AGRICULTURE. 
211 
very hard grey sand, is fertilized by the inundations of the 
Tankisso. The uplands, which the inundations do not reach, 
are planted with yams, cassava, maize, small millet, and 
foigne, which is much cultivated here. The foigne is 
sown in the course of May, and gathered in the month 
of July, at which time the rice is no more than four 
inches above the ground. Two harvests of foigne may 
be gathered during the year. But for the foigne, which 
grows very rapidly, this country would frequently be 
subject to famine, for the people are accustomed to sow no 
more rice than what they absolutely need, and very often less ; 
in which latter case they have recourse to the foigne. I sat 
down for a moment under the shade of a tree, to watch the 
slaves work. They appeared to perform their tasks much 
better than the negroes employed by the Europeans on the 
western coast. They use but one agricultural implement, 
which is a hoe, made in the country, six inches long by 
four broad; the handle from eighteen to twenty inches 
long, is very much bent. Previously to sowing their rice 
the ground is broken up to the depth of about a foot, but the 
same preparation is not made for sowing the foigne. They 
merely cut the grass, and sow the seed broad-cast, before 
the ground is properly prepared, then draw the grass over 
the seed, which thus becomes covered. It is the business of 
the women to perform this simple operation. When the 
foigne rises above the ground, no pains are taken to remove 
the weeds which impede its growth. Greater attention 
however, is bestowed on the rice ; the ground in which it 
grows is carefully cleared of noxious weeds. In the Fouta, 
I observed that the Foulahs spread burnt dung over the 
ground which they intend to sow : they also burn all kinds 
of roots and grass for the same purpose. I approached the 
Tankisso, the banks of which are well covered with trees : 
indeed, I saw the branches of several extend across the 
river, the navigation of which could only be attempted in 
P 2 
