TRAVELS 
TO 
TIMBUCTOO, 
CHAPTER I. 
Pedestrian journey from St. Louis to Neyreh.— Passage to N'ghiez. — 
Manners of the inhabitants — Miraculous stone. — Departure. — Robbers. 
— Mode of fishing with nets. — ^The steam-vesseL — ^The author's ar- 
rival among the Braknas. — Conversation with Mohammed Sidy Moc- 
tar, chief marabout to the king. — Reception by the king. 
On Tuesday the 3rd of August 1824, at four in the after- 
noon, I set out from St. Louis, accompanied by two men 
and a woman, all three inhabitants of N'pal, to which vil- 
lage they engaged to serve me as guides. About seven, we 
arrived at Leybar, a village situated two leagues S.E. J 
E. from St. Louis. We there passed a wearisome night, 
on account of the musquitoes which devoured us. The 
weather was stormy ; the thunder rolled the whole night, 
and the rain fell in torrents. We went to bed on our arrival: 
at ten o'clock we were called up to supper, for which a very 
good fish couscous* was provided. 
* Couscous, a kind of pottage made with millet. 
