July io, 1890] 



NATURE 



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so conspicuous a part in the trade of the river. The Mandingo 

 language is rich and musical, and susceptible of more variety of 

 expression than the Jolof tongue, which, next after the Man- 

 dingo, is, perhaps, the most prevalent language. The latter 

 adopt the decuple system of numeration, whereas the former 

 only possess a quinquennial period. The Mandingoes, as a rule, 

 are Mohammedans, though many are " Soninkees " ; and in all 

 their faith is permeated more or less with Fetishism. The term 

 Soninkee is applied by Mohammedans to all people, irrespective 

 of race, who drink spirits. Physically, they are in general a 

 spare, athletic race, of medium height, often with aquiline 

 features, but in contour always distinct from the typical Negro. 

 In colour, they are not so dark as the Jolofs, but their hair is 

 woolly. The laws in Mandingo towns are administered by 

 " Alcalis," or Sumas, both terms having the same signification. 

 The only difference is that the former is a kind of Prime Minis- 

 ter in a Mohammedan town, while the latter holds a similar 

 office in a Soninkee town. Murder and adultery are punished 

 by death. The sentence in the former case is carried out by 

 killing in the same manner as the murder was committed, and in 

 the latter the adulterer is usually killed with cutlasses. The 

 adulteress suffers only whipping, and is cast out by her husband. 

 Theft is punished by whipping, an instrument something similar 

 to the " cat " being used for the purpose. Slanderand disrespect 

 to parents or the aged are punished by fine, which goes to the 

 Alcali and headman of the town. Immorality as distinguished 

 from adultery is almost unknown ; but if practised and discovered 

 would meet with the death penalty as in adultery. The Man- 

 dingoes still keep up a connection with their original country, and 

 recognize a supreme authority in the ancient Mandingo kingdom, 

 though the recognition is more sentimental than real, the distance 

 being too great for any effective authority to be exercised. 



Sereres. — This race occupies the neighbourhood of Joal, 

 Seine, and Baol, to the north of the Gambia, and outside British 

 jurisdiction. They are a distinct people, with a language having 

 no affinity either to the Mandingo or Jolof. They are an inde- 

 pendent and comparatively industrious race, cultivating lartjely 

 both corn and rice ; they also rear numerous cattle. They 

 seldom buy cotton goods, and have no craving for luxuries of 

 any description. Their wardrobe never consists of more than 

 iviopagns or country cloths. During the dry season many Serere 

 youths come to Bathurst to work as labourers for about three 

 months, their ambition being satisfied when they have earned 

 sufficient to buy a trade musket, a knife, a wooden box, and a 

 few minor articles, such as iron bars, iron pots, raw cotton, &c. 

 Others at times come in with small canoes, and cut firewood for 

 the Bathurst market, and also do a little fishing. In religion 

 the Sereres are infidels, and, except in a few instances, have 

 hitherto resisted all attempts to convert them to Islamism. 

 They recognize a Supreme Being, but he is only invoked in 

 case of hostile invasion, a fashion which has doubtless been bor- 

 rowed from the Mohammedans. The king of Seine, who is the 

 ruler of the Serere nation, keeps one Marabout attached to his 

 person for the express purpose, but his services are never put 

 into requisition on any other occasion. Physically they are a 

 fine, well-grown race, with not unpleasant features, their com- 

 plexion as a rule being of a deep black. As with the Mandin- 

 goes, murder and adultery are punished with death ; shooting or 

 decapitation, according to the decree of the king, being the 

 means adopted. Immorality is treated in a more lenient fashion, 

 and resolves itself into a question of money. It is stated by persons 

 who know the customs of both tribes well that the Mandingoes 

 and Sereres frequently condone the offence of adultery if the 

 male culprit is rich enough to satisfy the outraged honour of the 

 husband, and moreover from the necessity of extreme caution 

 that the wives resort to variou=i cunning devices in order to 

 deceive their husbands. The virtue of these communities is 

 therefore more apparent than real. Each Serere man is per- 

 mitted by custom to have ten wives, but indulgence in a greater 

 number is regarded as a pardonable folly. Theft is punished in 

 a very drastic manner. The thief has the whole of his goods 

 confiscated and handed over to the victim of the robbery. The 

 primitive quinquennial period in reckoning is adopted by the 

 Sereres, as is the case with the Jolofs. 



Nominkas. — This race occupies the region known as the 

 kingdom of Nuomi or Barra. Formerly Barra was the most 

 important of all the kingdoms of the Gambia, owing to the 

 number and strength of the war canoes controlled by the king. 

 The present Nominkas appear to be divided into two sections, 

 named respectively the Nomibartokas (meaning those living at 



the entrance of the river) and the Nomibantokas (meaning those- 

 living more within the river). The former occupy the region 

 between Jonwar and Jinneck, and the latter live between the 

 towns of Essow and Jooroonko. The Nominkas are all Man- 

 dingoes, but the Nomibartokas live so near to the Sereres that 

 they speak this language in addition to their own. The 

 Nominkas communicate with Bathurst by means of large canoes, 

 which some of them are very clever at making. These canoes 

 will sometimes carry as much as three tons of ground nuts, of 

 which they cultivate large quantities. In religion most of the 

 Nominkas are now Mohammedans, though originally they were 

 Soninkees. Their laws are similar to the Mandingoes, from 

 whom they sprang. 



Jolas. — The history of this primitive and extraordinary race is 

 involved in much obscurity. No idea appears to exist among 

 themselves in regard to their origin, and even tradition is silent 

 except as to recent events in the chronicles of their country. 

 Even under favourable circumstances, Jola intelligence is of such 

 a low standard that it is not easy to acquire much reliable 

 ethnological information from them. So far as it is possible to 

 learn from the people themselves, the Jolas, or Fellups, have 

 always occupied a region having for its eastern boundary Vintang 

 Creek, following the course of that tributary, and extending as 

 far south as the head waters of Cazamance, continuing along the 

 north bank of that river to its mouth, and from thence extending 

 to the limits of foreign Combo. The Banyans, Papels, Balantes, 

 and Biafares, sometimes called Jolas, appear to be allied races. 

 Durand, a former Governor of the Isle of St. Louis, in his voyage 

 to Senegal, published in l8o5, gives some interesting details of 

 these people, and the extensive Portuguese establishments which 

 then existed at various stations in Vintang Creek and the 

 Cazamance. He remarks that both banks of the latter river 

 "are inhabited by savage and cruel Fellups, who will not hold 

 any communication with the whites, and are always at war with 

 their neighbours." Those, however, who resided in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Gambia, appear to have shown different 

 characteristics, for in writing of the town of Bintan (Vintang), 

 the same author says : — "The negro inhabitants of this part are 

 Felups, they speak a language peculiar to themselves, and are 

 idolaters. . . . Those of Bintan, or its environs, who are 

 occupied in commerce, are gentle, frank, and civilized ; they 

 like strangers, are always ready to render them service, and are 

 candid and honest in their commercial dealings." Vintang 

 Creek, once an important trading district, producing large 

 quantities of wax, hides, and ivory, is now all but abandoned, 

 and the people content themselves with the cultivation of 

 sufficient rice and corn to supply the bare necessaries of life. 

 They are decidedly an industrious race, and numbers of them 

 come to Bathurst to obtain work as labourers, especially during 

 the trade season. Vessels are laden almost entirely by Jola 

 women, and the merchants would find it difficult to get on 

 without them. Physically they are not an attractive-looking 

 race, and both sexes wear little or no clothing. In their own 

 country there is practically no government and no law ; every 

 man does as he chooses, and the most successful thief is con- 

 sidered the greatest man. There is no recognized punishment 

 for murder or any other crime. Individual settlement is the only 

 remedy, and the fittest is the survivor. Unlike the rule amongst 

 most African races, there is absolutely no formality in regard to 

 marriage, or what passes for marriage, amongst them. Natural 

 selection is observed on both sides, and the pair, after having 

 ascertained a reciprocity of sentiment, at once cohabit. No 

 presents are made by the bridegroom, and the consent of parents 

 is entirely ignored. They do not intermarry with any other 

 race. There appear to be three distinct languages spoken by 

 the Jolas, having no affinity to those of the contiguous tribes, and 

 but little resemblance to each other. The vocabulary appears to 

 be poor, as might be expected in the case of a people with so 

 few wants. The Jolas do not count beyond ten, and distinct 

 terms are used only up to five, as in all the tribes noticed, except 

 the Mandingoes. Beyond ten the counting becomes pantomiaiic, 

 the people using both hands and feet to represent higher numbers. 

 Pieces of stick are also employed for the same purpose. The 

 Jolas, whether from persecution, or for some other reason, have 

 always been an isolated race, and have shunned contact with 

 their neighbours. In spite of the proselytizing nature of the 

 powerful Mandingoes, they have utterly failed to introduce 

 Mohammedanism, and the Portuguese appear to have been 

 equally unsuccessful in establishing the Roman Catholic 

 religion. 



NO. 1080, VOL. 42] 



