they have “ no public religion, no house of worship, no
“ priest, and never meet together to pray.” But it is
difficult to suppose that there are not Mohammedan converts
amongst the Negroes of Tombuctoo, who publicly
exercise the ceremonies of their religion: and we apprehend
that Adams will be suspected of careless observation
on that subject, notwithstanding the confidence with which
he speaks of it. Indeed we should have said, that he had
himself borne testimony to some of the externals of
Islamism, when he mentions the turbans which the Chiefs
of Soudenny and Tombuctoo occasionally wore, did we not
learn from Park, that the Kafirs are in the habit of adopting
the Customs, names, and even in some instances, the
prayers* of the Mohammedans, without adopting their religious
O ceremonies or creed.
Note 28, p. 36.
‘Adams gave me a particular description of the wen or
swelling on the back of his hand, and of its cure at Tim-
buctoo, in the manner here related.
I may take this opportunity of observing, that he recounted
atMogadore, (what I do not find in the Narrative,)
several miraculous stories of the supernatural powers, or
* See P a rk ’s l i t . Jo u rn ey , 4to. p. 3/ .
charms possessed by some of the Negroes, and which they
practised both defensively to protect their own persons from
harm, and offensively against their enemies. Of these
details I do not distinctly remember more than the following
circumstance, which I think he told me happened in
his presence.
A Negro slave, the property of a Desert Arab, having
been threatened by his master with severe punishment for
some offence, defied his power to hurt him, in consequence
of a charm by which he was protected. Upon this the
Arab seized a gun, which he loaded with ball, and fired at
only a few paces distance from the Negro’s breast: but the
Negro, instead of being injured by the shot,- stooped to
the ground, and picked up the ball which had fallen
inoffensive at his feet!
It seems strange that Adams should have omitted these
extraordinary stories (and almost these alone) in his
Narrative; for he frequently expressed to me, a firm belief
that the Negroes were capable of injuring their enemies by
witchcraft; and he once pointed out to me a slave at
Mogadore, of whom, on that account he stood peculiarly
in awe. He doubtless imbibed this belief, and learnt the
other absurd stories which he related, from the Arabs,
some of whom profess to be acquainted with the art