300 
THE WESTERN COAST. 
earth. Their notions fluctuate in the same un- 
certain manner with respect to a future state, 
which the majority believe, though some admit 
their ignorance concerning it. Others suppose, 
that the deceased are immediately conveyed to a 
famous river, named Bosmanque, in the interior of 
Africa, where God examines their past lives, and 
inquires whether they have observed the religious 
festivals, abstained from forbidden food, and kept 
their oaths inviolably ? If the result of this exami- 
nation be favourable, they are gently wafted over 
the river to a land of pure happiness, resembling 
the Paradise of Mahomet ; if unfavourable, the 
Deity plunges them into the river, where they are 
drowned, and buried in eternal oblivion. This is 
obviously an imperfect representation of the Ma- 
hometan doctrine. Others believe in the trans- 
migration of souls. The idea of ghosts is extreme- 
ly common ; and, like the vulgar opinion i^ 
Britain, the inexpiated crimes of the deceased are 
supposed to cause their souls to wander after death. 
Atkins relates, that it is a common saying among 
the negroes who are able to speak English, that, 
" after death, the honest goodee man go to Godee, 
livee very well, have a goodee wife, goodee 
" victuals, &c. ; but if a rogue and cheatee, he 
" must be tossed here and there, never still." 
The negroes regard death with the greatest hor- 
ror : According to Bosman, no person, on pain of 
