REASONS rOR THE TOUR TO GALAM. 
145 
rated, her face was overspread widi smiles, arid I recognised by 
this trait the goodness of her heart. The king himself went to 
fetch back Bourdonnois; he brought him before me, and the 
pretended injury was forgotten. On this occasion my conduct 
was politic, and was attended with success. I suddenly termi- 
nated a discussion which might have become serious, if I had 
seemed to doubt of the offence, or hesitated to repair it. 
1 have mentioned this anecdote by way of opposition to the 
naturally obdurate, barbarous, and cruel character of the Moors 
in general. It is a light upon the dark picture which I have al- 
ready given of their savage manners ; and it affords a proof, that 
our connections with these people render them mOre commu- 
nicative, sensible, and humane. 
CHAP. XV. 
ACCOUNT OF A JOURNEY BY LAND FROM ISLE ST. LOUIS, 
ALONG THE SENEGAL, TO GALAM, IN WHICH ARE 
GIVEN THE PARTICULARS OF THE DIFFERENT COUN- 
TRIES, INHABITANTS, AND PRODUCTS ON THE ROUTE. 
OF THE KINGDOMS OF CAHOR, JOLOF, BARRA OR 
MAN DING, BAMBOU K, JOULY, M ERIN A, BON DO U, &C. 8CC. 
On setting off for Isle St. Louis, I promised that I would 
penetrate into the interior of Africa, and decide our doubts as to 
the state of that part of the world. Tiie same project had ex- 
cited the attention of the Enghsh; and I must declare that I 
was eager to imitate, or even to anticipate, them in such an un- 
dertaking. Nevertheless 1 did not wish to venture upon one of 
those journies which, transporting a single man, without any fixed 
object, amidst savage hordes, exposes him to all sorts of priva- 
tions and risqueSjwithout affording him proper means of informa- 
tion : but, on the other hand, I was well aware that those dan- 
gers, which often occur, are provoked by imprudence, or exag- 
gerated by misfortune and a wish to excite interest. 
It was, however, my wish to visit an unknown soil, but which 
1 thought less liable to difficulty and labour; and I resolved to 
execute what had, till then, appeared impracticable — a journey 
by land from Isle St. Louis to Galarn. My intention was, should 
I succeed, to travel afterwards over land to Morocco and Tunis *. 
My choice of this journey for a trial likewise had another/ 
motive. I wished to know if the inconveniencies of the route 
which I was about to trace through the interior of the country. 
The author, doubtless, meant that he would cause these journies to be 
executed ; for it does not appear that lie l)ad any intention of performing 
them himself. Ed. 
DURAND.] T 
