rp Dr. schotte’s Defer ipt Ion of a 
it has been related to me, not by one but by many, feparately 
and at different times, I give it credit, and I have not the leafb 
hefitation to believe, that the difeafe is common there. Many 
of the inhabitants of Senegal have applied to me previoufly to 
their fetting off for that country, and alked me, if 1 could not 
give them medicines which would cure that d'iforder, with a 
promife, that if they proved fuccefsful, 1 might be lure of a, 
very ample reward of gold ; but the improbability of luce ced- 
ing in the reduction of fuch enormous mafles to their priffine 
ftate prevented .me from giving them any. 
When I was at Fort James in the river Gambia, for a^fhort 
time in the year 1776, I. was told by fome Marahbuts, or Ma- 
hometan priefts, of the Mandinga nation, that this difeafe was 
now and then to be met with amons the chiefs of their nation, 
and that they knew no cure for it*. I have, no reafon tq 
discredit; 
* It is to be observed, that thofe Marahbuts apply themfclves, betides reli- . 
gious matters, to the ftudy of phytic ; but only as far as it refts on experience 
alone, without entering into the inveftigation of the caufes of difeafes. They are 
1 
alfo often called upon by the kings and chiefs to give their opinion in points of 
law and equity. Moft of them are well veried in. the Arabic language of th<> 
Mauritanic dkileflt, and they are the. only people of letters among... the blacks ; for 
none of the black nations, about Senegal and Gambia have even an alphabet, much , 
.lefs any writings in their own languages. I believe the felling of charms conffi- 
tutes the greateft part of their revenue ; and the more reputation one of them 
has acquired, the dearer he fell's them. Thofe charms. ufually contift in nothing 
but a few lines taken from- the Koran, written on. a little piece of paper, which, 
after being fewed up very nicely in leather or cloth, the buyers wear about their, 
bodies. They are to defend and protect them in dangers ; but, as one charm 
has only the power of protecting them againft one fingle kind of danger, they are 
obliged to have a great many of them, in order to have a protection again ft- every 
probable danger that may befal them ; hence many of the blacks are covered 
wit£ them in different. part,s of .the body; and they have fuch a ftrong faith in. 
them, 
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