populous kingdom in the north of Africa, the metropolis of which lies in N. Lat. 14° 33'. W. Long. 8° 43'. The king of the country was extremely kind to Mr Park, although his son plundered him in a very shocking manner. He says that the number of towns and villages, and the extensive cultivation around them, exceeded every thing he had then seen in Africa. A gross calculation may be formed of the number of inhabitants in this enchanting plain, from considering that the king of Kasson can raise 4000 fighting men by the sound of his war drum. It is remarkable, that although the people possess abundance of corn and cattle, both high and low make no scruple of eating rats, moles, squirrels, snails, and locusts. What is perhaps no less singular, the women of this country are not allowed to eat an egg, although they are used by the men without any scruple in the presence of their wives.

The method of converting the negroes to the religion of Mahomet is worthy of notice. Mr Park assures us that he saw the whole inhabitants of Teece, a large unwalled town of Kasson, instantly converted. While he resided in that town, an embassy of 10 people belonging to Almami Abdulkader, king of Foota Torra, a country to the west of Bondou, arrived at Teece; and desiring Tiggity Sego the governor to call an assembly of the inhabitants, publicly made known the determination of their king—"that unless all the people of Kasson would embrace the Mahometan religion, and evince their conversion by saying eleven public prayers, he (the king of Foota Torra) could not possibly stand neuter in the present contest, but would certainly join his arms to those of Kajaaga." Such a message from so potent a prince created great alarm; and the inhabitants, after deliberating for some time, agreed to conform themselves to his will and pleasure, renouncing Paganism and embracing the doctrines of the false prophet.

Kastril, or Kestril, a species of falcon. See Falco, Ornithology Index.