neral. She was to be
buried in one of her own huts, the moment after the spirit had
quitted the body, which was to be ascertained by striking the ground
near which it might be lying at the time, when, if no motion or
struggle ensued, the old woman was to be considered as dead. The
poison used by the natives on these occasions, destroys life, it is
reported, in fifteen minutes.

The reason of the travellers not meeting with a better reception when
they slept at Laatoo, was the want of a chief to that town, the last
having followed the old governor of Jenna, to the eternal shades, for
he was his slave. Widows are burnt in India, just as they are
poisoned or _clubbed_ at Jenna, but in the former country no male
victims are destroyed on such occasions. The original of the
abominable custom at Jenna, of immolating the favourite wives, is
understood to have arisen from the dread on the part of the chiefs of
the country in olden times, that their principal wives, who alone
were in possession of their confidence, and knew where their money
was concealed, might secretly attempt their life, in order at once to
establish their own freedom, and become possessed of the property;
that, so far from entertaining any motive to destroy her husband, a
woman might on the contrary have a strong inducement to cherish him
as long as possible, the existence of the wife was made to depend
entirely on that of her lord, and this custom has been handed down
from father to son even to the present time. But why men also, who
can have no interest to gain on the death of their prince, should be
obliged to conform to the same rite, is not to be so easily accounted
for. The individual, who was governor of Jenna at the time of the
visit of the Landers, must of necessity go down to the grave on the
first intelligence of the demise of the king of Youriba, and as that
monarch was a very aged man, the situation of the former was not the
most enviable in the world.

Previously to her swallowing the poison, the favourite wife of a
deceased chief or ruler destroys privately all the wealth, or rather
money of her former partner, in order that it may not fall into the
hands of her successor. The same custom is observed at Badagry also,
and although the king's son may be of age at the period of his
father's death, he inherits his authority and influence only. He is
left to his own sagacity and exertions to procure wealth, which can
seldom be obtained without ra