184 
THE RAMADAN. 
Pandeya is situated at the foot of a mountain^ and contains 
from one hundred and fifty to two hundred inhabitants. 
They all came to see me, and each brought me a little pre- 
sent of milk. After we had reposed for a short time in the 
shade of some large nedes, and refreshed ourselves with the 
milk, for which we were indebted to the generosity of the 
Foulahs, my guide Ibrahim and his comrades proposed to 
buy a bullock, to celebrate the festival of the Ramadan, 
which happened on the following day. He asked me, 
through the medium of the young Foulah, who spoke 
English, whether I would pay my share of the price. This 
I declined doing, alleging that 1 had a long journey to per- 
form with very scanty resources ; and Ibrahim said no more 
on the subject. They purchased the bullock for four bars 
of tobacco ; about the value of two gourdes, the joint con- 
tribution of about twelve or fifteen of our party, including 
the travelling Foulahs. 
On the 28th of April, which was the grand festival day, 
we staid at Pandeya, and about eight in the morning the 
merchants all ranged themselves in a line to repeat the prayer. 
I took care to be among them and even affected greater de- 
votion than any of the rest. The prayer being ended, the 
bullock was killed. The Mandingoes spent nearly an hour 
in equalizing the lots of meat. They each took a little bit 
of wood to serve as a measure, and after mingling them all 
together, the lots were distributed. Some of the meat was 
dried and smoked, that it might keep for the journey ; but 
a considerable portion was immediately boiled with rice for 
the festival. 
I received numerous visits from Foulahs, who brought 
me their usual presents of milk and rice, which were all 
they had to give. The festival was celebrated with con- 
siderable gaiety. The Mandingoes, in particular, indulged in 
tumultuous manifestations of joy. They fired several dis- 
charges of musketry, and afterwards all the negroes assem- 
bled round my guide's hut and sang songs in his praise. He 
