COURANCO. 
about one hundred fathoms in height. They are inhabited 
by pastoral Foulalis who rear numerous flocks. The butter- 
tree grows in the mountains as well as in the plain. Some 
of the fruit was brought to me and I liked it ; but as animal 
butter abounds in the country it is preferred. This vege- 
table is applied as a remedy for pains and wounds^ and some 
of it is sold to the European settlements on the coast. 
Five days' journey S. | S. E. of Cambaya commences 
the kingdom of Couranco. According to the reports of 
Mandingo travellers^ the Dhioliba has it source in that 
country. I questioned them on the subject, and they at first 
told me that it rises between Boure and Yamina. I obser- 
ved to them that they were asserting what was impossible ; 
but I discovered afterwards that they meant the cataract^ 
which they called Sourondo, and that I had erroneously 
understood this word to signify source in their language. 
1 drew on the ground a line to represent the river, and, 
pointing to its origin, asked them how they named that 
part. They answered folou (beginning) and intimated that 
they had no other word for source. They assured me that 
the folou of the Dhioliba is in Couranco ^ only the Ba fing 
and some other small rivers, they said, rise in Fouta. The 
Ba-fing passes through the country of Bondou and runs to 
N'dar (St. Louis in the Seriegal). A journey of a day and 
a half southward brings the traveller to Fryia, or Firya, 
which consists of several small villages united. They in- 
formed me that the Dhioliba passes that place and is of 
considerable size there. The first villages of Sangaran lie 
five days' journey to the S. S. E. Sangaran and Couranco 
are large countries like Fouta 3 the inhabitants are idolaters. 
These countries, I was told, are divided into a number of 
small districts, which have their separate and independent 
chiefs, who are often at war with each other. Some Musul- 
mans are settled among them. Couranco extends from 
east to west and to the south of Sangaran, which also 
Q 2 
