8 
INTRODUCTION. 
undergone and to sojourn some days with the Foulah herds- 
men. A stock of water was procured : guides were hired^ 
and we set out. 
After we had made half a day's journey we arrived at 
Paillar^ where we laid in a fresh store of water. It would 
not have been prudent to traverse Fouta-Toro, the inha- 
bitants of which are thieves and fanatics : we avoided it by 
turning a little to the south. The precautions which we 
had taken to obviate the want of water cheered our minds. 
The country in general appeared to us to be fine : we beheld 
with admiration trees of great height, with umbrageous fo- 
liage, covered with birds of various kinds, which by their 
song enlivened these solitudes. It was no doubt the agree- 
able sensations produced by this scenery that caused us 
partly to forget our fatigues, though we travelled from sun- 
rise till near ten o'clock at night, taking but a few moments' 
rest during the day. On the fifth day, however, we were 
all exhausted : we suffered from thirst, and our water was 
nearly spent. European ingenuity came to our succour : 
peppermint-drops were distributed among us, and we ex- 
perienced immediate relief. Our camels suffered severely 
for want of water and forage, having no other food than 
young branches of trees, cut off here and there. 
At length we reached a hamlet where the negroes 
readily brought us some calebashes of water, but they were 
not prodigal of it, and this was prudent, considering the 
number of men and animals to be supplied : for my part, I 
received no more than about a large glassful. But no sooner 
did we begin to drink than swarms of bees settled upon the 
vessels containing the water, and even upon our lips, dis- 
puting it with us ; and to this horrid punishment, these grie- 
vous pangs, we had been several times exposed during the 
journey. I have frequently seen the water-skins covered with 
bees, which we had no means of driving away but by burn- 
ing green wood, the smoke of which forced them to quit. 
