POPOCO. 
191 
CHAPTER VII. 
Popoco. — Granite mountains. — We cross the Ba-fing (the principal tri- 
butary of the Senegal) near its source. — -Great cataract. — Fouta-Dhia- 
lon. — Langoue. — Couroufi. — Schools. — Albinos. — Industry of the in- 
habitants. — The traveller obliged to turn physician. 
The 2nd of May was employed in procuring carriers for our 
luggage, as those who had come with us from Kakondy 
would not proceed any further. About three in the after- 
noon some of our fellow-travellers left us, and amongst the 
number was my young interpreter. I confessed that I was 
sorry to part with him, for his conversation sometimes helped 
to while away the weariness of the journey. He talked of 
his country, to which he appeared fondly attached. He was 
sorry, he said, to see it desolated by the civil war which had 
existed since it had had two sovereigns, each supported by a 
formidable party. I shall treat of this subject more at length 
hereafter. 
We escorted our companions out of the village. As we 
could not procure porters, we were obliged to stay there the 
whole of the 3rd of May. The inhabitants, having learned 
who I was from my guide, Ibrahim, thronged to see me, 
and our hut was all day full of visiters. They overwhelmed 
me with troublesome questions, and some of them made me 
little presents. I sent to buy some cassava with glass beads ; 
but the people who sold it would not take payment. The 
news of the arrival of an Arab, a countryman of the prophet's, 
spread through all the neighbouring villages. I was visited 
by several great marabouts, or priests, who in that country 
receive the name of Tierno. The chief of Tieleri, a village 
two miles north of Popoco, sent me a present of some milk. 
