64 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA 
a flat country thinly covered with baobabs, ta« 
marinds, rhamnus lotus, and other fruit trees, 
within a short distance of the river ; between us 
and which lay a low tract of land, annually inun- 
dated, where rice is cultivated by the natives 
when the water retires after the periodical rains. 
About nine, p. m., we reached a small village, 
called Jaroomy, where I found that Mr. Doch- 
ard had halted the front divisions in order to 
await our coming up. During this short march, 
one of the horses died, and another was left be- 
hind, unable to move. 
Here difficulties began to present themselves ; 
the chief of the village refused to allow water to 
be drawn from the wells, without receiving 
payment for it, to which Mr. Dochard, very 
prudently, would not submit, sending the ani- 
mals to the river, which was distant about two 
miles. This convinced the fellow that he was 
wrong J and he came in the evening to apo- 
logize, by saying, that he was afraid the wells 
would be run dry by us. He was told his ex- 
cuse was a bad one, and his conduct was such 
as would prevent us from giving him any thing. 
The country, for some distance round this 
village, has the marks of cultivation ; there were 
some extensive cotton and indigo plantations ; 
and, although no rain falls at that season, they 
looked green and well. The soil, though sandy. 
