MUSIC AND DANCING. 
369 
Though there is abundance of poultry at Cacoron^ yet 
the negroes eat it only on holidays. I wanted to buy some, 
but could find nobody inclined to sell any. An old Bam- 
bara made me a present of some pistachios and a yam. I 
found the people here more hospitable than they had been 
represented to me. I am convinced that a European, travel- 
ling in a plain, unostentatious style, would experience no an- 
noyance, that is, if he were not imprudent enough to display 
any valuable goods ; in this case, he would run the risk of 
being robbed ; but 1 am far from believing that these kind- 
hearted and simple people would be guilty of any cruelty to- 
wards a traveller. 
The neighbourhood of Cacoron is covered with ces and 
nedes. The inhabitants make a great quantity of butter, 
which they sell to strangers. I scarcely ever saw so gay a 
people as the Bambaras. At sunset they assemble under the 
great bombaces, at the entrance of the village, and dance all 
night to music which is not unpleasant. Attracted by this 
music, 1 stopped to observe their gambols, and was highly 
entertained. I was with a young Mandingo belonging to our 
caravan, who was particularly attentive to me. Men and 
women mingled together formed a large circle round a fire, 
jumping and keeping time to a band of music, consisting of 
three great drums and several hautboys. The musicians 
were dressed like those of Time, having white cotton mantles, /7 
and ostrich-features on their heads. The dancers kept time 
with the music by a careless kind of motion of their arms and 
heads. The women had pieces of cotton cloth, which they 
held at both ends and waved in the air. The only figure of 
the dance consisted in going round the fire. The musicians 
kept themselves a little aloof, while the dancers, following 
each other in a file, went round the fire, leaping and shaking 
their legs about. I was much amused with this dance, in 
which there was nothing indecent, but I could not stay to 
VOL. I. 2 b 
