INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 317 
read through the Koran, and performed a certain niunber of 
pubhc prayers, a feast is prepared by the schoolmaster, and the 
scholar undergoes an examination, or (in European terms,) 
takes out his degree. I attended at three diiFerent inaugurations 
of this sort, and heard with pleasure, the distinct and intelli- 
gent answers which the scholars frequently gave to the Bush- 
reens, who assembled on those occasions, and acted as examiners. 
When the Bushreens had satisfied themselves respecting the 
learning and abilities of the scholar, the last page of the Koran 
was put into his hand, and he was desired to read it aloud : after 
the boy had finished this lesson, he pressed the paper against his 
forehead, and pronounced the word Amen; upon which all the 
Bushreens rose, and shaking him cordially by the hand, bestowed 
upon him the title of Bushreen. 
When a scholar has undergone this examination, his parents 
are informed that he has completed his education, and that it 
is incumbent on them to redeem their son, by giving to the 
schoolmaster a slave, or the price of a slave, in exchange; which 
is always done, if the parents can afford to do it ; if not, the 
boy remains the domestic slave of the schoolmaster until he 
can, by his own industry, collect goods sufficient to ransome 
himself. 
About a week after the departure of Karfa, three Moors ar- 
rived at Kamalia with a considerable quantity of salt, and other 
merchandize, which they had obtained on credit, from a mer- 
chant of Fezzan, who had lately arrived at Kancaba. Their en- 
gagement was to pay him his price when the goods were sold, 
which they expected would be in the course of a month. Being 
