ITINERANT MINSTRELS. 
391 
municate the good news to my guide, who loaded my bene- 
factors with blessings. I immediately spent a few of the cow- 
ries in purchasing a fowl for my supper, of which I invited 
my guide and his companions to partake. They however 
out of compliment declined doing so, but I made them ac- 
cept some portion of the fowl. We did not eat together, 
for I still bore marks of the scurvy: indeed that dreadful 
malady had entirely disfigured me. Karamo-osila had or- 
dered his women to serve up my victuals apart from the 
rest, and my guide, who was very attentive to me, often 
examined my allowance, and if he did not think it enough 
added some of his own to it. 
I observed round the village some very high ronniers and 
several palm-trees. In the evening about a hundred women 
assembled in the market-place. Their dress consisted merely 
of a pagne fastened round the waist; and on their heads 
they had small straw hats, which fell a little over the ears. 
Several of them had in their hands tambourines, made of a 
calabash covered with tanned sheep-skin, and ornamented 
with iron rings, which produced an agreeable sound. They 
sung wild airs, and danced together keeping time to their 
singing and flourishing their tambourines. In this manner, 
they danced several times round the place, and then went 
off singing. I walked along the streets, which are narrow 
and dirty; I saw several men parading about, beating large 
drums, and women with tambourines, suspended from their 
necks; to these tambourines were affixed small boards 
covered with bells and little bits of iron, which being shaken 
struck against the instrument, and produced a very pleasing 
sound. I concluded that all these musicians were what 
are called at the Senegal griotes, or wandering minstrels, 
who make it their business to sing songs in praise of any 
who will pay them ; those whom I saw at Bangoro were very 
modest, and did not, like their fraternity at the Senegal, 
teaze passengers for presents. 
