a superstition greatly in vogue among the negroes in the interior parts of Africa. The griffris, according to Le Maire, are certain Arabic characters mixed with magical figures drawn by the Marabouts or priests upon paper. Labat affirms, that they are nothing else than scraps of the alcoran in Arabic; but this is denied by Barbot, who brought over one of these griffris to Europe, and showed it to a number of persons deeply skilled in oriental learning. None of them could find the least trace of any character they understood. Yet, after all, this might be owing to the badness of the handwriting; and the words are probably of the Mandingo language, though the characters are an attempt to imitate the Arabic. The poorest negro never goes to war without his griffris, as a charm against wounds; and if it proves ineffectual, the priest transfers the blame on the immorality of his conduct. These priests invent griffris against all kinds of dangers, and in favour of all desires and appetites; by virtue of which the possessors may obtain or avoid whatever they like or dislike. They defend them from flowers, enemies, diseases, pains, and misfortunes; and preserve health, long life, wealth, honour, and merit, according to the Marabouts. No clergy in the world are more honoured and revered by the people than these impostors are by the negroes; nor are any people in the world more impoverished by their priests than these negroes are, a griffris being frequently sold at three slaves and four or five oxen. The griffris intended for the head is made in the form of a cross, reaching from the forehead to the neck behind, and from ear to ear; nor are the arms and shoulders neglected. Sometimes they are planted in their bonnets in the form of horns; at other times, they are made like serpents, lizards, or some other animals, cut out of a kind of pasteboard, &c. There are not wanting Europeans, and otherwise intelligent females and merchants, who are in some degree infected with this weakness of the country, and believe that the negro sorcerers have an actual communication with the devil, and that they are filled with the malignant influence of that evil spirit, when they see them distort their features and muscles, make horrid grimaces, and at last imitate all the appearance of epileptics.