1J4 
RETURN. 
specimens which I wished to take with me. I bethought 
myself of borrowing from my marabout's wife two leathern 
bags, which I told her were to hold the merchandise that 
I should bring back from the settlement ; when I proposed 
to take my own, Fat me objected, and told me 1 should not 
want it ; I took out some of my notes, and told her that all 
these papers were the inventory and receipts for my goods, 
so that they were indispensible for me to establish my 
claims ; upon which she allowed me to take them. I put 
over them the bags she had lent me and a pagne, and when 
any body was inquisitive as to my baggage, I shewed them 
the bags and pagne, without letting them see the rest. 
On the 9th of March, at nine in the morning, I set off, 
accompanied by one of the sons of my marabout. Six miles 
to the west, we came to the marigot of Koundy, which I 
had passed eight months before with Boubou-Fanfale ; we 
forded it and continued our journey through a thick wood, 
followed by a valley, magnificent from the vegetation of the 
plants by which it was bordered. 
All the inundated lands situated between the marigot 
and the river are sown with millet among the trees, without 
any previous preparation of the ground, and even without 
the dead branches being removed. All the low grounds are 
argillaceous, and in many places I have seen ferruginous 
rocks. 
We had travelled three miles from the marigot when we 
perceived smoke rising out of the wood ; some travellers who 
had joined us went to see whence it arose, and told us, on 
their return, that some zenagues had made a fire to cook 
their victuals. They regretted extremely that they had not 
arrived in time to levy a contribution upon these poor 
wretches, traces of whom only had been found, and who had, 
no doubt, hidden themselves at our approach. We quitted 
the valley and proceeded to a camp half a mile to the south, 
in a place so woody that there was scarcely room to pitch 
