14 
spilsbury's voyage to Africa. 
are procured in the following manner: If a prince wants a 
commodity of any kind_, and it requires more than he is worth 
to pay for it, he destroys a village, aeizes its poor inliabitants^ 
and sells them : they weep bitterly at first, but are soon reconciled 
to their unfortunate situation. Their principal chief is the prince 
of Marabou; his subjects are jet black. The small town which 
the kings of Marabou reside in, js surrounded with a mean 
wall : they have an idea that this wall is a charm, or, as they term, 
it, a griggeiy or grisgris ; and they think that should any enemies 
presume to come over it, the houses themselves would fall and 
destroy them. A neighbouring prince offered to the governor 
of Goree a hundred slaves, if he W'Ould permit our Africaîi 
soldiers to storm it first; however, one of the euen3,y c,onti:ive(i^ 
to get over, and stabbed one of the king's sons. 
Oil this coast, it frequently happens that a large tree in a towii^ 
})ecoines a grisgris ; and some princes who are under a fUtisli 
will not go on board a ship, or on an island, from au idea, 
that they will sink immediately on setting their foot on it, while 
others suppose they will die if they see salt water; They ar^ 
m general covered with such charms : among the Jolofs, Man- 
dingos, U.c. who are Muhometans,'they consist of pieces of the 
Alcoran, covered with leather, or some other relic; nor da 
they suppose they ever can err, but attribute every thing to the 
^11 conduct of those who have offended them. 
There is a law in Goree, that if assy man murders a slave, he 
shall buy anotîier to make good the owner's loss. 
At the moment of my writing this, the 10th of Novemberj, 
it is so very sickly on the river, that a sluye-shjp has, sent in 
word, they have lost all hands. 
Bird's Island is larger than Goree, aîid produces a quantity of, 
cotton, wild ; but no water, is to be got there. There is 
one small bay, the entrance to which might be easier defended 
than Goree, and the whole of it miglit be made a garden. One 
person froni Goree built a house on it, being discontented with 
his former situation; but he left it for want of water. 
On the 1 1th, Mr. Guy and myself went on shore; a shot was 
fired over the town from a b'ittery on the hill, which is an annual 
custom, importing that the healthy season had commenced. If 
this custom, had been neglected, it would have giveïi rise to un- 
pleasant conjectures, as the inhabitaiits, as may be supposed 
from what has been said, are yery superstitious. In the evening 
a ball was given, at which there was certainly a numerous an4 
beautiful assemblage. We were also at a wedding ; the bride, 
a beautiful black girl, was introduced to us; she was veiled, and 
{lad a profusion of gold ornaments about her; coiisi,stino|^ 
