S ANSANDO. 
285 
A well supplied market is held every day. This country is 
inhabited by Dhialonkes, who are partly idolaters ; they have 
an absolute chief, who has the reputation of being a great 
warrior : he has many slaves employed in working the mines ; 
and, besides the large quantity of gold that his labourers 
procure for him, each proprietor who digs for ore is obliged 
to give him half the produce of the day's work. This chief 
was at this time making war upon the large villages situated 
on the banks of the river. Sansando, a considerable place, 
and capital of several smaller ones, held him in check ; this 
village is almost opposite to Boure, upon the right bank of the 
Dhioliba ; it is also inhabited by idolatrous Dhialonkes. 
This war, or rather this pillage, did much injury to commerce. 
The canoes, which arrived loaded with merchandise, were 
often plundered by the inhabitants of Sansando, who are ex- 
tremely envious of the wealth of Boure. Boucary is the name 
of the chief of this rich country : although not a zealous 
Musulman, he treats with respect all persons of that religion, 
particularly the marabouts or priests. He has the utmost 
confidence in grigris, and never travels without having his 
clothes covered with them. Naturally very suspicious, he 
has several dwellings, and never sleeps twice in succession 
at the same ; he has a great number of wives. At the gate of 
his court yard there is a triple guard, and, before any one 
can reach his presence, he must pass through five or six more 
houses equally well guarded. At this moment he was also at 
war with the village of Damsa, inhabited by pagans and 
situated upon the Milo, between Kankan and Boure, which 
intercepted the communication between the two districts. It is 
desirable that attempts should be made to establish a factory 
at Bamako ; this post would command the commerce of the 
interior, by attracting the produce of the gold mines, which is 
exported in part to Kakondy, the Gambia, and Sierra- Leone. 
Senegal, on account of its distance, cannot participate in this 
traffic, because the Mandingo merchants would be obliged to 
