MENDING. 
chief implement ufed in hufbandry is the hoe, which va¬ 
ries in form in different diftriCts ; and the labour is uni- 
verfally performed by (laves. Belides the grain proper to 
tropical climates, the Mandingoes cultivate in considera¬ 
ble quantities ground-nuts, yams, and pompions. They 
likewife raife cotton and indigo, and have fufficient (kill 
to convert thefe materials into tolerably fine cloth of a 
rich blue colour; and they make good foap from a mix¬ 
ture of ground-nuts and a ley of wood-alhes. 
Concerning property in the foil, it appears that the 
lands in native woods are confidered as belonging to the 
king, or (where the government is not monarchical) to 
the (late. When any individual of free condition has 
the means of cultivating more land than he actually pof- 
feffes, he applies to the chief man of the diltrift, who al¬ 
lows him an extenfion of territory, on condition of for¬ 
feiture if the lands are not brought into cultivation by a 
given period. The condition being fulfilled, the foil be¬ 
comes veiled in the poffeffor, and defcends to his heirs. 
The population, however, conlidering the extent and fer¬ 
tility of the foil, and the eafe with which lands are ob¬ 
tained, is not very great. Many extenfive and beautiful 
didridis are entirely deditute of inhabitants ; and in ge¬ 
neral, the borders of the different kingdoms are either 
very thinly peopled or entirely deferted. Many places 
are likewife unfavourable to population, from being un¬ 
healthful. The fwampy banks of the Gambia, the Sene¬ 
gal, and other rivers towards the coaft, are of this de- 
fcription. Perhaps it is on this account chiefly, that 
the interior countries abound more with inhabitants than 
the maritime diltriCts ; for all the negro nations, though 
divided into a number of petty independent dates, fubfift 
chiefly by the fame means, live nearly in the fame tempe¬ 
rature, and poffefs a wonderful fimilarity of difpofition. 
The Mandingoes in particular are a very gentle race; 
cheerful in their difpofitions, inquifitive, credulous, Am¬ 
ple, and fond of flattery. Perhaps the mod prominent 
defedt in their charadter was that infurmountable pro- 
penfity, which the reader mud have obferved to prevail 
in all claffes of favages, to thieving. For this part of 
their condudt, no complete judification can be offered, 
becaufe theft is a crime in their own edimation ; and it 
mud be obferved, that they are not habitually and gene¬ 
rally guilty of it towards each other. This, however, 
(fays Park,) is an important circumflance in mitigation ; 
“and, before we pronounce them a more depraved peo¬ 
ple than any other, it were well to confider whether the 
lower order of people in any part of Europe, would have 
adted, under fimilar circumdances, with greater honedy 
towards a dranger, than the negroes aided towards me. 
It mud not be forgotten, that the laws of the country af¬ 
forded me no protection; that every one was at liberty 
to rob me with impunity ; and, finally, that fome part of 
my effedts were of as great value, in the edimation of the 
negroes, as pearls and diamonds would have been in the 
eyes of an European. Let us fuppofe, a black merchant 
of Hindoodan to have found his way into the centre of 
England with a box of jewels at his back; and that the 
laws of the kingdom afforded him no fecurity; in fuch a 
cafe the wonder would be not that the dranger was rob¬ 
bed of any part of his riches, but that any part was left 
for a fecond depredator. Such, on fober reflection, is the 
judgment 1 have formed concerning the pilfering difpofi¬ 
tion of the Mandingo negroes towards myfelf. Notwith- 
ftanding I was fo great a fufferer by it, I do not confider 
that their natural fenfe of juflice was -perverted or extin- 
guiftred ; it was overpowered only for the moment, by the 
Itrength of a temptation which it required no common 
virtue to refill. On the other hand, as fome counterba¬ 
lance to this depravity in their nature, allowing it to be 
fuch, it is impoflible for me to forget the dilinterefled 
charity, and tender folicitude, with which many of thefe 
poor heathens (from the fovereign of Sego, to the poor 
women who received me at different times into their cot¬ 
tages, when I was perilhing with hunger) fympathized 
Vol. XIV. No. 973. 
269 
with me in my fufferings, relieved my diftrefles, and 
contributed to my fafety.” 
The women fuckle their children until they are able to 
walk. Three years nurfing is not uncommon ; and dur¬ 
ing this period the hufband devotes his whole attention 
to his other wives. To this practice it is owing, that the 
family of each wife is feldom very numerous. Few wo¬ 
men have more than five or fix children. As they ad¬ 
vance in life, the girls are taught to (pin cotton and to 
beat corn, and are initruCted in other domeltic duties ; 
and the boys are employed in the labours of the field. 
Both fexes, on attaining the age of puberty, are circum- 
cifed. This painful operation is not confidered fo much 
in the light of a religious ceremony, as a matter of con- 
venienceand utility. They have, indeed, a fuperItitious 
notion that it contributes to render the marriage Hate 
prolific. The operation is performed upon feveral young 
people at the fame time; all of whom are exempted from 
every fort of labour for two months afterwards. During 
this period, they forma fociety called folimana. They vi- 
fit the towns and villages in the neighbourhood, where 
they dance and ling, and are well treated by the inhabit¬ 
ants. In the courfe of this celebration, it frequently hap¬ 
pens that fome of the young women get married. If a 
man takes a fancy to any one of them, it is not confidered 
as abfolutely neceflary that he fhould make an overture 
to the girl herfelf. The firlt object is to agree.with the 
parents, concerning the recompence to be given them, 
for the lofs of the company and fervices of their daugh¬ 
ter. The value of two Haves is a common price, unlefs 
the girl is thought very handfome; in which cafe, the 
parents will raife their demand accordingly. If the lover 
is rich enough, and willing to give the (urn demanded, he 
then communicates his wiihes to the damfel ; but her con- 
fent is by no means neceflary to the match ; for, if the 
parents agree to it, and eat a few kolla-nuts, which are 
prefented by the fuitor as an earned of the bargain, the 
young lady mult either have the man of their choice, or 
continue unmarried, for lhe cannot afterwards be given 
to another. If the parents fhould attempt it, the firlt 
lover is then authoriied, by the laws of the country, to 
feize upon the girl as his (lave. When the day for cele¬ 
brating the nuptials is fixed on, a felect number of people 
are invited to be prefent at the wedding; a bullock or a 
goat is killed, and great plenty of victuals drefled for the 
occafion. As foon as it is dark, the bride is conducted 
into a hut, where a company of matrons aflifl in arrang¬ 
ing the wedding-drefs, which is always white cotton, and 
is put on in luch a manner as to conceal the bride from 
head to foot. Thus arrayed, (lie is feated upon a mat, in 
the middle of the floor, and the old women place them- 
felves in a circle round her. They then give her a l'eries 
of inftrudtions ; and point out, with great propriety, what 
ought to be her future conduit in life. This fcene of in- 
ftrudlion, however, is frequently interrupted by girls, 
who amufe the company with longs and dances, which 
are rather more remarkable for their gaiety than delicacy. 
While the bride remains within the hut with the women, 
the bridegroom devotes his attention to the gueds of both 
fexes who are affembled without doors; and, by didributing 
among them fmall prefents of kolla-nuts, and feeing that 
every one partakes of the good cheer which is provided, he 
contributes to general the hilarity of the evening. When 
fupper is ended, the company fpend the remainder of the 
night in finging and dancing, and feldom feparate until 
daybreak. About midnight, the bride is privately con¬ 
ducted by the women into the hut which is to be her fu¬ 
ture refidence; and the bridegroom, upon a fignal given, 
retires from his company. The new-married couple, 
however, are always diflurbed towards morning by the 
women, who affemble to infpedl the nuptial (heet, (accord¬ 
ing to the manners of the ancient Hebrews, as recorded 
in fcripture,) and dance round it. This ceremony is 
thought indilpenfibly neceflary, nor is the marriage con¬ 
fidered a3 valid without it. 
3 Z 
“ The 
