^88 APPREHENSIONS OF ROBBERS. 
We penetrated into the woods, and journeyed on through 
herbage of such height as to be above our heads. We came 
to the dweUings of a few Foulahs, whose appearance was 
not prepossessing, either as to countenance or dress ; their 
clothes were hanging in rags, and, though they were ahnost 
a quarter of an inch thick in filth, we could still perceive 
that they had once been yellow. Their faces were adorned 
with a bushy beard, which was likewise very filthy, and their 
noses were disgustingly full of snuff. These are detached 
families, engaged in cultivating rice, yams, foigne, and 
pistachios ; the soil is black and fertile ; 1 never met with 
any at Kankan which was equally productive. We bought 
of these Foulahs a few yams for supper, for which we gave 
them tobacco and some glass ware. They looked at me with 
some curiosity, and when we left them they told us to 
beware of the caffres (infidels), who were very numerous 
in the woods. At nightfall we were overtaken by rain, 
which rendered our journey much more fatiguing and trou- 
blesome than it had been. To complete our discomfort, it 
became very dark, and we walked without knowing where 
we were setting our feet ; towards eight o'clock we had lost 
our road, and were forced to stop. We sat down under the 
trees, with the rain pouring upon our backs, and not daring 
to cough or clear our throats for fear we should bring robbers 
upon us ; we were silent and sad. A little before night we 
had seen three men without baggage and armed ; they were 
sitting on the ground and held their guns on their knees ; 
this attitude, and the expression of their countenances had 
rendered us a little suspicious of their intentions, but our 
number no doubt deterred them, and they were afraid that 
they should not be strong enough. At Kankan, I had been 
told that robbers continually attack the Mandingoes who 
traverse these woods, but never the caravans of saracolets, 
because they know that the latter carry guns, and that the 
Mandingoes are unarmed : the saracolets, when they cross 
