340 
REJOICINGS. 
gether with some meat and salt. The neighbours were in- 
vited to partake of the entertainment. They were about 
fifteen or twenty in number, but that did not prevent them 
from sending a small portion of the feast to such of their 
relations as could not attend. The old negress regularly 
brought me my little portion, and as I was soon to leave the 
place, she paid me increased attention. 
Our departure was fixed for the 9th of the month. The 
interval, during which Baba's young brother, Karamo-osla, 
stayed at Time, was spent in rejoicings. Five or six meals were 
eaten in the course of the day ; for, besides the food sent by 
friends and relations, the family took their dinner and supper 
as usual ; indeed, I have frequently seen them rise in the 
night to eat. I visited the old chief, to acquaint him with 
my intended departure, of which, however, he had already 
been informed. He made me sit down beside him in his 
hut, and gave me some colat-nuts. He also begged me to 
accept some yams, which he ordered his slaves to carry 
home for me. He said, that since I was going away, and he 
should probably never see me again, he would request me, 
before I went, to write for him a charm against bad eyes. 
After satisfying him, I went with Baba to see a field of yams 
of his own cultivating. He had several free Bambaras at 
work for him. They throw up the earth into little ridges, as 
I have before mentioned, without taking the trouble to re- 
move the young trees, which, when the yams take root, 
serve as sticks for them to climb up. We seated ourselves 
near a large heap of yams, which Baba had purchased with 
salt from the Bambaras, his neighbours, and which he in- 
tended to plant in his field. While a party of the labourers 
were engaged in selecting those which would be best for 
planting, some of the yams were cooked, and we ate them 
for dinner. When the proprietors visit their lands, they 
have no other food than yams, and the slaves always take 
care to steal a few and to conceal them under ground, that 
