ISLAMISM AND PAGANISM. 
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prayers. He was surrounded by the people who 
came with him from Zinder and Bornou, and the 
inhabitants of Dairmu. He prayed, but prayed 
alone, none following his example ! It is quite clear 
that all the black population hereabouts are only 
nominal Muslims, and remain in heart pure Hazna, 
or pagans. Those who do pray, pray very little 
indeed ; there is no sensual charm or allurement in 
Mahommedanism for the African mind, whilst its 
fasts and commands of abstinence from strong drinks 
deter thousands from embracing the religion of the 
false Prophet. It cannot allure the African by poly- 
gamy, because the African has as many women as 
he pleases by the permission of his native supersti- 
tion. Islamism, therefore, takes no hold of the 
native African mind. There are a few Tuaricks 
scattered amongst all this population, but living 
generally out of the villages by themselves; they 
are all subjects of the Sheikh, and have escaped the 
desert to lead an easier life in Soudan. It is strange 
that some of the Tuarick women are enormously 
corpulent, whilst a corpulent woman is not found 
amongst the blacks. I must add, that the morality 
of these black villages seems of a much higher and 
purer kind than that of the Tuarick villages of 
Asben. Here they do not look upon woman, as in 
Asben, simply in the light of an instrument of 
pleasure : but I fear this will soon change. What 
morality, indeed, can there be without higher and 
more binding motives? 
