MANNERS OF THE MANDINGOES. 
347 
about their garments abundance of amulets, orgrigris, covered 
with scarlet. The inhabitants of this part of Soudan are not 
hospitable. The merchants are, therefore, obliged to pur- 
chase their provisions, and to pay for their lodgings, besides 
discharging the transit-duty, levied in each village. A con- 
siderable part of their profit is consequently expended in each 
journey. They carry bov^^^s and arrows, for fire-arms are not 
common in that country. They never travel without a small 
pot of vegetable butter, which they carry at their girdle, and 
every evening, after washing with warm water, they grease 
the head, face, and part of the body. They are so accus- 
tomed to anointing themselves in this manner, that the jour- 
ney would be quite uncomfortable if they omitted to use the 
grease-pot. When they return from their journeys, they 
indulge in idleness and gormandizing, leaving agricultural 
labour to their slaves. They often go to the ouronde, where 
the slaves reside, to see if every thing be in good order, and 
to encourage them to work. They sometimes send them a 
good supper of foigne, which they make their wives prepare. 
The Mandingoes have usually two meals a-day ; they 
breakfast at eleven o'clock, take supper at seven in the even- 
ing ; in the morning they sometimes eat a little rice porridge, 
which they call baj/a. The poor have but one repast a-day, 
but the greater part of them visit their neighbours to partake 
of their meals. 
The negroes are extremely fond of social meetings. In 
the fine season, after evening prayer, they assemble with the 
whole neighbourhood, to take supper together. Each wife 
brings her husband's supper on her head. Some have tau, 
others yams and rice ; the sauce is usually separate, in a 
little plate called Mr it. These parties are always very merry. 
These worthy Musulmans vituperate those whom they call 
infidels, laugh heartily, and amuse themselves at the expense 
of absent friends. The women are not admitted to these 
meetings ; they eat in their huts with their children, but 
