LUNAïl SALUTATIONS. iG? 
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which they previously spit in ; they then bow their heads towards 
it, and walk two or three tiines in a circidar direction. 
All the Mahometans have a great veneration for the moon, 
insomuch that they never fail to salute it as soon as it rises. They 
present it their open purses^ and pray that it will cause their 
Hioney to increase^ as it grows. They call their months by the 
name of moons. 
Sidi-Carachi stopped at Gasama^ a large village situated in a 
valley, which contciins a prodigious number of palm-trees of 
every kind, and with the wine from whiclî tfie inhabitants carry 
on a considerable trade. It is a liquor which runs fj om the top 
of the tree by means of an incision^ and is of tlie consist- 
ence and colour of skimmed milk ; it ferments like cham- 
paign: it is sweet when it issues fyom the tree, but becomes 
sour in a few days, and speedily changes to vinegar; not-- 
withstanding which tlie Negroes frequently make it their com- 
mon drink. This wine is very spirituous, and the intoxicatioii 
which it produces often gives rise to fatal effects. One branch 
of these trees v. ill freq>iently yield, from a smgie incision, two 
quarts of wine in tvventy-foin- hours, and cv>ntmue running for 
thirty or forty days ; after which the Negroes, who interest them- 
selves to preserve the trees, stop up the iioie with clay, in order 
to give the sap another direction. Each brunch will bear an in- 
cision, with the same result. 
One mariner of drawing o ff the wine is, to make a hole at the top 
of the tree, in which they fix a cane, to conduct the liquor down 
into their pots. The Negroes do not know why this method 
is preferable, but they say, that they pursue the means adopted 
by their forefathers : the reason, however, is obvious; for if t^ie 
ti-ee were perforated towards the bottom, the sup would run off 
before it had imparted any nourishment to the tree; and it is 
likewise ascertained, that the higher the tree, the more sweet and 
rich is the wine. 
The Negroes do not use ladd.ers to ascend these trees, but 
climb by means of a strong rope of cotton, or of palm leaves 
twisted together: this rope is long enough to embrace the trunk 
of the tree and the body of a man, leaving about two feet be- 
tween thetn. The Negro encloses the rope by means of a but- 
ton and loop, and then, by a circular motion, ascends the tree 
wiih the greatest contidence, having his arms at liberty to peforni 
any 0|)€ration. - 
Besided Cut wine, the Negroes derive from a certain species of 
the palni-l/ce, a kind of oil, which they eat, aiîd use for anoint- 
ing then- bodies; it renders their skin glossy, aod tfieir joints sup- 
ple. This oil has the ta-ste and consistence of butter, 'i'he Eu- 
ropeans employ it in their cookery, and find it very good when 
