DISCOVERIES OF THE FUEtfCH. 
191 
Bamboukians, in the year 1100 of the Christian 
era, a Manding warrior, called Abba Manko, in- 
spired with a conquering zeal for the Mahometan 
religion, invaded Bambouk with a large army. He 
conquered it, and compelled all the inhabitants, 
who had not fallen by the sword, to embrace the 
profession of Xslamism. The next era was the ar- 
rival of the Portuguese, which is placed at the com- 
mencement of the ninth century of the Hegira, 
That nation, it is asserted, entirely overran and 
conquered Bambouk, but giving themselves up to 
indolence and luxury, were soon so much reduced, 
that the natives rose, and in a single day cut them 
entirely off. The third grand revolution consisted 
in the expulsion of all the Marbuts or Mahometan 
priests. Since that time, the Musulman religion 
has continued indeed to be professed in Bambouk, 
but its practice has confined itself to the repeating 
every day a few sentences from the Koran, and to 
the ablutions required by that code. In other re- 
spects, they have relapsed nearly into their original 
state of paganism. 
The grand object of interest in Bambouk is its 
gold mines. The principal one is that of Natakon, 
situated among the mountains of Tabaoura, in the 
south-eastern part of the kingdom. It is contain- 
ed in a hill, about 3000 paces in circumference, 
' and not more than 300 feet high. The whole of 
this eminence is conceived, by Golberry, to be com- 
