16 
WESTERN AFRICA c 
gather around the pot, and convey the food 
from it to the mouth with the hand. They 
also take drink out of the hand, but some- 
times they have gourds for that purpose. 
Knives, forks, spoons and water cups, are 
only used by those who have learned their 
use from traders or Missionaries. 
They eat but twice a day, and generally 
between 9 and 10 o'clock A. M., and 5 and 
6 o'clock P. M. 
They are the most gluttonous eaters I have 
ever seen or heard of ; and to offset this 
they can go an unusually long time without 
food. 
I have known workmen in the employ of 
the Mendi mission to refuse their ration of 
rice (which is a quart per day), and labor all 
day without tasting food, for the pleasure 
of having two quarts to eat the next day I 
Boatmen will eat one and a half quarts at 
one meal, which is three quarts when boiled. 
It affords an African no little pleasure to 
eat his fill. An old headman who had ten 
wives, laughed most heartily at me once, on 
seeing me leave a plate of rice, after eating 
about one-fourth of it. He then turned to 
