3^ 
THE DIRIMANS. 
sometimes metal rings in their noses. My fellow travellers 
told me that these people are robbers, and that they often 
practise great cruelties; this I was ready enough to believe, 
for, during the two days I staid among them, I observed 
much quarrelling and fighting. Their dress is the same as 
that of the people of Jenne ; like them, they have woolly black 
hair. They have handsome countenances, aquiline noses, 
thin lips, and large eyes ; they are armed with two or three 
pikes and a dagger, which they promptly make use of on the 
least provocation. After being engaged in a quarrel, they 
fall devoutly to their prayers, for they are Musulmans, and 
they often rise from their religious duties merely to begin 
fresh contentions. They use the bow and arrow against their 
enemies; but some were armed with muskets, and some with 
sabres; these weapons had been introduced by Europeans. 
I saw a man walking on the bank of the river with a calabash 
full of saltpetre, which he offered for sale : I was desirous of 
knowing in what way it had been procured; the Moors 
informed me that saltpetre was manufactured in the country, 
and that it was used for making gunpowder. 
The village of Alcodia, the residence of the chief of the 
Dirimans, is situated to the east of Tircy, from which it is 
a day and a half's journey distant. The crew, having saved 
all the merchandise they could, prepared to start the next 
day. 
On the 11th of April, at six in the morning, we left the 
village of Tircy; the course of the river is northward. At 
seven o'clock we passed Talbocoila ; about nine we halted to 
take in our stock of fire-wood. The wind blew gently 
from N. E. Two hours after we had re-embarked, we ob- 
served that the river, which had hitherto always continued 
of an equal width, became very narrow and deep ; its banks 
were still low and bare. In many places we saw on the right 
bank quicksands, of a bright yellow colour; I perceived 
numerous herds of cattle grazing in the surrounding marshes. 
