The Mandingos are said by A.  Brue before mentioned, “To be the most numerous nation on the Gambia, besides which, numbers of them are dispersed over all these countries; being the most rigid Mahometans amongst the Negroes, they drink neither wine nor brandy, and are politer than the other Negroes.  The chief of the trade goes through their hands.  Many are industrious and laborious, keeping their ground well cultivated, and breeding a good stock of cattle.[A] Every town has an Alkadi, or Governor, who has great power; for most of them having two common fields of clear ground, one for corn, and the other for rice, the Alkadi appoints the labour of all the people.  The men work the corn ground, and the women and girls the rice ground; and as they all equally labour, so he equally divides the corn amongst them; and in case they are in want, the others supply them.  This Alkadi decides all quarrels, and has the first voice in all conferences in town affairs.”  Some of these Mandingos who are settled at Galem, far up the river Senegal, can read and write Arabic tolerably, and are a good hospitable people, who carry on a trade with the inland nations."[B] They are extremely populous in those parts, their women being fruitful, and they not suffering any person amongst them, but such as are guilty of crimes, to be made slaves.”  We are told from Jobson,"[C] That the Mahometan Negroes say their prayers thrice a day.  Each village has a priest who calls them to their duty.  It is surprizing (says the author) as well as commendable, to see the modesty, attention, and reverence they observe during their worship.  He asked some of their priests the purport of their prayers and ceremonies; their answer always was, That they adored God by prostrating themselves before him; that by humbling themselves, they acknowledged their own insignificancy, and farther intreated him to forgive their faults, and to grant them all good and necessary things as well as deliverance from evil." Jobson takes notice of several good qualities in these Negroe priests, particularly their great sobriety.  They gain their livelihood by keeping school for the education of the children.  The boys are taught to read and write.  They not only teach school, but rove about the country, teaching and instructing, for which the whole country is open to them; and they have a free course through all places, though the Kings may be at war with one another.

[Footnote A:  Astley’s collect. vol. 2, page 269.]

[Footnote B:  Astley’s collect. vol. 2, page 73.]

[Footnote C:  Ibid, 296.]

The three fore-mentioned nations practise several trades, as smiths, potters, sadlers, and weavers.  Their smiths particularly work neatly in gold and silver, and make knifes, hatchets, reaping hooks, spades and shares to cut iron, &c. &c.  Their potters make neat tobacco pipes, and pots to boil their food.  Some authors say that weaving is their principal trade; this is done by the women and girls, who spin and weave very fine cotton cloth, which they dye blue or black.[A] F. Moor says, the Jalofs particularly make great quantities of the cotton cloth; their pieces are generally twenty-seven yards long, and about nine inches broad, their looms being very narrow; these they sew neatly together, so as to supply the use of broad cloth.