154 VOYAGE TO SENEGAL. 
cularly the kings and great people, deprive themselves of wine, 
either from a religious principle or by way of example. But 
those who have coriiiections with the Europeans are less scrupu- 
lous, and drink inordinate quantities of wine and brandy. 
These people are almost always at war ; frequently among 
themselves, but oftener with the Negroes. In battle, those who 
are mounted on horses are hidden in clouds of dust; but the 
camel, whose pace is heavy, though it takes long steps, is 
scarcely less useful than the horse : for, animated by the shout- 
ing of its rider, it dashes amongst the crowd, and produces 
more carnage by its bites than is effected by the musquetry. The 
Moors never make their attack in order of battle ; but as many 
men as there happen to be, so many separate combats take 
place ; and he who throws his adversary to the ground, seizes 
mi his arms, and retires precipitately with the fruit of his con- 
quest; but if the person conquered be a Negro, he is detained 
and made a slave. On some occasions two combatants of equal 
strength will give each other several stabs with their poniards, 
and then reciprocally tear out their entrails with their nails. 
Such incursions generally ruin one party or the other. Those 
who possessed a considerable stock of cattle, are reduced in one 
day to the most dreadful misery, and despoiled by others, who, 
the evening before, had no property at all. The weaker tribes 
are of course the most exposed, and therefore take care to live 
at a distance from the others, especially from the Wadelims 
and Labdessebas. 
Their ordinary arms are sabres, sagayes, and arrows, the last 
two of which they throw with great strength and accuracy. 
Some of them procure from the Europeans or Negroes musquets 
or pistols; but they cannot make use of them for any length of 
time, because those which are brought to them from Europe 
are of a very bad kind ; besides which, the humidity of the cli- 
inate causes them to be speedily covered with rust, while the 
heat spoils the temper of the metal: they therefore become 
good for nothing, and there are no workmen clever enough to 
repair them. 
The Moors are very hospitable : every stranger, of whatever 
country or tribe he may be, or whether known to them or not, 
is kindly received. If several travellers arrive at any place to- 
gether, the inhabitants defiay amongst them the expences of 
their reception. They all, without distinction, go before a new 
comer, congratulate him upon his arrival, assist him in taking off 
his luggage, and convey it to a place of security. He is then 
conducted behind a bush to pass the night : for it is an invariable 
custom amongst these people never to admit a stranger into their 
