372 
DHIO. 
granite entirely barren. In this village we met a caravan of 
Mandingoes, some of vrhom were going to Jenne and others 
to Sansanding. Some were laden with cloth, and some with 
colat-nuts. The chief of the village assigned to me a hut 
built of earth, the only one in the place, the others being all 
of straw. He had a fire kindled, and requested me to go in 
and lie down : but, on entering, 1 was nearly suffocated. The 
hut had a flat roof covered with earth, and the smoke, being 
unable to obtain a vent above, had no outlet but the door. 
Straw huts are not subject to this inconvenience. I spee- 
dily retired from this oven in which I could not breathe, and 
prepared to pass the night in the open air ; but my guide, being 
informed of the reason which prevented me from remaining 
in the hut, explained the circumstance to the chief, who im- 
mediately selected another lodging for me, where I passed 
the night with a Mandingo belonging to our caravan. Some 
strangers sent us a little supper very well cooked. 
On the 15th of January, at six in the morning, we pro- 
ceeded northward about seven miles, among rocks of granite 
on a fertile soil composed of sand. I observed the ce and 
the nede in great abundance and the land well cultivated. 
About eleven o'clock we arrived at Dhio, a large walled vil- 
lage, containing about eight or nine hundred inhabitants. On 
entering the place, I observed a number of women assembled 
in a spot which seemed to be set aside for their recreation. 
Some were nursing their children who were quite naked, and 
others were asleep. The old men have also a place where 
they assemble to smoke their pipes, and where they spend 
a great part of the day. It is called the banancoro, as among 
the Mandingoes. I also saw some tobacco plantations in the 
little gardens adjoining the huts. The village is disgustingly 
dirty. 
At six in the morning of the 16th, we prepared to depart. 
On going out I saw some palm-trees of the species which 
produces oil. They are not by far so thriving here as on the 
