a district in Africa, lying to the southeast of the kingdom of Dar-Fur (See Soudan in this volume), where much gold is found both in dust and in small pieces. The natives, who are idolaters and savages, collect the dust in quills of the ostrich and vulture, and in that condition sell it to the merchants. They have a ceremony on discovering a large piece of gold, of killing a sheep on it before they remove it. The people, who are all black, have some form of marriage, i.e., of an agreement between man and woman to cohabit. Women of full age wear a piece of platted grass on their parts. The younger and unmarried are quite naked. The slaves, which are brought in great numbers from this quarter, are some prisoners of war among themselves (for their wars are frequent), and some seduced by treachery, and sold. But it is said to be a common practice for a father in time of scarcity to sell his children.

At Sheibon are some Mohammedans, who live among the idolaters, and wear clothing; it is not said whether Arabs or not. Mr Browne, from whose travels we have taken this account of Sheibon, does not give its latitude or longitude.