termites' nests — PASSAGE OF THE SENEGAL — DALABA. 26' 1 
April 25tli. Our route was direct east ; we were travers- 
ing a long' and very fertile plain, which was the fourth I had 
seen since I had been in Fouta Jallon, when I perceived near 
the road, three columns in a line, at equal distances from each 
other. Supposing them to have been erected by man, I 
approached them with eager curiosity ; but what was my 
astonishment on ascertaining with my own eyes, that they 
were the work of the ants called termites. On quitting 
the plain we left Sumbalako to our left, and arrived on the 
banks of the Senegal. This river was broad although we 
were near its source ; we forded it on a ridge of rocks whicb 
crossed its bed ; imiuckily my ass slipped, and fell into a deep 
hole: fearing he would break his legs, I took my leather 
bottles from his back, and carried them to the opposite bank ; 
I was then enabled by the assistance of my two companions 
to extricate the poor animals with ease from the rocks amoiig- 
which his foot was entangled. This delay happened in a place 
where we remarked very recent traces of the hippopotamus. 
We halted for the night at Dalaba, a village inhabited by 
Mandingoes from Kankan. In this place I had an opportunity 
of judging of the industry of the inhabitants of this country, 
for being visited among others by the blacksmiths and shoe- 
makers of the place, every part of my baggage engaged the 
attention of these artizans. One of the latter in particular, 
attentively examined my shoes, and notwithstanding the 
difficulty he found to discover the stitches, he pretended he 
