26 
N'GHIEZ AND N'PAL. 
On another occasion^ they were attacked by two Moorish 
kings, who carried off some of the inhabitants into slavery. 
These two kings, they say, were taken suddenly ill and died 
by the way : they did not fail to attribute their death to the 
power of the stone; the slaves were nevertheless carried 
away and have never returned. In short, the veneration ex- 
cited by this stone has always been so great, that only ten 
years ago it was the object of a sort of religious worship. 
A festival was held and all the inhabitants were obliged to 
attend it ; in the evening, calebashes full of nicely prepared 
couscous were placed near the stone, and as it was always 
eaten by the animals, the people believed that a spirit dwelt 
in the stone, and considered the acceptance of the offering as 
a happy omen. The greatest part of the day was spent in 
prayer; after which, on a signal given by the chief marabouts, 
all present ran away. If any one, in running, happened to 
fall, the accident was always regarded as an indication of his 
speedy death. 
As I have already observed, the plain through which 
runs the road from N'ghiez to N'pal is not cultivated, though 
the soil is capable of being rendered very productive. The 
woods consist principally of mimosas; and the various species 
of grasses which cover the ground attract thither abundance 
of all sorts of game. The soil in the environs of N'pal is of 
two kinds : you meet with hollows in which the rain water 
settles, and this renders them far superior to the rest of the 
plain : they are composed of black sand, enriched by the 
mud which the water deposits, and by the remains of the 
vegetables which rot in it : these are the most productive 
spots. The rest of the land, though of inferior quality, is 
very fertile ; it contains fields of considerable extent, culti- 
vated with the greatest care; each marabout has his own, 
which he tills himself with his slaves. The inhabitants grow 
abundance of millet, cotton, water-melons, and a sort of 
beans, of which they consume a great quantity. They have 
herds of horned cattle, sheep, and goats : they rear great 
