SACRED STONE ATN'PAL. 
25 
with the indigo which the country supplies almost without 
culture ; and the cleverest of them traffic in the productions 
of the soil^ which they procure in exchange for the glass beads, 
amber, and coral, purchased at St. Louis, whither they repair 
to sell the corn and cloths, by which they make a great 
profit. 
Though better than the other negroes, their neighbours, 
they are not exempt from superstition : the scarcity of stones 
in the neighbourhood has given rise to a fable which, being 
generally believed, may long contribute to the security of the 
country. There is one, about a quarter of a mile E. J S. E. 
from the village. The absurd stories which I heard con- 
cerning this stone made me desirous to see it. It is by the 
road side, about eighteen inches in length and eight broad, 
the top of it projecting about four inches above the surface of 
the ground : in colour it is ferruginous and it has a volcanic 
appearance : I would have broken off a piece, but the negro 
who accompanied me prevented it. According to an ancient 
custom, all the inhabitants, when they pass this stone, draw 
a thread from their pagne, which they throw upon it, as a 
sort of offering which they make to it. 
The marabouts assert and firmly believe, that when the 
village is threatened with any danger, for instance, pillage, 
this stone moves thrice round it in the preceding night, by 
way of warning; and all the warriors arm themselves in 
consequence. The two following tales are related by them in 
proof of the virtue of their stone. The Moors, joined by the 
people of Walo, advanced to the vicinity of N'pal with the 
intention of plundering the place. This was in the dry sea- 
son. The stone, after making the circuit of the village in the 
night, caused it to rain so vehemently, and blue flames to 
issue from the ground in such great quantity, that the Moors, 
struck with terror, betook themselves to flight : the inhabi- 
tants pursued and made a dreadful slaughter among them, 
and took prisoners a great number of Walo blacks, who were 
sold as slaves and carried to, the colonies. 
