222 
FOUTA-DHIALON. 
him for his kindness. He seated himself beside me, and 
told me that, in the countries through which I should have to 
travel on my way home, 1 should often be troubled by the 
Mandingoes, and advised me as a friend not to shew any ill- 
humour when they applied to me for medicines, because in 
these parts the people might not be so easily managed as in 
Cambaya. I thanked him, and promised to follow his counsel. 
In the course of my conversations with the Foulah Guibi, he 
often observed that the Foulahs were the whites of Africa, 
and the Mandingoes, the negroes ; by which he meant to 
impress upon me the superiority of the former. 
Fouta-Dhialon is governed by an almamy, appointed 
by the chiefs of the country. They assemble to elect him, 
and have also the right of deposing him if he does not give 
satisfaction. The government is theocratic. 
The Foulahs of Fouta are in general tall and well made ; 
their manner is noble and dignified ; their colour is a bright 
chesnut, somewhat darker than that of the wandering 
Foulahs : they have curly hair like the negroes, a rather 
high forehead, large eyes, and aquiline nose, thin lips, and 
the face a little elongated. In short, as to their features, 
they approximate to the European physiognomy. They are all 
Mahometans, and extremely fanatical. They hold the chris- 
tians in horror, and are fully persuaded that they wish to obtain 
possession of the gold mines, situated to the east of Fouta. 
It is for this reason they take such precautions to prevent the 
christians from penetrating into that part of the country. 
They do not travel like the Mandingoes to distant places, 
but prefer remaining quietly at home, and superintending their 
slaves, who form an important part of their property. They 
are jealous and envious 5 they often impose rigorous exactions 
on foreign merchants passing through their country, espe- 
cially when they are rich. They are, nevertheless, very 
hospitable, and generously assist their countrymen. I never 
saw a mendicant among them. In their mountains they 
