TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
351 
mere measure of their length and breadth upon 
the soil, as if their existence had no other object. 
The sun seems to roll his orbit without their 
observance, and the earth to yield its fruits 
without their gratitude ; and yet they exhibit a 
deep sense of injury, and feel an insatiable thirst 
for revenge: such opposite feelings all being 
generated from the unwholesome effluvia of their 
religion — of which, however, more hereafter. 
Another and very plausible reason was afford- 
ed the chiefs and people of the interior for not 
wishing our presence in their countries, and for 
exciting them to jealous and fearful conjectures 
as to the object of our visits. This was the 
forcible possession taken by the French of a 
position on the Foota frontier of the Waallo coun- 
try, which although no doubt dictated by a laud- 
able desire of improving the condition of those 
people and giving a stimulus to their commerce, 
was done in opposition to the wishes of the Foota 
chiefs and of those of the Moorish tribes of 
Bracknar and Trarsar, all of whom claimed a 
right to the place, and to defend which they 
made war on the King of Waallo, whose permis- 
sion alone to establish and occupy a post on dis- 
puted ground was purchased by the Governor 
of Senegal. 
The other chiefs remonstrated against this in- 
fringement of their rights, but receiving no sa- 
