CUSTOMS IN CAYOR» 3S 
*he latter ; as it Is always the eldest son of the eldest sister of the 
deceased king who succeeds to the throne. These people, who 
in other respects are neither better informed, nor more polished, 
than their neighbours, think with good reason that by this 
manner of succession, there is more certainty as to birth-right. 
They apply to themselves, without knowing the meaning of it, 
the maxim of the Roman laws : Partus matrem demonstrat, 
pater vera semper est incertus'' ; and it is doubtless this per- 
suasion which causes the law to be religiously observed in the 
country of Hoval. In the kingdom of Cayor, on the contrary, it is 
sometimes violated, as is proved by the election of the last sovereign. 
Indeed it often happens that the great men combine together, 
convoke the people, and appoint to ihe throne another prince of 
a different family from him who has the right to ascend it, though 
they are always cautious to take him from the royal family. 
The king of Cayor reigns despotically over his subjects, who 
are rather his slaves, as they tacitly obey and serve him : in other 
respects he is neither richer nor better ofï than themselves ; and 
they pay him for his subsistence, a tribute which varies according 
to his pleasure. He is not distinguished either by the number 
of his houses, by that of his women, or by his guards. The 
military service near his person, that which takes place in time 
of war, and, in general, all the jobs or escorts, are performed by 
the subjects at their own expence, and they are obliged to execute 
his orders, and follow him wherever he chooses to lead them. 
Damel and his subjects profess the Mahometan religion ; but 
they render it scarcely recognisable by a multitude of retrench- 
ments or additions. The same occurs amongst all the African 
hordes, who only agree together on three points, namely, a pki- 
rahty of women, circumcision, and the respect which is due to 
the prophet Mahomet : on the otlier hand, each village has its 
particular practices, and turns those of the others into ridicule. 
Damel, and the other kings and princes of the Negroes or 
Moors, have the privelege of never benig made slaves. When 
they are taken in battle, they are either killed, or they destroy 
themselves* 
A superstition peculiar to the kingdom of Cayor is, that both 
the people and the king think that the latter will die in the year 
in which he may cross any river or branch of the sea : hence he 
never goes to Goree, or to isle St. Louis in the Senegal, but re- 
mains always in his own territories on the continent. 
While I was at Senegal, M.de BoufBers, governor-general of 
the colony, wished to have an interview with Damel, and it took 
place on the 24th April, 1786. The place fixed on was a large 
plain on the continent, called Guyarabop, and which lay on the 
banks of the Senegal; it was inclosed by a fosse, and its entrance 
DURAND.] E 
