I observed, that the marabouts were not so strict with their countrymen as they were with me, for I often saw young men who were eating in the day-time. When I asked why they were not obliged to fast like the rest of us, I was told that they could not have got through the day without eating. This pretext they employed whenever they were disposed to break the fast. To amuse themselves, and make the days seem less tedious during the Ramadan, the Moors have a game called _sigue_. It consists of six flat pieces of wood, rounded at the ends in an oval form, white on one side, and black on the other. The game is played by two, four, or six persons, but always divided into two parties. Three rows of holes are made in the sand, twenty-four in each; the outside rows are taken by the different parties, who cover each of the holes with a straw, taking care that the straws of the two parties shall be of different colours, so as to be easily distinguished; the middle row of holes is left open. One of the players takes five bits of wood in his hand, shakes them and drops them on the ground; if all the pieces of wood are of the same colour, or all but one, this is called _making the sigue_, and counts for one: the player continues with six pieces until he fails to make the sigue; then another plays, and so on. Every time a player makes the sigue he puts a straw into one of the holes of the middle row, and moves it forward as many places as he has thrown pieces of wood of the colour adopted by his party. When a player has reached the last hole in the middle row, he leaves his straw there; if his adversary arrives at it also, the first straw is thrown out, and the player begins again as before. When all the holes in the middle row are taken, the player begins upon his adversary’s, and they go on with the game, taking straws out of all the holes which they win from him; when either party has lost all its holes the game is over. They have another game which they seldom play because it requires more exertion. They set up several small flat bones in a row, and a number of men with four stones each throw at the bones from a distance; he who knocks down the greatest number fillips the noses of his companions. The princes sometimes play at this game. The boys, who are not so lethargic as the men, and love running about, have a game which really gives them some exercise. They form a large circle; one of them places himself in the middle, and all the others annoy him as they run round; one strikes him, another pushes, or pulls him by his coussabe. The one in the middle endeavours to catch his assailants, and when he succeeds they change places. This is a very noisy game, for they all shout and scream as they run round. The girls also play at this game amongst themselves.