jannequin's narrative. 
225 
practice of the Turks, and other zealous followers 
of the prophet, they confine themselves to three. 
The priest, or Marabout, assembles the village at 
the stated times for the performance of this cere- 
mony. The people range themselves behind him, 
with their faces turned towards the east, and 
faithfully repeat after him every word, and imi- 
tate every motion and gesture. Jannequin was 
particularly struck with the rigorous manner in 
which their fasts were observed. While the Ra- 
madan lastedj no urgency of the Europeans could 
induce them to taste a morsel till the close of the 
day. The most devout considered it a sin even 
to swallow their spittle, and kept their mouth 
carefully guarded with a cloth, lest any flying in- 
sect should enter. When evening arrived, how- 
ever, they were anxious to indemnify themselves 
for this temporary privation, and spent the night 
in feasting, drinking, and dancing. 
Jannequin reports himself to have ascended the 
Senegal seventy leagues, as far as the district 
called Terrier Rouge, He entitles his work a 
" Voyage to Libya yet appears sensible that the 
term Libya can with no propriety be applied to 
the region through which he travelled ; but he 
asserts, that it had been the practice of naviga- 
tors, for two centuries, to name this coast Mari- 
** time Libya." His geography of the interior 
deserves little attention ; as it is derived, not from, 
VOL. I. p 
