SOURCES OF THE SENEGAL. 
263 
thicket of tufted trees, which concealed the sources from our 
view. Boukari and I stole along- the mountain, reached this 
thick wood, into which the rays of the sun had never pene- 
trated, and crossed the Senegal, which could not be so much 
as four feet broad. Ascending the stream I perceived two 
basins, one above the other, from which the water gushed 
forth, and still higher a third, which was only humid, as well 
as the channel that led to the basin immediately below it. 
The Negroes consider the upper basin as the principal source 
of the river. These three springs were situated about the 
middle of the side of the mountain. In the rainy season two 
ponds, at equal distances above the upper source, supply it 
with water by two deep channels. On the opposite side of the 
mountain is a village called Tonkan. 
The Senegal, called Baleo (black river) in the Poula 
languag-e, Bafing in Mandingo, which has the same significa- 
tion, or Foura, which means simply the river, runs at first 
from north to south, then passes at a little distance to the 
south of Timbo, and afterwards pursues a western direction. 
On one of the trees near its sources, I engraved the date of 
the year in which I made this discovery. 
Having rejoined Ali, who during our excursion had 
looked cautiously about on all sides to warn us in case he 
should perceive any person, we continued to ascend the 
mountain to Pore Daka, where I was lodged in the work-shop 
of a blacksmith. 
