PARTICULARS RESPECTING FOUTATORO. 
157 
The population is very considerable, amounting" to about two 
millions of souls. 
The inhabitants of Foutatoro trade with the Moors of 
Oualet and Ludamar, with the Poulas of Foota Jallon, and 
with the Europeans established at the isle of St. Louis. The 
first bring them salt, and in return take back cloths, cotton, 
and millet. Fouta Jallon furnishes them with slaves, and a 
little gold. The Europeans supply them w^ith the blue guinea 
stuffs with which they clothe themselves, their fire-arms, and 
hardware, in exchange for millet and cotton. 
The origin of these people is little known : tradition 
relates that the Poulas formerly inhabited fertile regions 
situated in the northern part of Africa, perhaps Numidia ; 
they were shepherds and rovers. The form of the huts which 
they still build, proves that they were accustomed to live in 
tents. The Joloffs also inhabited that part of the African 
continent, but were, I should imagine, a more sedentary 
people. When the Saracens made themselves masters of those 
countries, the Joloffs and Poulas, affrighted at the invasion of 
those ferocious conquerors, traversed the Desert, and settled 
in the tracts which they now occupy. The Serreres, a Negro 
nation, were then masters of it. At the sight of men mounted 
on camels and horses, they fled towards the south-west, 
where they formed other states, which still exist under the 
names of Baol and Sin. The Moors, however, followed the 
Poulas to the south of the Senegal, and drove them from the 
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