--I rose, as our custom
is, about three o'clock, (as we are oblig'd to be at our place of
worship an hour before the sun rise) we say nothing in our worship, but
continue on our knees with our hands held up, observing a strict silence
'till the sun is at a certain height, which I suppose to be about 10 or
11 o'clock in England: when, at a certain sign made by the priest, we
get up (our duty being over) and disperse to our different houses.--Our
place of meeting is under a large palm tree; we divide ourselves into
many congregations; as it is impossible for the same tree to cover the
inhabitants of the whole City, though they are extremely large, high and
majestic; the beauty and usefulness of them are not to be described;
they supply the inhabitants of the country with meat, drink and
clothes;[A] the body of the palm tree is very large; at a certain season
of the year they tap it, and bring vessels to receive the wine, of which
they draw great quantities, the quality of which is very delicious: the
leaves of this tree are of a silky nature; they are large and soft; when
they are dried and pulled to pieces it has much the same appearance as
the English flax, and the inhabitants of Bournou manufacture it for
cloathing &c.
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