Acknowledgements.

The research on which this thesis is based was funded by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Association of Commonwealth Universities (A.C.U.) Scholarship Scheme. I received additional financial assistance from the Emslie Horniman Trust and the A.C.U.. I also received a grant from the Radcliffe-Brown Memorial Fund to tide me over the final stages of writing up. I am extremely grateful to all these bodies for all their generous support. It is a pleasure to have, at last, an opportunity to record my gratitude to many individuals who have helped me in my work over the last five years. i. In Freetown. I wish to thank Dr. Moses Dumbuya, my co-supervisor, for his very great assistance in ensuring that my fieldwork was a success. I am particularly grateful for his help in sorting out a number of difficult administrative problems I encountered in Freetown, and for his kindly support throughout my stay in Sierra Leone. I also benefited a great deal from the cheery advice provided by Dr. Dumbuya's colleagues in the Department of Sociology at Fourah Bay College. ii. In Kabala. I wish to thank the following individuals for their help and kindness. Alhaji Barrie, Fula District Headman. Alhaji Boie Barrie, Alhaji Pita Bah, Alhaji Maki Jeng, Chernor Brasi, Chernor Pate, Alhaji Gorne and the other Fula elders of Kabala and Yogomaia. I am particularly grateful for the friendly advice and support of Mr. Bah, Mr. Jeng and Mr. Shaw, all of Kabala market, and also to Boie Jalloh and Coto Jaila Bah of Yogomaia. I thank all of Haja's "children" for making me so welcome in their home; to Ai and Habi for cooking for me every day, to "little Haja", Sirra, Binta, and Hamidu for letting me help them with their homework and many other things. And thank you to Kindi and Mamadu; and to Bailoh, Kadjiatu, Saybatu, Lama Bah, Nene Galle and my other "wives". I also greet Alhaji Mamadu Bah of Fadugu and his family. I wish to thank the wives of the late Alhaji Jalloh of Yogomaia; Coto Timbi Bah, his son "Jalloh" and the rest of his family; Caramoko-jo and Gibrilla. I thank Chernor Wurie, Wurie Juwe and Mama Jeng and their families for their generosity in looking after me on my visits to the cattle camp. I am also very grateful for the kindness shown to me by the Barries of Yufuni. There are too many friends and neighbours to mention all by name but I extend my thanks to them all. Jarama!.

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iii. In England. To Pat Baxter, my "Rose Lady", thank you for reminding me that genuine hospitality is not confined to within the borders of Sierra Leone. I also thank Dr. Paul Baxter, my co-supervisor, for all his hard work with my jargonese and redundancies. I thank Christopher Fyfe of Edinburgh University, for his kindly interest in the progress of my work. I thank Annie and Timbo for ensuring that I did not dehydrate during the long period of writing-up, and Andrew for rediscovering me and then letting me use his photocopier. To Ken Waldie, my dad, I simply say thank you. Finally, this thesis owes a very great deal to two individuals with whom I have had the privilege of sharing my life. Esther was with me during my fieldwork and Susanna has been with me during my writing-up. As they will appreciate, I could not have managed without either of them.

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