At
last the city of Jenne, on a large island, came in sight,
with the two towers of its clay-built mosque, and the
putrid odor of the millions of swallows' nests accumulated
in its walls. The tops of some baobabs, mimosas, and
date-trees peeped up between the houses; and, even at
night, the activity of the place seemed very great. Jenne
is, in fact, quite a commercial city: it supplies all the
wants of Timbuctoo. Its boats on the river, and its caravans
along the shaded roads, bear thither the various
products of its industry.
"Were it not that to do so would prolong our journey,"
said the doctor, "I should like to alight at this place.
There must be more than one Arab there who has travelled
in England and France, and to whom our style of locomotion
is not altogether new. But it would not be prudent."
"Let us put off the visit until our next trip," said Joe,
laughing.
"Besides, my friends, unless I am mistaken, the wind
has a slight tendency to veer a little more to the eastward,
and we must not lose such an opportunity."
The doctor threw overboard some articles that were
no longer of use--some empty bottles, and a case that had
contained preserved-meat--and thereby managed to keep
the balloon in a belt of the atmosphere more favorable to
his plans.
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