COUNTRY OF B A N A N. 17 
men went to the village to make small purchases for a 
venture. Banan is independent of Sego-Ahmadou : it is 
situated upon the right bank of the river, and extends very 
far to the east. The inhabitants are all Mahometans, and 
the slaves, who are very numerous, are employed in tilling 
the ground. The people build canoes, and make voyages 
to Jenne and Timbuctoo. They are very rich in herds 
of oxen, sheep and goats, and rear great quantities of 
poultry. They are very industrious, and manufacture cotton 
stuffs, which they sell to the people of the neighbouring 
towns and villages. The cotton tree, which they cultivate, 
flourishes exceedingly in this place. They also make cloth 
from the wool of sheep, for the purpose of traffic. 
I saw the inhabitants, who never go out unless armed 
with pikes, and bows and arrows. They have woolly hair 
and a very black complexion, and are in other respects like 
the Mandingoes, to which race indeed they belong, though 
they speak another language. 
About ten at night, we left the village of Cona, with a 
fine moon-light that would have favoured our progress, but 
the negroes thought proper to lie to at eleven o'clock. As 
soon as the vessels are anchored they betake themselves to 
sleep, without leaving any one to keep watch, for they are 
not accustomed to such duty when at anchor. 
On the 1st of April, at six in the morning, we made 
ready to start : a breeze was blowing, which however, about 
midnight so encreased in violence, that we were compelled 
to stop. Had we attempted to proceed, the canoe would 
infallibly have been destroyed ; for during this gale it made 
more water than usual. 
The frequent halts which we were obliged to make were 
very annoying to me ; for I was obliged to remain on board 
exposed to the heat of the sun. How pleased should I have 
been had the adjacent country been like the smiling shores 
VOL. ir. c 
