Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/244

 European visitors are struck by the great courtesy shown by the Su-Sus towards each other. At the sight of an aged person bearing a burden, the young man always hastens to relieve him for a part of the way, and strangers casually meeting never fail to inquire after each other’s health and welfare. The speech itself, although monotonous, is soft, very pliant, and easily understood, whence its widespread use as the language of general intercourse among all the native populations of the country. It is a Mandingan dialect, marked by the absence of grammatical gender and the use of prefixes, reduced to writing by the missionaries,

and already possessing some works on grammar, vocabularies, and translations from the Bible and other Christian writings.

While many Su-Su communities have accepted the doctrines of Islam, others are still pure fetichists. Some again call themselves Mohammedans, and observe the fast of Ramadan, but remain pagans at heart, while others are animated by the same religious zeal as their Fulah neighbours. On the other hand, some of the tribes near the European factories pass for Christians, wearing medals and scapularies, and abstaining from work on the Sabbath. Slavery is still a universal institution, and warlike excursions are even made into the interior to capture slaves, who are afterwards sold at an average price of £8 per head. Most of the industries, such as those of the smith, jeweller, and carpenter, are left to the slaves, although some of the free Su-Sus also display great skill at wood and leather work. In a material sense they are rapidly being civilised, and the coast