168 
DEPARTURE FROM 
KAKONDY. 
CHAPTER VI. 
Departure of the author on his great expedition. — Manners and cus- 
toms of his travelling companions, and account of the caravans in 
this part of Africa. — The Caura. — Mountains of Lantegue. — River 
of Doulinca. — Smelting of iron. — Rio Pongo. — Mountain of Touma. — 
Description of Irnanke and its inhabitants. — ^Telewel. — Cataract of 
Cocouo. — Orange trees. 
The information which I have just been communicating to 
the reader was acquired in M. Castagnet's absence, and by 
the h^lp of some excursions that I took with Mr. Bethman 
and Mr. Tudsberry in the neighbourhood of Kakondy. I 
was endeavouring to arrange the notes that I had made re- 
specting the Nalous, the Landamas, and the Bagos, when 
M.Castagnet returned. He was so good as to turn his atten- 
tion immediately to my journey, and gave me much useful 
advice respecting my conduct amongst the tribes whom I 
intended to visit. He furnished me with all the particulars 
that had come to his knowledge concerning their manners, 
their jealousy, and their distrust of Europeans ; and thinking 
that this was not sufficient, and that he had not done enough 
to oblige me, he sent for some Mandingoes, who deservedly 
enjoyed a considerable reputation in the neighbourhood for 
their probity, experience, and wealth. He endeavoured to 
persuade these Mandingoes to accompany me to Timbuctoo ; 
and he communicated to them the object of my journey, with 
many encomiums upon my love of my country ; he had ex- 
patiated on the courage displayed by so young a man in 
braving such dangers to return to his kindred : then, gra- 
dually unfolding the tale of my Egyptian origin, he endea- 
