170 COMPETITION OF TRADERS. 
negro who could speak English, that he should be obliged 
to make a great many presents on the way, and that he was 
afraid after all I should never get safe to Fouta-Dhialon, on 
account of my fair complexion. This reflection appeared to 
come a little too late, but I understood the purport of it, 
when he added in good Arabic that I must give him a piece 
of cloth. 
It would have been dangerous to encourage his impor- 
tunity, so I pretended that 1 did not know what he said, 
and went on in the same direction without giving him any 
thing. We found the soil composed of red earth, and 
rather stony, but covered with most beautiful vegetation ; 
the nede^ in particular is very abundant. We came to a 
group of Mandingoes and Foulahs seated under some large 
trees ; they were quarrelling with one another, and looking 
out for the customary presents. There is such a competi- 
tion in the Kakondy trade, that the proprietors of each 
factory send couriers before the caravans to make presents 
to the dealers and to draw them to themselves ; if they are 
numerous, an ox is killed on their arrival at the factory, and 
they are supplied with rice all the time the traffic lasts : 
when they are about to return a present is made them, and 
they are furnished with provision for the journey. So great is 
the competition that the merchants will even sell their goods 
without profit. 
As I proceeded, 1 found the face of the country broken 
by stony hillocks, covered with large trees which formed a 
most picturesque and varied landscape. The heat was 
beginning to be painful ; our porters were fatigued, aud 
we halted near a pretty rivulet, with the limpid and delicious 
water of which we quenched our thirst. We had then tra- 
velled nearly twelve miles to the east. We kindled a fire ; 
* The node is a species of mimosa, the fruit of which contains a 
feculent substance, which is eaten by the negroes of this part of Africa. 
