or that purpose, flays a young child,
and having laid it lengthwise on a path, directs all the warriors, on
proceeding to battle, to step over his sacrifice and insure themselves
victory. Another of these extra barbarous devices takes place when a
chief wishes to make war on his neighbour by his calling in a magician
to discover a propitious time for commencing. The doctor places a large
earthen vessel, half full of water, over a fire, and over its mouth
a grating of sticks, whereon he lays a small child and a fowl side by
side, and covers them over with a second large earthen vessel, just like
the first, only inverted, to keep the steam in, when he sets fire below,
cooks for a certain period of time, and then looks to see if his victims
are still living or dead--when, should they be dead, the war must be
deferred, but, otherwise commenced at once.

These extremes, however, are not often resorted to, for the natives are
usually content with simpler means, such as flaying a goat, instead of
a child, to be walked over; while, to prevent any evil approaching their
dwellings a squashed frog, or any other such absurdity, when place on
the track, is considered a specific.

How the negro has lived so many ages without advancing, seems
marvellous, when all the countries surrounding Africa are so forward in
comparison; and judging from the progressive state of the world, one
is led to suppose that the African must soon either step out from his
darkness, or be superseded by a being superior to himself. Could a
government be formed for them like ours in India, they would be saved;
but without it, I fear there is very little chance; for at present the
African neither can help himself nor will he be helped about by others,
because his country is in such a constant state of turmoil he has too
much anxiety on hand looking out for his food to think of anything
else. As his fathers ever did, so does he. He works his wife, sells his
children, enslaves all he can lay hands upon, and, unless when fighting
for the property of others, contents himself with drinking, singing, and
dancing like a baboon to drive dull care away. A few only make cotton
cloth, or work in wood, iron, copper, or salt; their rule being to do
as little as possible, and to store up nothing beyond the necessities of
the next season, lest their chiefs or neighbours should covet and take
it from them.

Slavery, I may add, is one great cause of laziness, for the masters