ave observed, I conceive that idolatry, and fetish
worship, is the predominant religion of Africa, and that Mahomedanism has
been propagated by the Moore and Arab's. It may not here be unopportune to
introduce the Mandingo man's prayer, which I obtained from a very
intelligent chief of that nation: viz.

_Mandingo Arabic_.

Subbohanalahe Rabila'ademy
abodehe. Subbohanala rabila
Allah. Subbohana arabe. Inye
allamante, nafuse wa amutate
sue wakefurella. Teyatelillahe
tebates allivatuelub lahey.
Sillamaleko ayo hanabehe, obara
katolahe Sullamalina Ihannabe,
lebadelahe Salihenee"

The address to Mahomet follows,
viz.

Sahadala elahe idillaha
Mahomedo, arasoolo lahi
man Mahomedo aboodaho.

_In their idiom of English._

God lives and, is not dust.
God be master of all and is
above his slaves. God knows
his slave, and is not made of
earth; but above all. (Before
the next sentence, Subbohana
arabe, &c. he bows twice.)

Suppose I die, I can look you
to-morrow, and thank you, and
be out of trouble, and free from
the Devil.

(Teyatelillahe, &c. accompanied
by a motion of the fingers)

I beg in my prayers again,
God, I may die to day, I look to
thank you again to-morrow,
my people and family may
then get into trouble, and I
then pray to you.

To Mahomet.

Mahomet be man, born of
woman, the prophet of God,
and speak to him for man.

In this system of prayer there is a mixture of fetishism, Mahomedanism, and
a strong analogy to the Christian system; and it is no inconsiderable
argument in favour of the mediation of the Saviour, that in the worship of
heathen nations a mediator is uniformly associated with the object of
adoration. Virgil in his Aeneid, and other classic writers, illustrate a
belief of the ancient heathens in the omniscience of the deity, and they
clearly elucidate the importance they attached the mediatorial efficacy of
offerings and sacrifice.

The form of worship adapted to the foregoing prayer, is to squat down upon
the ground, placing the palm of their hands flat thereon twice, touching
the earth the same number of times with their foreheads; then rubbing their
arms from the wrist to the elbow, with that which is contracted by this
operation, when the hands are applied to the face, and the forefingers put
into the ears.

I have dwelt more minutely upon this people and their present condition
compared with the Foolahs, because I consider these nations have it much in
their