"In Mali, I saw a man eat an entire roasted sheep by himself, and then drink a bucket of sour milk. The people there have stomachs like camels."

"Their women are of surpassing beauty, and are shown more respect than the men. These people are Muslims, punctilious in observing the hours of prayer, studying the books of law, and memorizing the Kor…"

"Never did I see a man who was more eager to make gifts and to shed blood."

"The women of this country do not cover their heads, and they are not ashamed of this. We saw many of them whose faces were more beautiful than the faces of the men."

"The houses in this land are made of mud and straw, and they are very small. I had to bend over to enter them."