of the tambourine, fife, and bandera; so that the noise they'
make may be heard all over the town. They dance in a
circle, and (when this amusement continues till the night)
generally round a fire. Their usual time of beginning is
about two hours before sun-set, and the dance not unfre-
qüently lasts all night. The men have the most of the
exercise in these sports whilst daylight lasts, the women
continuing nearly in one spot and-the men dancing to and
from them. 0») During this time the dance is conducted
with some decency; but when night ■ approaches, and the
women take a more active part in the amusement, their thin
and short dresses; and the agility of their actions, are little
calculated to admit of the preservation of any décorum.
It has been already stated, that Adams can form no idea
of the population of Tombuctoo ; but he thinks that once
he saw as many as two thousand persons assembled at one
place. This was on the occasion of a party of five hundred
men going out to make war in Bambarra. (80) • The day
after their departure they were followed by a great number
of camels, dromedaries, and heiries, laden with provisions.
Such of these people as afterwards returned, came back in
parties of forty or fifty; many of them did not return at all
whilst Adams remained at Tombuctoo ; but he never heard
that any of them had been killed,
ROBERT ADAMS’S NARRATIVE. !9
About once a month a party of a hundred: or more armed
men marched out in a similar manner to procure slaves.
These armed parties were all on foot except the officers;
they were usually absent from one week to a month, and
•at times brought in considerable numbers. The slaves were
generally a different race of people from those of Tombuctoo,
and differently clothed, their dress being for the
most part of coarse white linen or cotton. He once saw
amongst them a woman who had her teeth filed round, he
supposes by way of ornament; and as they were very long
they resembled crow-quills. The greatest number of slaves
that he recollects to have seen brought in at one time, were
about twenty, and these he was informed were from the
place called Bambarra, lying to the southward and westward
of Tombuctoo; which he understood to be the
country whither the aforesaid parties generally went out in
quest of them.
The slaves thus brought in were chiefly women and children,
who, after being detained a day or two at the King’s
house, were sent away to other parts for sale.C31) The returns
for them consisted of blue nankeens, blankets, barley,
tobacco, and sometimes gunpowder. This latter article
appeared to be more valuable than gold, of which double
the-weight was given in barter for gunpowder. Their