quarrels sometimes rise to such a height, that the authority of the husband ¿an no long«- preserve peace in his household. In such cases, the interposition of Mumbo Jumbo is called in, and is always decisive. This.strange minister of justice (who is supposed to be either the husband himself, or some person instructed by him), disguised in the dress that has been mentioned, and armed with the rod of public authority, announces his coming (whenever his •services are .required ) by loud and dismal screams in the woods near the town. He begins the pantomime at the approach of n ig h t; and as soon as it is dark, he enters the town, and proceeds to the Bentang, at which all the inhabitants immediately assemble. I t may easily be supposed that this exhibition is not much relished by the women ; for as the person in disguise is entirely unknown to them, every married female suspects that the visit may possibly be intended for herself ; but they dare not refuse to appear when they are summoned ; and the ceremony commences with songs and dances, which continue till midnight, about which time Mumbo fixes on the offender. This unfortunate victim being thereupon immediately seized, is stripped naked, tied to a post, and severely scourged with Mumbo s rod, amidst the shouts and derision of the whole assembly ; and it is remarkable, that the rest of the women are the loudest in their exclamations on this occasion against their unhappy sister. Daylight puts an end to this indecent and unmanly revel. December gth. As there was no water to be procured on the road, we travelled with great expedition until we reached Tambacunda, and departing from thence early the next morning, the 10th; we reached in the evening Kooniakary, a town o f nearly the same magnitude as Kolor. About noon on the i i th we arrived atKoojar, the frontier town of Woolli, towards Bondou, from which it is separated by an intervening Wilderness of two days’ journey. The guide appointed by the King of Woolli being now to return, I presented him with some amber for his trouble : and having been informed that it was not possible at all times to procure water in the wilderness, I made inquiry for men who would serve both as guides and water-bearers during my journey across it. Three Negroes, elephant hunters, offered their services for these purposes, which I accepted,, and paid them 3 bars each in advance, and the day being, far spent, I determined to pass the night in my present quarters. The inhabitants of Koojar, though not wholly unaccustomed to thé sight of Europeans (most of them having occasionally visited the countries on the Gambia) beheld nie with a mixture o f curiosity and reverence, and in the evening invited me to see a neobering, or wrestling, match, at the Bentang. This is an exhibition very common in all the Mandingo countries. The spectators arranged, themselves in a circle, leaving the intermediate space for the wrestlers,, who were strong active young men, full of, emulation, and accustomed I suppose from their infancy to this sort of exertion, ■ Being stripped of their clothing, except a short pair of drawers, and having their skin anointed with oil, or shea butter, the combatants approached each other on all fours, parrying with, and occasionally extending a hand G
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