considerable town, near the entrance into which I observed, hanging
upon a tree, a sort of masquerade habit, made of the bark of trees,
which I was told, on inquiry, belonged to Mumbo Jumbo. This is a
strange bugbear, common to all the Mandingo towns, and much employed
by the pagan natives in keeping their women in subjection; for as
the kafirs are not restricted in the number of their wives, every
one marries as many as he can conveniently maintain--and as it
frequently happens that the ladies disagree among themselves, family
quarrels sometimes rise to such a height, that the authority of the
husband can no longer 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 night; and as soon as it is dark he
enters the town, and proceeds to the bentang, at which all the
inhabitants immediately assemble.

December 9.--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 of nearly the same magnitude as
Kolor. About noon on the 11th we arrived at Koojar, the frontier
town of Woolli, towards Bondou, from which it is separated by an
intervening wilderness of two days' journey.