lie A VOYAGE TO SENEGAL. 
The boat with a deck, which has ah'eady been mentioned, 
serves not only to perforin the passage of the bar_, but also to 
unhide the vessels that are about to enter the river ; by which 
means, those from 100 to iôO tons generally ascend it, while 
such as are of a greater burden remain in the road. The pro- 
cess of unlading, on account of the roiîghness of the water, is 
difficult and expensive; and during the delay which it occasions, 
the crews of the European ships often fall sick. 
It is perhaps to the inconveniences of the bar of the Senegal, 
that we are indebted for the safety of our establishments in 
that quarter; as one or two armed boats, within the bar, would 
be sufficient to sink all the vessels that might attempt to pass it; 
because only one ship can make the passage at the time. The best 
months for entering the river, are î\pril. May, June, and July; 
and the most dangerous, those of September, October, Novem- 
ber, and JDecember, when the winds blow impetuously, and in- 
crease the course of the current so much as to render the pass- 
age almost impracticable. 
On arriving in the road, you see to the right a spot called 
Barbary Point, which separates the river from the sea : it is 
flat and barren, being principally a moving sand, which being 
fine and dry, is blown about by the wind. It is about a hun- 
dred fatlioms in length, and is frequented only by pelicans, 
which are not worth the trouble of hunting, and by small crabs, 
which are not eaten. I'he right bank is called Guinea-land, and 
is much better than Barbary l"*oint. Its name signifies, in the 
language of the country, the Devil's land: it is level and cover- 
ed with large trees and beautiful grass ; and is dependant on the 
kingdom of Cayor, which finishes at the isle of Bifeche, about six 
leagues from the bar. 
Within two leagues of the bar is a natural canal, formed by the 
river which leads to the village of Bieurt : on it are two little 
isles; one of them, called Bocos, on which the French had a 
factory; and the other Mogue, winch is neither inhabited nor 
cultivated, though it contains very abundant salt-pits. At this 
place is also an inexliaustible quarry of oyster-shells, from which 
lime is made. Such prodigious heaps of oyster-shells have beeii 
found in other parts; but it is remarkable tliat they are shells 
only: for, notwithstanding the assertions of several philosophers 
and historians, the oyster is unknown at Senegal. 
isle St. Louis lies in ]()° 4 10". lat. and 18^ 48'» 
15" long. It is in the middle of the river, and only four 
leagues from the bar : it has an anchorage for vessels of a cer- 
tain burden, the width of the river being in this part 380 fa- 
thoms, and the depth from 20 to 30 feet. The isle itself is 
Quiy 1150 toises in length from north to south, and its widtU 
