Pedestrian journey from St. Louis to Neyreh. — Passage to N’ghiez. — Manners of the inhabitants. — Miraculous stone. — Departure. — Robbers. — Mode of fishing with nets. — The steam-vessel. — The author’s arrival among the Braknas. — Conversation with Mohammed Sidy Moctar, chief marabout to the king. — Reception by the king. On Tuesday the 3rd of August 1824, at four in the afternoon, I set out from St. Louis, accompanied by two men and a woman, all three inhabitants of N’pâl, to which village they engaged to serve me as guides. About seven, we arrived at Leybar, a village situated two leagues S.E. ¼ E. from St. Louis. We there passed a wearisome night, on account of the musquitoes which devoured us. The weather was stormy; the thunder rolled the whole night, and the rain fell in torrents. We went to bed on our arrival: at ten o’clock we were called up to supper, for which a very good fish _couscous_[6] was provided. On the morning of the 4th we pursued our journey. My fellow-travellers met with a little incident which delayed our progress: a sheep, destined for the celebration of the festival of the Tabasky[7], escaped from the negress who was driving it; we were obliged to run after the animal, but after several useless attempts to catch it, we continued our route. At ten in the morning we arrived at Gandon, a village only one league E. ¼ S.E. from Leybar. A most delightful country presented itself to our view. I saw many fields of cotton, which the negroes cultivate with success; indigo grows there without culture; there is but little millet in the environs of the village. We sat down under a great tree, where travellers usually rest themselves till some one comes to offer them hospitality: on that day there was a great number of them, who took me for a Moor, because I wore the Moorish dress; but, being undeceived by my guides, who told them that I was about to become a convert to Islamism, they congratulated me upon my intention.