If Sande girls accidentally meet a European in the road and they have not time to disperse into the bush, should he greet them, he should address himself to the old woman in charge, giving the usual common salutation of Bua. This is a corruption of Bu wa or Bi wa, "You come," and is the common Mende salutation. They may reply in chorus, Ai-ye-jo. Then if they speak further it will be also in chorus, not individually, the leader who directs being the minutest part of a second of time ahead of the others. It is a singsong reply in unison.2

2Migeod, F.W. H.n/an/an/an/a, , 245.