EXTORTIONS OF THE SOORGOOS. 
39 
himself. They extorted merciless contributions from him. 
The Moors, aware of this danger, are accustomed to conceal 
themselves in the canoes, and only quit their hiding-place 
during the night. 
The negroes only have the privilege of remaining on 
deck ; they are looked upon as an inferior class, who have not 
much to give, and are merely the servants of the Moorish 
merchant. 
Wishing to see without being seen, I made several holes 
in the matting that covered that part of the canoe in which 
I was concealed. In this place the heat was so excessive, 
that it gave me a violent head-ache. The Moorish merchants 
of Timbuctoo have no authority over these robbers : not one 
of them would have ventured among the Soorgoos to claim 
the six canoes which were so long detained. If they had, 
they would have been sure of being laid under contribution 
themselves ; yet, they frequently make presents to the 
Soorgoos, 
Each flotilla that navigates the river has a chief called 
the amiroo, aud it is he who determines the periods for 
halting and starting; he is always the oldest man among 
the crews ; it is his business to settle the amount of the 
contributions with the Soorgoos : though he has some influ- 
ence over them, yet he can do nothing in behalf of the 
Moors, and if the Soorgoos see one on board his canoe, they 
become refractory, and often proceed to the utmost extremi- 
ties to obtain what they want. If you were not worth a 
single cowrie,'^ said the negroes of our canoe to me, they 
would declare that you were very rich, and you would be 
obliged to give them something before they would allow us 
to proceed." 
The river, after flowing three or four miles to the north, 
turns to the east, and then to the N. E. ; its width still con- 
tinuing the same, and its banks being uniformly low and 
barren. 
