to eat immoderately; but a marabout would never do so.” I mentioned an occurrence which took place at the port, on board the Désirée, and to which Mohammed-Sidy-Moctar’s son was witness. Four marabouts came on board to sell a package of gum; as it is the custom to supply them with food till the goods are delivered, a supper was prepared for them. An enormous dish of rice boiled with meat, on which was poured a great quantity of butter, of which they are very fond, though they rarely eat it at home, was handed to one of the party who seemed to be the leader; he hid himself in a corner to devour it, and presently after came back and asked for supper for his three companions. The astonished agent inquired what he had done with the dish of rice which contained supper for four. “Pooh,” said the Moor, “I have eaten it all, and I am not half satisfied.” Supper was brought after this for the three others; but the greedy fellow was punished, for he had like to have died of an indigestion. My host censured the want of moderation which his colleague had shown, but I am convinced that he would not have been more discreet in a similar situation. On the 24th of March I set out again for the port hoping to find an answer from the governor as it was now thirteen days since I wrote. We travelled W.N.W. that we might proceed direct to the port without going through Podor. On the way I was shown some of the genuine gum-trees, from which the gum had been gathered. On the 31st I arrived at the vessels. The pinnace which had taken my letter to St. Louis had returned without bringing me any answer, and I concluded that she had not waited, I took up some goods belonging to M. René Valentin, a resident at St. Louis, and I cannot speak too highly of this gentleman’s generosity towards me. On the 3rd of April I set out on my return to the camp. We wished to keep the same course which we had taken in coming, but the woods were so thick and the road so ill defined, that we lost ourselves. We travelled on at random without knowing whither, till ten o’clock at night, when we met with a marabout who was tending his flock. We requested him to direct us to the camp; he gave us equivocal answers, and told us first one way and then another, leaving us more uncertain than ever as to which we should take. We suffered terribly from thirst, for we had found no water on our journey, and followed the marabout for a long time, begging him for the love of God to show us the way; the holy man amused himself at our expense, and purposely kept back his cattle. We perceived that he was afraid lest we should attend him home, and oblige him to give us a supper; we were very hungry but we assured him that we did not want any thing to eat, and cared for nothing but a drop of water. He hesitated a long time, and at last, yielding to our entreaties, he gave us a cow to serve as our guide. As soon as the poor animal was set at liberty, she ran towards the camp,