A voyage to Senegal

In Short

Drawing on his tenure as governor of Isle St. Louis and the recorded journeys of contemporary travelers, J. P. L. Durand delivers a comprehensive survey of late eighteenth-century Northwest Africa. The volume maps the winding rivers, island forts, and coastal kingdoms stretching from Cape Blanco down to Sierra Leone. Through detailed descriptions of regional commerce, agricultural practices, local governance, and religious customs, Durand constructs an argument for European commercial engagement focused on native trade and cultivation rather than territorial conquest, offering a detailed snapshot of the region's economic and political landscape before nineteenth-century colonial expansion.

The Story

Durand opens his narrative with a critique of European maritime history, arguing that while nations spent immense fortunes chasing distant, uninhabited lands across the globe, they neglected the rich, accessible territories of Western Africa. He frames the West African coast as a vital region of untapped agricultural and commercial potential that has been historically misunderstood and reduced to a mere source for forced labor. Setting out to correct this ignorance, the narrative moves systematically along the coast and into the interior, evaluating the strategic and economic value of every major settlement, river, and island.

The progression follows a geographical and analytical arc. Durand examines key maritime footholds such as Goree and Isle St. Louis, chronicling their turbulent histories as heavily contested sites passed between Dutch, English, and French control. From these coastal hubs, the account pushes inland along the major river systems—the Gambia, the Casamance, and the Senegal. As the narrative advances upriver toward distant trading posts like Galam, Durand inventories the natural resources of the region, detailing the seasonal harvests of the vast gum acacia forests, the yield of local wax markets, and the agricultural methods of interior societies.

Throughout this geographical passage, Durand integrates accounts of human encounters and political structures. He details the governing systems of indigenous states, contrasting the elective monarchies of the Mandingos and the republican councils of the Feloups with the predatory, nomadic lifestyle of desert tribes such as the Wadelims. The narrative also incorporates vivid first-person survival accounts, including the harrowing captivity of shipwrecked travelers like M. de Brisson among desert nomads, illustrating the perils of the coast.

Ultimately, the work concludes with a synthesis of geographical data and strategic reflections. By presenting precise travel itineraries—such as Sidi-Carachi’s overland journey from Galam—and analyzing the swift, decisive nature of local diplomacy and warfare, Durand demonstrates that sustainable European prosperity in the region relies on understanding local customs, respecting established trade routes, and cultivating direct commercial alliances rather than relying on military force or the destructive mechanisms of the slave trade.

How It Unfolds

The mandate for discovery Durand critiques European powers for expending immense wealth on distant, barren lands while neglecting the fertile and accessible territories of Western Africa. He establishes the necessity of a systematic commercial and geographical survey of the coast and its interior river systems.

Navigating coastal footholds The survey details the strategic importance of islands like Goree and Isle St. Louis, outlining their military defenses, shifting colonial possessors, and role as primary trading hubs. The text examines the difficulty of maritime navigation due to dangerous river bars, unpredictable currents, and seasonal winds.

Into the river kingdoms Travelling along the Gambia, Casamance, and Rio Grande, the text documents the distinct political structures and commercial habits of interior nations. Durand highlights the Mandingo trading networks, the agricultural cadence of local farmers, and the self-governing republican villages of the Feloups.

Perils of the desert fringe The account pauses to detail the harsh conditions of the northern deserts, incorporating M. de Brisson’s ordeal after being shipwrecked and captured by nomadic tribes. Durand describes the austere, mobile lifestyle of the Wadelims and the precarious nature of travel along the desert borders.

Harvesting the interior Focusing on natural wealth, Durand explains the mechanics of the twice-yearly gum arabic harvests from the great acacia forests, alongside the production of wax, ivory, and cotton textiles. He includes precise travel logs and itineraries, such as Sidi-Carachi's overland march from Galam, to demonstrate the viability of internal trade routes.

Diplomacy and military reality The narrative closes with an analysis of indigenous governance, legal customs, and warfare, noting that local conflicts are brief and territory remains communal. Durand concludes that future European success in the region depends on mutual trade, diplomatic respect, and administrative adaptability rather than military subjugation.

The People

• J. P. L. Durand — The author and former governor of Isle St. Louis, whose overarching goal is to present a precise, utilitarian survey of West Africa to persuade European powers to pursue enlightened commercial investment over neglect or plunder. He assesses local rulers and economic networks with a cool, calculating administrative eye.
• M. de Brisson — A French traveler whose shipwreck leaves him at the mercy of harsh desert nomads. Desperate to survive brutal captivity, he uses quick wit, bravado, and mimicry to appease his captors and avoid execution, ultimately surviving to provide a firsthand account of the interior tribes.
• M. Brue — A former governor-general at Senegal who aggressively seeks to re-establish French factories on the island of Bissaux. Determined to break Portuguese dominance, he uses naval intimidation to force local treaties and expand French trading networks.
• King Babakoury — The ruler of Yolof, who seeks friendly diplomatic ties and commercial relations with the French administration. He exchanges formal letters and gifts with Durand, demonstrating the willingness of regional monarchs to engage in structured international trade.
• Sidi-Carachi — A Marabou Moor whose detailed travel journal provides Durand with precise hourly logs and geographical data for the overland route between Galam and Isle St. Louis, proving that land routes are vastly superior to tedious river navigation.

In Its Own Voice

"While, however, those navigators were pursuing their adventures, the discoveries which had long before been made, and the establishments which had been formed in the richest country in the world, a country most proper for producing colonial goods, and one situated nearest to Europe, were neglected."

Durand opens his treatise by calling out European powers for ignoring the immense agricultural potential of Western Africa in favor of distant, costly expeditions.

"No sooner had he mentioned the talent of his slave for imitating the egeums, than M. de Brisson was surrounded by crowds of men, women, and children, who were constantly pressing him to sing, and for which they rewarded him with a little camel’s milk."

This moment captures how the shipwrecked M. de Brisson managed to defuse violent hostility among his nomadic captors through impromptu performance and mimicry.

"The Negroes of this country are husbandmen, and they perform their operations in cadence with the sound of drums..."

Durand observes the rhythmic agricultural practices of local farmers, recording how community labor and music are intertwined in their daily field work.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book is an argument for a fundamental shift in European imperial strategy. Durand contends that Western Africa should not be viewed merely as an engine for the slave trade or a staging ground for military conquest, but as a vast, inherently wealthy commercial domain capable of generating immense agricultural and trade value on its own terms. Underneath its geographical listings and political observations lies a early nineteenth-century administrative vision: that sustainable economic exploitation requires empirical knowledge, meticulous mapping, and a functional understanding of local laws, customs, and trade routes. The text constantly weighs the costs of violence against the mutual profits of structured commerce, questioning the wisdom of raw conquest when trade alliances yield far greater returns.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers of travel history, colonial studies, and historical geography who enjoy unvarnished, period-specific primary sources. Durand writes with the disciplined clarity of an administrator, combining personal observation with compiled intelligence to offer an unusually broad look at late eighteenth-century West Africa.

The book's appeal lies in its wealth of specific detail—from the exact mechanics of sap extraction in acacia forests to the intricate court customs and trial rituals of regional societies. Reading it feels like examining a master bureaucrat's private briefing book, filled with trade routes, military inventories, and cultural notes. Modern readers must navigate period difficulties, including eighteenth-century racial attitudes, colonial terminology, and dense catalogs of distances and locations. Yet for those interested in the era, the text provides a fascinating, highly grounded window into West Africa on the eve of major European colonial expansion, free from the romanticized melodrama typical of later nineteenth-century travelogues.

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