MAHOMETAN NOTIONS. 
81 
christians, so contrary to religion ; and why they ill-treated 
and made slaves of those who ventured amongst them for com- 
mercial objects, without having committed any offence. " I 
cannot believe/' added I, " that a good and merciful God 
approves of such conduct. If you want to convert the 
christians, it can only be effected by intercourse with them, 
and by excelling them in justice and kindness — not by 
ill-treating them. For my part, I am a Musulman, but 
1 shall never approve of doing ill to those who have done us 
no harm." The marabout allowed the truth of what I ad- 
vanced; but he said it was unbearable, that when a Mu- 
sulman spoke to a christian about the prophet, the christian 
should laugh in his face 3 that none but an infidel would 
do so; and that it would be a good action to kill him, 
that they might both go to heaven. 1 wished to enter into 
some particulars respecting Christianity ; but I durst not 
let my zeal run away with me, and I contented myself with 
telling him that the christians adored the same God as the 
Musulmans. " Yes," said he, " I know that ; but they 
never pray ; they drink wine and spirituous liquors, which 
is displeasing to G od ; and the religion of Mahomet, which 
alone is agreeable to him, condemns to everlasting fire those 
who do not adopt it." He asked me afterwards if I meant 
to make a journey to Mecca ; to which I replied that it 
was the duty of every good Musulman, and that I hoped to 
discharge it. He took me by the hand, and answered ; 
" That is right, Abdallahi, you love God and the prophet." 
Boubou - Fanfale served as interpreter in this con- 
versation. 
The same day, a young Moor invited me to accompany 
him into the woods, where I was to meet a number of other 
young men from the same camp. When we came to a very 
thick part of the wood, he sat down, and a moment after a 
slave brought a sheep ; he then picked up wood, and lighted 
a fire, after having made a hole in the ground, in the form 
VOL. I. G 
