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. This tree likewise produces a plant or substance which has
the appearance of a cabbage, and very like it, in taste almost the same:
it grows between the branches. Also the palm tree produces a nut,
something like a cocoa, which contains a kernel, in which is a large
quantity of milk, very pleasant to the taste: the shell is of a hard
substance, and of a very beautiful appearance, and serves for basons,
bowls, &c.

[Footnote A: It is a generally received opinion, in _England_, that the
natives of _Africa_ go entirely unclothed; but this supposition is very
unjust: they have a kind of dress so as to appear decent, though it is
very slight and thin.]

I hope this digression will be forgiven.--I was going to observe that
after the duty of our Sabbath was over (on the day in which I was more
distressed and afflicted than ever) we were all on our way home as
usual, when a remarkable black cloud arose and covered the sun; then
followed very heavy rain and thunder more dreadful than ever I had
heard: the heav'ns roared, and the earth trembled at it: I was highly
affected and cast down; in so much that I wept sadly, and could not
follow my relations and friends home.--I was obliged to stop and felt
as if my legs were tied, they seemed to shake under me: so I stood