26 
DEPARTURE OF THE AUTHOR. 
Poola, and Joloff languages ; his age was thirty-six years ; 
he was a negro in colour only, for his features resembled those 
of a white man, and his face, though indicating a mild dis- 
position, was not deficient in energy. He begged me to take 
with me his son, aged fifteen, and a young slave named Mes- 
sember, of the same age. I was aftei*wards obliged to send 
them both back to St. Louis. 
Diai Boukari having declared that the 28th of January was 
a lucky day, and that it was necessary to quit the colony before 
sun-set, at al^out two o'clock in the afternoon I sent my horse, 
my ass, and my baggage to the main land, and without my 
friends suspecting the enterprise I had undertaken, I pre- 
pared to depart at five in the evening. Before he embarked, 
my Marabout traced several Arabic cîiaracters on the sand, to 
ascertain if he shovdd ever again see his wife and mother : 
the answer of fate being favourable, he put a handful of sand 
into a little bag, persuaded that on the preservation of this 
precious bag depended that of his life. 
Accompanied by my friend, M. Mille, I entered a boat 
which had been stationed in a retired place. The prayers 
addressed by my Marabout to the Supreme Governor of the 
universe, and the affecting farewell which he took of his 
mother, who burst into tears, detained us a few moments. At 
ten o'clock we arrived at Diedde, a village in the country 
of Cayor, situated on the channel between the islands of 
Saur and Babagué. 
