36 EXTORTIONS OF THE SOORGOOS. 
About half past eight in the morning we lay to for half 
an hour before the island. We saw the little village of 
Khokhoola^ which like Dire, is a dependence of Timbuctoo. 
Here we met a little canoe which had left that city on the 
preceding morning. She had on board several of the Soor- 
goos, who exact a maintenance for themselves as far as 
Salacoila, where they stop, and then get conveyed home 
by some returning canoes. If they cannot obtain a convey- 
ance in this way, they travel home by land. At Khokhoola 
the river takes a little turn to the N. E. and then to the north. 
The Soorgoos were waiting for us in the village, having been 
informed of our expected arrival. 
They came on board the canoes, being rowed, from the 
shore, in little boats of their own. They were supplied with 
rice and water and honey mixed, a beverage of which they 
are exceedingly fond, and which they call Jenne-hari (water 
of Jenne.) These vagabonds levy their exactions without 
moderation. We did not allow them to come on board our 
canoe ; we handed them out a bag of rice and they went 
away to importune some of our companions. When they 
are on board the canoes, and the negroes want to get rid 
of them, they fire a musket close to their ears, and they 
speedily take their departure, for they are very much afraid 
of gunpowder. They themselves never make use of fire-arms. 
During the visit of the Soorgoos T was directed to go 
below, to avoid being seen by them j for, when they see a 
Moor on board, especially if his colour be lighter than usual, 
they assert that he is richer than the rest, as if his fortune 
depended on his complexion. They then become extremely 
troublesome, and will not suffer the canoes to depart without 
exacting a contribution from the white man, whom they 
call almankoye (the rich man.) 
I was afterwards informed that these savages had de- 
tained on shore a Moor, whose complexion was, unluckily, 
not very dark, and who was imprudent enough not to conceal 
