74 
VOYAGE TO SENEGAL. 
to the great astonishment of the hunters, to walk and graze with- 
out shewing any sign of pain. One of the Negroes asserted that 
he saw the elephant go to the side of a stream, and convey some 
sand to its mouth by means of its trunk : he and his companions 
tlieh went to look at what they supposed to be sand, when they 
found that it was a white salt, having a slight taste of alum. They 
then attacked another elephant, which did the same ; on which the 
Negroes communicated their discovery to the Portuguese, who 
are dreadfully alarmed at poisoned weapons : they made various 
experiments with this salt, and discovered it to be the best anti- 
dote liitherto known. To cure one-self radically of any poison 
absorbed, it is only necessary to drink a drachm of this salt dis- 
solved in water. 
In the river of Nongne, a trade is carried on from the month 
of March till August, at which time ships must take the advan- 
tage of returning with the south winds. Between this river and 
that of Sierra Leone there are four others, namely those of Pon- 
giie, Tafaliy Samos, and Cassores; they are all navigable, and 
present great commercial advantages. The people who inhabit 
the countries through which they run, are the Zupes^ the Foules^ 
the CocoUsy and the Nalez, 
The Zapes divide themselves into hordes, who go by different 
names ; there are for instance, the vagabond Zapes, who have no 
settled habitations; the athletic Zapes; the thin Zapes, &c. All 
these people are idolaters, though they acknowledge a Supreme 
Being, but do not worship him, though they consider him as the 
master of ail other gods. They are extremely clever in the art 
of poisoning arrows, and make use of poison in various ways : 
they also know the antidote lately mentioned, and sell it; so that 
they circulate both the poison and the cure ; their greatest trade, 
however, is in elephants' teeih. There is likewise a certain fruit 
which they dispose of, called Colles, which the Portuguese are 
very fond of: it has a bitter taste, and imparts an excellent flavour 
to water. 
It is not impossible to spread civilization amongst people who 
are si'iW savage, nor to render highly valuable those extensive 
lands which are fertile, and so favourably treated by nature. Our 
interest, humanity, and love for the arts and sciences, all conspira 
to render «uch attempts a duty of morahty. 
