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° African Memoranda. fore the extent of one of these inclosures and the number of houses which it contains, are sufficient indications of the con- Houses. sequence of the owner. Their houses are either made of clay, Furniture, or sun baked bricks, and are thatched ; the furniture consists of a few mats, earthen jars to cool their water, and calabashes. Their manner of thatching is simple, ingenious, and expedi tious, far superior to ours, and no houses are better secured from the rain than theirs, not a drop ever penetrating them. Government. The government of these Tribes, if they can be said to have any government at all, is monarchical; at least they have each of them a king, or kings, for almost every large village appears to have one; but their authority seems limited indeed, not ex ceeding that of a father, or master of a family, in this country. Religion. They may be said to have as little religion as government. They believe that a particular spirit does all the good in the world, but that a much more active one does all the evil ; and this latter is the only object to which they address either prayers, sacrifices, or offerings. They believe in a future life, and that the good will there enjoy much happiness : the punish ment of the wicked, as far as I could learn their opinion, is entirely negative, and consists rather in the privation of that happiness, then in the suffering of any positive pain. These no tions engender but a loose morality; and theft, and murder, are not held by them in that abhorrence with which they are viewed in Europe. Soil. Of the above described territories, my own personal know ledge is confined to that part of the southern boundary comprized between Cape Roxo and Ghinala, an extent of about 180 miles,