TON G O M. 
23 
CHAPTER XX. 
Tongom, a village in the country of the Dirimans. — Co. — Do. — Sa, a 
commercial port. — Mercantile flotillas. — The Soorgoos or Tooariks, a 
nomadic and predatory tribe. — Baraconga. — Lelel. — Garfola.— Filinsa. 
— Baracondi6. — Tircy. — Liquor made from the kondoo. — Alcodia, the 
Diriman capital. — Customs of the inhabitants. — Salacoila. — -Cora. — 
Coratoo. — Separation of the river into two branches. — Arrival at Ca- 
bra, the port of Timbuctoo. — Description of the place. 
On the 3rd of April we took our departure from the village 
of Didhiover, which is situated near the northern entrance 
of the lake. The river on issuing from the lake may be 
about six miles broad. At sun-rise we stood towards the 
north. In the course of the morning we passed the village of 
Tongom, which belongs to the country of the Dirimans. It 
contains about four or five hundred inhabitants. 
About one in the afternoon^ we lay to at a spot where 
we observed bushes and cut some for fire-wood. At this 
spot the river is only about three quarters of a mile broad. 
I went ashore with the slaves. The land^ which is subject 
to inundations^ is not destitute of vegetation. I saw nau- 
cleas and mimosas twelve feet high. In the course of the 
voyage^ the master of the canoe asked me to lend him five 
thousand cowries, until the Moor, who was the owner, and 
who was daily expected, should arrive. The negro had 
already cheated me more than once, and as I was apprehen- 
sive that 1 should never be repaid, which would have infallibly 
been the case, I refused to lend him such a sum. He made 
several individuals apply to me for him, but I would not 
comply. Finding that I was determined not to lend him 
