INFLUENCE OF MAHOMEDANISM. 
329 
antipathy. Amada Bue, the Attah’s sister, even said 
she would like to be sacrificed to attend her husband. 
The conferences which took place with the authorities 
during our stay here, shewed an evident wish on the part 
of the people for the establishment of white settlers, and 
Christian teachers. Attached though they be, so 
strongly to their own customs and religion, they cannot 
help seeing, that Europeans, of even the lowest caste — 
and such as they more commonly have a knowledge of 
from their connexion with the Slave Trade, are their 
superiors in those points most coveted by the carnal 
heart — power and wealth ; and it is probable, that if the 
climate admitted the possibility of white men settling 
there, the natives would soon adopt their suggestions for 
the improvement of agriculture and trade. We must 
not, however, presume, from the advance Maho- 
medanism has there made, that the Christian religion 
would also be as readily engrafted. On the contrary, we 
must candidly confess our fears, that this partial success of 
the great Impostor’s disciples, may be one of the greatest 
obstacles to any missionary attempt, w'henever, or by 
whomsoever made ; pai-ticularly as it meets the sensual 
taste, and long-established custom of keeping large 
harems. 
Polygamy is permitted, but the first wife is the prin- 
cipal, and an'anges the affairs of the harem. The usual 
number of wives is three, but the Attah has a much 
greater establishment. There are no restrictions on the 
women, as in most other Mahomedan countries ; all are 
