84 
WESTERN AFRICA 
headman of the town asked us to give him 
a piece of silver. He had treated us kind- 
ly,— had given us presents, and we could not 
well deny his request. After we had given 
him the silver we inquired what he intended 
to do with it ? He told us he wanted to 
make " war sarica " with it : that is a charm 
that secures from war. He said that all the 
people of the town would meet together and 
lay their hands upon the money, and in the 
meantime one of his great men would make 
a speech, showing the benefits of the charm. 
The money would then be encased in cloth, 
and deposited in a safe place, "and thi$ 
make that no war come to my town." 
They also have "war cooks," whose 
business it is to tell where war may be car- 
ried on successfully. They get their power 
of divination by putting different vegetables, 
and various kinds of leaves into a pot of 
water, and boiling them. Then by looking 
into the stained water they pretend to tell 
( whether by the color of the water or other- 
wise I cannot tell ), where an army will be 
victorious. 
These cooks are generally Mahommedans 5 
