This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1820 Excerpt: ...old men and women encircled them, and the grandfathers and grandmothers were seated by their sides. The girls danced and repeated the This is the cry of apes in this part of Africa. scenes of the wedding night. The spectators encouraged these dancers by clapping their hands, because griots are rare in Mahometan countries. Other guests kept aloof, and conversed amongst themselves; all were dressed in white, every one had on the best apparel; for gaiety, it truly resembled one of our rustic weddings. My presence interrupted their sports, and all the young females quitted the bride to examine a guest such as is rarely seen at African weddings. A bullock had been killed for the occasion; the arrival of a griot slave, (for a Mahometan would never take up a drum) and good cheer, prolonged the ball till day-light. As to us, they sent us a bowl full of couscous, and a piece of meat, so tough, that we must have gone without breakfast as well as dinner, to have touched so detestable a supper. March 21st. We stopped during the day at Konomba, where we laid in a supply of millet flour, mixed with honey, and pounded pistachio nuts, for we were about to enter the deserts which separate Bondou from Fouta Jallon. A black man with very weak sight asked me for a charm, and I wrote it on a leaf of the rondier, which is used in Africa, where paper is not to be had. When the women of Konomba had prepared our provisions, we resumed our route. The country which we traversed was very woody; and the surface of the soil, entirely covered with ferruginous stones, was so hot, that my people imagined it must contain subterraneous fire. It was midnight before we could reach Dian184 MARAMASITA--THE AUTHOR DISCHARGES HIS GUIDES. socone, then absolutely deserted, for all the inhabitants we...