The ceremony of marriage amongst the upper ranks at
Tombuctoo, is for the bride to go in the day time to the
King’s house, and to remain there until after sunset, when
the man who is to be her husband goes to fetch her away.
This is usually followed by a feast the same night, and a
dance. Adams did not observe what ceremonies were used
in the marriages of the lower classes.
As it is common to have several concubines besides a
w i f e , the women are continually quarrelling and fighting.
But there is a marked difference in the degree -of respect
with which they are each treated by. the husband; the wife
always having a decided pre-eminence. W The Negroes,
however, appeared to Adams to be jealous and severe with
all their women, frequently beating them for . apparently
very little cause.
The women appear to suffer very little from child-birth,
and they will be seen walking about as-usual the day after
such an event. It is their practice to grease a child all
over soon after- its birth, and to expose it for about an hour
to the sun : the infants are at first of a reddish colour, but
become black in three or four days.
Illicit intercourse appeared to be but little regarded
amongst the lower orders; and chastity amongst the women
in general seemed to be preserved only so far as their
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situations or circumstances rendered it necessary, for their
personal safety or convenience. In the higher ranks, if
a woman prove with child the man is punished with slavery,
unless he will take the woman for his wife and maintain
her. Adams knew an instance of a young man, who, having
refused to marry a woman by whom he had a child, was
on that account condemned to slavery. He afterwards
repented; but was not then permitted to retract his refusal;
and was sent away to be sold.
The practice of procuring abortion is very common:
Adams was informed that in cases of pregnancy from illicit
intercourse, where the woman would not submit to this
alternative, it was no unusual thing for the father secretly to
poison her.
The Negroes of Tombuctoo are very vehement in their
quarrels. When they strike with their fists they use the
under part of the hand, as if knocking with a hammer;
but their principal mode of offence is by biting. On the
whole, however, they are a good natured people; and
always treated Adams with the greatest kindness.
It does not appear that they have any public religion, as
they have no house of worship, no priest, and a s. far as
Adams could discover, never meet together to pray. He
has seen some of the Negroes who were circumcised; but