cords.  This costume was pleasing, and set off his manly form to advantage.  One of his wives immediately presented us with a calabash of sour milk, and some cakes of rice of pounded nuts and honey.  The Africans have in general only two meals a day; but some, who can afford it, take lunch about two o’clock.  Strict Mohammedans profess not to drink intoxicating liquors; but looser religionists cannot resist the temptation of rum, of which the pagan negroes drink to excess.  Samba brought out a bottle of this liquor, and presented it with evident glee, himself doing justice to its contents.

We then proceeded to view the rest of the premises.  Samba had six wives, each of whom had a separate hut.  Their dwellings resembled that of their lord, but were of smaller size, and the doors were very low, so as to require considerable stooping to enter.  These apertures for admitting light, air, and human beings, and for letting out the smoke, always look towards the west, for the easterly wind brings clouds of sand; and if the tornadoes which blow from the same quarter are allowed an inlet to a hut, they speedily make an outlet for themselves by whirling the roof into the air.  The women were dressed in their best style on the occasion of our visit.  One cloth, or pang, was fastened round their waist, and hung down to the ankles:  another was thrown loosely over the bosom and shoulders.  Their hair was plaited with ribbons, and decorated with beads, coral, and pieces of gold.  Their legs were bare; but they had neat sandals on their feet.  They were loaded with necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and anklets, composed of coral, amber, and fine glass-beads, interspersed with beads of gold and silver.  These are their wealth and their pride.  Some had little children, whose only covering was strings of beads round the waist, neck, ankles, and wrists:  an elder girl of about ten years had a small cloth about her loins.  We saw no furniture in their huts except a few bowls and calabashes, a rude distaff for spinning cotton, and the usual bed-hurdle covered with mats.  The ladies were very garrulous and inquisitive, narrowly inspecting our skin and dress, and asking many questions about European females.  They wondered how a rich man could do with only one wife, but thought monogamy was a good thing for the women.  These mothers never carry their children in their arms, but infants are borne in a pang upon the back.

Another hut served for Samba’s store, where he kept his merchandise; another was occupied by some female slaves, and another by male slaves.  These poor creatures wore only a cloth round their loins, hanging as far as the knees; the females had each a necklace of common beads given by their mistresses.  At night they lie down upon a mat or skin, and light a fire in the middle of the hut.  This serves both for warmth and to keep away noxious insects.  Their furniture consisted of working instruments—­hoes, calabashes, rush-baskets, and the redoubtable paloon.