656 



B O N D O U. 



Pondou. f great resort, both for the Slatces, or free black 

 merchant^:, who trade chiefly in slaves from the const 

 to the interior ; ami for occasional traders, who fre- 

 quentlv come from the inland countries to purchase 

 Salt. They also barter c >rn for iron, shea butter,* 

 and gold-dust ; and they sell a variety of sweet smel- 

 ling gums, which arc used as pel fumes. -J- Tiie cus- 

 toms .ind duties on travellers are very heavy. In al- 

 most every town, an ass load pays a bar of European 

 merchandise; ;t and in the capital one Indian baft, or 

 a musket, and six bottles of gunpowder, are exacted 

 bs the common tribute. In consequence of these 

 duties, the ki;g of Bondou is well supplied with arms 

 and ammunition, and is formidable to the neighbour- 

 ing states. 



The following interesting account of the journey 

 of M. Rubault through the kingdom of Bondou, is 

 given by M. Durand, under whose orders he was 

 employed. 



On the 10th of February 1786, Rubault set off 

 early in the morning, and arrived at noon at the village 

 of Tilliko, a frontier of the kingdom of Bondou : this 

 is probably the same village which Mungo Park calls 

 Tallika, and by which he also entered the kingdom. 

 The major part of the inhabitants of this village are 

 Foulahs, who profess the Mahometan religion : they 

 are merchants, who enrich themselves either by sup- 

 plying the caravans which pass through their coun- 

 try with provisions, or by the sale of ivory, -which 

 they procure by hunting elephants, to which they 

 are accustomed from their infancy. 



By the 14th Rubault had reached the village of 

 Coursan, the ordinary residence of the king of the 

 country, whose name is Almami. It is worthy of 

 remark, that Mr Park no longer followed the track 

 of my traveller; for he indicates the residence of 

 the king of Ik .i.dou to be at the village of Fatte- 

 conda, on the right bank of the river 'Faleme, and 

 at a great distance from Coursan. Both gentle- 

 men saw the king, and have given a description 

 of the palace which he inhabited, which exactly 

 correspond ; hence we can only reconcile the diffe- 

 rence in the places to arise from the king having pa- 

 laces at each of them. 



His majesty being at a country seat, the stranger ' 

 was received by his prime minister, who supplied him 

 with provisions, and told him that the king would 

 arrive the next day. On the 14-th the queen saw 

 him, and entreated him to stop a little longer, as she 

 had sent an express to her husband, who shortly re- 

 turned with intelligence that he was coming. An 

 ox was therefore killed ; and the king, on arriving, 

 sent for sur traveller. 



After asking him the usual questions, as to what 

 had brought him into his country, he wished to 

 know, if I had not sent him some present ? Rubault 

 answered, that I intended to do so, but that he had 

 distributed all the merchandise which I had given 

 him. He, however, promised to send the king what- 

 ever he might wish for, as soon as he arrived at Ga- 



lam. His majesty appeared surprised, and replied, Bondou. 

 that his Cither used to receive great presents from * v < 

 the factory- at Galam ; but he had had nothing from 

 them. He concluded by adding, that, as Rubault 

 had brought him no present, he would net suffer him 

 to depart. The next day, however, he became more 

 tractable, told him that no harm should happen to 

 him ; but insisted on receiving a present, it being an 

 ancient privilege which he would not forego. It was 

 at length agreed, that Rubault should send him a 

 compliment from Galam, which was fixed at two 

 pieces of guinea, a fine musket, four pounds of pow- 

 der, one hundred flints, one hundred bullets, and a 

 pair of double-barrelled pistols. This demand from 

 so powerful a king was- considered as very moderate; , 



nevertheless, by way of making sure of the articles, 

 he ordered three men to go with Rubault as far as 

 Galam, under pretence of escorting him, where they 

 faithfully received the promised allowance, as well as 

 several magnificent presents for the king's women. 



The queen having reported her opinion to the 

 other women, they all wished to see the I iin ftWt 

 and he was in consequence conducted to the square 

 where they resided. Immediately on his entrance, ihey 

 all rushed out, surrounded him, and expressed tneir 

 astonishment by laughing and shouting. Several of 

 them would touch his eyes, and others, his hands, nose, 

 &c. at which they expressed surprise and curiosity : 

 they then asked him a number of questions, as to the 

 origin of the colour of his skin, as well as about the 

 white women, their amorous propensities, and the 

 conduct of their husbands towards them. Rubault 

 satisfied them as well as he could, and did not fail to 

 flatter them. Indeed, he asserts, that there were 

 many of them that were handsome and well shaped. 

 Most of them were young : he endeavoured to count 

 them, but could not, as they were continually run- 

 ning about him ; he, however, supposes, that there 

 were at least fifty. 



The village of Coursan is surrounded with pali- 

 sades, and contains about 1200 inhabitants. Rubault 

 then continued his journey ; and on the 17th quitted 

 the kingdom of Bondou. The duties or customs are 

 very rigorous in this state; and in many of its towns, 

 the value of a bar in European merchandise is paid 

 for the passage of a loaded ass. In the part where 

 the king resides, they demand a musket and a barrel 

 of powder. I lately spoke of the preparations for 

 war, which this sovereign was making against the 

 king of Bambouk : the expedition was successful, 

 and the conquered party was obliged to cede all the 

 countries and villages on the eastern bank of the 

 Faleme. 



If it were not for the uncharitable maxims of the 

 Koran, the Foulahs of Bondou, who are naturally 

 good, would be kinder to strangers, and less reser- 

 ved in their conduct towards the Mandingos : my 

 traveller, however, had nothing to complain of, as 

 he was very well treated. 



The government is under the influence of the Ma- 



" Butter made from the fruit of the shea tree. 



f Cotton and indigo are much cultivated: the former they manufacture into a strong cloth, which, when dyed of a dtep 

 'fchie with indigo, they sell to their neighbours the Bamboukians, and receive their gold in exchange. 

 J Bar is the nominal money ; a single bar is equal in value to two shillings sterling. 



