her to supply its place,
and at the return of the festival, to undergo a similar fate. The
company of one of these animals is preferred by the natives to that
of a dog.

On the following morning a company of eight or ten drummers awoke
them by the dismal noise of their drums, and by the exclamation of
"_turawa au, azhie_," signifying, "white men, we wish you fortune,"
which was repeated in a high shrill tone every minute.

During the night, Kiama was visited by a thunder storm, which
continued with dreadful violence for many hours, and the torrents of
rain which fell, threatened to overwhelm them in their huts. Before
they were aware of it, the water had rushed in at the door, and had
completely soaked their mats and bedclothes, setting every light
article in the room afloat. After much trouble they succeeded in
draining it off, and prevented its further ingress, when they lit a
large fire in the centre of the hut, and laid themselves down by the
side of it to sleep. Towards morning it also rained heavily again,
and to all appearances the wet season had at length fairly set in.
Under those circumstances, it would be found almost next to
impossible to travel much further, and if they were fortunate to
reach Yaoorie, they would be obliged to remain there some time, till
the roads should have become sufficiently hard and dry for their
future progress. Their chief hope was, that the rains might not be so
incessant at their commencement, so as to render the path to Yaoorie
impassable.

On Wednesday June 2nd, the threatening appearance of the weather
prevented the Mahommedans from repairing to the spot, which they had
selected for the purposes of devotion, so early in the morning as
they, could have wished, but the clouds having dispersed, they had
all assembled there between the hours of nine and ten.

The worshippers arranged themselves in six lines or rows, the women
forming the last, and sat down on as many ridges of earth, which had
apparently been thrown up for the purpose. The chief mallam no sooner
began a prayer, than the talking and noise of the multitude ceased,
and the deepest attention seemed to be paid by every one, though the
substance of what he said could only be guessed at, because it was in
Arabic, which none of them understood a word of. The ceremony much
resembled that which was performed at Badagry; and the forms, which
are generally practised, it is supposed, on all public religious
meetings in ma