About half past eight in the morning we lay to for half an hour before the island. We saw the little village of Khokhoola, which like Diré, is a dependence of Timbuctoo. Here we met a little canoe which had left that city on the preceding morning. She had on board several of the Soorgoos, who exact a maintenance for themselves as far as Salacoila, where they stop, and then get conveyed home by some returning canoes. If they cannot obtain a conveyance in this way, they travel home by land. At Khokhoola the river takes a little turn to the N. E. and then to the north. The Soorgoos were waiting for us in the village, having been informed of our expected arrival. They came on board the canoes, being rowed, from the shore, in little boats of their own. They were supplied with rice and water and honey mixed, a beverage of which they are exceedingly fond, and which they call _Jenné-hari_ (water of Jenné.) These vagabonds levy their exactions without moderation. We did not allow them to come on board our canoe; we handed them out a bag of rice and they went away to importune some of our companions. When they are on board the canoes, and the negroes want to get rid of them, they fire a musket close to their ears, and they speedily take their departure, for they are very much afraid of gunpowder. They themselves never make use of fire-arms. During the visit of the Soorgoos I was directed to go below, to avoid being seen by them; for, when they see a Moor on board, especially if his colour be lighter than usual, they assert that he is richer than the rest, as if his fortune depended on his complexion. They then become extremely troublesome, and will not suffer the canoes to depart without exacting a contribution from the white man, whom they call _almankoye_ (the rich man.). I was afterwards informed that these savages had detained on shore a Moor, whose complexion was, unluckily, not very dark, and who was imprudent enough not to conceal himself. They extorted merciless contributions from him. The Moors, aware of this danger, are accustomed to conceal themselves in the canoes, and only quit their hiding-place during the night. The negroes only have the privilege of remaining on deck; they are looked upon as an inferior class, who have not much to give, and are merely the servants of the Moorish merchant. Wishing to see without being seen, I made several holes in the matting that covered that part of the canoe in which I was concealed. In this place the heat was so excessive, that it gave me a violent head-ache. The Moorish merchants of Timbuctoo have no authority over these robbers: not one of them would have ventured among the Soorgoos to claim the six canoes which were so long detained. If they had, they would have been sure of being laid under contribution themselves; yet, they frequently make presents to the Soorgoos.