and direction of subordinate spirits, over whom they suppose that certain
magical ceremonies have great influence. A white fowl suspended to the
branch of a particular tree, a snake's head, or a few handfuls of fruit,
are offerings which ignorance and superstition frequently present, to
deprecate the wrath, or to conciliate the favour of these tutelary
agents. But it is not often that the Negroes make their religious
opinions the subject of conversation. When interrogated, in particular,
concerning their ideas of a future state, they express themselves with
great reverence, but endeavour to shorten the discussion by
observing--_mo o mo inta allo_, "no man knows any thing about it." They
are content, they say, to follow the precepts and examples of their
forefathers, through the various vicissitudes of life; and when this
world presents no objects of enjoyment or comfort, they seem to look with
anxiety towards another, which they believe will be better suited to
their natures; but concerning which they are far from indulging vain and
delusive conjectures.

The Mandingoes seldom attain extreme old age. At forty, most of them
become gray haired, and covered with wrinkles; and but few of them
survive the age of fifty-five or sixty. They calculate the years of their
lives, as I have already observed, by the number of rainy seasons, (there
being but one such in the year,) and distinguish each year by a
particular name, founded on some remarkable occurrence which happened in
that year. Thus they say the year of the _Farbanna war_; the year of the
_Kaarta war_; the year on which _Gadou was plundered_, &c. &c.; and I
have no doubt that the year 1796 will in many places be distinguished by
the name of _Tobaubo tambi sang_, "the year the white man passed;" as
such an occurrence would naturally form an epoch in their traditional
history.