Abstract
(1) MR. MIGEOD has given us the results of a visit to Sierra Leone of six months' duration in 1925. His book falls into two parts: the first, a descriptive narrative dealing with the colony, its people, and something of their history; the second, an analytical account of the Mende, their physical anthropology, social organisation, secret societies, religious beliefs, games, songs, and folklore. Their language is dealt with in an appendix. Sierra Leone, being one of those parts of Africa outside the northern radius which has been longest in contact with European civilisation, presents many difficulties to the student of culture, which are by no means mitigated by the presence of the Creole and Mohammedan elements. Mr. Migeod, an anthropologist with a conscience which sets a high standard, is keenly conscious of these difficulties, and they must be held responsible for much in the first part of the book which the reader may regard as scrappy and incomplete.
(1) A View of Sierra Leone.
By F. W. H. Migeod. Pp. xii + 351 + 8 plates. (London: Kegan Paul and Co., Ltd., 1926.) 31s. 6d. net.
(2) Sierra Leone: its History and Tradition.
By Capt. F. W. Butt-Thompson. Pp. 275 + 11 plates. (London: H. F. and G. Witherby, 1926.) 15s. net.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
(1) A View of Sierra Leone (2) Sierra Leone: its History and Tradition. Nature 119, 849 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/119849a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/119849a0