158 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



substitutes for glass bottles, or earthen mugs. The women 

 too approach nearer to a state of nudity ; their sole clothing 

 being a narrow apron (the breadth of the hand and 18 

 inches long) before and behind, so that the hips on each 

 side are uncovered. From every town near to which we passed 

 they flocked out to look at the white men, (moudele) and 

 without an}' marks of timidity came and shook hands with 

 us. To the best looking and the best drest I distributed some 

 beads. The price paid here, by a native, for a wife of the 

 first class, the Chenoo's daughter for instance, is four pieces 

 of baft, one piece of guinea, and a certain quantity of palm 

 wine. We in no instance since we left Embomma found 

 the men allant en avant in their offer of their women ; but 

 this our Bomma men told us was from their little intercourse 

 with Europeans, for that any of them would think himself 

 honoured by surrendering his wife or daughter to a white 

 man. 



The population seems to be extremely thin, and (leaving 

 out the insignificant number of fishermen who remain on the 

 rocks at the river side) is collected into banzas and gentle- 

 mens' towns ; the largest of the former (Cooloo) does not 

 contain above 300 souls, of whom two-thirds are women and 

 children. The extent of fertile land is, however, capable, 

 with very moderate industry, of supporting a great increase 



