The master stands at the stern and steers the vessel, not without difficulty, by a long pole instead of a rudder. He experiences a good deal of trouble in managing the unwieldy machine, so that it is often found necessary for two others to assist him. A rudder like that attached to the boats which descend the Seine, would be extremely serviceable, but at present the people are ignorant of the use of such a thing. Each of these vessels has a captain, who maintains great authority over his crew, and I never witnessed any abuse of this authority, as is sometimes the case with us, especially in the merchant service. All the negro sailors who navigate the river are slaves; there are also some captains of this class, whose employers give them half of what they earn. Free men think themselves degraded by accepting such employment. On the 28th, at four o’clock in the morning, the wind fell and we continued our course towards the north. The breadth of the river did not vary, and its banks continued low and naked. About seven o’clock in the morning the N. E. wind blew stronger than on the preceding day, and we were obliged to anchor before a large plain of white quicksand, which, when inundated by the rising of the waters, forms a great bank; the channel is on the left side of the river. The wind, blowing up the sand in great quantities, added to the inconvenience we were suffering from the heat. To lighten the canoe all the slaves were set on shore, and the rice-grinders were sent to continue their work on the plain. At sunset the wind fell a little, and the oars might have been used during the whole of the night, but the negroes, to whom time is of no value, and who are never in a hurry to reach their destination, thought proper to wait till morning. The slaves, male and female, all Bambaras, began to leap, dance, and amuse themselves in various ways. Their gaiety, however, proved the cause of some trouble to us, for the Foulahs, observing them, came on board at night-fall in a party of about thirty, armed with bows and pikes. They severely censured the impropriety of allowing the slaves to dance during the Ramadan, observing that it was like making a scoff of religion, and that, as a punishment for such misconduct, a fine of five thousand cowries (a sum equal to twenty-five francs) must be paid. The master, to whose charge the slaves had been committed, earnestly defended the cause of his employer. A spirited altercation arose between the parties, who were seated in a circle upon the sand. The Foulahs for some time shewed no disposition to forego their demands, but at length they were taught reason, and the dispute ended at the expense of the poor slaves, who, as a punishment for dancing during this sacred season, were each condemned to receive five lashes on the back. The sentence, however, was not executed with much severity, and it did not restrain the slaves from resuming their dance as soon as the fanatical Foulahs departed.