BONDU

bondu, a french protectorate in west africa, dependent on the colony of senegal. bondu lies between the faleme river and the upper course of the gambia, that is between 13 deg. and 15 deg. n., and 12 deg. and 13 deg. w. the country is an elevated plateau, with hills in the southern and central parts. these are generally unproductive, and covered with stunted wood; but the lower country is fertile, and finely clothed with the baobab, the tamarind and various valuable fruit-trees. bondu is traversed by torrents, which flow rapidly during the rains but are empty in the dry season, such streams being known in this part of west africa as _marigots_. the inhabitants are mostly fula, though the trade is largely in the hands of mandingos. the religion and laws of the country are mahommedan, though the precepts of that faith are not very rigorously observed. mungo park, the first european traveller to visit the country, passed through bondu in 1795, and had to submit to many exactions from the reigning prince. the royal residence was then at fatteconda; but when major w. gray, a british officer who attempted to solve the niger problem, visited bondu in 1818 it had been removed to bulibani, a small town, with about 3000 population, surrounded by a strong clay wall. in august 1845 the king of bondu signed a treaty recognizing french sovereignty over his country. the treaty was disregarded by the natives, but in 1858 bondu came definitely under french control. the country has since enjoyed considerable prosperity (see senegal). see a. rancon, _le bondou: etude de geographie et d'histoire soudaniennes de 1681 a nos jours_ (bordeaux, 1894).