360 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



nine feet three inches, and girt across the shoulders three- 

 feet seven inches. 



Food, Lodging, Utensils and Clothing. — Tiie sta- 

 ple articles of subsistence, at least in the dry season, appear 

 to be manioc, ground-nuts, and palm wine ; lo Avhich may 

 probably be added Indian corn and yams, the latter of 

 which are stated to be remarkably fine ; and of Indian corn 

 they have regularly two crops in the year. Animal food is 

 not in general use, though sold in the daily market held at 

 Embomma, Avhich is at a village distinct from the banza, 

 or residence of the Chenoo, and at which from a hundred 

 to three hundred persons ai'e said to assemble ; in this 

 market, the party observed a supply of goats, fowls, eggs, 

 besides vegetables, fish, and salt. It must be recollected, 

 however, that this place is the grand mart for conducting 

 the slave trade of the Zaire, and these supplies may be 

 chiefly intended for the crews of the European ships. 



The negroes of Congo are exceedingly foul feeders^ 

 and particularly filthy in their preparation and their eating 

 of animal food ; they broil fowls with the feathers on, and 

 pieces of goat Avithout being at the trouble of removing the 

 skin, or even the hair ; and the}'' devour them when scarcely 

 warmed, tearing the flesh in pieces with their teeth in the 

 most disgusting manner. Mr. Fitzmaurice relates that one 

 da}' , as their butcher had taken off the skin of a sheep, the 

 Mandingo slave purchased by Captain Tuckey, had slily 

 conveyed away the skin, Avhich, with the wool (or rather 

 the hair) he had thrown over a smokey fire, and when 



