TANGRERA. 
387 
me home, where I showed him several beautiful glass 
trinkets. However he was not tempted by them, and he 
even declined accepting a few sheets of paper, telling me I 
should have occasion for them on the road. After some 
persuasion, he at length consented to take one. He talked for 
a moment with my host, and they both went together to the 
chief's house, to ask him to send a man to conduct me to 
the village, where the merchants going to Sansanding, were 
stopping. I was assured that the place was not very far 
distant. 
Tangrera is a large walled village, shaded by great 
bombaces and baobabs. A well- stocked market is held 
there every day. The greater part of the huts are thatched 
with straw, but all those belonging to the heads of families 
are built of earth and have terraced roofs. The place is 
inhabited by Bambaras and Mandingoes, who live together 
in a very friendly footing; the Bambaras are the more 
numerous. They often meet in the course of the day under 
trees, to drink their beer, of which they are very fond. I 
saw in the village several wild fig-trees. The inhabitants 
are traders and cultivators. They manufacture a considera- 
ble quantity of cotton cloth, and hold frequent communica- 
tions with the towns on the banks of the Dhioliba. They 
rear horned cattle, sheep, and some goats, and I also saw 
several fine horses ; a rare sight in this part of the country. 
Cowries are the only current coin at Tangrera. This village 
is of the «ame size as Sambatikila, and contains nearly the 
same population. 1 went with my host to see the mosque ; 
it is built of earth, and surmounted by several small massive 
towers. It is a shapeless edifice, the interior is dirty, and 
suffocatingly hot. The Musulmans, whose indolence is an 
antidote to their religious zeal, have not even taken the 
trouble to clear away the rubbish which was scattered 
on the floor during its construction. To be sure, they do 
not go very often to the mosque ; for they repeat their 
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