maritime states, in Suse, and other parts o f Bled-el-jerrede, the fakeers, or saints, attach liali a hundred Herrez (without, however, the gold covering, for which they substitute a leathern one) to different parts o f their body, and even to the horses: at Marocco I have seen eleven round one horse s neck.*' 1 he inhabitants o f these countries imagine no disorder incident to mankind can attack either man or beast without the aid o f some (jin) spirit, or departed soul, or (drubba del’ain) an e v il eye. T h e slaves brought by the akkabaahs are more or less va lu able in Barbary, according to their beauty and symmetry o f person, and also according to their age, and the country from whence the y are p rocured: thus a Wangareen slave is not Worth so much as one from Houssa ; the former being a gross, stu p id -peop le , little superior in understanding to the brute creation, whilst those o f Houssa are intelligent, industrious, acute, and possess a peculiarly open and noble countenance, having prominent noses, and expressive black eyes : those o f Wangara,on the contrary, ha ve large mouths, thick lips, broad flat noses, and h e a v y eyes. A young girl of Houssa, o f exquisite beauty, was once sold at Marocco, whilst I was there, for four hundred d u c a ts ,f whilst the average price o f slaves is about one hundred, so much depends on the fancy, or the imagination o f the purchaser. These slaves are treated v e ry differently from the unhappy victims who used to be transported from the coast o f Guinea, * Iu purchasing horses I have cut off these incantations, for which they have looked upon me as a desperate infidel. f The mitkal, called by Europeans ducat, is worth eight tenths of a Mexico dollar, or 3s. 8d. sterling. and our settlements on the Gambia, to the West India islands. A fte r suffering those privations, which all who traverse the African Desert must necessarily and equally submit to, masters as w e ll as servants and slaves, they are conveyed to Fas and Marocco, and after being exhibited in the sock, or public market-place, they are sold to the highest bidder, who carries them to his home, where, i f found faithful, they are considered as members o f the family, and allowed an intercourse with the (horraht) free-born women o f the household. Being in the da ily habit o f hearing the Arabic language spoken, they soon acquire a partial knowledge o f it, and the Mohammedan religion teaching the un ity o f God, they readily reject paganism, and embrace Mohammedanism; their Mooselmin masters then instil into their vacant minds, ready to receive the first impression, the fundamental principles o f the Mooselmin d octrine; the more intelligent learn to read and write, and afterwards acquire a partial knowledge o f the Koran ; and such as can read and understand one chapter, from that time procure their emancipation from slavery, and the master exults in having converted an infidel, and in full faith, expects favour from heaven for the action, and for having liberated a slave. When these people do not turn their minds to reading, and learning the principles o f Mohammedanism, the y generally obtain their freedom after eight or ten years servitude ; for the more conscientious Mooselmin consider them as servants, and purchase them for about the same sum that they would pay in wages to a servant during the above period, at the expiration o f which term, by giv ing them their liberty, they, according to their religious opinions, acquire a blessing from God, for having done an act, which a Mooselmin considers more meritorious in the
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