A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra LeoneDurand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
History
A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra Leone
Durand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
Africa, Northwest; Senegal -- Description and travel
If the stranger have friends amongst the horde, and be distinguished
either by his rank or property, they kill a goat or sheep, and
sometimes an ox, for the purpose of regaling him. One of their
wives prepares the feast. Before cooking the meat, she separates
the suet, and serves it up to the guests in its raw state. As
soon as the meat is dressed, she sets the share of her husband
before his friends and neighbours; as it would be an irreparable
error not to offer them this portion. She then puts the share of
the stranger upon a layer of straw; and the Arabian who gives the
treat, causing either a Christian or a negro slave to carry it,
goes and offers it himself. This repast is never served up till ten
o’clock at night, even though the stranger should have arrived in
the morning. The Moors offer nothing except at night by the light
of the moon, or round a large fire, which they generally kindle
in all seasons. The traveller never fails to invite the person who
treats him to do him the honour of eating with him; but the latter
always beg to be excused, and his reason is, the respect which he
bears for and ought to shew to strangers.
The next day the traveller continues his route, and goes off
without taking leave of any one: if he happen to remain longer, it
is considered an infringement upon their hospitality, and they let
him know it by giving him a smaller allowance, which they continue to
diminish as long as he stays, and thus politely force him to depart.
Amongst the Moors justice is prompt and decisive. Civil rights are
little respected; but they know the necessity of checking men from
committing crimes by the example of punishment. On these occasions,
and in ordinary cases, the guilty individuals are conducted before
the king of the tribe, who judges them alone and according to his
caprice. When a man is accused of a capital offence, the prince
calls in the most ancient people of the horde, and pronounces his
judgment according to their opinion, which is instantly carried
into execution. Capital punishments, however, are only inflicted
upon Negroes: those of the Moors are merely fine, restitution,
or banishment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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