These people are governed by a multitude of petty independent chiefs, who often go to war with each other. In short, they are in a savage state, compared with the nations which follow the religion of the Prophet. They have no idea of the dignity of man. If I had been obliged to remain among them, my merchandise would have roused their cupidity, and being unrestrained by any sort of fear, they would probably have robbed me without scruple. Among the Musulmans, on the contrary, I was protected by the shield of Mahomet. In the little village of Timé I found every thing very abundant. The market, which is held once a week, enabled me to procure any thing. This market is supplied by the Bambaras of the neighbourhood, who come hither to dispose of the surplus of their provisions. Among other living things they bring fish, which they catch in the streams that water their plains. On the 5th of August, the Mandingo merchants, who intended to set off for Jenné, put fresh leaves to their colats, to keep them damp, and counted them all over. They are also in the habit of damping them with water to preserve them. On the 6th the caravan set off in a torrent of rain. The travellers about fifteen or twenty in number, both male and female, carried each of them on their heads a load of three thousand five hundred colats, a weight which I could scarcely lift. They bring back, on their return, salt in the form of loaves or flat cakes. The inhabitants assured me that the value in salt of three thousand five hundred colats, when brought back to Timé, was the price of two slaves; but the profit, as I subsequently ascertained, is not considerable; for great expenses are incurred on the road, not only for subsistence, but also for duties of transit. The price of the colats, a fruit which does not grow in this country, varies considerably. On returning from these journeys, the traders travel far into the south to procure colats, with salt and cloth, which they manufacture with cotton purchased from the Bambaras, and spun by their women. On the 17th of August, Baba gave me a large hut to live in. Here I installed myself as well as I could. A mat spread on the damp ground, over which I laid my cotton wrapper, was the only furniture of the place. This hut also served as a warehouse and contained yams and rice.