Saugnier and Brisson, Voyages to the Coast of Africa

      While waiting the arrival of the Furet, which had been fitted out by my friend, I had time to study the character of the inhabitants of Senegal, and their manner of trading, this was the only matter to which I turned my attention. I was convinced that I should never succeed without understanding thoroughly the people with whom I had to deal. . .

      At that time there were only three European houses at Senegal that carried on the greater part of the commerce at that place; these were, first, the company's house, which, besides that exclusive privilege of the gum trade, dealt also in slaves. This house was certainly the most considerable, but withal the worst regulated; the persons who had been sent by the company having no knowledge whatever of this commerce. It was therefore the least formidable. That of M. Aubry de la Fosse, of Nantz, was better conducted. With a smaller stock they carried on a more considerable trade; the superintendant of the house was committed to M. Vigneux, formerly captain of a ship from Nantz. He was the person, who taking the advantage of my unhappy shipwreck, which happened in the year 1784, had made one of those surprisingly lucrative bargains, which allure so many of our countrymen to their ruin. . . .

      The third house was conducted by M. Paul Benis, who traded solely on his own bottom. He had been formerly cooper to the company at Goree, and when that island fell into the hands of the English, took refuge in Senegal. He was the man best acquainted with the colony. He spoke the negro language as well as the negroes themselves, lived in their manner, and always found means to lay hold of the best bargains. . .

      The principal persons among [the natives], as well negroes as mulattos, engaged in commerce on their own account, were Thevenot, a man, who in the early part of his life had spent a great deal of money at Paris, and had assumed the title of an African prince; Saint-Jean, his brother-in-law, who was the son of an Englishman, formerly a governor of Senegal, and who had been at London; Le Juge of the same family, who had traveled into India and through all Europe; Dubois, a negro, the most artful of the set, and who undertook nothing for the company, but on condition of having a considerable share for himself; and several others, who trafficked sometimes on their own bottoms, and at other times for those who had recourse to their agency. . .

      Notwithstanding the barrenness of the spot, Senegal contains more than six thousand negroes, including the captives of the Tapades, or negroes born of the black inhabitants of the country. They are never put up to sale, unless convicted of some crime. Their huts, constructed in the form of bee-hives, and supported upon four stakes, surround the habitations of the negro inhabitants. The entire height of those huts may rise to about twelve feet, the width in every direction is commonly from ten to twelve. The beds are composed of hurdles laid upon cross-bars, supported by forked stakes at the height of about a foot from the ground. Here the slaves sleep promiscuously, men, women, girls, and boys. A fire is made in the middle of the hut, which is filled with smoke, sufficient to stifle any man but a negro.

      The men are tall, and the women are accoounted the handsomest negresses in all of Africa. The Senegalians may be considered as the most courageous people of that part of the world, without even excepting the Moors. . . .

      The Yolof negroes of Senegal are either Christians or Mahometans, or rather one and the other, or with more truth neither; religion being a matter of indifference to them. Those on the continent are of the same way of thinking, and their religious practices are kept up only for the sake of form. A bar of iron, a few beads, will make them change their opinion at will. By such means are they acted upon; a sufficient proof of their want of all religious principle. The marabouts, or priests, and the men of their law, are no better than the rest. I have examined the character of several of this order of men, and even among the nation of the Poules, who are considered as great fanatics, I discovered that they were only publicly attached to their opinions. "This white man," say they, "does so; he is better informed than I, and why should I not imitate his example." This way of reasoning is common to all that tract of country.