“The inhabitants of Sierra Leone feed on rice, of which they only cultivate what is indispensably needful for their subsistence, in small patches near their dwellings, which they clear by burning the woods. They likewise sow another very small grain, called pene, of which they make bread, not much unlike winter savory. They rear a few poultry about their houses, using no other animals for food, except when they sometimes get a fawn of the wild deer, a few of which are found in the mountains, or some wild fowl. They feed also on cockles and oysters, of which there are vast quantities on the rocks and trees by the seaside, but these have rather an insipid taste; and they catch plenty of excellent fish, by means of weirs and other devices. They also feed on herbs and roots, cultivating about their dwellings many plantains, gourds, pumpkins, potatoes, and Guinea pepper. “Tobacco likewise is planted by every one, and seems to constitute half their food. The bowl of their tobacco pipe is very large, and made of clay well burnt, into the lower end of which they thrust a small hollow cane eighteen inches long, through which they suck the smoke, both men and women swallowing most of it. Every man carries a small bag called a tuffio in his knapsack, in which is his pipe and tobacco, and the women have their pipes in their hands. They prepare their tobacco for smoking by straining out its juice while quite green, and they informed us by signs that it would otherwise make them drunk. They afterwards shred it very small and dry on an earthen dish over the embers. On an island in the bay we saw about half a dozen goats and nowhere else in this country. [Illustration: PICKING PALM-KERNELS.]