When Interrogated, In Particular,
Concerning Their Ideas Of A Future State, They Express Themselves With
Great Reverence, But Endeavour To
Shorten the discussion by
observing - _mo o mo inta allo_, "no man knows any thing about it." They
are content,
They say, to follow the precepts and examples of their
forefathers, through the various vicissitudes of life; and when this
world presents no objects of enjoyment or comfort, they seem to look with
anxiety towards another, which they believe will be better suited to
their natures; but concerning which they are far from indulging vain and
delusive conjectures.
The Mandingoes seldom attain extreme old age. At forty, most of them
become gray haired, and covered with wrinkles; and but few of them
survive the age of fifty-five or sixty. They calculate the years of their
lives, as I have already observed, by the number of rainy seasons, (there
being but one such in the year,) and distinguish each year by a
particular name, founded on some remarkable occurrence which happened in
that year. Thus they say the year of the _Farbanna war_; the year of the
_Kaarta war_; the year on which _Gadou was plundered_, &c. &c.; and I
have no doubt that the year 1796 will in many places be distinguished by
the name of _Tobaubo tambi sang_, "the year the white man passed;" as
such an occurrence would naturally form an epoch in their traditional
history.
But notwithstanding that longevity is uncommon among them, it appeared to
me, that their diseases are but few in number. Their simple diet, and
active way of life, preserve them from many of those disorders which
embitter the days of luxury and idleness. Fevers and fluxes are the most
common, and the most fatal. For these, they generally apply saphies to
different parts of the body, and perform a great many other superstitious
ceremonies; some of which are, indeed, well calculated to inspire the
patient with the hope of recovery, and divert his mind from brooding over
his own danger. But I have sometimes observed among them a more
systematic mode of treatment. On the first attack of a fever, when the
patient complains of cold, he is frequently placed in a sort of vapour.
This is done by spreading branches of the _nauclea orientalis_ upon hot
wood embers, and laying the patient upon them, wrapped up in a large
cotton cloth. Water is then sprinkled upon the branches, which descending
to the hot embers, soon covers the patient with a cloud of vapour, in
which he is allowed to remain until the embers are almost extinguished.
This practice commonly produces a profuse perspiration, and wonderfully
relieves the sufferer.
For the dysentery, they use the bark of different trees reduced to
powder; and mixed with the patient's food; but this practice is in
general very unsuccessful.
The other diseases which prevail among the Negroes are the _yaws_, the
_elephantiasis_, and a _leprosy_ of the very worst kind. This last
mentioned complaint appears, at the beginning, in scurfy spots upon
different parts of the body, which finally settle upon the hands or feet,
where the skin becomes withered, and cracks in many places.
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