a race of black Pagans, in the neighbourhood of Sennar, of whom we know nothing, except what has been stated by Bruce. That traveller passed a day or two amongst them in his way from Abyssinia; and he tells us that they are all soldiers of the melek or king of Sennar, cantoned in villages, which surround the capital to the distance of four or five miles. They are not the aborigines of that part of Africa; but are either purchased or taken by force from Fazuco, and the provinces to the south upon the mountains Dyre and Tegla.

The idolatry of the Nuba is described as a mixture of Tsabaism and statue worship; but what is very uncommon, their worship is chiefly addressed to the moon, whilst they pay no attention to the sun either rising or setting, advancing to the meridian or receding from it. It is an old observation, that the worship of every people is tinged by their natural dispositions; and this is verified in the case of the Nuba. "That their worship is performed with pleasure and satisfaction, is obvious," says Bruce, "every night that the moon shines. Coming out from the darkness of their huts, they say a few words upon seeing her brightness, and testify great joy, by motions of their feet and hands, at the first appearance of the new moon." This is just what we should have expected from their gentleness and hospitality. They likewise worship a tree and a stone, but our author could never discover what tree or what stone; he only learned that neither of them exists in Sennar, but in the country where the Nuba are born. Such of them as are natives of the villages where he saw them, become, like their masters, nominal Mahomedians.