226 DISCOVERIES OF THE ENGLISH* 
on in slaves, salt, and gold. Here, a principal 
Marabout dying, they had an opportunity of wit- 
nessing the ceremonies performed at his funeral. 
" He was laid in a house, where a grave was dig- 
" ged, and a great pot of water set in the room ; 
" and, after the Irish manner, much crying (ra- 
" ther than mourning) being made, he was laid in- 
" to the ground ; the women running about in a 
" lunatic fashion with their arms spread, made a 
u terrible spectacle of sorrow. Neere the grave, 
" the people sitting down in a ring, a Marybuck 
" came forth in the midst, who, betwixt saying 
" and singing, seemed to rehearse certain verses 
" in praise of the deceased, the people interjecting 
" their applauses, and running in to gratify their 
" Vates (prophet or poet) with a present. Thus, 
" one after another, every Marybuck had his 
(i speech. Singing, howling, and crying, is. used 
" many days about the grave. They lay all sweet 
" smells they can get into the ground with him, 
" and took it kindly that I bestowed some." 
Much gold is buried with them for their use in an- 
other world. The Mahometans here seem to ad- 
here, most religiously, to that precept of their reli- 
gion, which prohibits the use of strong liquors. 
One of them was nearly drowned in a whirlpool, 
and taken out in a state apparently of total insen- 
sibility ; yet, on brandy being applied as a restor- 
ative, he shut his mouth fast against its entrance, 
4 
