C O O N A. 
a group of young negroes of both sexes, who were bathing, 
dancing and gamboling about in the water. 
A little to the north of the village the river is intersected 
by a sand-bank. This bank was covered by a multitude of 
water-fowl of various kinds, whose white plumage looked like 
a sheet of snow in the midst of the river. The channel for 
the passage of canoes is near the right bank. The surround- 
ing country is very barren : not a single shrub is to be 
seen. The soil consists of immense marshes, which are in- 
undated at the swell of the waters. The shore on either 
side is so extremely low that the river seems on the point of 
overflowing its banks. In the village 1 met with a Moorish 
trader, who was returning from Timbuctoo in a common 
canoe, laden with salt. He told me that he had been a 
month on his way from Cabra to Coona. I invited him to 
come on board our vessel and take a little refreshment of 
dokhnou and water. Dokhnou, as I have before observed, 
consists of a mixture of the flour of millet and honey, which 
is afterwards mixed with water for drink. He requested 
me to wait until sun-set on account of the Foulahs, who, if 
they saw us drink, would have a bad opinion of us. He 
left me to take a turn in the village, but I did not see him 
again. 
In the port, there were many fishermen's canoes. When 
the fishermen catch their fish, either with the net or the line, 
they dry it in the sun and sell it to the vessels which are 
continually stopping in their port : they also carry it to Jenne 
for sale. At two o'clock in the afternoon, I was informed 
that dinner was ready, and was asked whether I would par- 
take of it ; for the slaves were not required to fast, and I 
was ranked among them. That I might not be observed by 
any one, I went on board the canoe to take my dinner at my 
ease. It consisted of a little boiled millet-flour, without 
any seasoning. After this frugal repast, the slaves were 
freed from their chains, and I was gratified in witnessing the 
