May.] 
MAROOTZEE BEER. 
243 
countries which they have visited. They take 
notice of nothing but beads and cattle. 
The Marootzee is the seventh nation beyond 
the colony I had visited, and I w^as never once 
asked a single question respecting the people or 
country whence I came. Beads and cattle are 
the only subjects which engross their attention. 
Selfishness is the predominant vice of savage life 
in every country. 
Being invited by Sinosee to come and taste his 
beer, we went about mid-day. It was made from 
ground corn, looked like dark- coloured milk, and 
was as thick as common gruel. Its flavour was 
something like that of English beer about an hour 
after it is brewed. What I tasted had been 
made that morning. They placed before Sinosee 
a large clay vessel, in form of a goblet without the 
handle, which held two or three gallons, filled to 
the brim. Sinosee first dipped a small calabash 
into it, and tasted it, to show it contained no 
poison. He then handed round the calabash to us 
and to many who had followed us into his yard. 
Therie might be one hundred and fifty spectators, 
I presented a few articles I had brought with me 
to this venerable and friendly chief, who said they 
were " pretty, pretty, pretty." He promised to 
make us a present of a large elephant's tooth, but 
he forgot to perform his promise. 
R 2 
