that, two years
before, had been carried off by a sudden blight.

I learned from my intelligent Fullah, that while the Mahometan courts
of his country rescued by law the people of their own faith from
slavery, they omitted no occasion to inflict it, as a penalty, upon
the African "unbelievers" who fell within their jurisdiction. Among
these unfortunates, the smallest crime is considered capital, and a
"capital crime" merits the profitable punishment of slavery. Nor was
it difficult, he told me, for a country of "true believers" to acquire
a multitude of bondsmen. They detested the institution, it is true,
among themselves, and among their own caste, but it was both right and
reputable among the unorthodox. The Koran commanded the "subjugation
of the tribes to the true faith," so that, to enforce the Prophet's
order against infidels, they resorted to the white man's cupidity,
which authorized its votaries to enslave the negro! My inquisitiveness
prompted me to demand whether these holy wars spoken of in the Koran
were not somewhat stimulated, in our time, at least, by the profits
that ensued; and I even ventured to hint that it was questionable
whether the mighty chief of Footha-Yallon would willingly storm a
Kaffir fortification, were he not prompted by the booty of slaves!

Ahmah-de-Bellah was silent for a minute, when his solemn face
gradually relaxed into a quizzical smile, as he replied that, in
truth, Mahometans were no worse than Christians, so that it was quite
likely,--if the white elect of heaven, who knew how to make powder
and guns, did not tempt the black man with their weapons,--the
commands of Allah would be followed with less zeal, and implements not
quite so dangerous!

I could not help thinking that there was a good deal of quiet satire
in the gossip of this negro prince. According to the custom of his
country, we "exchanged names" at parting; and, while he put in my
pocket the gift of a well-thumbed _Koran_, I slung over his shoulder a
_double-barrelled gun_. We walked side by side for some miles into the
forest, as he went forth from Bangalang; and as we "cracked fingers"
for farewell, I promised, with my hand on my heart, that the "next dry
season" I would visit his father, the venerable Ali-Mami, in his realm
of Footha-Yallon.

FOOTNOTE:

[A] As it may be interesting to learn the nature of trade on this
coast,--_which is commonly misunderstood at consisting in slaves
alone_,--I thought it