47^ 
A DINNER-PARTY. 
style, yet we had neither knives nor forks, but all ate with 
our fingers. I found that the bread was very good, and cer- 
tainly I never expected to make such a meal that day. We 
all helped ourselves from the dish with our hands, but with 
a certain degree of politeness. The conversation, which was 
exceedingly lively, was all at the expense of the poor chris- 
tians. I was again asked whether I had eaten pork and 
drunk spirits. I made them the same reply as before, at 
which they burst into laughter, and began to ridicule the 
Europeans. 
Our repast being ended, tea was introduced. The 
sherif, on this occasion, seemed to make his very best display. 
He was evidently anxious to let his negro guest see his 
superiority. We were attended by a young and handsome 
female slave. A box was brought in containing a porcelain 
tea service, which the sherif himself arranged on a plate of 
copper, which served the purpose of a tea-board. The cups, 
which were very small, were placed within others of a larger 
size, which had feet hke egg-cups. We each took four of 
these cups of tea, with w^hite sugar ; and, after dinner, 
of which the sherif did the honours admirably well, we 
took a walk on the banks of the river. We sat down for a 
few minutes to see the canoes pass by, and, afterwards, we 
ail said the evening prayer together, it being too late to go 
to the mosque. We then each returned to our homes. I found 
a great difference between the Moors of Jenne and the 
Brakna Moors, among whom 1 had lived eight months. 
On the 1 8th of March, the new moon was saluted with 
several discharges of musketry, and, on the 19th, com- 
menced the feast of the Ramadan. The Haggi- Mohammed 
asked me whether I meant to fast during the Ramadan. 
My interest was so much concerned in submitting to it, that 
I dared not venture to refuse ; and, indeed, the fast was by 
no means so great a hardship to me now, as it had been in 
