466 
DECLINE OF COMMERCE. 
nications with Yaaiina, Sansanding, Bamako, and Boure, 
whence the gold is brought which is circulated in the interior. 
The town of Jennt^ can no longer be considered as the 
central point of commerce. Yamina^ Sansanding, and Ba- 
mako are, in reality, the entrepots : those places are visited 
by trading Moors from all parts of the desert, and by the 
negroes of the Soudan, from Kong to Galam, Bondou, and 
the Fouta-Dhialon. Jenne cannot enjoy the same advantage 
on account of its distance from Bour^. Previously to the war, 
small canoes used to go from Jenne to Boure, and return 
laden with gold. The merchants of Jenne suffer consi- 
derably by this war ; but they are afraid to complain 
openly : indeed, they would not better themselves if they 
did. Several negroes informed me that since the war the 
Moors are forsaking this town, and taking up their abode 
at Sansanding. 
I often went up to the terrace of the house in which 
I lodged. As far as the eye could reach, the country was 
open and marshy; there were to be seen a few clumps 
of ronniers at a great distance and some tamarind-trees 
on the most elevated parts of the banks of the river. To 
the west I could distinctly see a branch of the Dhioliba, 
which appeared tolerably large. I was told that it came 
from the neighbourhood of Sego, and that that town was 
five days' journey west, or rather S. S. W. of Jenne. 
This branch, as I have already said, rejoins the river at 
Isaca. The island on which the town of Jenne is situated 
is formed by an arm of this branch, which comes from 
W. N. W. The island is about twelve or fifteen miles 
in circumference. I did not go round it, but that appeared 
to be its extent from my point of view. This secondary 
arm, or branch, is wide but rather shallow. On the north 
of the town it cannot be crossed but in canoes ; in other 
places it may be forded ; when the water is low it is na- 
vigable for small canoes only, for its bed is full of sand- 
