the bargain, the young lady must, either have the man of their choice, or continue unmarried, for she cannot afterwards be given to another. If the parents should attempt it, the lover is then authorized, by the laws of the country, to seize upon the girl as his slave. When the day for celebrating the nuptials is fixed on, a select number of people are invited to be present at the wedding; a bullock or goat is killed, and great plenty of victuals dressed for the occasion. As soon as it is dark the bride is conducted into a hut, where a company of matrons assist in arranging the wedding dress, which is always white cotton, and is put on in such a manner, as to conceal the bride from head to foot. Thus arrayed, she is seated upon a mat in the middle of the floor, and the old women place themselves in a circle round her. They then give her a series of instructions, and point out with great propriety, what ought to be her future conduct in life. This scene of instruction, however, is frequently interrupted by girls, who amuse the company with songs and dances, which are rather more remarkable for their gaiety than delicacy. While the bride remains within the hut with the women, the bridegroom devotes his attention to the guests of both sexes, who assemble without doors, and by distributing among them small presents of Kollanuts, and seeing that every one partakes of the good cheer which is provided he contributes much to the general hilarity of the evening. When supper is ended, the company spend the remainder of the night in singing and dancing, and seldom separate until daybreak. About midnight, the bride is privately conducted by the women into the hut which is to be her future residence, and the bridegroom, upon a sig. nal given, retires from his company. The new married couple however, are always disturbed towards morning by the women, who assemble to inspect the nuptial sheet, according to the manners of the ancient Hebrews as recorded in scripture, and dance round it. The ceremony is thought indispensably necessary; nor is the marriage considered as valid without it. The Negroes, as hath been frequently observed, whether Mahomedan or Pagan, allow a plurality of wives. The Mahomedans alone, are by their religion confined to four; and as the husband commonly pays a great price for each, he requires from all of them the utmost deference and submission, and treats them more like hired servants than com panions. They have, however, the management of domestic affairs, and each in rotation is mistress of the household, and has the care of dressing the victuals, overlooking the female slaves, &c. But though the African husbands are possessed of great authority over their wives, I did not observe that in general they treat them with cruelty; neither did I perceive that mean jealousy in their dispositions, which is so prevalent among the Moors. They permit their wives to partake of all public diversions, and this indulgence is seldom abused; for though the Negro women are very cheerful and frank in their behaviour, they are by no means given to intrigue; I believe that instances of conjugal infidelity are not common. When the wives quarrel among themselves, a circumstance, which, from the nature of their situation must frequently happen, the husband decides between them, and sometimes finds it necessary to administer a little corporal chastisement, before tranquility can be restored. But if any one of the ladies complains to the chief of the town, that her husband had unjustly punished her, and shewn an undue partiality to some other of his wives, the affair is brought to a public trial. In these palavers, however, which are conducted chiefly by married men, I was informed, that the complaint of the wife is not always considered in a very serious light; and the complainant herself is sometimes convicted of strife and contention, and left without remedy. If she murmurs at the decision of the court, the magic rod of Mumbo Jumbo soun puts an end to the business. The children of the Mandingoes are not always named after their relations, but frequently in consequence of some remarkable occurrence. Thus, my landlord at Kamalia, was called Karfa, a word signifying to replace; because he was born shortly after the death of one of his brothers.Other names are descriptive of good or bad qualities; as Modi, "a good man ;" Fadibbi, "father of the town," &c. Indeed the very names of their towns have something descriptive in them; as Sibidooloo," the town of ciboa trees;" Kenneyetoo, victuals here ;" Dosita, "lift your spoon." Others appear to be given by way of reproach; as Bammakoo," wash a crocodile;" Karrankalla, “no cup to drink from," &c. A child is named when it is seven or eight days old. The ceremony commences by shaving the infant's head; and a dish called Dega, made of pounded corn and sour milk, is prepared for the guests. If the parents are rich, a sheep or a goat is commonly added. This feast is called Ding koon lee," the child's head shaving." During my stay at Kamalia I was present at four different feasts of this kind, and the ceremony was the same in each, whether the child belonged to a Bushreen or a Kafir. The schoolmaster, who officiated as priest on those occasions, and who is necessarily a Bushreen, first said a long prayer over the dega; during which, every person present took hold of the brim of the calabash with his right hand. After this, the schoolmaster took the child in his arms, and said a second prayer, in which he repeatedly solicited the blessing of God upon the child, and upon all the company. When this prayer was ended he whispered a few sentences in the child's ear, and spit three times in its face; after which he pronounced its name aloud, and returned the infant to its mother. This part of the ceremony being ended, the father of the child divided the dega into a number of balls, one of which he distributed to every person present. An inquiry was then made, if any person in the town was dangerously sick, it being usual in such cases, to send the party a large portion of the dega, which is thought to possess great medical virtues. Among the Negroes, every individual, besides his own proper name, has likewise a kontong, or surname, to denote the family or clan to which he belongs. Some of these families are very numerous and powerful. It is impossible to enumerate the various kentongs which are found in different parts of the country; though the knowledge of many of them is of great service to the traveller; for as every Negro plumes himself upon the importance or the antiquity of his clan, he is much flattered when he is addressed by his kontong. Salutations among the Negroes to each other, when they meet, are always observed; but those in most general use, among the Kafirs, are, Abbe hacretto-Ening seni-Anawari, &c. all of which have nearly the same meaning, and sig ́nify, are you well, or to that effect. There are likewise salutations which are used at different times of the day, as Ening somo, good morning, &c. The general answer to all salutations, is to repeat the kontong of the person who salutes, or else to repeat the salutation itself, first pronouncing the word marhaba, my friend. CHAPTER XXI. Account of the Mandingoes continued. Their notions con- cerning the planetary bodies and the figure of the earth. Religious opinions. Diseases and their methods of treatFuneral ceremonies. Amusements, occupations, arts, manufactures, &c. ment. THE Mandingoes, and I believe the Negroes in general, have no artificial method of dividing time. They calculate the years by the number of rainy seasons. They portion the year into moons, and reckon the days by so many suns. The day they divide into morning, mid-day, and evening; and further subdivide it, when necessary, by pointing to the sun's place in the Heavens. frequently inquired of some of them, what became of the sun during the night, and whe ther we should see the same sun, or a different one, in the morning; but I found that they considered the question as very childish. The subject appeared to them as placed be yond the reach of human investigation; they had never indulged a conjecture, nor formed any hypothesis about the matter. The moon, by varying her form, has more attracted their attention: On the first appearance of the new moon, which they look upon to be newly created, the Pagan natives, as well as Mahomedans, say a short prayer; and this seems to be the only visible adoration which the Kafirs offer up to the Supreme Being. This prayer is pronounced in a whisper, the party holding up his hands before his face; its purport, as I have been assured by many different people, is to return thanks to God for his kindness through the exist ence of the past moon, and to solicit a continuance of his favour during that of the new one. At the conclusion they spit upon their hands, and rub them over their faces. This seems to be nearly the same ceremony, which prevailed among the Heathens in the days of Job.* Great attention, however, is paid to the changes of this luminary, in its monthly course, and it is thought very unlucky to begin a journey, or any other work of consequence, in the last quarter. An eclipse, whether of the sun or moon * Chapter xxxi, verse 26, 27, 28, is supposed to be effected by witchcraft. The stars are very little regarded, and the whole study of astronomy ap pears to them as a useless pursuit, and attended to by such persons only as deal in magic. Their notions of geography are equally puerile. They imagine that the world is an extended plain, the termination of which no eye has discovered, it being, they say, overhung with clouds and darkness. They describe the sea as a large river of salt water, on the farther shore of which, is situated a country called Tobaubo doo, "the land of the white people." At a distance from Tobaubo doo, they describe another country, which they alledge is inhabited by cannibals of gigantic size called Koomi. This country they call Jong sang doo, "the land where the slaves are sold." But of all countries in the world, their own appears to them as the best, their own people as the happiest, and they pity the fate of other nations, who have been placed by Providence in less fertile, and less fortunate districts. Some of the religious opinions of the Negroes, though blended with the weakest credulity and superstition, are not unworthy attention. I have conversed with all ranks and conditions upon the subject of their faith, and can pronounce, without the smallest shadow of doubt, that the belief of one God, and of a future state of reward and punishment, is entire and universal among them. It is remarkable however, that, except on the appearance of a new moon, as before related, the Pagan natives do not think it necessary, to offer up prayers and supplications to the Almighty. They represent the Deity, indeed, as the creator and preserver of all things; but in general, they consider him as a Being so remote, and of so exalted a nature, that it is idle to imagine, the feeble supplications of wretched mortals can reverse the decrees, and change the purposes of unerring Wisdom. If they are asked, for what reason then do they offer up a prayer on the appearance of the new moon, the answer is, that custom has made it necessary; they do it, because their fathers did so before them. Such is the blindness of unassisted nature! The concerns of this world, they believe, are committed by the Almighty to the superintendance and direction of subordinate spirits, over whom they suppose that certain magical ceremonies have great influence A white fowl suspended to the branch of a particu→ lar tree; a snake's head, or a few handfuls of fruit, are of |