LUT. NEGRO TELEGRAPH. 
tlic îiorns, which are hung on the branches of the trees^ and 
left there till they drop by corruption or decay. They never un- 
dertake any important aifair without consulting these deities. i 
The isle of the Bi:?saux is divided into nine provinces, eight 
of which are governed by officers who are appointed by the king, 
find who themselves afterwards take this title in order to give 
t-hat of emperor to tlieir sovereign. This prince when he issues 
orders or makes known his will, uses a wooden instrument which 
is called bornbalcn, and which is much like a ship's trumpet, 
only longer and big»'er : by striking it outside with a mallet of 
hard wood, it produces a sound which is heard at a tolerable 
distance; aiîd men îx;ing stationed with similar instruments, at 
intervals repeat the number of strokes as fast as the sounds are 
conveyed to them, and thus transmit the orders of their sovereign; 
for every one knows what is meant by any number of strokes and 
the comparative force with which they are given. 
By means of tins instrument, which may be considered similar 
to our telegraph, the will of the prince is made known and 
promptly executed throughout the island; and those who refuse to 
obey the orders a'i hich they receive, are immediately made slaves. 
This political punishment serves to keep the subjects to their 
àwijj and to form a part of the revenues of the king, who sells 
the slaves for his own emolument. 
This prince has a singular method of acquiring property; it 
is- only necessary for him to accept the gift which any individual 
may make him of his neighbour's house, though the donor may 
have no right to it whatever; and though the kiiîg knows this, he 
licverlheless takes possession of the tenement, while the owner is 
obliged either to repurchase it or build another. It must, how- 
ever, be admitted, that the sufferer has immediate means of 
retaliation, as he can at the same instant give the king the house 
of the person who has deprived him of his own ; and then both, 
are ruined, as two houses are disposed of, and the king is the 
only gamer. This custom is not indeed so dangerous in a coun- 
try where every one is his own landlord, so that the donor al- 
ways fear thars that his own property may be given away; a 
circumstance which causes such presents very rarely to be 
piade. 
This king contrives to preserve peace within his own states; 
but though he has no intestine war, he is continually m hostih- 
ties with his neighbours : for when he wants slaves, he makes 
an irruption amongst the Biafares, the Bissagots, the Balantes, 
and the Nalons, w ho live contiguous to his territories, either on 
the main land, or in the numerous isles, which form the archi-^ 
pelago of the Bissagos. 
