342 
FUNERAL CEREMONY. 
had been brought in honour of the deceased, were to be 
buried with her ; for the Bambaras observe this superstitious 
custom. The Mandingoes told me that it did not prevail 
among them, and that the presents would be appropriated to 
the celebration of the dpgu^-sousou, at which I was present, 
and which I will describe as I saw it. 
The son of the deceased bought a lean kid, for the en- 
tertainment of part of the guests, especially the musicians. 
Early on the morning of the day appointed for the festival, 
he called with Baba at my hut, where I was sitting by the 
fire, for the morning was cooL They both sat down by me, 
and the young man begged me to sell him some gunpowder to 
celebrate his mother's funeral. He told me he would pay me 
in cowries,* which were beginning to be current at Tangrera, 
and without which, 1 could not purchase food. I had about 
a flask of powder, which I had carefully preserved, thinking 
that it would be useful to me at Jenne. However, I gave 
him as much of it as was worth a thousand cowries 5 for I 
thought that by refusing I might render myself disliked. I 
had some difficulty in striking the bargain. They sent 
about every where in quest of horns for measuring the powder, 
and they could not get any large enough. To satisfy them, 
I must have given them all my stock. The 8th of January 
was the r)ay fixed for the ceremony, which took place near 
the humble habitation of the deceased, beneath the shade of 
large bombaces, to all appearance coeval with the soil in 
which they grew. The band of music consisted of four large 
drums, as many pair of cymbals, and six hautboys, like those 
of Wassoulo, which 1 have described. The musicians were 
all Bambaras, for the Koran prohibits the Musulmans from 
applying themselves to music. 
Four little boys, whose bodies were covered with leaves 
of trees, well arranged, and whose heads were adorned with 
plumes of ostrich- feathers, held in each hand a round 
* A small univalve shell, which passes for money. 
