TRANSLATIONS, &c. 269 



and they increase the perplexity by the absence of the sign " teschdid.'' 

 In the word " raa," water, they insert the " hamza," but do not seem 

 aware of its import : the " gesma" occurs frequently. All these 

 difficulties, however, are easily combatted by a thorough knowledge of 

 the language in its most perfect state, and I should recommend Lokman's 

 fables as an excellent preparatory book. The simplicity, the style of 

 narration, the personification, and dialogues, all struck me as strongly 

 resembling Dongo Kary's histories, which were not composed by 

 himself, but have been delivered from father to son, through a long 

 succession of Marrabouts. There are doubtless several idioms which 

 have crept in from the Mediterranean, but which are chiefly confined to 

 words rather than construction, and are therefore easily detected. We 

 were in some measure prepared for them, by having collected a number 

 of manuscript phrases used in the Levant, and on the Northern Coast of 

 Africa, but we found them to be much more rare than we expected. 



The astonishment expressed by the Marrabout at seeing me write, not 

 only my own language, but his also, was very entertaining; as the know- 

 ledge of the Moorish females is confined to the repetition of the hymn and 

 common prayer; and when I explained the "hamza" to him, he exclaimed, 

 as on every other wonderful occasion, " white man and woman do every 

 thing; your couiitry pass ours." 



It will be seen by the translations, that the religious traditions of 

 African Moors are confused and imperfect. Glimpses of the truth are 

 mingled with their own romantic notions, and so long as they ascribe 

 the highest honours to Mohammed, they care little for consistence of 

 circumstance, or connexion of events. The expressions used by our 

 Marrabout were frequently so ludicrous, that we could not avoid smiling, 

 or even laughing, and the seriousness with which he uttered them, added 

 to the effect caused by his having lost an eye, and by his enormous bush 

 of woolly hair, which stuck out from his head in every direction. He 

 would frequently argue with us on the respective merits of our religions, 

 and I was surprised by his correct acquaintance with the christian tenets, 

 and his high opinion of their charitable tendency. He invariably con- 

 fessed the divinity of our Saviour, as a prophet, and placed him in rank 

 next to Mahomet. 



