326 W. F. Baniell, Esq., on the Natives of Old Callehar. 



the different culinary herbs ; goats, sheep, fowls, muscovy 

 ducks, fresh and smoked fish, dried eggs, wild boars' and ante- 

 lopes' flesh, with, occasionally, that of the young elephant, 

 dried shrimps, shell-fish of various kinds, palm-wine, rum, fire- 

 wood, salt, intermingled with a galaxy of European articles, 

 such as silks, chintzes, ramals, muskets, swords, iron and 

 earthenware of various descriptions ; to w^hich might be added 

 a modest assortment of country merchandize, comprising gras» 

 cloths and mats, shot-pouches, wooden fans, carved and plain 

 calabashes, straw-hats, war dirks and habiliments, &c. No 

 slave-market appears to be held in this river ; for, in fact, the 

 export slave-market is wholly extinct, a more legitimate and 

 just commerce having, within the last 10 years, completely 

 superseded it. 



The week here is divided into eight days, each deriving its 

 name from the peculiar Egbo rites performed thereon, or from 

 particular markets which occur on those days. They are 

 termed — 



Yampe-day, . » Little Yampe-day. 



Callebar Sunday, . Little Callebar Sunday. 



Egbo-day, . . Little Egbo-day. 



Qua market-day, . Little Qua market-day. 



Callebar Sunday is the principal day of the week, and cor- 

 responds with our Sabbath, but with this exception, that it 

 is not kept sacred ; for although the natives possess some 

 crude ideas of Christianity, derived from Europeans who fre- 

 quent the river, they are, in every other respect, thorough 

 Pagans. Every chief has, in imitation of the king, his only 

 particular Sunday or holiday once in the week, and as Calle- 

 bar Sunday is the day devoted to the festive orgies of the 

 king, they, in general, dine with him, and the white visitors 

 on that day. In the celebration of these holidays, feasting 

 appears to be their principal amusement. In this the chiefs 

 and their retainers are by no means bad proficients, and what 

 with palm- wine and other intoxicating drinks they generally 

 manage to spend the day much to their own satisfaction. If 

 the chief is a person of consequence, he usually invites th« 

 masters and medical officers of the trading ships in the river, 

 and they mostly spend with him an agreeable day. The 



