336 TRAVELS IN THE 
reached Sooseeta, a small Jallonka village, situated in the dis- 
trict of Kullo, which comprehends all that tract of country 
lying along the banks of the Black river, or main branch of the 
Senegal. These were the first human habitations we had seen, 
since we left the village to the westward of Kenytakooro ; 
having travelled in the course of the last five days, upwards of 
one hundred miles. Here, after a great deal of entreaty, we 
were provided with huts to sleep in ; but the master of the 
village plainly told us that he could not give us any provisions, 
as there had lately been a great scarcity in this part of the 
country. He assured us, that before they had gathered in their 
present crops, the whole inhabitants of Kullo had been for 
twenty-nine days without tasting corn ; during which time, 
they supported themselves entirely upon the yellow powder 
which is found in the pods of the nitta, so called by the 
' natives, a species of mimosa ; and upon the seeds of the bamboo 
cane, which, when properly pounded and dressed, taste very 
much like rice. As our dry provisions were not yet exhausted, 
a considerable quantity of kouskous was dressed for supper, 
and many of the villagers were invited to take part of the 
repast ; but they made a very bad return for this kindness ; for 
in the night they seized upon one of the schoolmaster's boys, 
who had fallen asleep under the Bentang tree, and carried him 
away. The boy fortunately awoke before he was far from the 
village, and setting up a loud scream, the man who carried him, 
put his hand upon his mouth, and run with him into the 
woods ; but afterward understanding that he belonged to the 
schoolmaster, whose place of residence is only three day's 
journey distant, he thought, I suppose, that he could not 
