THE CHIEF OF SANCOUGN^N. 
241 
In the evening a storm came on^ and it rained heavily 
all night. The chief sent us a supper of rice^ cooked like 
the last. On the morning of the 7th of June we prepared to 
depart. Lamfia and myself, accompanied by the son of the 
chief of Kankan, went to see the mansa of Sancougnan, to 
whom I presented seven or eight charges of gunpowder and 
some leaves of tobacco; Lamfia added some colat-nuts, 
which we distributed among the relations of the chief. They 
were all in their smoky hut, on the walls of which were sus- 
pended bows, arrows, quivers, and lances, A jar for water, 
a bullock's hide, and some mats, composed the whole furni- 
ture of the place. 
We left the village about eight in the morning, and 
were soon after overtaken by the mansa, accompanied by the 
Man dingo of Kankan ; the latter proved very serviceable to 
me on this occasion. The chief told us that the old Bon- 
douke had assured him that I was a European, and not a 
jVJoor; that, moreover, I was too white for a Moor; and, 
that we certainly intended to deceive him, in order to evade 
the payment of the passage duties. Here my guide behaved 
exceedingly well : he assured the chief that I was a real 
Arab, a countryman of the Prophet's, and a great sherif, 
supporting his assertions by the arguments which he had 
already employed to convince other incredulous persons 
whom he had met with. The Mandingo of Kankan strongly 
confirmed the declarations of Lamfia, who manifested much 
zeal, and asked the chief whether he had ever seen a christian 
read the Koran ; the mansa concluded by saying, that he per- 
ceived the old Bondouke had spoken falsely, and that he 
had no longer any doubt of my being a sherif; then, offering 
me his hand in token of peace, he wished me a pleasant 
journey, and returned to the village. We continued our 
route to the east, over a soil composed of gravel and volcanic 
stones, black, brittle, and porous. As I went along I re- 
flected on my imprudent behaviour to the old Bondouke, 
VOL. I. R 
