FATAL EFFCÎCTS OF JEALOUSY. 
21 
immediately got him to bed, and sent for his friends, but he 
expired in a few hours. When his friends arrived and found 
him dead, they seized the girl, put a chain round her neck, 
and sold her as a slave. Another instance, m \'\'h!ch the at- 
tempt, however, proved abortive, is also worth relating, 
A black chief who lives near Sierra Leone, married a settler 
of this colony, an American black; who by her attention and 
industry by trading for him up the rivers, not oiûy procured 
him riches, but respect and attention from the colony. Ac- 
cording to his country's custom of having more wives than 
one, he took some from among his own nation, wlio soon 
became jealous of the first or head won^an,'^" They attempted 
to poison her, but the plot was discovered ; on which she 
fied, first returning him all his slaves and presents, declaring 
she never would cohabit wills him aî;ain. On the other 
hand he, almost distracted, took every means of discover 
ing her, but in vain. At last a letter arrived from Liverpool^ 
informmg him of her affection and death. It is here 
necessary to remark, that the natives of this country have four 
or five wives in general, and each woman sleeps with her hus- 
band, in turn, a certain number of nights. This is invariably 
a rule, and so regular are they in the observance of it, that 
although the man may have no connection with the wife wdiose 
turn comes, he cannot refus6 to sleep with her: although there 
may, however, be a favourite wife whom he oft-times calls 
to him, treats with marked respect, or pays hei* many atten- 
tions, yet if any connection be discovered out of proper turn, 
the others will hold a palaver, claiming the custom of their 
country, and the former is in danger of being taken off 
by poison; therefore whatever is done must be with the ut- 
most secrecy; and these embraces are stolen with as much 
precaution as an emperor would make use of in his intrigues. 
Perhaps one custom may account for their having a plurality 
of wives ; when a woman has borne a child, she does not re- 
turn to the arms of her husband till tliat child can bring her a 
pot of water : nor do they go with their husbands when they 
have, as they express it, " tke moon on ^//mf' 1 have been 
assured that this is a sjeneral term for the occurrence all along- 
this coa-t and throughout Africa. In short, they attribute 
more to the inliuence of the moon than we do. The people 
* I have mentioned the chief female as keaJ zvoman ox fir%l w'rfe. Her pri- 
sjlege is to enjoy an entire command over the rest; and of this lu all but the 
circumstance specilied, she makes a most de' [!otic use. Her dress and orna- 
ments are more rich, she follows lier husband wherever he goes, and chuses 
such women as she wishes to be with her. 
