26 
CO— D O— SA. 
with the fingers ; for my part, however, though I had long 
been accustomed to take my food by handfuls, I was still 
far from being as expert as they : 1 sometimes let part of 
the mess fall on the ground which gave them great offence, 
and made them vent their anger in maledictions on the 
Christians, who, they observed, had not even taught me how 
to eat decently. This was the first comfortable meal I had 
made since my departure from Jenne. Sidi-Mbark gave his 
men colat-nuts to purchase provisions. I returned on board 
our boat, where I soon learned how little regard was paid to 
the directions of the master when he was absent. 
At sun-rise we stood towards the north, at the rate of 
two miles an hour, leaving Mbark asleep in his boat ; he 
soon got up with us however, for he had six good rowers : 
he came alongside of our boat and put on board some mer- 
chandise, which had embarrassed him on account of the 
room it occupied. He then gave his final orders and left us, 
expressing his hope that every man would do his duty. The 
river takes a turn to the west, the banks continue low, but at 
this spot, the right bank was not entirely destitute of wood. 
At ten o'clock we came to a spot were it made an elbow 
towards the N. E. About half past ten we passed Co, a 
large village, in the environs of which we observed some 
tamarind-trees and ronniers : the left bank is formed by 
sand hills. There is a Uttle island in the midst of the river 
opposite to Co ; it is inhabited by five or six hundred 
Foulahs who have numerous flocks. At noon we found the 
course of the river turning towards the N. E. and we pro- 
ceeded with it in that direction until half-past four, when it 
elbowed round to the north. At this hour we passed in front 
of Do. The river then stretched westward. It is still broad 
and deep enough for the boatmen to use their paddles in 
navigating. At half-past six we halted at Sa, a large village 
surrounded with a wall and shaded by some tamarind-trees, 
(tamarindus indicus). This was the only village with a wall 
