B ACOCOUDA. 
and some tobacco, for which he loaded me with thanks. 
We proceeded three miles towards the east^ over a plain of 
grey sand^ covered with the most beautiful indigo, growing 
spontaneously. On reaching Siralia, a large village, contain- 
ing from seven to eight hundred inhabitants, we went to visit 
the chief, who fortunately was absent : my guide assured me, 
that if I had seen him, I should have been obliged to make 
him a considerable present. 
The country around the village is well cultivated. We 
advanced nine miles to the S. E. over a road which was par- 
tially flooded, owing to the frequent rains. On our w^ay we 
saw many neat little ourondes, surrounded by quickset hedges, 
which are very ornamental. We crossed, up to our knees in 
water, two streams which flow to the northward, and discharge 
themselves into the Niger, On the N. E. of our route, a chain 
of small mountains was pointed out to me. This chain ex- 
tends from north to east, and separates the Baleya from 
Boure. The woods are infested by robbers, who stop travel- 
lers, and pillage them without mercy. We proceeded three 
miles to the S. E., over fine, level, and v/ell cultivated ground, 
and arrived, at three in the afternoon, at Bacocouda, which 
contains between five and six hundred inhabitants. This is 
the last village east of Baleya. I and my guide waited on 
the chief to ask him for a lodging. We found him seated in 
a large hut on a bullock's hide, and surrounded by some 
saracolet merchants, who had arrived the preceding evening. 
I confess that I was not quite at my ease at sight of these 
merchants, for they were the same who had passed through 
Cambaya, in the Fouta, on their way from Gambia. One of 
them spoke to me in the Moorish language ; I answered his 
questions, the chief immediately rose and conducted me into 
one of his huts ; he gave us a sheep- skin to sit upon. My 
guide presently gave him an account of my adventures, to 
which he listened with pleasure, and approved my resolution. 
We retired, and went to our hut, where the saracolet, who 
had spoken to me in Arabic, came to see me. He told me that 
R 2 
