WASSOULO. 
301 
CHAPTER XL 
Wassoulo. — Manners and customs of the inhabitants. — Flourishing state 
of agricultural industry. — Hospitality. — Kankary. — Sambatikila. — Re- 
flections on the sale of slaves. — Scarcity. — Description of the residence 
of the almamy. — Commerce. — Smiths' work. — Bambara villages. — 
Arrival at Time. — Ranges of mountains. 
Wassoulo is a country inhabited by idolatrous Foulahs, who 
are herdsmen and agriculturists ; they rear a great number 
of horned cattle, and some sheep, and goats. 1 have seen 
among them horses of a small breed, and incapable of sup- 
porting much fatigue. They have also poultry, on which 
they set a high value, and which can only be bought for gun- 
powder, tobacco, salt, or glass-wares. They take especial 
care of their young fowls, collecting them every night in a 
sort of round basket, and carrying them into their huts to 
protect them from cold, and soon after sun-rise every morn- 
ing, they are again set at liberty to run about round the 
house ; they are seldom fed with grain of any kind, but 
live upon insects, herbs, and the grains of rice or millet, 
which fly out of the mortars while pounding. The men 
take care of the poultrj^, and bring out of the fields heaps of 
earth swarming with termites, which the fowls inmiediately 
devour. All the inhabitants have dogs to protect their 
houses -f but I did not see dogs' flesh eaten in Wassoulo, as 
in some parts of Bambara. 
The country is generally open, and diversified by a few 
hills ; the soil very fertile, and partly composed of a rich 
black mould mixed with gravel : the country is watered by 
the Sarano, and by many large streams, which fertilise the 
soil 5 it brings forth in abundance every thing which is ne- 
