INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 203 
down but the Shea. The tree itself, very much resembles the 
American oak ; and the fruit, from the kernel of which, being 
-first dried in the sun, the butter is prepared, by boiling the kernel 
in water, has somewhat the appearance of a Spanish olive. The 
kernel is enveloped in a sweet pulp, under a thin green rind ; 
and the butter produced from it, besides the advantage of its 
keeping the whole year without salt ; is whiter, firmer, and, to 
my palate, of a richer flavour, than the best butter I ever tasted 
made from cows' mil]k. The growth and preparation of this 
commodity, seem to be among the first objects of African 
industry in this and the neighbouring states ; and it constitutes 
a main article of their inland commerce. 
We passed, in the course of the day, a great many villages, 
inhabited chiefly by fishermen ; and in the evening about five 
o'clock arrived at Sansanding ; a very large town, containing, 
as I was told, from eight to ten thousand inhabitants. This 
place is much resorted to by the Moors, who bring salt from 
Beeroo, and beads and coral from the Mediterranean, to ex- 
change here for gold-dust, and cotton-cloth. This cloth they 
sell to great advantage in Beeroo, and other Moorish countries, 
where, on account of the want of rain, no cotton is cultivated. 
I desired my guide to conduct me to the house in which we 
■were to lodge, by the most private way possible. We accord- 
ingly rode along between the town and the river, passing by a 
creek or harbour, in which I observed twenty large canoes, 
most of them fully loaded, and covered with mats, to prevent 
the rain from injuring the goods. As we proceeded, three 
other canoes arrived, two with passengers, and one with goods. 
Dd2 
