

IMIEFACE 



This vocabulary, wliicli was compiled at Sekoiidi on the 

 Gold Coast, consists of a list of the names of as many 

 animals, plants, itc, as the author has been able to observe 

 personally or to obtain a description of. 



It does not profess to be a scientific Natural History 

 (luide either to the Mende country or to the locality where 

 it was compiled. It may, however, be found useful to those 

 who, without any zoological or botanical knowledge, wish to 

 know something of the Bush, and it can of course be used 

 in any pait of West Africa if the assistance of an intelligent 

 Mende can be obtained. 



The vocabulary is divided into sections for convenience of 

 reference, and alphabetical order has been set aside when 

 a grouping seemed likely to be more useful. Most of the 

 objects named have come under the author's personal ob- 

 servation ; but amongst the exceptions, which are from 

 description only, must be included, besides nearly all the 

 fish and the varieties of rice, many if not most of the larger 

 animals. To the author's great regret, the neighbourhood of 

 Sekondi is deficient in the larger fauna. 



Where "(Sch.)" appears against a name it means that the 

 word appears in Schoen's Vocahulary of the Mende Language, 

 1884, but no confirmation has been forthcoming. 



The Mendes' own country is in the colony of Sierra Leone; 

 but they are to be found scattered throughout tlie whole 

 length of the coast-line of West Africa, working chieflv as 

 labourers or carriers, from as far as Dakar on the north to 

 Benguela on the south. In tlie f!oId Coast at tlie present 

 time they possibly number about 1500, and their recognition 

 of plants there at least bears witness to the range of those 

 plants over the intei-vening territory. 



The Mendes, not being a seaboard people, have not yet 



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