116 THE AUTHOR IS REFUSED A LODGING. 
scorching east wind had subsided, I mounted my horse. We 
marched till six o'clock before we reached the villag-e of Amadi 
Chaumaret; when we applied at his house for lodging-, his 
wives who were there alone, replied that they would not receive 
a Moor. It may easily be guessed that they meant me by 
this appellation. This refusal, which I received for the first 
time, made me apprehensive that I should henceforth be often 
exposed to similar accidents. For this time my fears were 
soon dispelled, for having sat down before a mosque, a 
Toucolor came after prayers and invited us to his hut. He 
spread a mat for us in his court, and notwithstanding the 
constant roaring of the lions which prowled about the neigh- 
bourhood, we passed a tranquil night, 
March 1st. The road which we pursued lay through a 
wood of gum-trees and baobabs ; to the right we left several 
villages, situated at a little distance, from hills of considerable 
height. The inhabitants cultivate a great quantity of cotton 
with much care. The roads were filled with people, going to 
join the army assembled against the Bambaras. To avoid 
meeting these soldiers, we retired into a thicket at a little 
distance from the road, and seated ourselves under a coss, 
the thick foliage of which afforded us a refreshing shade. The 
wood of this tree is used at Senegal for making oars. The 
place where we rested, although not barren, was covered with 
ferruginous stones. 
In the evenirig we passed through the village of Senoca- 
