reserved her own portion in the pot. Ibrahim sent me my supper of rice and milk which the negroes had given me. They would not partake of it although I pressed them. They invited me to take some of theirs, which I at first declined; but, as they urged me, I took a handful and withdrew. I really wondered how the poor creatures could eat this rice; for it was without either salt or butter. They did not like to touch my supper because they were slaves. We said prayers together, and lay down upon mats; but I was kept awake all night by the thunder. On the 8th of May, at six in the morning, after eating a piece of the cassava which was cooked the evening before we took leave of our hostess; for the lads were already gone to the fields. We proceeded eastward; then turning into the mountains, we were obliged to climb from rock to rock. There is, however, some very good soil. We arrived on the banks of the Bâ-fing (the black river) so called because its bed consists of enormous rocks of black granite. Some of these rocks are pointed and very sharp, so that they often cut the feet of the negroes in crossing the river. The Bâ-fing is the principal tributary of the Senegal: it runs from south to north among the mountains. The masses of granite, of which its bed is composed, form several islets. Its current is astonishingly rapid and white with foam, which I supposed to be occasioned by some cataract. I questioned the negroes on the subject and their answers verified my conjecture. They told me they had seen the cataract in going to Timbo, and assured me that it fell from a great height with a loud noise. We were very near the source of the river, which in this part might be about a hundred feet wide and a foot or eighteen inches deep; but its depth varies. We crossed it not without some difficulty and with the assistance of poles. I saw with some alarm a poor negro tottering beneath his load; however, we all reached the left bank without any serious accident. Several of our party had their feet cut by the sharp rocks, and although I had nothing to carry I did not escape unhurt. A great number of persons were assembled at the place where we crossed. They took no notice of me, supposing me to be a Moor.