MR. HUTCHISON'S DIARY. 
409 
but though we reject, with reason, their fooHsh notions of many 
things, it would be no great sign of wisdom to refuse every infor- 
mation from them. 
Man is a reasoning animal, and enquires into the nature of 
things in a rude, as well as in a civilised slate; and if he cannot 
give a just, will at least give a plausible reason for rnany things. 
The Moors say " That the noise people hear, when they 
stop- their ears with their hands, is the rolling of the waters of 
libation in paradise, where Mahomet purifies all those he saves 
from hell, before they enter into the state of the blessed. It is for 
this reason they perform ablution before they pray ; the fire burn- 
ing other parts of their bodies, while their face, hands, feet, &c. 
remained untouched, hence Mahomet when he looks for them, 
knows them from Jews, Christians, &c. They have also a sentence 
written on their foreheads, " Hooalie Jahanamoo naataka raboo 
baskafaatee Mahomada roosoola lahee sallee allahoo alahe wasa- 
lame.'' 
Inoculation for the small pox is practised in the Moorish 
countries; they take the matter, and puncture the patient in 
seven places, both on the arms and legs. The sickness continues 
but a few days, and rarely any person dies of it. It is also done 
in Ashantee. Seven is their mystical number. 
Monday, December 8. To day the King killed a man on account 
of his daughter who died yesterday, and to be out of the way, I 
called on Odumata, whom I found well charged with palm wine: 
his usual discourse of the greatness of the King and the manner of 
the Ashantees fighting took up his time : he said that when white 
men wished to fight, they sent a book to the other party, telling 
them they would meet them on such a day, but the Ashantees 
took their enemies by surprise, which shortened their wars. I told 
him he had repeated the same story about fifty times in two months, 
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