of the thermometer generally varies 

 between 65 and 95, and rarely attains 100. The mean annual 

 emperature is 797. 



Production!. A country with such a climate and extensive tracts 

 of great fertility must be capable of producing all kinds of tropical 

 vegetable products. Hemp is cultivated to a considerable extent, 

 and made into ropes and cords, in which state it is brought to the 

 European settlements. The grains which are chiefly cultivated are 

 rice, maize, and millet. Besides these grains there are cultivated for 

 food the ground-nut, maudioc, yams, bananas, and a variety of vege- 

 tables. Cotton and indigo are grown in many places; the latter grows 

 wild. The forests, which are very extensive, contain several trees, the 

 fruits of which are used as food. The most remarkable is the butter- 

 tree. Among trees used for commercial purposes are the African teak, 

 the mahogany-tree, the mangrove, and others. The mimosa from 

 which the gum is obtained is common on the table-land of the 

 Jaloofs, though less so than north of the Senegal. There are some 

 trees which yield caoutchouc. Cassia, cardamoms, and orchil are 

 obtained from the interior. Along the sea-coast, and also on the 

 islands, and in the low flat country between the Rio Nuhez and the 

 Gambia, different kinds of palms are found in great abundance ; palin- 

 oil and palm-wine are important articles of domestic economy. 



The domestic animals do not differ from those of Europe, except 

 that a few camels are kept in the desert of the Jaloofs and in the 

 countries near the Sahara. Horses are numerous and the breed is 

 good. Black cattle are numerous and of great size. Butter in a 

 melted state ia a considerable article of inland trade, and hides and 

 horns are largely exported. Sheep and goats are confiued to some 

 tracts, but pigs and fowls are reared everywhere, the negroes being 

 generally fond of pork. Among the wild animals the elephant occupies 

 the first place, and supplies nearly all the ivory which is exported from 

 the English and Portuguese settlements on the Gambia, Rio Grande, 

 and Nunez. The hippopotamus abounds in all the rivers, especially 

 in the Senegal. There are lions, leoparda, and panthers. The striped 

 hyaena is very common. The wild animals which are used for food 

 are the buffalo, the wild bo.ir, which is of prodigious size, deer 

 of different kinds, antelopes, the hare of the Cape, and porcu- 

 pines. Alligators frequent all the rivers, and the boa is found in the 

 lower marshy country. Among the birds the white heron is one of 

 the moat beautiful. Guinea-fowls, turtle-dovea, and wood-pigeons are 

 abundant. Turtles are numerous on some of the islands. There are 

 several kiuda of large ants; their hills resemble the huts of the 

 negroes. 



Little is known of the mineral wealth of Senegambia ; but it would 

 seem that the greater part of the mountains are mainly composed of 

 ironstone, and that iron exists there in inexhaustible quantity. The 

 natives are also acquainted with the art of extracting the metal, and 

 there are furnaces in some parts. Gold is found in those parts which 

 lie between the affluents of the Upper Senegal, aa in Bambook, 

 Fooladoo, Handing, &c. It occurs mostly in the form of small grains 

 in an alluvial soil. 



Inhabitants. The inhabitants of Senegambia belong properly to 

 the negro race. But the Moors have entered Senegambia in con- 

 siderable numbers, and mixed with the most populous tribes of the 

 negro race. These tribes are known under the names of Foulahs, or 

 Foolahs, Jalofs, or Jaloofa, Mandingoes, and Serrawollies ; and they 

 occupy the more elevated part of Senegambia, leaving to the other 

 minor tribes only the low country which extends along the sea from 

 the mouth of the Gambia to Cape Verga. 



The nations among which the Moors have settled have partly 

 embraced the Mohammedan religion. The structure of their body 

 differs also more or less from that of the true negro race. The 

 inhabitants of Bondoo, who are a mixture of Foolahs, Mandingoes, 

 Serrawollies, and Jaloofs, are described as of middle size, well-made, 

 and very active ; their skin of a light copper-colour, and their faces of 

 a form approaching nearer to the European type than any of the 

 other tribes of Western Africa, the Moors excepted. The women vie 

 in point of form with the handsomest women in Europe, and they 

 have very delicate features. The different tribes speak different 

 languages ; but that of the Foolahs and Mandingoes is generally 

 understood by all of them. In respect of commerce and civilisation 

 they are far more advanced than the other black tribes. There are 

 schools in almost every town for the instruction of youths who intend 

 to make the Mohammedan religion their profession, in which they 

 are instructed in reading ami writing Arabic from the Kordn. Their 

 habitations are rather small, but they are kept clean and neat. Both 

 sexes are dressed in a very decent manner. 



The smaller nations, who exhibit in their bodily structure the true 

 negro type of the Ethiopian race [AnilCA, vol. i., col. 124], have 

 remained in a low state of civilisation. They cultivate some rice, but 



