and the Mpongwe. 
7i 
tightly on the limb, often causing painful chafes 
and sores. The ankle is generally occupied by a 
brass or iron chain, with small links. Girls may 
wear these rings, of which the husband is expected 
to present a considerable number to his bride, and 
the consequence is, that when in full dress she 
waddles like a duck. 
Commerce and intercourse with whites has made 
the Mpongwe, once the rudest, now one of the 
most civilized of African tribes; and, upon the 
whole, there is an improvement. The exact Bar- 
bot (iv. 9) tells us “ the Gaboon blacks are bar¬ 
barous, wild, bloody, and treacherous, very thiev¬ 
ish and crafty, especially towards strangers. The 
women, on the contrary, are as civil and courteous 
to them, and will use all possible means to enjoy 
their company; but both sexes are the most 
wretchedly poor and miserable of any in Guinea, 
and yet so very haughty, that they are perfectly 
ridiculous . . . They are all excessively fond 
of brandy and other strong liquors of Europe and 
America . . . If they fancy one has got a mouth¬ 
ful more than another, and they are half drunk, 
they will soon fall a-fighting, even with their own 
princes or priests . . . Their exceeding greediness 
for strong liquors renders them so little nice and 
curious in the choice of them, that, though mixed 
with half water, and sometimes a little Spanish 
soap put into it to give it a froth, to appear of 
