the neighbouring hills. The manner in which it is collected is
nearly as follows:-

About the beginning of December, when the harvest is over and the
streams and torrents have greatly subsided, the mansa or chief of
the town appoints a day to begin sanoo koo (gold-washing), and the
women are sure to have themselves in readiness by the time
appointed. A hoe or spade for digging up the sand, two or three
calabashes for washing it in, and a few quills for containing the
gold dust, are all the implements necessary for the purpose. On the
morning of their departure a bullock is killed for the first day's
entertainment, and a number of prayers and charms are used to insure
success, for a failure on that day is thought a bad omen.

The mansa of Kamalia, with fourteen of his people, were, I remember,
so much disappointed in their first day's washing that very few of
them had resolution to persevere, and the few that did had but very
indifferent success: which indeed is not much to be wondered at,
for instead of opening some untried place they continued to dig and
wash in the same spot where they had dug and washed for years, and
where, of course, but few large grains could be left.

The washing of the sands of the streams is by far the easiest way of
obtaining the gold dust; but in most places the sands have been so
narrowly searched before, that unless the stream takes some new
course the gold is found but in small quantities. While some of the
party are busied in washing the sands, others employ themselves
farther up the torrent, where the rapidity of the stream has carried
away all the clay, sand, etc., and left nothing but small pebbles.
The search among these is a very troublesome task. I have seen