The children of the Mandingoes are not always named after their relations, but frequently in consequence of some remarkable occurrence. Thus my landlord at Kamalia was called _Karfa_, a word signifying _to replace_, because he was born shortly after the death of one of his brothers. Other names are descriptive of good or bad qualities—as _Modi_, a good man; _Fadibba_, father of the town, etc. Indeed, the very names of their towns have something descriptive in them, as _Sibidooloo_, the town of ciboa-trees; _Kenneyeto_, victuals here; _Dosita_, lift your spoon. Others appear to be given by way of reproach—as _Bammakoo_, wash a crocodile; _Karrankalla_, no cup to drink from, etc. A child is named when it is seven or eight days old. The ceremony commences by shaving the infant’s head; and a dish called _dega_, made of pounded corn and sour milk, is prepared for the guests. If the parents are rich, a sheep or goat is commonly added. This feast is called _ding koon lee_ (the child’s head-shaving). During my stay at Kamalia I was present at four different feasts of this kind, and the ceremony was the same in each, whether the child belonged to a bushreen or a kafir. The schoolmaster, who officiated as priest on those occasions, and who is necessarily a bushreen, first said a long prayer over the dega, during which every person present took hold of the brim of the calabash with his right hand. After this the schoolmaster took the child in his arms and said a second prayer, in which he repeatedly solicited the blessing of God upon the child and upon all the company. When this prayer was ended he whispered a few sentences in the child’s ear and spat three times in its face, after which he pronounced its name aloud, and returned the infant to the mother. {80} This part of the ceremony being ended, the father of the child divided the dega into a number of balls, one of which he distributed to every person present; and inquiry was then made if any person in the town was dangerously sick, it being usual in such cases to send the party a large portion of the dega, which is thought to possess great medical virtues. Among the negroes every individual, besides his own proper name, has likewise a _kontong_, or surname, to denote the family or clan to which he belongs. Some of these families are very numerous and powerful. It is impossible to enumerate the various _kontongs_ which are found in different parts of the country, though the knowledge of many of them is of great service to the traveller; for as every negro plumes himself upon the importance or the antiquity of his clan, he is much flattered when he is addressed by his kontong.