The men’s dress, among the Moors of Ludamar, differs but little from that of the negroes, which has been already described, except that they have all adopted that characteristic of the Mohammedan sect, the turban, which is here universally made of white cotton cloth.  Such of the Moors as have long beards display them with a mixture of pride and satisfaction, as denoting an Arab ancestry.  Of this number was Ali himself; but among the generality of the people the hair is short and busy, and universally black.  And here I may be permitted to observe, that if any one circumstance excited among them favourable thoughts towards my own person, it was my beard, which was now grown to an enormous length, and was always beheld with approbation or envy.  I believe, in my conscience, they thought it too good a beard for a Christian.

The only diseases which I observed to prevail among the Moors were the intermittent fever and dysentery—­for the cure of which nostrums are sometimes administered by their old women, but in general nature is left to her own operations.  Mention was made to me of the small-pox as being sometimes very destructive; but it had not, to my knowledge, made its appearance in Ludamar while I was in captivity.  That it prevails, however, among some tribes of the Moors, and that it is frequently conveyed by them to the negroes in the southern states, I was assured on the authority of Dr. Laidley, who also informed me that the negroes on the Gambia practise inoculation.

The administration of criminal justice, as far as I had opportunities of observing, was prompt and decisive:  for although civil rights were but little regarded in Ludamar, it was necessary when crimes were committed that examples should sometimes be made.  On such occasions the offender was brought before Ali, who pronounced, of his sole authority, what judgment he thought proper.  But I understood that capital punishment was seldom or never inflicted, except on the negroes.

Although the wealth of the Moors consists chiefly in their numerous herds of cattle, yet, as the pastoral life does not afford full employment, the majority of the people are perfectly idle, and spend the day in trifling conversation about their horses, or in laying schemes of depredation on the negro villages.

Of the number of Ali’s Moorish subjects I had no means of forming a correct estimate.  The military strength of Ludamar consists in cavalry.  They are well mounted, and appear to be very expert in skirmishing and attacking by surprise.  Every soldier furnishes his own horse, and finds his accoutrements, consisting of a large sabre, a double-barrelled gun, a small red leather bag for holding his balls, and a powder bag slung over the shoulder.  He has no pay, nor any remuneration but what arises from plunder.  This body is not very numerous; for when Ali made war upon Bambarra I was informed that his whole force did not exceed two thousand cavalry.  They constitute, however, by what I could learn, but a very small proportion of his Moorish subjects.  The horses are very beautiful, and so highly esteemed that the negro princes will sometimes give from twelve to fourteen slaves for one horse.