Travels Through Central Africa to Timbuctoo: And Across the Great Desert, to Morocco, Performed in the Years 1824-1828, Volume 1

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H. Colburn and R. Bentley, 1830 - Africa, Central - 14 pages
 

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Page 303 - I tried to discover whether they had any religion of their own; whether they worshipped fetishes, or the sun, moon, or stars; but I could never perceive any religious ceremony amongst them...
Page 463 - ... to enable every one to get it. The expense of maintenance for a single individual is about twenty-five or thirty cowries per day. Meat is not dear in this place : a piece which costs forty cowries (twenty centimes) is enough to furnish a dinner for four persons. They generally make two meals a day ; all sitting round one dish, and each taking out a portion with his hand, like all the inhabitants of the interior. Their houses are not furnished. They have leather bags in which they put their things...
Page 94 - "way." The custom extends beyond the relations: if ' the lover is of a different camp, he avoids all the in' habitants of the lady's camp, except a few intimate ' friends whom he is permitted to visit. A little tent is ' generally set up for him, under which he remains all ' day, and if he is obliged to come out, or to cross- the ' camp, he covers his face. He is not allowed to see his ' intended during the day, but, when everybody is at ' rest, he creeps into her tent and remains with her till...
Page 157 - If, however, the family of the accused consent to pay au indemnity, the unhappy patient is excused from drinking any more liquor ; he is then put into a bath of tepid water, and by the application of both feet to the abdomen, they make him cast up the poison which he has swallowed. This cruel ordeal is employed for all sorts of crimes. The consequence is, that though it may sometimes lead to the confession of crimes, it also induces the innocent to acknowledge themselves guilty, rather than submit...
Page 460 - Jenne" there is a mosque built of earth, surmounted by two massive but not high towers ; it is rudely constructed, though very large. It is abandoned to thousands of swallows, which build their nests in it. This occasions a very disagreeable smell, to avoid which, the custom of saying prayers in a small outer court has become common. In the environs of the mosque, to which I often went, I always observed a number of beggars, reduced to mendicity by old age, blindness, or other infirmities.
Page 463 - Jenne" live very well : they eat rice boiled with fresh meat, which is to be procured every day in the market. With the fine millet they make couscous ; this is eaten with fresh or dried fish, of which they have great abundance. Their dishes are highly seasoned ; they use a good deal of allspice, and salt is common enough to enable every one to get it. The expense of maintenance for a single individual is about twenty-five or thirty cowries per day. Meat is not dear in this place : a piece which...
Page 335 - I was more than a fortnight without sleep. To crown my misery, the sore in my foot broke out afresh, and all hope of my departure vanished. The horror of my situation may be more easily imagined than described, — alone, in the interior of a wild country, stretched on the damp ground, with no pillow but the leather bag which contained my luggage, with no medicine and no attendant but Baba's old mother.
Page 462 - It appeared to be of very inferior quality, and does not thrive well. The people of Jenne" know no other writing than that of the Arabs : almost all can read, though few understand it. There are schools for youth, like those which 1 have already described.

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