164 CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES. 



evidently greater among them ; though it is still 

 sufficiently precarious to prevent the inhabitants 

 from living in isolated situations, nor will any of 

 them venture upon the river after sunset in small 

 canoes. Agriculture is extensively followed, and 

 Indian corn and other grain are raised with little 

 labour and less skill on the part of the cultivators. 

 Tobacco is grown sparingly, and when dried and 

 made up for sale, costs one hundred cowries, or 

 one penny per pound. It has a mild, pleasant 

 flavour, and is made up in rolls in the Turkish 

 fashion. The natives are greatly addicted to 

 smoking, and use the long reed pipe common in 

 the Levant. The bowls of these pipes are neatly 

 manufactured of clay : a few copper pipes are 

 met with, that are brought from Fundah and 

 other towns on the Shary. 



Beer or sweetwort is manufactured in large 

 quantities from Indian corn and other grain, 

 and markets for the exclusive sale of it are 

 held periodically.* That made from dhoura is 

 a pleasant, agreeable drink, but apt to produce 

 diarrhoea. — Yams, calavances, &c. are plenti- 



* The stillness of the night was frequently broken by the 

 passing of canoes full of bons vivants returning from these 

 markets. 



