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TRAVELS

AND ‘ ﬂ
RECENT DISCOVERIES,

IN THE

INTERIOR DISTRICTS

OF

AFRICA,

IN THE
YEARS 1796 8: ’97; \

“$5“
BY lVIUNGO BARK, ESQUIRE,

In the service of the Noblemen and Gentlemen associated in
London for the purpose of exploring Inland Africa.

«®.——-

NE PV- YORK:

FRINTED FOR T. S. ARDEN. NO. r86, PEARL-STREET;

~—

' 1803.

 

 

 

 

 

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ADVVERTIQESVEMENTW

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.45
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———-—¢———- ' .
' [i It 51"”

.. FEW geographical /atts have been more
diﬂmted than the courfe oJ the African Nile ;
fome contending that it runs to the weft, which

is the general opinion of modernhwriters ; and i ‘
others, that it runs totthe eaﬂ, according to the V 3‘

opinion ,ofthe ancients. More than twenty-two
centuries ago, Herodotus, the Greek hi/torz'an,
defcrihes a great river ly‘in'g'far to the fouth of
the Great Defert, which divides Africa, as the
Danuhe does Europe. This river, he fays,_ﬂows
from weﬁ to éaﬂ, abounds with crocodiles, and
on its hanhsjlood a great city, inhabited by a
people, who were black. Ptolemy, an eminent
aﬂronomer, who wrote in the time of Marcus
Aurelius, mahes the river in qneﬂion to extend
from weﬁ to eaﬁ, over half the breadth ofAfri-
ca. Upon thefe twoxgreatjauthorities, the conrfe
of the‘AfricanNil‘e, was ﬁxed in thefyjlems of
ancient geography, to he from weﬂ; to eaft.
Pliny indeed tells us if avriver called the BamJ’
hotns, which runs into the We/tern Ocean : He

does not inform usthat this river was the Niger, -

r",
/ h.

 

A

.‘3

EL 5‘4" xv.

6M,“ *éEﬁW‘IENT.
ski *'\

the namewhich the Romdns gave to the African
Nile; but all the modems who have wrote on
the internal geography of Africa, feem to have
tahen it for granted that it was the fame. Edriﬁ,
the Nubianrgeographer, who wrote in the twelfth
century, not only c-ondztﬁs the Nile of the Negroes
or Niger weﬂward, and into the Atlantic,
agaitﬂ the opinions of Herodotus and Ptolemy,
but he derives its fource from the Egyptian Nile,
as if a ﬁream offuch magnitude could force
its way acrofs the African Apennine, from eaﬂ
to wcjt, inﬁnite of all the impediments of net-
tare, while the parent river purfued its route
.from wejt to “W: a contrary comfe! But if the
Niger ran from ea/t to weﬂ, as all the modern:
pretended, a queﬂion naturally arofe, where
did it empty it/ey into the Atlantic? Did it
form a junc‘lion with ﬁme other ﬂream, and a]:
. fume its name, or did it difembogue itfelf in the
interior, and difappear entirely, for no river
of any conﬁderableﬁze, beﬁdes the Senegal and
Gambia, was hnown to water the countries on
the Atlantic .9 Abulfeda, another geographer,
who‘wrote in. the fourteenth century, follows
Edrisi in his opinion reﬁoeéling the comfe (ft/Le
Niger, which he calls the Twin River of the
» Nile; and the Portuguefe difco-oerers of the
ﬁfteenth century, who, no doubt, derived their
hnowledge (y‘ geography from the Arabian
writers, lay it down as afaft, that theﬁenegal
was the fame as the Niger, as appears by the
. htﬂories of their difcoveries. So that an dtﬂnte

a?

b

W" ~ “are
‘9: ~~ ‘

ADVERTISEMENT. iii

of antient'authorities, the great inland river of
Africa was held to run to thesyweﬂ, and to form
the head of the river Senegal. It was alfo a
received opinion, that the Senegal aﬁords a
continuous navigation from the falls of Govinea,
above the country of Gallam, to the great city of
Tombut’too, ﬁtuate, a: Herodotus fays, on the‘
banhs of the Niger; but according to others,
about. ﬁx leagues z’nlandfrom it. But no one
had ever been hnown bold enough to attempt this
hazardous navigation ; nor had any boats ever
ole/tended from Tombufloo to the falls of Go-
vinea ! A clear proof that the Senegal was a
dﬂz’nbb [tream from the Niger. By *Mr. Parh’s
difcoveries at length, the triumph of the antients
over the moderns is complete, and the courfe cy‘
the great river 0 Africa, called by the natives
the .7oliba, is ound to be from weft to call;
conﬁguently the navigation to the city of Tom.
buttoo, if at all prat’ticable, mujt be from the
Oriental ﬂwres of Africa. It is evident that
the Greehs, who were in the prailice of hiring
mercenary armies to the Carthaginians, for
more than ﬁve hundred years before the Romans
were a people, and after them the Romans alﬂ),
who fnbdued Carthage, and over—ran great part
9f Africa, under Balbus, mujt have had far
better opportunities 0 acquiring a hnowledge
of the interior (fA rica, than the modern na-
tions of,Europe, who prﬂefs only a few feat-
tered fac‘lories along the coo/t. Strange as it
may appear, it is neverthelefs true, that altho’

no

  
 

iv ’E'A‘DVER TISEMENZ‘.’

the trade to A frica has long been “in the hands'qf
mgn who prefer gain-to God, yet no adventurer,
beﬁdemMr. Parh‘, has had the hardihoool to ex-
plore the inland countries for any com/iderable
diﬂance. Meﬂrs. Watt and Winterbottom tra-
velled, in 1794, as far as the Foulah country;
and Hawhins, an American, has ﬁnce ventured
into the .Ebo country; but it was refervedfor‘:
Mr. Parh, to’be theﬁr/t in modern. ages, who
faw the long fought for, maje/Zic Niger, gin.
tering to the morning fan, as broad as» the
Thames at We/tmin/ter, owing ﬂowly to the
eaﬂward. This was cﬂfr ajonrney tffeven
' 3 months and eighteen days, from the day he left

the hoﬂvitable manﬁon of Dr. .Laidley, in Pi-
' fania. ' Thus far his fatiguies had been crown.
eel withfuccefs, and the cnricjity ofthe learned,
which had been rai‘fed exceedingly by the vague
reports of Major Houghton and Mr. Magra,
travellers, employed by the African Aﬂbciation,
reg/petting the eajterly courfe’ of the Niger, and
theﬂngular error which had crept into all the
modern defcriptions of Africa, of the Niger
holding a we/terly courje, was about to receive
amplefatisfaflion. It appears that this river
clefcends from the high level (f Manding into
Bambarra, on the eaﬂward, with a rapid and
furious conrfe at Bammalcoo, to which place' it
is navigable, about 150 miles below its fource;
after which it glides fmoothly along,.for 270
i miles more, to Silla, which was asfar as Mr.
Par/é went.‘ It is obvious, from the many mif-

r:

ADVER TISEMEN‘I? vi

takes committed by Leo- in the internal geogra—
fhy of Africa, that: he hadgnever ﬁen the Ni”-
ger,’ although he had 'oi/ited the . great city a

Tombuttoofor the parpofe Qf trade; The conr e,
however,» of the Niger, or joliba,’ is now ejta-
bli/hed hy occular demonjlration, asfar as Silla, *
and may be admitted, on the ' information 'col-
lettedhy'Mr. Park,- asfar as Houﬂa, which is
400 miles fartherto the eajtward,ﬁnce it agrees
with the ideas communicated to Mr. Beaitfoy, by
an intelligent Maori/h merchant, who had na-
vigated the river, and as it agrees no leﬁ with
the report 0er. Magra, obtained from Moor-

M merchants at Tunis, and of Major Hough-
ton, from Bambouh. The intelligent "Moor a

above mentioned, told Mr. Beaufoy, that he him?
felf had. defcended the Joliba from Kabra, the;
port of T ombufloo, to HOW, although. he had
forgot the exae‘l number of days employed in the
navigation, ‘and whether it was eight or ten.
But one circumﬂance dwelt on his mind, which
was, that by the favour o aibrijh wind,'they
returned to Kabra again the jlream in as jhort
an interval as they went down.. At Silla ter-
minates Mr._Par/c’s journey eaﬂward, apoint
fomewhat more than 16 degrees eeyl Cape
Verd, and. precijely in thefame paralle . The
line of dijtance ariﬁngfrom this diﬁerence of
longitude, is about 941 geographical miles, or
1090 Briti/h, within the we/lern extremity of
Africa ;. a point which, although jhort by 200
miles (y the deﬁredjtation, Tombubloo, the at:

w

 

A

a: ‘ADVERTISEMENT‘. ’

.tainment Qf which would unque/lionably have
[731m attended with great eclat, wasfar beyond
' what any other European, whofe travels we are
acquainted with, had ever reached.

A map of these discoveries is prefixed to the
London edition, done by Major Rennel, cele-
brated for his Geographical acumen, in a
great measure by imaginary computation. ‘ hIr.
Par/c having lost his Sea‘tant at an early period
of his journey, his remarks afterwards on the
"bearings and distances of places, in his route,
must of course be vague and uncertain. Now
it is evident that no map ought to be relied up-

" on, except in cases where the traveller has been

able to adjust the latitudes and longitudes by
actual observation. The allowance also of 17
geographical miles for a days journey, acord-
ing to major Reni'zell’s camputation, is in ma-
ny places too much, and in others too little,
consequently the table of roads from Gambia
to Silla,‘ as traced on said map is one continued
error.- However willing the Editorfeels t0 grae
tify the curious, as far as he can, with all due
regard to truth, he is nevertheless unwilling to
become a party in deception of any hind, and he
must therefore take the liberty to omit the map,
as well as the geographical illustrations upon
which it is founded, in hopes that some more for-
tunaiggraveller will speedily complete what Alia
Par slid-3‘ so ably begun.

Q

TRAVELS

IN THE

NTERIOR OF AFRICA.

 

CHAPTER. I.

The Author’s Motives for undertahiug the
Voyage—Hi5 Injtruc‘tiom and Departure—i-
arrives at j’illifree—ou the Gambia River
-——Proceeds to Vintaz‘anome Account of
the Feloops—Proceeds up the Riverfor .7071,—
hahonda—Arrives at Dr. Laidley’s.—Some
Account oszfam'a, and the Britt/h Faftory
.e/tahlt/hed at that Place.-———The Author’s
Employment during his Stay at Pifania—
his Sichnefs and Recovery—the Country def-
crihed—prepares to ﬁt out for the Interior.

SOON after my return from the Eaﬁ-Indies
In 1793, having learn that the Noblemen, and
Gentlemen aﬂociated for the purpofe of pro-
fecuting difcoveries in the interior of Africa,
were deﬁrous of engaging a perfon to explore
that continent, by the way of the Gambia River,
I took oceaﬁon through means of the Preﬁdent
B

2 TRAVELS IN THE

of the Royal Society, to whom. I had the
honour to be known, of offering mylcll' for
that fervice. I had been informed that a
Gentleman of the name of Houghton, a Cap-
tain in the Army and formerly Fort—Major
at Goree had already failed to the Gambia
under the direction of the aflociation, and
that there was reafon to apprehend he had
fallen a facriﬁce to the climate 'or perifhed in
fome contell with the Natives but this intel-
ligencc inl’tead of detering me from my pur—
poie, animated me to perfilt in the offer of
my fervices with the greater iblicitude. I
had a pallionate deﬁre to examine into the
productions of a country f0 little known; and
to become experimentally acquainted with the
modes of life, and character of the natives.
I knew that I was able to bear fatigue; and
I relied on my youth, and the {trength of my
conﬁitution, to preferve me from the effects
of the climate. The falary which the corn-
mittee allowed was quicicntly large, and I
made no {tipulation for future reward. If
I fhould perilh in my journey, I was willing
that my hopes and expeetations {hould pcrifh
with me ; and if I {hould fucceed in rendering
the geography of Africa more Familiar to my
Countrymen, and in opening to their ambition
and indullry new fources of wealth, and new
Channels of commerce, I knew that I was
in the hands of men ofhonour, who would not
fail to bellow that remuneration which my

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 3

fuccefsful fervices fhould appear to them to
merit. The Committee of the Allociation,
having made fuch enquiries as they thought
neceifary, declared themfelves fatisfied with‘
the qualiﬁcations that I poffefled, and accept~
ed me for the fervice; and with that liberality
which on all occaﬁons diltinguifhes their con—
duct, gave me every encouragement which it
was in their power to grant or of which I could
with propriety afk.

It was at ﬁrﬁ propoled that I ll1ould accom-
pany Mr. james Willis, who was then recently
appointed Conful at Senegambia, and whom
countenance in that capacity it was thought
might have ferved and pl()tC&Cd me but
Government afterwards 1‘clci11ded his appomt-
ment, and I loll that advantage. The kindneis
of the Committee, however, ﬁzpplied all that
was neceﬂary. Being favoured by the Secre-
tary of the Affociation, the late Henry 'Beau.
foy, Efq. with a recommendation to Dr. John
Laidley, (a gentleman u ho had relided many
years at an Englilh factoiy on the banks of
the Gambia,) and furnilhed with a letter of
credit on him for f. 200, I took my pallage
in the brig Endeavour, a fmall veflel trading
to the Gambia for bees wax and ivory, com-
manded by Captain Richard Wyatt, and.I
became impatient for my departure.

My inltruétions were very plain and concifc.
I was directed, on my arrival in Africa, “ to
pafs on the river Niger, either by the way of

  

 

4 TRAVELS IN THE

Bambouk, or by fuch other route as fhould
be found molt convenient- That I {hould
afcertain the courfe, and, if pollible, the rife
and termination of that river. Tl'hat I {hould
ufe my utmolt exertions to viﬁt the principal
towns or cities in its neighbourhood, particu-
larly 'fornbuﬁoo and Houlla; and that I
{hould be afterwards at liberty to return to
Europe, either by the way of Gambia, or by
fuch other route, as under all the then exilting
circumﬂances of my ﬁtuation and prol'peﬁ‘ts,
lhould appear to me to be molt advifable.”

We failed from Portfmouth on the 22d
day of May, 1795. On the 4th of june,
we faw the mountains over Mogadore, on the
coalt of Africa; and on the 21R of the fame
month, after a plealant voyage of thirty days,
we anchored at Jillifi'ee, a town on the northern
bank of the river Gambia, oppoﬁte to James
Illand, where the Englifh had formerly a fmall
fort.

The kingdom of Barra, in which the town
of Jillifree is ﬁtuated, produces great plenty
of the neceffaries oflife; but the chief trade
of the inhabitants is in falt; which commodi—
ty they carry up the river in canoes as high as
Barraconda, and bring down in return Indian
, corn, cotton cloth, elephant’s teeth, fmall

,quantities of gold dull, &c. The number of
"canoes and people conllantly employed in this
trade, makes the king. of Barra more lormi-
dable to Europeans than any other Chieftain

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 5

on the river; and this circumltance probably
encouraged him to eltablilh thofe exorbitant
duties, which traders of all nations are obliged
to pay at entry, amounting to nearly ,5. 20'
on every veifel, great and fmall. Thele du-
ties, or cul’toms, are generally collected in
perlon by the Alkaid, or Governor ofjillifree,
and he is attended on thefe occaﬁons by at
numerous train of dependants, among whom
are found many, who by their frequent in-
tercourfe With the Englilh, have acquired a
ﬁnattering of our language; but they are com-
monly very noify, and very troublefome;
begging for every thing they fancy with fuch

earneﬁnefs and importunity, that traders, in,"
order to get quit of them, are frequently obli-

‘ ged to grant their requelts.

On the 23d we departed from Jillifree,‘ and
proceeded to Vintain, a town ﬁtuated about
two miles up a creek on the fouthern ﬁde
of the river. This place is much reforted to
by Europeans, on account of the great quan—
tities of bees-wax which are brought hither
for Yale: the wax is collecled in the woods
by the Feloops, a wild and unfociable race of
people. Their country, which is of conﬁder—
able extent, abounds in rice, and the natives
fupply the traders both on the Gambia and
Calla-mama rivers with that article, as well as
goats and poultry, on very reafonable terms.
The honey which they'colleét is chiefly ufed by

themfelves in making a thong intoxicating li-
B 2 .

:c “mum; -ru

5 - TRAVELS IN THE

quor, much the fame as the mead which is
produced from honey in Great Britain.

IN their traﬂic with Europeans, the Fe‘
loops generally employ a factor, or agent, of
the Mandingo nation, who fpeaks alittle Eng-
l'ifh, and is acquainted with the trade of the
river. This broker makes the bargain; and,
with the connivance ofthe European, receives
a certain part only of the payment; which he
gives to his employer as the whole; the re.
mainder (which is Very truly called the chant.
ing momy) he receives when the Feloop is
gone, and appropriates to himlelf, as a re-
ward for his trouble. ,

.3). On the 26th we left Vintain, and continued
our courfe up the river, anchoring whenever
the tide failed us, and frequently towing the
velfel with the boat. The river is deep and
muddy; the banks are c0vered with impene-
trable thickets of mangrove, and the whole
of the adjacent country appears to be flat and
fwampy.

The Gambia abounds with ﬁih, fome fpecies
of which are excellent food; but none of them
thatI recollect are known in Europe. At
the entrance from the fea, ﬂiarks are found in
great abundance; and higher up alligators and
the hippopotamus (or river horse) are very
numerous. The latter might with more pro-
priety be called the river—elephant, being of
an enormous and unwieldy bulk, and his teeth
furnilhes good ivory. This animal is amphi~

INTERIOR OF AFRICA 7

bious, with {hort and thick legs, and cloven
hool's; it feeds on grafs and fueh ihrubs as
the banks of the river afiord, boughs of trees,
&C. feldom venturing far from the water, in
which it feeks refuge on hearing the approach
of man: I have lecn many, and always found
them of a timid and inoﬁ‘eniive difpolition.

In lix days after leaving Vintain, we reached
Jonkakonda, a place of eona’iderable trade,
where our veﬁ‘d was to take in part of her
lading. The next morning the feveral Euro-
pean traders came from their different factories
to receive their letters, and learn the nature
arid amount of the cargo; and the Captain
dil'patched a meffenger to Dr. l..aidley to in-
form him of my arrival. He came to Jon-
kakonda the morning following, when I de-
livered him Mr. Beaufoy’s letter, and he gave
me a kind invitation to fpend my time at his
houfe‘ until an opportunity fhould offer of“
profecuting my journey. This invitation was
too acceptable to be rel‘u fed and being furnii'h-
ed by the Doeior with a horle and guide, I
fet out from Jonkakonda at daybreak on the
5th of July, and at eleven o’clock arrived at
Pifania, where I was accommodated with a
room and other conveniencies in the Doﬂor’s
houi'e.

Pifania is a {mall village in the King of
Yany’s dominions, eliabliihed by Britii‘h {ub-
jeEtS as a faélory for trade, and folely inha-
bited by them and their black fervants. It is

8 TRAVELS IN THE

{ituated on the banks of the Gambia, ﬁxteen
miles above jonkakonda. The white reti-‘
dents, at the time of my arrival there, con-
ﬁlled only of D)‘.Laldl6y and two gentlemen
who were brothers, of the name of Aini’ley,
but their dorm (ties were numerous. They,
enjoyed perfect lecmity under the king’s pro-
tettion, and being high ly elleetned and refpeEt-
ed by the natives at large, wanted no accom-
modation or comlort which the countiy could
l'upply; and the greatell part of the trade, in
Haves, ivory, and gold, was in their hands.
Being now lettled for ionic time at my cafe,
my firl’t object was to learn the {Vlandingo
tongue being the Language in aln‘mll general
ufe throughout this part ol'Aftica, and with-
out which I was lully convinced that I could
never acquiie an extenlive knowledue of the
country 01 its inhabitants. In this purluit I.
was greatly aﬂil’ted by Dr. Laidlcy, who, by
‘a long reﬁdence, in the country, and conllant
intercourie with the natives, had made himlclf
completely maller of it Next to the lan-
guage m'yb neat object was to collect informa—
tion concerning the countties I 1111(- 11d1d to vilit.
On this occali 011 l was releried to ce1taiu tray
ders called Slatees.Th;1c are [tee black
Merchants of great conii lciation in this patt
of Aliica whob come down irom the interior
countries chiefly with enllaxcd N1 grots for
fale; but I loon diicmered that my httle
dependance could be placed on the accounts

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 9

which they gave, for they contradicted each
other in the melt important particulars, and
all of them feemed extremely unwilling that
I Ihould profecute myjoumey. Thefe cir-
comflances increafed my anxiety to afccrtain
the truth from my own perfonal obfervations.

In refearchcs of this kind and in obferving
the manners and cuf’toms of the natives, in a
country f0 little known to the nations of Eu-
rope, and furnifhed with fo many {lriking and
uncommon objeEls of nature, my time palfed
notunpleafantly; and I began to flatter my-
fclf that I had efcaped the fever, or feafoning,
to which Europeans, on their full arrival in
hot climates, are generally fubjeét. But .on
the 31Il of july, 1 imprudently expofed myfelf
to the night dews in obferving an eclipse of
the moon with a View to determine the lon—
gituc’e of the place; the next day I found
myfclf attacked with a violent fever attended
with a delirium; and fuch an illnefs followed,
as conﬁned me to the houfe during the greateft
part of Augufl. My recovery was very {low
but. I embraced every fhort interval of conva-
lefcence to walk out, and make myfelf ac-
quainted with the productions of the country.
In one of thofe excurfions, having rambled
farther than ufual, in a hot day, I brought on
a return of my fever, and on the 10th of Sep-
tember I was again conﬁned to my bed. The
care and attention of Dr. Laidley contributed
greatly to alleviate my fuiferings; his compa-

1o . TRAVELS IN THE

my and converfation beguiled the tedious hours
during that gloomy fealon when the rain falls
in torrents; when {'uifocatlng heats opprefs
by day, and when night is {pent by the ter-
riﬁed traveller, in lillening to the croaking of
frogs, (of which the number are beyond ima-
gination,) the {brill cry of the jackall, and
the deep howling of the hyaen'a; a difmal
concert, interrupted only by the roar of fuch
tremendous thunder, as no perfon can form a
conception but thole who have heard it.

The country itfelf being an immenle level,
and very generally covered With woods, pre-
fents a tirelome and gloomy uniformity to the
eye; but although nature has denied to the
inhabitants the beauties of romantic land-
fcapes, {he has bellowed on them with a
liberal hand, the more important blellings of
fertility and abundance. A little attention to
cultivation procures a i'ufhciency of com; the
ﬁelds afford a rich pallurage for cattle; and
the natives are pleritil‘ully liipplied with ex—
cellent ﬁll], both from the Gambia river and
the VValli creek. 4

The grains which are chiefly cultivated are
Indian corn, (zeamays ;) two kinds of holcus
ﬂyicatus, called by the natives foono andfanio ,-
lzolcus nigcr, and Izolcus bicolor; the former of
which they have named baﬁ woolima, .and
the latter bq/ﬁqui. There, together with rice,
are railed in conﬁderable quantities; beﬁdes
which, the inhabitants in the vicinity of the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 11

towns and villages, have gardens, which pro-
duee onions, calavances, yarns, calfavi, ground-
nuts, pompions, gourds, water melons, and
{mine other efculent plants.

I obferved likewile, near the towns, {mall
patches of cotton and indigo. The former of
thefe l‘upplies them with cloathing, and with the
latter they dye their cloth an excellent blue
colour, in a manner that will hereafter be
delci‘ibed.

In preparing their corn for food the natives
ufe a large wooden mortar, called a falcon,
. in which they bruile the feed until it parts with
the outer covering, or huik, which is then fe-
parated from the clean corn, by expoling it
to the wind; nearly in the fame manner as
wheat is cleared from the chaff in England.
The corn, thus freed from the hulk, is return-
ed to the mortar, and beaten into meal ; which
is drelfed variouﬂy in different countries ; but
the moPt common preparation of it among the
nations of the Gambia, is a fort of pudding,
which they call leouskous. It is made by ﬁrlt
moiltening the flower with water, and then
ﬂirting and {halting it about in a large Gala-V
ball), or gourd, till it adheres together in ﬁnall
granules, refembling fago. It is then put into
an earthen pot, whofe bottom is perforated
with a number of {mall holes; and this pot
being placed upon another, the two vellels are
luted together,ieither with a paile of meal and
water, or with cow’s dung, and placed upon

12 TRAVELS IN THE

the ﬁre. ‘In the lower velTel is commonly-
fome animal food and water, the ﬁeam or
vapour of which afcends through the per-
forations in the bottom of the upper vellel, ‘
and foftens and prepares the kouskous, which
is very much elleemed throughout all the-
countries thatI vilited. I am informed, that
the fame manner of preparing flour, is very
generally uled on the Barbary coali, and that
the dilh fo prepared, is there called by the
fame name. It is therefore probable, that
the Negroes borrowed the practice from the
Moors.

For gratifying a taﬂe for variety, another
fort of pudding, called making, is fometimes
prepared from the meal of corn; and they
have alfo adopted two or three different modes
of dreﬁing their rice. Of vegetable food,
therefore, the natives have no want; and al-
though the common clafs of people are but
lparingly fupplied with animal food, yet this
alticle is not wholly withheld from them.

Their domeltic animals are nearly the fame
as in Europe. Swine are found in the woods,
but their flelh is not elteemed: probably the
marked abhorrence in whiclrthis animal is
held by the votaries of Mahomet, has {pread
itfelf among the Pagans. Poultiy of all kinds
ithe tu1kcy excepted) is exexy Vthe1e to be
had. T he Guinea ft Al and partridge abound
in the ﬁelds, and tie woods furni1l1 a fmall

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ,3

fpecies of antelope of which the venifon is
highly and defervedly prized.

Of the other wild animals in the Mandingo
countries, the molt common are the hyaena, the
panther, and the elephant. Confidering the
use that is made ofthe latter in the Ball Indies,
it may be thought extraordinary, that the na-
tives of Africa have not, in any part of this
immenfe continent, acquired the fkill of taming
this powerful and docile creature, and applying
his {trength and faculties to the fervice' of man.
When I told fome of the natives that this was
actually done in the countries of the Rail, my
auditors laughed me to fcorn, and exclaimed,
Taliaboufmmoi ! (a white man’s lie.) The Ne-
groes frequently ﬁnd means to deﬁroy the ele—
phant by ﬁre arms ; they hunt it principally for
the fake of the teeth, which they transfer in
barter to thofe who fell them again to the Eu-
ropeans. The flefh they eat, and confider it
as a great delicacy. The ufual beal’t of burthen
in all the Negro territories, is the ass. The
applicatiOn of animal labour to the purpofes of
agriculture, is no where adopted; the plough,
therefore, is wholly unknown. The chiefirn-
plement ufed in hufbandry is the hoe, which
varies in form in different diﬁrias ; and the la-
bour is univerlially performed by ﬂaves.

On the 6th of OEtober the waters of the
Gambia were at the greatelt height, being ﬁf-
teen feet above the higlrwater mark ofthe tide;
after which they began to fubfide; at ﬁrﬂ flow-

C n

14. TRAVELS IN THE

ly, but afterwards very rapidly; fometimes
linking more than a foot in twenty~four hours :
by the beginning of November the river had
funk to its former level, and the tide ebbed and
ﬂowed as ‘ufual. When the river had fubﬁd-
ed, and the atmol‘phere grew dry, I recovered
apace, and began to think ofmy departure, for
this is reckoned the molt proper fealbn for tra~
Velling: the natives had comp eted their harvcﬁ,
and proviﬁons were very cheap and plentiful.
Dr. Laidley was at this time employed in a
trading voyage at Jonkakonda. I wrote to him
to delire that he would ufe his interelt with the
Slatees, or Have merchants, to procure me the
company and protection of the full wﬁic (or
caravan) that might leave Gambia for, the inte-
rior country ; and in the mean time, I reqneflz—
ed him to purchafe for me a borfe and two alles.
A few days afterwards the Doctor returned to
l’ifania, and informed me that a coflle would
certainly go for the interior, in the courfe of the
dry fcafon; but that, as many of the merchants
belonging to it had not yet completed their af—
i'ortment ofgoods, he could not lay at what time
they would fet out. As the characters and dill
politions of the Slatees, and people who com—
poled the caravan, were entirely unknown to
me, and as they fecmed rather averle to my
purpofe, and unwilling to enter into any poll—
tive engagements on my account, and the time
oftheir departure being withal very uncertain,
I relblved, on further deliberation, to avail ir.y_

INTERIOR OF AFRICA 15

fcif of the dry feafon, and .proceed without
them.‘ Dr. Laidi’ey approved my determina..
tion, and promifcd me every aﬂiﬁance in his
power, to enable me to proihcute my journey
with comfort and fafety. This refolution hen-
ing been formed I made preparations accord.
ingly. And now, being about to take leave of
my hoi‘pitabic friend, (whofe kindnefs and foli-
citude continued to the moment of my depar—
ture,*) and to quit, for many months, the coun-
tries bordering on the Gambia, it fee'ms proger,
before I proceed with my narrative, that I
{hould in this place, give fome account of. the
{everal Negro nations which inhabit the banks
ofthis celebrated river; and the commercial
intercourfe that {uhﬁﬁs between them, and fuch
of the nations of Europe as ﬁnd their advan-’
page in trading to this part of Africa. The Oh-
fervationg which have occurred to me on both .
thefe {idbjeéls wiil be found in the foiiowing
Chapte‘.

"" Dr. Laidlsy has ﬁncc paid the debt: of na'urc. He lcft Africa

in the iazter End of 1797, inrending to return to Great Britain, by the
wry ofthe Wet}. Indies 5 and died {om aﬂcr his nzrival at Bzrbadocs.

‘16 TRAVELS IN THE

CHAP.‘ it.
Defcrift‘ion of the Fetoops, the Jaloﬁs, the

Foulahs, and the Mandingoes, the ﬁveral
Negro .Nations that inhabit the ban/c5 (fthe
Gambia.——Aec0unt ofthe trade between Eu-
rope and Africa by the way of the Gambia,
and between the‘ native inhabitants of the
may}! and the nations of the interior coun‘
tries: Their mode q/‘fetting and buying,
{9°C.

-1 t
’I‘HE natives of the countries bordering on
the Gambia, though idiﬁributed into a great
many diﬁiné‘t governments, may, be divided
into four great clafles; the Feloops, the 1a..
loﬂ‘s, the Foulahs, and the Mandingoes.
Among all thefe nations, the religion of Ma-
hornet has made, and continues to make, con-
ﬁderable progrefs; but, in molt of them, the
body of the people, both free and enﬂaved,
perfevere in maintaining the blind butharmlefs
fuperﬁiti-ons of their ancellors, and are called
by the Mahomedans Kaﬁrs, or Infidels.

The Feloops, are of a gloomy dil'poﬁtion,
and are fuppofed neVer to forgive an injury,
They are even faid to tranfmit their quarrels
as deadly feuds to their pol’terity; infomuch,
that a. fon conﬁders it as incumbent on him,
from a jull lenle of ﬁlial obligation, to‘be-
come the avenger of his deceafed father’s

—‘
.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. t7

wrongs. Ifa man lofes his life in one ofthofe'
fudden quarrels, which perpetually occur at
their fealts, when the whole party is intoxica—
ted with mead, his fon, or the eldelt of his
fons (if he has more than one) endeavours to
procure his father’s fanda’ls, which he wears
once a year, on the anniverfary of his father’s
death, until a ﬁt opportunity offers of re-
venging his fate, when the object of his relent-
ment l‘eldom efcapes his purl‘uit. This ﬁerce
and unrelenting difpolition is, however coun—
terbalanced by many good qualities; they dif-
play the utmolt gratitude and alleaion to-
wards their benel‘attorsfand the ﬁdelity with
which they prelerve whatever is intruﬁed to
them is remarkable. During the prefent war
they have more than once, taken up arms to
defend our merchant veilels from French priva-
teers; and Engliih property, of conﬁderable
value, has frequently been left at Vintain, for
a long time, entirely under the care of the
Feloops; who have uniformly manifeﬁed on
fuch occalions the ﬁrié’teﬁ; honelty and punc-
tuality. How greatly is it to be wifhed that
the minds of a people, f0 determined and
faithful, could be foliened and civilized, by
the mild and benevolent fpirit of Chriﬁianity.

The Jaloii's (or 'i’aloffs) are an active, pow-
erful, and warlike race, inhabiting great part
.of' that traEt which lies between the river Sene.
gal,,and the Mandingo States on the Gambia ;

yet they diEer from the Mandingoes, not only
C 2.

.0
up

18 - TRAVELS IN THE

in language, but likewife in complexion and
features. The nofes of the Jalo'hrs are not so
much deprelfed, nor the lips r0 protuberant,
as among the generality of Africans; and al-
though their {kin is of the decpclt black, they
are conﬁd‘ered by the white traders, as the
molt lightly Negroes in this part of the con-
-nnenL

They are divided into feveral independent
ﬁates or kingdoms; which are frequently at
war, either with their neighbours, or with each
other. In their manners, fuperliitions; and
government, however, they have a greater re-
femblance to the .t’iandingoes (of whom I {hall
prelently fpeak) than to any otherizatiorr ; but
excel them in the manufitélure ol‘ cotton cloth ;
{pining the wool to a ﬁner thread, weaving it
in a broader loom, and dying it ol‘a better
colour.

The Foulahs (or Pholeys) [itch of them at
leaﬂ as relide near the Gambia, are chiefly of
a tawny complexion, with loft lilky hair, and
plealing features. They are much attached
.to a paltoral life, and have introduced them—
felves into all the kingdoms on the windward
coall, as herdfmen' and hufbaridmen, paying '
a trihute to the lovereign of the country for
the lands which they hold. ‘Nothaviiig ma;
I'ny opportunities however, during my relidence
at Pifania, of improving my acquaintance with ,
thefe' people, I defer entering at large into'their '

INTERIOR or AFRICA. . I9

character, until a litter occalion occurs, which
will prefent itfelf II hen I come to Bondou.

The Mandingoes, of whom it remains to
fpealI, conl’titut‘e in tIuth, the bulk of the III-
habitants in all [hole diI‘tIi‘c’ts of Aliica which
I vilited; and theirlangI age, with a few ex—
Ceptions, is univerlally undeI flood, and very
- generally fpoken, III that part of the continent.

I‘hey are called Mandingoes, I conceiVe, as hav-
ing oIiginally migrated rom the Interior Rates
of Manding, of which lome account will here-
after be given; but, contrary to the prefent
conﬂitution of their parent country, which is
republican, it appears that the government in
all the Mandingo llates, near the Gambia, Is
monarchical. The power of the roveieign is,
however, by no means unlimited. In all af-
fairs ofimportance, the king calls an allembly
of the principal men, or elders, by whole
councils he is direiﬁlcd, and without whole ad-
vice he can neither declare war nor conclude
pi CaCC.

In every confideiable town there is a chief
magillratc , called the Alkazd, whole ofﬁce 13
hereditary, and whole buﬁnels it is to pre-
ferve order, to levy duties on travellers, and
to prelide in all conferences in the exercife of
local jurillli‘c’fliOI and the adminiilration of
jIIllice. 'The fe courts are com poled of the

ell-“rs of the town(ol free condition) and are
te med winners; and their proceedings .are
Condué‘aed III the open air with fufﬁcient fo-

“N-

ao TRAVELS INfI'HE

lcmnity. Both ﬁtles of a quellion are freely
canvaﬂ'ed, witneiles are publicly examined,
and the deciﬁons w rich follow, generally meet
with the approbation of the furrounding air-
diencc. ,

As the ,Negmes have no written language
ol‘their own, the general rule of'dccilion is an
appeal to ancient; ctr/20m ; but ﬁn‘ze the i'yllem
of Mahomet has made ['0 great progrefs
among them, the converts to that faith have
gradually introduced with the religious tenets,
many of the civil inllitutions of the Prophet;
and where the Koran is not found ihlﬁciently
explicit, recourle is bad to a commentary
caled Al Sharia; containing, it is laid a com-
plete expoﬁtion or digeﬁ of the Mahomedan
laws, both civil and criminal, properly ar-
ranged and illulirated.

This frequency of appeal to written laws,
with which the Pagan natives are neceilarily
unacqttainted, has given rife in their palavers
to profct'lional advocates, or expounders of
the law who are allowed to appear and to
plead for plantitf or defendant, much in the '
fame manner as counfel in the law courts of
Great—Britain. They are Mahomedan Ne—
groes, who have made, or affect to have made,
the laws of the 'Prophet their peculiar Rudy ;
and if one may judge from their harangues,
in the forenﬁc qualiﬁcations of procraﬂination
and cavil, and the arts of confounding and per-
plexing a cause, they are not always furpaﬂied

by the ablell pleaders in Europe. WhileI

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ~ ' 21

Was at Pifania, a eaufe was heard, which
furnilhed the Mahomedan lawyers with an ad-
mirable opportunity of difplaying their pro-
feﬁional dexterity. The cafe was this: An
ass belonging to a Sc1anoolli Negro (a native
of an interior country near the river Senegal)
had b1ol to into a ﬁel ioi com belonging to one
of the Mandingo inl1a hitants, and delttoyed
great part ofit. The I‘ua: 1dingo‘ naving caught
the animal in his ﬁeld, immediately drew his
knife, and cut its throat. Ihe Serawoolli
thereupon called a palm/er (or in European
terms, brought an (1171071) to recover damages
for the lol‘s of his beali, on which he let a high
value. The deiendant confeﬂbd he had killed
the afs, but pleaded afet (51f, inﬁi’ting that the
lo‘fs he had fui’tained by theravage in his corn,
was equal to the {11m demanded for the ani-
mal. To afeertain this faét was the point at
iflhe, and the learned advocates contiived to
puzzle the eatlie in fuch a manner, that after.
a hearing of three days, the court broke up,
without coming to any determination upon it ;
and a fecond palaver was, I fuppofe, thought
neceﬂ‘ary.

The Mandingoes. generally Fpeaking, are of
a mild, fociable, and ohliging difpolitiOn.
The men are commonly above the middle
ﬁze, ell Ihaped, ﬁrong, and capable of en-
during great labour; the women are good-
natured, fprightly and agreeable. The drefs
of both fexes is eompol'ed of cotton cloth, of

22 TRAVELS IN THE

theii own manufaélure, that of the men is a
loofe hock, not unlike a furpliee with drawers
which 1cach half 11 213’ down the leg , and they
wear fandals on their feet, and white cotton
caps on their heads. The womens’ drefs con-
ﬁlls of two pieces of cloth, each of which is
about lix' feet long, and three broad; one of
thele they wrap round the waiﬁ, which hanging
down to the ancles, anfwers the purpofe of a ‘
petticoat: The other is thrown negligently
over the bolom and fhoulders.

This account of their clothing is indeed
nearly applicable to the natives of all the dif—
ferent countries in this part of Africa; a pecu-
liar national mode is obfervable only in the
head—drelles of the women.

Thus, in the countiies of the Gambia, the
females wear a fort oi bandage, w 'zich they call
37121.14. It is a narrow {trip 0: co ton cloth,
wrapped many times r011 11d immediately over

the lorchead. In Bondou the head is encir—

cled with ﬁrings of white beads, and a fmall
plate of gold is worn in the middle of the
forehead. In Kaflon, the ladies decorate their
heads in a very taﬂeful land eleount manner,
with white fea-lhells. In Kaarta and Luda-
mar, the women raife their hair to a great
height, by the addition of a pad (as the ladies
did formerly in Great Britain) which they
decotate with a fpecies of coral, brouuht from
the‘ Red Sea by pilgrims returning from Met,
ca, and fold at a great priCe,

INTERIOR OF. AFRICA. 23

In the conﬁruﬂion of their dwelling houfes,

the Mandingoes, alfo, conform to the general
praﬁice‘of the African nations on this part of
the continent, contenting themfelves with fmall.
and ineommodious hovels. * A circular mud
wall, about four feet high, upon which is
placed a conical roof, compofed of the barn-
boo cane, and thatched with grafs, forms
alike, the palace of the king, and the hovel
of. the flave. Their houlliold furniture is
equally limpie. A hurdle of canes placed
upon upright italics, about two‘ feet from
the ground, upon which is fpread amat or
bullock’s hide, anfwers the purpofe ofa bed :
a water jar, fotne earthen pots for drelfing
their food, a few wooden bowls and cala-
halhes, and one or two low itools, compofe the
rcﬂ. -

As every man of free condition has a plu-
rality of wives, it is found necelfary (to prevent
matrimonial difputes) that each of the ladies
{hould be accommodated with a but to her-
felt"; and all the huts belonging to the fame
family are furrounded by a fence, conliruﬂed
of bamboo canes fplit and formed into a kind
of wickenwork. The whole incl’ofure is

c' lied aﬁrk or fur/a. A number of thefe
inclolures, with narrrow paiTanes between
them, form what is called a town; but the
huts are generally placed withoUt any regu-
larity, according to the caprice of the owner.
The oniy rule that feems to\ be attended to,

24 TRAVELS m TH

is in placing the door towards the fouth-wef'l,
in order to admit the fea breeze.

In' each toWn is 'a large Rage called the
b‘entang, which anl'wers the purpofe of a pub-
lic hall or town—houi'e; it is compofed ‘of
interwoven canes, and is generally Iheltered
from the fun by being erected in the fhade
of ionic large tree. It is here that all public
affairs are tranfaé‘ted and trials conducted;
and here the lazy and indolent meet to iinoke
their pipes and hear the news of the day. In
molt .towns the Mahomedans have alfo a.
miﬂm‘a, or"mol'que in which they allemble
and odor up their daily prayers, according
to\ the rules or" the Koran.

In the account which I have thus given
of the natives, the reader mull bear in mind,
thatmy ohlervations apply chiefly to per—
ions of free condilien, who conllitute it is
iuppoled, not more than one—fourth part of
the inhabitants at large; the other threedourths
are in a date of hopelefs and hereditary {la-
very; and are employed in cultivating the
land, in the care (if cattle, and of l‘ervile
oﬂices of all kinds, Which in the fame manner
as the {laves in the Vth Indies. I was told
however, that the Mandingo tnaﬁcr can nei-
ther deprive his {lave of life, nor fell him
to a ﬁranger, without ﬁril calling a pala-
ver on his conduct; or in other words, bring-
ing him to a tuhlic trial : But this degree of
protection is extended only to the native or

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 25

domeﬂic flave. Captives taken in war, and
thole unfortunate victims who are condemned
to llavery for crimes of infolvency, and in
ihort, all thofe unhappy people who are
brought down from the interior countries for
fale, have no fecurity whatever, but may be
treated and difpofed of in all refpeas as the
owner thinks proper. It fometimes happens
indeed, when no {hips are on the coaﬂ, that
a humane and conﬁderate mailer, incor—
porates his pttrchaled {laves among his do-
mellics ; and their offspring at leaf’r, if not the
parents become entitled to all the privileges
of the native clafs.

The preceding remarks, concerning the re.
vei‘al nations that inhabit the banks ofthe Gam.
bia, are all that I recollect as tiecelfary to be
made in this place, at the outlet of myjourney.
With regard to the Mandingoes, however, ma-
ny particulars are yet to be related; fome of
which are necelTarily interwoveninto the narra-
tive of my progrefs, and others will be given
in a fummary, at the end of my work; together
with all luch oblervations as I have collected
on the country and climate, which I could not
with propriety insert in the regular detail ofoc-
currenccs. What remains of the prefent chap-
ter will, therefore, relate folely to the trade
which the nations of Chriﬁendom have found
means to eltablilh with the natives of Africa,
by the channel of the Gambia ; and the inland
traffic which has arifen, in confequence of it,

V D c

2,6 TRAVELS IN THE

between the inhabitants of the coaﬁ, and the na—
tions of the interior countries.

The earlieﬂ European eﬁablilhment 011
this celebrated river was a factory of the Portu-
’guefe ; and to this muﬂ be afcribed, the in-
trodué‘tion of the numerous words of that lan-

guage which are Hill in ufe among the Negroes.
Pfhe Dutch, French, and Engliih, afterwards
fucceﬂively poiieffed themfelx es of fettlements
on the coaﬁ, but the trade of the Gambia
became, and continued for many years, a fort
of monopoly in the hands of the Englilh.
'In the travels of Mr. Francis Moore, is pre-
ferved an account of the Royal African
Company’s seﬁablilhments in this rix er, in the
year 1730; at which time, Jame’s factory
alone, eonliiied of a gm ernor, deputy govei-
nor, and two other piincipal oﬁiceis; eight
faEtors, thirteen writers, twenty inferior at—
tendants and tradeimen; a company of fol-
diers, and thirty mo Negro fervants; beﬁdes
ﬂoops,il1allops, and boats, with theii crews;
and there were no leis than eight fubmdinate
faﬁories in other p.11 ts of the river

'I he t1 atle with Eurone, by being afte1wards
laid open, was 211 lmoi’t annihilated; the {hate
which the iiibjecis of Em land at this time
hold in it, happens not moie than £110 01
th- cc annual qjl1ios;and it is (aid, ti;" c, 31013
1aluc of B1i: 11'hI exp 0115 is under £. 20. 000.
The Fiench a11t‘132111e3 iiill maintain :1 iniail
Ihare, and the A111e1ica11s have lately fent a

u

INTERIOR OI“ AFRICA. 2;

few velfels to the Gambia by way of experi—
ment.

The commodities exported to the Gambia’
from Europe, conliﬁ chiefly of ﬁre-arms and
ammunition, iron ware, fpirituous liquors,
tobacco, cotton caps, a [mall quantity of—
broad cloth, and a few articles of the manu-
facture of Mancheﬁer, - a fmall allortmént
of India goods, with fome glafs beads, amber,
and other trifles; for which are taken in ex-
change, llaves, gold dull, ivory, bees- -wax,
and hides. Slaves a1e the chief article, but
the whole number which at this time are an-
nuall y exported from the Gambia by all 112t—
tions, is fuppofed to be under one thoufand.

Molt of thefe unfortunate viElims are
brought to the coall in pe1iodica1 caravans;
many of them from very remote inland coun-
tries ; For the language which they fpeak is not
underﬂood by the inhabitants of the maritime
diltrias. In a fubfequent part ofmy work, I
{hall give the belt information I have been
able to colleé’t, concerning the manner in which
they are obtained. On their arrival at the coaﬂ,
ifno immediate opportunity oﬂ‘ers of felling
them to advantage, they are dellributed among
the neicrhbourin; 1 villages, until a {lave {hip are
1: Ves, or until they can be lold to black traders,
uhofometimes purchale on fneculation. In
the meanwhile, the poor wretches are kept con—
llantly lettered, two and two of them being
chained together, and employed in the labours

28 TRAVELS IN THE

ofthe ﬁeld ; and I am forty to add, are very
' fcantily fed, as well as harlhly treated. The
price of a llave varies according to the num—
ber of purchafers from Europe, and the arrival
of caravans from the interior ; but in general
I reckon, that a young and healthy male, from
16 to 25 years of age, may be ellimated on the
[pm from [1 8-toi'2o ﬁerling.

The Negro {lave merchants, as I have he-
fore obferved in the former chapter, are called
Slatees ; who, beﬁdes llaves, and the merchan-
dize which they bring for {ale to the Whites,
i‘upply the inhabitants of the maritime diliri‘cts
with native iron, i'wcet frnelling gums and frank.
incenfe, and a commodity [called Shea-trult‘ru,
which, literally tranllated, lignihes tree—[Wren
This commodity is extracted, by means oi boil-
ing water, from the kernel ol'a nut, as will he
more particularly defcriberl hereafter; it has
the conlillence and appearance of butter, and
is in truth an admirable {tibtitute for it. It
forms an important article in the food of the
natives, and lerves allo for every domeliic pur-
pofe in which oil would otherwiie he ulcd.
The demand for it is therefore very great.

In payment for theft: articles, the maritime
ﬂates fupply the interior, countries with lalt, a
fcarce and valuable commodity, as I frequent—
ly and painfully experienced in the courle of
my journey. Conﬁderable quantities of this
article, however, are allo fupplied to the inland
natives by the Moors ; who obtain it from the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. :6 —

{alt-pits in the Great helm, and receive in re-
turn corn, cotton cloth, and ilaves.

In this bartering one commodtiy for ano—
ther, many inconveniencies mnﬂ neeeiTarily
have aril'en at ﬁrﬂ for the want of coined mo-
ney, or lome other viﬁble and determinate me-
drum to {ettle the balance, or difference of va,
lue, between dill‘erent articles; to remedy which,
the natives of the interior make ufe of ﬁrm”
{hells called Kowries, as will be {liewn hereaf-
ter. On the coal’t, the inhabitants have adopt.
ed a practice, which, I believe, is peculiar to
theml'elves. ‘ ”

In their early intercourfe with Europeans,
the article that attracted moi’t their notice was
iron. Its utility, in forming the iniiruments
of war and huibandry, made it preferable to
all others ; and iron foon became the meafure
by which the value of all other commodities
was afcertained. Thus a certain quantity of
goods, of whatever denomination, appearing
to be equal in value to a bar of iron, conﬁitu-
‘ ted, in the trader’s phrafeology, a bar of that
particular merchandize. , Twenty leaves of
tobacco, for inilance, were conﬁdered as a bar
of tobacco ; and a gallon of fpirits (or rather
half l'pirits and half water) as a bar of rum;
a bar of one commodity being reckoned equal
in value to a bar of another commodity. I

As however, it mull unavoidably happen,
that according to the plenty or fcarcity of

goods at market in proportion to the demand,
D 2

3o TRAVELS IN THE

the relative value would be fubjeét to con.
tinual fluEtuation, greater precihon has been
found neceITary , and at this time, the current
value of a ﬁngle bar, of any kind, is ﬁxed
by the whites at two {billings ﬂerling. Thus
a {lave whole price is f 15. is [aid to be worth
one hundred and fifty bars.

In traniaaions of this nature, it is obvious,
that the white trader has inﬁnitely the advan-
tage over the African, whom, therefore, it
is difﬁcult to l'atisi'y, for conl'cious of his
own ignorance, he naturally becomes exceed
ingly {11 picious and waveimg; and indeed,
f0 very uniettled and jealous are the Negioes
in their dealings with the Whites, that a
bargain is never conlideredby the European
as concluded, until the purchafe money is
paid, and the party has taken leave.

Having now brought together iuch general
obfervations on the country and HS inhabitants,
as occur1ed to me duiing my rehdence in the
vicinage of the Gambia, I {hall detain the read.
er no longer with introduﬁ 101y matter- but
proceed 1n E’the next chapte1,.to a regular detail
of the incidents which happene l, and the reﬂec-

tions which aroie in my mind, in the courfe of
my painful and perilousjourney, from its com-
menccment, until my return to the Gambia.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 31

CHAPTER III.

The Author leaves Pisania—‘His attendants—
He reaches finely—Story related by a Man-
dingo Negro—~1broceeds to Medina, the capi-
tal (if ”Halli—Interview with the King—~—
Sez/Jhies 0r charms—~Proeeed5 to K0107”—
Deseripfion of Muml'o _7um/20—~—Arrives at
Koojdr: Wire/Hing 7nateh——erﬂes the wil-
dernefs, and arrives at Tillika, in the king.
dam «fBondou, 5:96. V '

ON the 2d of December, 1795, I took my
departure from the hofpitable manlion of Dr.
Laidley. ’ I was. fortunately provided with a
Negro fervant, who {poke both the Englifh
and Mandingo tongues. His name was 70/171-
fon. He was a native of this part of Africa;
and having in his youth been conveyed to Ia-
maica as 3 Have, he had been made free, and
taken to England by his mailer, where he had
relided many years; and at length found his
way back to his native country. As he was
known to Dr. Laidley, the Doﬁor recom-
mended him to me, and I. hiredthim as my
interpreter, at the rate of ten bars monthly, to
be paid to himliclf, and five bars a month to be

aid to his Wife during his ablence. Dr. Laid-I
lt-y furthermore provided «me with a Negro
boy of his own, named Dem/m ; a fprightly
youth, who, helidemMandingo, {poke the lan-
guage ol‘the Serawoollies, an inland people (of
whom mention will hereafter be made) reﬁning

3% TRAVELS IN THE

on the b’anltsef the Senegal; and to ltl'lllCC
him to behave well, the DoEtor promiﬁ‘d him
his freedom on his return, in cafe 1 lhould re-
port favourably ofhis ﬁdelity and fervices. I
was furnilhed with a horle for myfelf. (a final],
but very hardy and l‘pirited heaﬁ, which colt
me to the value off 7. 105.) and two allics
for my interpreter and l‘ervant. My baggage
was light, confining; chielly ol' prorilions for
two days; a. [mall allortment of beads, amber,
and tobacco, for the pnrehali: ofa frelh {hp-
ply, as I proceeded; a few changes of linen,
and other necelfary apparel, an umbrella, a
pocket l‘extant, a magnetic compals, and a
thermometer; together with two t'owling pie-
ces, two pair of piltols, and fome other linall .
articles.

' A free man (a Bulhreen or Mahomedan).
named Madiboo, who was travelling to the
kingdom of Bambara, and two Slatees, or Have
merchants of the Serawoolli nation, and of the
lame letil, who were going to ‘Bondou, offered
their brvices as far as they intended refpec-
tively to proceed; as did likewife a Negro
named Tami, (allb a Mahomedanla native of
Kallon, who had been employed lbme years
by Dr. Laidley, as a blackl'mith, and was re.
turning to his native‘country with the favings
of his lalmurs. All thefe men travelled on
foot driving their alles before them. .

Thus I had no lels than lix attendants, all of
whom had been taught to regard the with. great

INTERIOR or AFRICA, 33

relpeﬁl; and to conﬁder that their fai'e return
hereafter, to the countries on the Gambia,
would depend on my prefervation. -

Dr. Laidley hirni'elf, and Melfrs. Ainfley,
with a number of their domeﬁics, kindly de-
termined to accompany me‘ the two ﬁrit days ;
and I believe they i'ecretly thought they lhould
never fee me afterwards.

We reached Jindey the fame day, having
crofi‘ed the VValli creek, a branch of the Gam-
bia, and relied at the houfe of a black woman,
who had formerly been the chem: amie of a
white trader, named Hewett; and who, in con-
fequence thereof, was called, by way ofdillinc—
tion, Smiora.‘ In the the evening we walked
out to ice an adjoining Village, belonging to a
Slatee named Jemaﬁ'oo Mamadoo, the richell:
ol’all the Gambia traders. We found him at
home; and/he thought fo highly of the honour
done him by this vilit, that he prefcnted us with
a ﬁne bullock, which was immediately killed,
and part of it drelied For our evening’s repull.

The Negroes do not go to ﬂipper till late;
and in order to amufe ouri'elves while our beef
was preparing, a Mandingo was delired to re-
late i'ome diverting {tories ; in lil’tening to
which, and ﬁnoking tobacco, we l‘pent three
hours. Thefe {lories bear fome reiemblance to
thofe in the Arabian Nights Entertainments -;
but, in general, are of a more ludicrous call.
I {hall here abridge one of them for the read-
er’s amuicment.

34 TRAVELS IN THE

“ Many years ago (laid the relator) the peo-
ple of Doomalanla (a town on the Gambia)
We’re much annoyed by a lion, that came every
night, and tool: away Tome of their cattle. By
continuing his depredations, the people were
at length {'0 much enraged, that a party ofthem
refolved to go and hunt the. arrzuonller. They
accordingly proceeded in feareli of the com-
mon enemy, who they found concealed in a
thiCket; and immediately ﬁring at him, were
lucky enough to wound him in l‘uch a manner,
that, in l‘pringing from the thicket towards the
people, he fell down among the'gral‘s, and was
unable to rife. The animal, however, mani-
felted luch appearance of vigour, that nobody
cared to approach him lingly; and a confulta-
tion was held, concerning the properel’t means
of taking him alive; at circumllance, it was
laid, which, while it furnilhed undeniable proof
of their prowel‘s, would turn out to great ad—
vantage, it being rel'olved to convey him to
the coal’t, and 11:11 him to the Europeans.
While lome perl‘ons propolbd one plan, and
fome another, an ()lil man oHEred a lcl eme:
This was, to llrip the roof of a bottle ofits
thatch, and to carry the bamboo frame (the
pieces of which are well lecured together by
thongs) and throw it over the lion. ll, in ap-
proaching him he flzould attempt to fpring up-
on them, they had nothing to do but to let
down the roof upon themlelites, and ﬁre at the
lion through the rafters.

INTERIOR or AFRICA. ‘ 35

“ This propoﬁtion was approved and adopt-
ed. The thatch was taken from the roof of
a hut, and the lion-hunters, fupporting the fab-
ric, marched courageoully to the ﬁeld of bat-
tle; each perfon carrying a gun in one hand,
and bearing his {hare of the roof on the op-
poﬁte lhoulder. In this manner they ap-
proached the enemy: But the bead had by
this time recovered his ltrcngth; and fuch
was the ﬁercenefs of his countenance, that the
hunters, inl’tead of proceeding any funher,
thought it prudent to provide for their own.
ﬁlmy, by covering themlelves with the roof.
Unfortunately; the lion was too nimble for
them; for, making a fpring while the roof-
was letting down, both the bealt and his
put—ﬁlers were caught in the lame cage, and'
the lion devoured them at his leifure, to the
great allonilhment and mortiﬁcation of the
:eople of Doomalanfa; at which place it is
dangerous even at this day to tell the-llory;
for it is become the fubjeél of laughter and
dcriﬁon in the neighbouring countries, and
nothing will enrage an inhabitant of that town;
{'0 much, as deﬁring him to catch a lion,
alive.” '

About ore o’clock in the afternoon of the
34. of December, 1 took leave of Dr. Laid-
lcy and Meﬁ‘rs. Ainfley, and rode {10le into '
the woods. I had now before me a bound-
lt‘ili foreli, and a country, the inhabitants of
which were {’trangers to civilized life, and to

36 TRAVELS IN THE

mol’t of whom a White man was the object of
curioﬁty or plunder. I relleéted that I had
parted from the laﬁ European I might pro-
bably behold, and perhaps quitted for ever the
comforts of Chriﬁian lociety. Thoughts
like thefe would necellarily call a gloom over
the mind, andI rode muting along for about
three miles, when I was awakened from my re.
verie by a body of people, who came running
up and {topped the alE, giving me to underﬁand,
that I mult go with them to Pecaba, to prelent
myfclf to the king of VValli, or pay cultoms to
them. .I endeavoured to make them compre-
hend that the objeEt of myjourney not being
trafﬁc, I ought not to be fubjeé‘ted to a tax like
the Slatees, and other merchants, who travel
for gain; butI realoned to no purpole. They
faid it was ul'ual for travellers of_ all defcrip-
tions to make a prefent to the king of Walli,
and without doing fo, I could not be permit-
ted to proceed. As they were more numerous
than my attendants, and withal very noify, I
thought it prudent to comply with their de-
mand, and having prefented them with Four
bars of tohacco, for the king’s ufe, I was per-
mitted to continue my journey, and at funfet
reached a village near Kootacunda, where we
reﬁ'ed for the night.

In the morning of December 4th, I palTed
Kootacunda, the lalt town of Vv’alli, and {top—
ped about an hour at a fmall adjoining Village
to‘pay cultom to an ofﬁcer of the king of

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 357

Woolli ; we relied the enfuing night at a vil-
lage called Tabajang; and at noon the next
day (December 5th) we reached Medina, the
capital of the king of Woolli’s dominions.

The kingdom of Woolli is bounded by
Walli on the well, by the Gambia on the fouth,
by the {mall river W'alli on the north~well ; by
Bondou on the northeaﬁ 5, and on the calf, by
the Simhani wildernefs.

The country every where rifes into gentle
acclivit’ies, which are generally'covered with
extenﬁve woods, and the towns are ﬁtuated in
the intermediate valleys. Each town is fur—
rounded by a traEt of cultivated land, the pro-
duce of which, I prefume, is found fuﬂicient
to fupply the wants of the inhabitants ; for the
foil appeared to me to be every where fertile,
except near the tops of the ridges, where the
red iron ﬁone, and l’tunted l‘hrubs, fulﬁciently
marked the boundaries between fertility and
barrennefs. The chief produclions are cotton,
tobacco, and efculent vegetables; all which
are railed in the valleys, the riling grounds be-
ing appropriated to diff-{rent ions of com.

The inhabitants are Mandingoes, and, like
molt of the Mandingo nations, are divided in-
to two great feels, the Maho‘inedans, who are
called Big/hreens, and the Pagans who are cal-
led indifcriminately Kaﬁrs (unbelievers) and
Sonakics (i. 5. men who drink itrong liquors).
The Pagan natives are by far the mol’t nu-
merous, and the government of the country is

E

 

38 . TRAVELS IN THE

in their hands ; for though the moﬁ refpeﬁlahle
among the Bufhreens are frequently confulted
in affairs of importance, yet they are never
peimitted to take any {hare 1n the executive
goVernment, which reﬂs folely 1n the hands of
the Manfa, or foyerign, and great ofﬁcers of
the date. Of thefe, the full 1n point of rank
is the prefumptive heir of the crown, who is
called the Farbamza ; next to him are the Al-
lcdz'ds, or provincial governors, who are more
frequently called Kcamos. Then follow the
two grand diviﬁons of freen1e1‘1a11d flaves*;
of the former, the Sl‘atees, fo frequently men-
tioned in the preceding pages, are conﬁdercd as
the principal : But in all claifes, great refpeEt
is paid to the authority of aged n1 e11.

On the death of the rei; Hing monarch, his
eldcfl ion (if he has attained to the ace of man-
hood) fucceeds to the rega lauthcnity.ED If there
is 110 ion, or if the fon IS under the age of dif-
cretion, a meetmg of the 131eat1nen is held, and
the late monarch’s neared relation (commonly
his brother) is called to the go 11.11111 nt, not as

epent, or guardian to the i1 {2111111111, 13111111
lull ﬁght, and to the excluf hon of the minor.
The changes of the gmmnment are dehaved
, by occalional tributes [10111 the people, and by
duties on goods tranfpmted acrofs~ the country.
'l'ravellers, on going from the Gambia towards
the inteiioi, pay e11 1101115 in lu1opean mei-

* The term which ﬁghts a {113.1 of Free condition SSrH ointA,
that of a ﬂave, Jone.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA 39

chandize. On returning, they ‘p’ayiinirr‘on and
shea-toulou: Thefe taxes are 'paid at every
town.

Medina‘l~ the capital of the kingdom, at
which I was now arrived, is a place of confi-
derable extent, and may contain from eight
hundred to one thoufand houfes. {It is fortifi-
ed in the common African manner, by a fur;
' rounding high wall, builtof clay, and wont.
wsard fence of pointed {takes and prickly built-

-but the walls are neglecied, and the out-
wsard fence has {ulfercd confiderably from the
aetive hands of bufy houfe- wwes, who pluck
up the {takes for ﬁrewood. I obtained a lodg-
ing at one of the king’ 3 near relations, who ap—
prifed me, that at my introdué‘tion to the king,
I mult not prefume, raj/mice hands with hit/21.
It was not ufual, he faid, to allow this liberty
to ﬁrangers. Thus inllrué‘ted, I went in the
afternoon to pay my refpeEts to the fovereign,
and afk permifﬁon to pafs through his territo-
ries to Bondou. The king’s name was jatta.
He was the fame venerable old man of whom
fo favourable an account was tranfmitted. by
Major Houghton. I found him feated upon
a mat, before the door of his hut: A number
of men and women were arranged on each tide,

ho were finging and clapplingr their hands. I
faluted him relpeétlully, and informed him of

1' Medina in the Arabic ﬁgniﬁes a city; the name is not uncom-

mon among the Negroes, and has probaLly been borrowed from the
Mahomcdans. -

49 TRAVELS IN THE

the purport of my viﬁt. The king gracioully
replied, that he not only gave me leave to pals
through his country, but would offer up his
prayers for my fafcty. On this, one of my
attendants, feemingly in return for the king‘s
condefcenlion, began to iing, or rather to roar,
an Arabic fong; at every paule of which, the
king himfelf, and all the people prefent, {truck
their hands againlt their foreheads, and ex-
claimed, with devout and alfecling folemnity,
Amen, amen !* The king told me further-
more, that I ihould have a guide the day fol.
lowing, who would conduct me fafely to the
frontier of his kingdom. I then took my
leave, and in the evening fent the king an or-
der upon Dr. Laidley for three gallons of rum,
and received in return great {tore of provi-
ﬁons.

‘Dec. 6th, early in the morning, I went to
the kinga fecond time, to learn if the guide
was ready. I- found his majelly ﬁtting upon a
bullock’s hide, warming himfelf before a large
ﬁre; for the Africans are fenfible of the final.
left variation in the temperature of the air, and
frequently complain of cold when an Europe-
an is opprelfed with heat. He received me
with a benevolent countenance, and tenderly

* It may feem from hence that the king was a Mahomet‘an; but I
was alfured to the contrary. He joined in prayer on this occaﬁon,
probably, from the mere dictates of his benevolent mind ; conﬁdcr-
ing, perhaps, that prayers to the Almighty, offered up with true de-
votion and ﬁncerity, were equally acceptable, whether from Bufh-
rcen or Pagan. ‘

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 41

intreated me to defii’t From my purpofe of tra-
velling into the interior; telling me, that Ma-
jor Houghton had been killed in his route, and
that if 1 followed his footileps, I lhould pro-
bably meet with his late. He [aid that I mull
not judge of the people of the eaﬁem country
by thofe of W'oolli: That the latter were ac—
quainted with white men, and refpeéted them,
whereas the people of the eal’t had never feen a
white man, and would certainly dellroy me.
I thanked the king for his aﬁectionato lolic1-
tude,rbut told him thatI had confidered the
matter, and was determined, notwithﬁandtng
all dangers, to proceed. The king ﬂiook his
head, but delilted from further perfuaﬁon;
and told me, the guide lhould be ready in the
afternoon.

About two o’clock, the guide appearing, I
went and took my lalt farewell of th" ‘ '
old king, and in three hours reached Konjour,
a fmall village, where we determined to ref’t
for the night. HereI purchafed a fine {beep
for fome beads, and my Serawoolli attendants
killed it with all the ceremonies preferibed by ._
their religion; part of it was (lrelred for fup- .,
per; after whicha dilpute arole between one
of the Serawoolli Negroes and Ill'ohnl'on, my
interpreter, about the i'heep’s horns. The for-
mer Claimed the horns as his perquiﬁte, for
having aeted the part of our butcher, and
Johnion contelted the Claim. I fettled the

matter, by giving a horn to each Of them,
‘ E 2

4i TRAVELS IN THE

This triﬂing incident is mentioned as introduc-
tory to what follows: For it appeared, on in—
quiry, that thefe horns were highly valued, as
being ealily convertible into portable lheaths,
or cafes, for containing and keeping feeure,
Certain charms or amulets, called ﬂip/lies,
which the Negroes conltantly Wear about them.
Thefe faphies are prayers, or rather fentences,
from the Koran, which the Mahomedan prieﬂs
write on {craps of paper, and fell to the {im—
ple natiVes, who conlider them to poilefs very
extraordinary virtues. Some of the Negroes
. wear them to guard the1nlelV'es againﬁ the bite
of fn‘akes or‘ alligators; and on this occaﬁon,
t'he iaphie is Commonly inclofed in a fnake’s or
alligator’s mm, and tied round the ancle.
Others have recourfe to them in time of war,
to protect their perfons againl’t holtile weapons;
bumh'e common ufe to which thele amulets are
applied, is to prevent or cure bodily difeafes ;
to prelerve from hunger and thirﬁ, and general—
ly to conciliate the favor of fuperior powers,
under all the ci‘rcumltances and occurrences of
life * p

_ In this cafe, it is impoiﬁbl‘e not to admire
tlae wonderful contagion of fuperﬂition; for,
notwithﬂanding that the majority of the Ne-
gioes are Pagans, and abfolutely rejeﬂ the
doéhincs of Mahomet, I did not meet with a»
man, whether a Bulhreen or Kanr, who was

‘5 I believe that ﬂmilar charms or amulett, under the names of
ﬂOmimg xgxi, Erich. Sac. &c. are common in all parts 0‘! Africa.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. , 43

not fully perfuaded of the powerful efﬁcacy of
thel'e amulets. The truth is, that all, the na—
tives of this part of Africa conlider the art of
writing as bordering on magic ; and it is not in
the doctrines of the Prophet, but in the arts of
the magician, that their confidence is placed.
It will hereafter be Teen, that Ilwas myfelf
, lucky enough, in circumllances ol' dillrefs, to
turn the popular crcdulity in this relpect to
good account.
' On the 7th, Ideparted from Konjour, and
ﬂcpt at a village called Malla (or Mallaing,)
and on the 8th, about noon, I arrived at Ko—
lor, a conliderable town, near the entrance in-
to which I obl'erved, hanging uponatree, a
fort of mafquerade habit, made of the bark of
trees, which I was told on inquiry, belonged
to Mumbo jumbo, This is a l’trange bugbear,
Common to all the Mandingo towns, and much
employed by the Pagan natives, in keeping
their women in fubjettion ;‘ for as the Kaﬁrs
are not rellriﬁed in the number of their wives,
every one marries as many as he can conveni-
ently maintain; and as it frequently happens
that theladies difagree among themfelvcs, fa-
mily quarrels fometimes rife to fuch a height,
that the authority of the hulband can no long.
er preferve peace in his houlehold. 'In fuch
ca es, the interpoﬁtion of Mumbo Jumbo is
called in, and is always deciﬁve. . ~
This {lrange minif’ter of jul‘tice (who is {up-
pulled to be either the hulband himl'elF, or fome

44 TRAVELS IN. THE

perfon inﬁruaed by him) difguifcd in the chefs
that hasgbeen mentioned, and armed with the
Prod of public authority, annbunces his com-
ing (whenever his fervices are required) by loud
and difmal fereams in the woods near the town.
He begins the pantomime at the approach of
night; and as foon as it is dark, he enters the
town, and proceeds to the Bentang, at which
all the inhabitants immediately aﬂetnble.

It may eaiily be Iiippol‘ed that this exhibi-
tion isnot .n tieh relilhed by the women ; for
as the perfonin difguil‘e is entirely unknown to
them, evez'yniarriedfemale fuipeéls, that the
vilit may poliibly be intended for herfelf; but
they dare not rel‘ule .to appear when they are
‘fummoned; and the. ceremony commences
with (bags and dances, which Continuetill mid-
night, aboutwhich time Mumho ﬁxes on the
, oﬁcender. This unfortunate victim being there—
upon immediately feized, is {tripped naked,
tied to a pol’t, and feverely fcourged with
Mumbo’s rod, amidit the {hours and deriﬁon
ofthe whole aili’mbly; and it is remarkable,
that the reﬁt of the women are the loudeﬂ: in
their exclamations on this occaiien againl’t their
unhappy iiiter. Daylight puts an end to this
indecent and uumaniy revel.

Dec. 9th. As there was no water to be pro-
ictlred on the road, we travelled with great ex-
pedition untillwe reached Tambacunda, and
departed from thence early the next morning,
the. tenth, we reached in the eYening Koonia-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 45

kary, a town of nearly the fame magnitude as
Kolor. About noon on the 11th we arrived
at Koojar, the frontier town of Woolli, to-
wards Bondou, from which it is feparated by
an intervening wilderneis of two days Journey.

The guide appointed by the King of Wool-
li being now to return, I prefented him with
fpme amber for his trouble; and having been
informed that it was not poiiible at all times to
procure water in the wilder11efs, I made enqui-
ry for men who would ferve both as guides and
water-bearers during my journey acrofs it.
Three Negroes, elephant hunters, oﬂ‘ered their
fervices for thel'e purpoles, which I accepted,
and paid them three bars each in advance, and
the day being far l'pent, I determined to pals
the night in my prelent quarters.

The inhabitants of, Koojar, though not
wholly unaccuﬁomed tothe fight of Europe—
ans (molt of them having occaﬁonally viﬁted
the countries on the Gambia) beheld me with a
mixture of curiolity and reverence, and in the
evening invited me to fee a moaning, or wreiL
ling match, at the Bentang. This is an exhi-
bition very common in all the Madingo coun-
tries. The lpeétators ananged themlclves 111 a
circle, leaving the intemrediate {pace for the
wrei’tlers, who were {bong aclive young men,
fullof emulation, and accullomed I {uppole
from their infancy to this fort of exertion.
Being ﬁripped of their clothing, excepta {hort
pair of drawers, and having their {kin annoint-

46 ' TRAVELS IN THE

ed with oil, or/hea butter, the combatants ap-
proached each other on all fours, parrying
with and occalionally exrending a hand for lome
time, till at length one of them fprang for-
ward, and caught his rival by the knee. Great
dexterity and judgment were now dilplayed;
but the contell was decided by {uperior itrength;
and I think that few Europeans would have
been able to cope with the conqueror. It mul’t
not be unobferved, that the combatants were
animated by the mulic of a drum, by which
their actions were in fome meafure regulated.

The wreﬁling was fucceeded' by a dance,
in which many performers aiﬁlled, all of whom
were provided with little bells, which were iaf-
tened to their legs and ar-ms and here too the
drum regulated their motionis. It was beaten
with a crooked flick, which the drummer held
in his right hand, occalional ly uﬁng his left to
deaden the found, and thus vary the muﬁc.
The drumis likewife applied on thefe occa-
iions to keep order among'the fpeéiators, by
imitatingt'ne found of certain Mandingo fen-
tences; for example, the wrellling match is
about to begin, the drummer ﬁrikes what is
underﬂood to lignify ah bar si,—ﬁt all down; ~
‘upon which the fpeﬂators immediately feat
themfclves; and when the combatants are to
begin, he {"triltcs amulet, amttta, take hold,
take hold. ‘

In the courfe of theevening I was prefented.
by. way of rcl'relhment, with a liquor, which '

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 47

tailed fo much like the ﬁrong beer of my native
country (and very good beer too), as to induce
me to 1nqu1re into its compolition; and
I learnt, with lome degree of furprife, that
it was actually made from corn whichhad been
previoully malted, much in the fame manner as
barley is malted in Great Britain; a root yield-
ing a grateful bitter, was ufed in lieu of hops,
the name of which I have forgot; but, the
corn which yields the wort, is the holczts' ﬂzica-
tus of botanilts.

Early in the morning (the 12th) I Found,
that one of my elephant hunters had abfcond-
ed with the money he had received from me in
part of his Wa egs; and in order to picvent the
other two from toll. owing his example, I made
them inllantly fill their calabafhes (or gourds)
with water, and as the fun role, I entered the
wildernefs that feparates the kingdoms of
VVoolli and Bondou.

We had not travelled more than a mile be-
fore my attendants inliﬁed on flopping, that
they might prepare a faphie, or charm, to in-
fure us a fafe journey. This was done by
muttering a few lentences, and {pitting upon a
ltone, which was thrown before us on.,the road.
The lame ceremony was repeated three times,
after which the Negroes proceeded with‘the
greateﬂ conﬁdence; every one being ﬁrmly
perinaded, that the i’tonn (like the {tape goat)
had carried with it every thing tl at could in-
duce fuperior powers to viﬁt us with misfortune.

48 TRAVELS IN THE

We continued our journey without ﬂopping
any more untilnoon, when we came to a large
tree called by the natives Ncema Taﬁa. It had
a very ﬁngular appearance, being decorated
with innumerable rags or {craps of cloth, which
perfons travelling acrofs the wildernefs had, at
different times, tied to the branches ;, probably,
at ﬁrlt, to'inform the traveller, that water was
to be found near it ; but the cuﬁom has been
it) greatly {auctioned by time, that nobody now
prefumes to pals without hanging up fomea
thing. I followed the example, and fufpend-
ed a handlome piece of cloth on one of the
. boughs, and being "told that either a well, or
pool of water, was at no great dii’tance, I or—
dered the Negroes to unload the edits, that we
might give them corn, and regale ourfelves
with the proviﬁons we had brought. In the
mean time, I fent one of the elephant hunters
to look for the well, intending, if water was to
be obtained, to tell here for the night. A
pool was found, 'buttbe water was thick and
muddy, and the Negro difcovered near it the
remains of a ﬁre recently extinguiﬂied, and the
fragments of proviﬁons, which afforded a
proof that it had been lately vilited, either by
travellers or banditti. The fears of my at-
tendants fuppoled the latter; and believing
that robbers lurked near us, I was perfuaded to
change my relblution of relling Here all night,
and proceed to another watering place, which I
was alfu red we might reach -:arly in the evening.

{NTERIOR OF AFRICA. 49

C

We departed accordingly, but it was eiglit
o’clock at night before we came to‘thowatering ‘
place; and being now fuﬁhcieritlylatigued with
f0 long a day’s jOurney, we kindled a lainge
ﬁre, and lay down, furrounded by. our cattle,
on the bare ground, more than a gun-{hot from
any built ; the Negroes agreeing to keep watcln
by turns to prevent furprife. ,

I knew not indeed, that any danger was
jul‘tly to be dreaded, but the Negroes were un-
accountablf apprehenﬁve of bandi‘tti, during
the wholejourney. As foon therefore as day-
light appeared, We ﬁlled ourfoofros- (lkins) and
ealabalhes at the pool, andfet out for Tallika,
the ﬁrlt town in Bondou, which ve reached
about eleven o’clock in the forenoon ( the 13th
of December). I cannot, however, take
leave of W'oolli, without obferving, that E
' was every where well received by «the natives ;
and that the fatigues of the day were generally
alleviated by a hearty welcome at night ; and
although the African mode of'livlng was at ﬁrll:
unpleafant to me, yet I found, at length, that
cullom lurmounted triﬂing inconveniences, and
made every thing palatable and eafy.

50’ TRAVELS lN THE
'CHAP. IV.

Account ofthe inhabitants of Talliha.—The
authorprcceedsfor Fatteconda; incidents on
the roach—Croﬂes the Neriho, arrives at
Koorharany ; reaches the river Faleme;
ﬁ/hery on that river ; proceeds along its ban/e

- to Naye or Nayemow ; crqﬂes the Faleme and
arrives at Fatteconola.-———1nterview with Al—

- anana, fovereign (yr Bondou ; dtfcri/ztion of
the king’s dwelling; fecond interview with
the hing, who begs the author’s coat—The
author vijits the king’s wives; is permit»
ted to depart onfriendly termsr—jonrney hy
night—Arrives .at ‘7oag.-——ﬂecount of Bon-
dou and its inhabitants the Foulahs, 8c.

TALLIKA, the frontier town of Bondo‘u to-
wards VVoolli, is inhabited chiefly by Foulahs ,
of the Mahomedan religion, who live in conli-
derab'le aﬁluence, partly by furnifhing provi-
ﬁons to the col/files, or caravans, that pals
through the tom}, and partly by the falc of
ivory, obtained by hunting~ elephants, in which
employment the young menare generally very
fuccefsful. Here, an ofﬁcer belonging to, the
king or" Bondou conllantly relidcs, “hole bu—
,ﬁnefs it is to give timely information of the ar—
rival of the caravans; “high are taxed accord-
ing to the number of loaded atlas that arrive at
Tallika. :

I took my reﬁdcnce at this olhcer’s houle,

INTERIOR OF' AFRICA. 5t

and agreed with him to accompany me to Fat-
teconda, the refidence of the king ; for which
he was to receive ﬁve bars; and before my
departure I wrote a few lines to Dr. Laidley,
and gave my letter to the mailer of a caravan
bound for the Gambia. This caravan conﬁlt-
ed of ﬁve aifes loaded with ivory. :The large
teeih are conveyed in nets, two on each fide of
the afs ; the fmall ones are wrapped up in lkins,
and fecured with ropes.

Dec. 14th. We left Tallika, and rode on
very peaceably for about two miles,When a vio-
lent quarrel arofe between two of my fellow-
travellers, one of whom was the blackfmith, in
the eourf‘e of which they bellowed fume oppro-
brious terms upon each other ; and it is worthy
of remark, that an African will fooner forgix‘e
a blow, than a term of reproach applied to his
Vanceﬁors: “ Strike me, but do not curfe my

'mother,” is a common expreﬂion even among
the ﬂaves. This fort of abule, therefore, f0
enraged one of the difp'utan'ts, that he drew his
cutiafs upon the blackfmith, and would cer-
tainly have ended the difpute in a very ferious
manner, if the others had not laid hold ofhlm,
and wrefied the cntlafs from him. I was oblig'.
ed to interfere, and put an end to this difagree-
able bulinefs, by deliring the blackfmith to be
ﬁlent, and telling the other, who I thought was
in the wrong, that if he attempted in future to
draw his cutlafs, or molelt any of my attend-
ants, I lhould look upon him as a robber, and

53 TRAVELS IN THE

{hoot him without further ceremony. This
threat had the delircd elieét, and we marched
‘fullenly along till the afternoon, when we arri-
ved at a. number of {mall villages {battered
over an open and fertile plain; at one ofthcfe,
called Ganado, we took up our relidence for
_ the night : Here an exchange of prefents, and
a good l'upper, terminated all animolities among
my attendants; and the night was far advanc-
ed before any of us thought of going to lleep.
We were amufed by an itinerantﬁnging man",
‘who told a number of diverting llories, and
played lome fweet airs, by blowing his breath
upon a bow ﬁring, and {hiking it at the fame
time with a ﬂick; ' .

Dec. 15th. ”At daybreak my fellow-travel-
lers, the Serawoollies, took leave of me,
with many prayers for my fafety. About a
mile from Ganad’o, ”we croll'ed a conﬁderable

ranch of the Gambia, called Neriko. The
banks were ﬁeep, and covered with mimofas ;’
'and I obferved in the mud a number of large
mul‘cles, but the natives do not eat them.
Aboutnoon, the fun being exceedingly hot,
'we relied two hours in the lhade of a tree, and
purchafed lome milk and pounded corn from
’fome Foulah herdfmen, and at funfct reached
atown called Koorkarany, where the black:
fmith had forne relations; and here we relied
*two days. /
I 1* There are a fort of travelling bards and muﬁcians, who ﬁng ex~

tempore fongs in praifc of thofe who employ them. A fuller ac-
count of them will be givm hereaftcrt

INTERIOR OF AFRICA 53

Koo1‘ 11a1any is a Mahomedan town, fur-
rounded by a high wall, and is provided with a
mofque. HereI was lhewn a number of Ara-
bic manufcripts, pa1t1cularly a copy of the
book before mentioned, called Al Shara.
The Maméoo, or priel’t, in whofe poffelT on it.
was, read and explained to me in Mandingo,
many of the molt remarkable pallages; and in
return I ihewed him Riehardfon 3 Arabic gram-
mer, w hich he veiy much admired.

On the evening of the fecond day (Dec.
17th) we depa1t1d from Koo1karany. We
were joined by a young man who was travel-
ling to Fatteconda ior lalL; and as night fet in
we reached Dooggi,a almall village about three
mile 5 horn Koorkarany

Piovilions wheie heie {0 cheap that I pur-
chafed a bullock for ﬁx fmalLﬂones of amber
f01 I found my company increadie or diminiih
according to the good Fare they iii‘ét With,

Dec.18th. Eaily in the morning we de-
parted from D0051 g,gi and bein<1 joined bya
number of 1011121115 and other people, made a
formidab e appearance, and were under no ap-
prehenﬁon of being plundered 1n the woods.
About eleven o’clock one of the alles proving
refractory, the Negroes took a curious method
to make him tractable. "l‘hey cut a forked
ﬂick, and putting the forked part into the afs’s
mouth, like the bit of a bridle, tied the two
fmaller parts together above his head, leavnig

"the lower part of the ﬂick of ‘fufﬁcient length
F a

'54 ‘ TRAVELS IN THE

to Mike the ground, if the afs lhould attempt
to put his head down. After this, the ass
walked along quietly, and gravely enough,
taking care, after fome praétice, to hold his
head {uiﬁciently high to prevent the (tones, or
roots of trees, from ﬁriking againl’t the end of
the ﬂick, which experience had taught him
would give a fevere {hock to his teeth. This
contrivance produced a ludicrous appearance,
but my fellow-travellers told me it was con-
ﬁantl-y adopted by the Slatees, andalways
proved effectual.

In the evening we arrived ata few ﬂattered
Villages, {unounded with exteniive cultha-
'tion ; at one of which, called Buggil, we paf.
led the night in a miferable hut, having no
other bed than a bundle of corn ﬁalks, and
no provi‘lions but what we brought with us.
The wells here are dug with great ingenuity,
and are very deep. I meafured one of the
"bucketiopes, and found the depth of the Well
to be twentv eight fathoms

Dec. 19th. OWedeparted from Bug;1i‘1,a11d
travelled along a dry,{ ’t’ony height, co\e1ed
with mzmofas, till mid day; when the 111111
hoped towa1ds the cail , and Vietlefcc11ded into
a deep valley, in which I obi eived abundance
oi whin done, and white quartz. Pu1luing
our comic to the ealiward, alonsr this Va liey, in
the bed of an exhaulied river (UUHC‘, we came
to a laige village, where we intent ed to lodge.
W'e lodnd many at the natives dxtiied in a thin

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 55

French gauze, which they called Bygui. this
being a light airy drefs, and well calculated to
dilplay the ﬂlape of their perlons, is much ef-
teerneﬁzvby the ladies. The manners of theie
females, however, did not correfpond with their
drefs'; for they were rude and troublefome in
the highell degree; they furrounded me in
numbers, begging for amber, beads, &c: and
were l'o vehement in their folicitations, that I
found it impoiiible to reiiét them. They tore
my cloak, cut the buttons from my boy’s
clothes, and were proceeding to otheroutra-
ges. when I mounted my horfe and rode OFF,
followed for half a mile by a body of thele
harpieS.

In the evening we reached Soobrudooca,
and as my company was numerous, (being
fourteen) I purchaled a lheep, and abundance
of corn, for. ﬂipper; after which we lay down
by the bundles, and paﬂed an uncomlOrtable
night in a heavy dew.

Dec. 20th. We departed from Soobru-
dooka, and at two o’clock reached a large vil-
lage iituated on the banks of the Faleme river,
which is here rapid and rocky. The natives
were employed in lilhing, in various ways.
The large lilh were taken in long balkets made
'of fplit cane, and placed in a ltrong current,
which was created by walls of {lone built acrofs .
the. llreain, certain open places being left,
through which the water rallied with great
force. Some of thefe baﬁictswere more than

a ,
56 . TRAVELS IN THE

twenty feet long, and when once the ﬁfh had
entered one of them, the lone of the ﬁreami
prevented it from returning. Ihe {mall filh
were taken in great numbers in hand nets,
which the nativ es weave of cotton, and ufe with
great dexteiity. The ﬁlh lafl mentioned are
about the ﬁze oi fprats, and are prepared for fale
in different ways; the molt common is, by
pounding tht‘m entire as they come from the;
ﬁream, in a wood 11 mortar. and expoﬁno them
to thy in me lun, in laige lumps, like lugar
loaves. ltrnay be l‘uppol‘cd that the. lmell is
not very agreeable; but in the Mooriih coun-
tries, to the north of the Senegal, where filh
is learcely known, this preparation is ell'eemed
asaluxury. and 111111 to c<1nlideralwle advan-
taoe. T he manner of uﬁn- : it by the 11211 1\ es
is, by dillOlv inga piece of il1is bi aek loaf in
boiling water, and mixing it with their kouf-
kous.

Ithought it very ﬁngular, at this fear on of
the1 year, to find the banks 0i ine Faltme, eve—
ry where, covered with large and beautiful
fields of corn; but on examination, I found
it was not the lame fpeeies of grain as is com-
monly cultivattd on the Gambia, - it is called
by the native es Ammo, and grows in the dry
{e alons, - is veiy pioliii e, and is leaped 1n the
month of Januaiy. It is the lame which, from
the (1c pending pol. tion of the ear, is called by
hi. Lanical wuters liolrus cermeus. . '

On retuming t0 the village, alter an excur-‘

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 57

' ﬁon to the river ﬁde, to infpeét the ﬁlhery, an
old Moorilh {hereeﬂ‘ came to bellow his blef-
1mg upon me, and beg fume paper/to write fa-
phies upon. This man had feen Major
Houghton in the kingdom of Kaarta, and told
me, ,that he died in the country of the Moors.

I gave him ‘aﬁfew {beets of paper, and he levi-
ed a ﬁmilar tribute from the blacklinith ; for it
is culloi‘hary for young Mull‘ulmen to make

I

’ pref-eats to the old ones, in order to obtain their _

‘blelhng, which is pronounced in Arabic, and
' received with great humility.

About three in the afternoon, we continued
our courfe along the bank of the river, to the
northWard, till eight o’clock, when we reached
Nayemow; here the holpitable mailer of the
town received us kindly, and prefented us with

i a bullock. In'return, 1 gave him {om-e amber
and beads.

Dec. silt. In the morning, having agreed
for a canoe to carry over my bundles, I'crolled
the river, which came up to my knees, as I
fat on my horl'e; but the wetter is To clear,
that from the high bank, the bottom is viiihle

' all the way over.

About noon we entered Fatteconda, "the
capital of Bondou ; and in a little time receiv-
ed an invitation to the houle of a z-ei‘pet’iable
Slatee; For as there are no public houles in
Africa, it is cultomary for Rangers to {land
at the Bentang, or fome other place of public
refort, till they are invited to a lodging by fome

58 TRAVELS IN THE

of the inhabitants. We accepted the ofier;
and in an hour afterwards, a perion came and
told me, that he was fent on purpofe to con-
duct me to the king, who was very defirous of
piecing me immediately, if I was not too much
fatigued. -*

5 I took my interpreter with me, and followed
the mell'cnger till we got quite out of'the town,
and croiled fonte corn ﬁelds; when lulpeétitig
fome trick, I ﬂopped, and aiked the guide
whither he was going. Upon which he pointed
to a man fitting under a tree, at fome little dif-
tance; and told me that the king frequently
gave audience in that retired manner, in order
to avoida crowd of people; and that nobody
but-myfelf and my interpreter mull approach
him. When I advanced, the king detired me
. to come and let by him upon the mat; and af-
ter hearing my ﬁory, on which he made do Oh-
lervation, he alked ii’I wiihed to purchafe any
flaves, or gold: Being anfwercd in the nega-
tive, he feemed ratheriurprifed; hut deiired
’me to come to him in the evening, and he
Q would give me fome proviiions.

This monarch was called Almami; a Moor-
iih name, though I was told that he was not a
Mahomedan, but a Kaiir, or Pagan. Ihad
heard that he had acted towards Major Hough.
ton with great unkindnei's, and cauied him
to be plundered. {is behaviour, therefore,
towards myfeli'at this interview, though much
more civil than I expe'cled, was far from free-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 59"

ing me from uneaﬁnefs. Iﬁill apprehended
fome double dealing ; and as I was now en—
tirely in his power, I thought it bell to Imooth
the way by a prefent; accordingly, I took with
me in tl e evening, one canifter of gunpowder,
fome amber, tobacco, and my umbrella; and
as I conﬁdered that my bundles would inevita-
bly be' fearched, I concealed lbme few articles
in the roofof the but where I lodged, and I
put on my new blue coat, in order to pre-
ferve it.

All the houfes belonging to the king and his
family are fur-rounded by a lofty mud wall,
which converts the whole into a kind of cita-
del. The interior is lubdivided into different
courts. At the ﬁrl’t place of entrance I ob-
ferveda man ﬁanding, with a muﬂéet on his
fhoulder, - and I found the way to the prelence
very intricate, leading through many pallages,
with centinels placed at the dillerent doors.
When we came to the entrance of the court in
which the‘king relides, both my guide and in-
terpreter, according to 'cultom, took oll‘ their
fandals ; and the former pronounced the king’s
name aloud, repeating it till he was anlivered
from within. We found the monarch ﬁtting
upon a mat, and two attendants with him. I
repeated what I had before told him concern-
ing the object of my journey, and my reafons _
for palling througrh his country. He feemed,
however, but half fatisﬁed. The notion of
travelling for curioﬁty, was quite new to him.

Go TRAVELS IN THE

He thought it impomble, he laid, that any man
in his fcnles, would undertake To dangerous a
journey, merely to look at the country, and
its inhabitants: However, when, I offered to
fhew him the contents of my portmanteau, and.
every thing belonging to me, he was convinced;
and it was evident that his {ufpicion had arifen
from a belief, that every white man mull of
neceﬁity be a trader.‘ When 1 had delivered
my pretents, he feemed well plealed, and was
particularly delighted with the umbrella, which
he repeatedly furled and unfurled, to the great
admiration of liinifelliand his two attendants,
who could not, for fome time, comprehend
the ule of this wonderful machine. After this,
I was about to take my leave, when the king,
deﬁring me to {top a while, began a long pre-
amble in favour of the whites; extolling their
immenle wealth, and good dilpoﬁtions. He
next proceeded to an eulogium on my blue
coat, of which the yellow buttons feemed par-
ticularly to cafch his fancy ; and he concluded
by intreating me to prelent him with it; all'ur.
ing me, for my coniblation underthe lofs ofit,
that he would wear it on all pUblic occaﬁons,
and inform every one who law it, of my great
liberalizy towards him. The requell of an
African prince, in his own dominions; particu-
larly when made to a ﬁranger, comes little {liort
ol‘a command. it is only a way of obtaining
by gentle means, what he can, if he pleafes,
take by force; and as it. Was againll: my inter-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 61

ell to olfend him bya refufal, I very quietly
took oﬂP my coat, the only good one in'my
polleﬂion, and laid it at his feet.

In return for my compliance, he prefented
me with great plenty of provilions, and deﬁr‘
ed to fee me again in the morning. I accord-
ingly attended, and found him'ﬁtting upon his
bed. He told me he was ﬁck, and wilhed to
have a little blood taken from him ; but I had
no fooner tied up his arm, and difplayed the
lancet, than his courage failed ; and he begged
me to poﬁpone the operation till the afternoon,
as he felt himfelf, he faid, much better than he
had been, and thanked me kindly for my readi:
nefs to ferve him. ; He then obferved, that his
women were very delirous to fee me, and re-
queﬁed that I would favour them with a viﬁt,
An attendant was ordered to conduct me ; and
I had no fooner entered the court appropriated
to the ladies, than the whole feraglio furround-‘
ed me; fome begging for phyﬁc, fome for am-
her; and all of them deﬁrous of trying that
great African fpeciﬁc, blood-letting. They
were ten or twelve in number, molt of them
young and handfome, . and wearing on their
heads ornaments of gold, and beads ofamber.
_ They rallied me with a good deal of gaiety

on different fubjeﬁs ; particularly upon the
whitenel‘s ofmy fkin, and the prominency of my
nofe. They inliﬁed that both were artiﬁcial,
The firﬁ, they faid, was produced when I was

G

I

62 TRAVELS 1N THE

an infant, by'dipping me in milk; and they
inﬂﬁed thatmy nofe had been pinched every
day, till it had acquired its prefent unﬁghtly
and unnatural conformation. On my part,
without difputing my own deformity, I paid
them many compliments on African beauty.
I praifed the gloify jet of their fliins, and the
lovely depreﬂion of their 'nofes; but they faid
that ﬂattery, or (as they emphatically termed
it) honey- -mouth, was not eﬁeemed in Bondou.
In return, however, for my company or my
compliments (to Which, by the way, they feem~
ed not f0 infenfible as they affected- to be) they
prefented' me with a jar of‘honey-and fdme ﬁfh,
which were fent to my lodgings; and I Was de—
ﬁred'to come‘again to the kinor a little before
funfet.

I carried with me fome beads and writing
paper, it being ufual to prefent fome fmall ot-
f’e’rih‘g on taking 'lea've: In return for which,
the king gave me ﬁve'drach’ms ofgold ; obferv-

ing, that 1t was but a triﬂe, and given out of

‘pure friendfhip- , but would be of ufe to me in
travelling, for the purchafe oftproviiions. He
feedneled thisiiaétofki'ndnefs by one llill grea-
ter; politely telling me, that though it was cuf-
t'o'mai‘y to ex-amin‘e‘the baggage of e\ ery tra-
Veller‘paﬁing through his country, yet in the
pierent whence, he Would diipenie with that
ceremony; edema" Iwas at liberty to depa1t
V1 hen I pleaieil. '

Accmdinglv J , on the“ morning of the 23d, we

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 63,

left Fatteconda, and about eleven o'clock came”
to a fmall village, where we determined to ﬂop
for the rell of the day;

In the afternoonmy fellow-travellers inform-
ed me, that as this was the boundary between
Bondou and Kajaaga, and dangerous for trai
vellers, it wouldb‘e neceiTary to continue our
journey by night, until we fhould reach amore
hofpitable part of the country. Iagreed to
the propofal, and hired two people for guides
through the woods; and as [con as the people
of the village were gone to {leep (the moon
lhining bright) we fet out. The ﬂillnefs of
the air, the bowling of the wild beaﬁs, andthc
deep folitude of the fore‘ﬁ, made the. fcene
folemn and imprelﬁve. Not a word was, utr
tered by any at us, but lnawifper; all were!
attentive, and every one anxious to fhew his
fagacity, by pointing out to me the wolves and
hyaenas as they glided, like fhadows, from one
thicket to another. Towards morning, we
arrived at a village called Kimmoo, where our

guides awakened one of their acquaintances, .

and we {topped to give the alles fome corn, and
roaﬁ a few ground nuts for ourfelves. At day-
light we rel'umed our journey, and in the af-
ternoon arrived at Jnoag in the kingdom of
hajriaga.

Being now in a country, and among a peo-
ple, differing in many rel‘peasrfrom thofe‘ that
have as yet fallen under our ob’fervation, I fhal‘l,
before I. proceed further, give fame account's)?

64 TRAVELS IN THE

Bondou (the territory we have left) and its in-
habitants, the Foulahs, the defcription ofwhom
I purpofely referved for this part ofmy work.

- Bondou is bounded on the eaﬂ: by Bambouk;
on the fouth—eaﬂ, and foutb, by Tenda, and the
Simbani . wildernefs; on the fouth-weﬁ by
Woolli ; on the weft by Foota Torra; and on
the north-by Kajaaga.

The country,’like that of Woolli, is very ge-
nerally covered with woods, but the land is
more elevated, and towards the Faleme river,
rifes into conﬁderable hills. In native fertility,
the foil is not furpailed, I believe, by any part
of Africa.

From the central ﬁtuation of-Bondou, be-
tween the Gambia and Senegal rivers, it is be-
come a place ofgreat refort, both for the Slatees
who generally pals through it, in going from
the coalt to the interior countries; and for oc-
caﬁonal traders, who frequently come. hither
from the inland countries, to purcbafe falt.

Thefe different branches of commerce are

“L [conducted principally by Mandingoes and Sera-
woollies, who have lettled in the country.
'Thefe merchants likewife carry on a conﬁdera-
~ble trade with Ge'dumah, and other Mooriih
countries, bartering corn and blue cotton cloths
for falt; which they again barter in Qentila,
and other diﬂricts, for iron, ihea-butter,’ and,
{mall quantities of gold dull. They likewile
. fell a variety of fweet fmelling gums packed up
infmall bags, containing each about a pound.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 65

There gums, being thrown on hot embers, pro-
duce a very plealant odour, and are ufed by
the Mandingoes for perfuming their huts and
clothes. _

The culloms, or duties, on travellers, are
very heavy; in alinoi’t every town an afs load
pays a bar of European merchandize, and at
Fateconda, the reﬁdence of the king, one In-
dian baft, or a muﬂiet, and ﬁx bottles of gun-
- powder, are exacted as the common tribute.
By means of thele duties, the king of Bondou
is well fupplied with arms and ammunition ; a
circumﬁance which makes him formidable to
' the neighbouring Rates.

The inhabitants differ in their complexion
and national manners from the Mandingoes and
Serawoolies, with whom they are frequently at
war. Some years ago, the _ king of Bondou
crolfed the Faleme river with a numerous ar-
my, and after aihort and bloody campaign,
totally defeated the forces of Samboo, king of
Bambouk, who was obliged to fue for peace,
and furrender to him all the towns along the
when bank of the Faleme. -

The F oulahs in general (as has been obfer'v-
ed in a former chapter) are of atawny com-
plexion, with (mall features, and felt ﬁlky hair;
next to the Mandingoes, they are undoubtedly
the molt coniiderable ofall the nations in this
part of Africa. Their original country is laid
to he Fooladoo (which ﬁgniﬁes the country of
the F oulahs) but theyépoflel's at prefent many

2

66 TRAVELS IN THE

other kingdoms at a great diﬂance from each
other; Their complexion, however, is not ex-
actly the fame 1n the different dillricls; in Bon~
d011, and the other kingdoms which are ﬁtuat-
ed in the vicinity of the Moorilh territories,
they are ofa more yellow complexion than in
the fouthern Rates.

The Foulahs of Bondou are naturally ofa
mild and gentle difpolition, but the uncharita-
ble maxims of the Koran has made them leis
holpitable to ﬁrangers, and more referved in
their behaviour than the Mandingoes. They
evidently conﬁder all the N egto natives as their
inferiors; and when talking of different na-
tions, always rank themlelxe among the white
people.

Their governmem di ffers from that of the
Mandingocs chieﬂy 1n this, that they are more
immediately under the influence of the Maho-
medan laws, for all the chief men (the king
excepted) and alarge majority of the inhabit-
ants of Bondou, are Mullhlmen, and the au.
thority and the laws of the Prophet, are every
where looked upon as lacred and decilive; In
the exercife of their faith, however, they are
not very intolerant towards fuch of their coun-
trymen as llill retain their ancient fuperﬁitions.
Religious perfecution is not known among
them, nor is it neceliary; for the fyﬂem of
Mahomet is made to extend itfelf by means
abundantly more efﬁcacious. By eﬁablifhing
{mall lchools in the dill'erent towns, where many

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 67

of the Pagan as well as Mahomedan children
are taught to read the Koran, and inltructed in
the tenets of the Prophet, the ‘Mahomedan
priefts fix a bias on the minds, and form the
charaEter of their young dilciples, which no ac-
cidents of life can ever afterwards remove or
alter. Many of thefe little fchools I v'ilited in
my progrefs through the country, and obferved
with pleafure, the great docility and fubmilﬁve
deportment of the children, and heartily wilhed
they had had better inﬁruélors, and a' purer re-
ligion.

With the Mahomedan faith is alfo introduc-
ed the Arabic language, with which moﬂ ofthe
Foulahs have a {light acquaintance. Their
native tongue abounds very much in liquids,
but there is fomething unpleafant in the manner
ol‘pronouncing it. A ﬁranger on hearing the
common converfation of two Foulahs, would
imagine that they were fcolding each other.

The indultry of the Foulahs, in the occu-
pations of pal’turage and agriculture, is ever
where remarkable. Even on the banks of the
Gambia, the greater part of the corn is raifed
by them; and their herds and flocks are more
numerous and in better condition than thofe of
the Mandingoes; but in Bondou they are opu-
lent in a high degree, and enjoy all the necef‘
faries of life in the greatelt profulion. They
difplay great {kill in the management of their
cattle, making them extremely gentle by kind-
nel's and familiarity. On the approach of'night,

68 TRAVELS IN THE

they are- colleEted from the woods, and fecured
in folds, called korrees, which are conl‘truEled
in the neighbourhood of the different villages.
In the middle of each 'korree is erected a {mall
hut, wherein one or two of the herdlinen keep».
watch during the night, to prevent the cattle
from being ﬁolen, and to keep up the ﬁres
which are kindled round the korree to frighten
away the wild beaﬁs.

The cattle are milked in the mornings and
evenings : The milk is excellent, but the quan-
tity obtained from any one cow is by no means
f0 great as in Europe. The Foulahs ufe the
milk chieﬂy as an article of diet, and that, not
until it is quite four. The cream which it af-
fords is very thick, and is converted into but-
ter by ﬁirring it yiolently in a large calabaﬂi.
This butter, when melted over agentle ﬁre,
and freed from impurities, is preferved in fmall
earthen pots, and forms a part in mol’t of their
dilhes; itferves-likewife to anoint their heads,
and is bellowed very liberally on their faces
and arms.

But although milk is plentiful, it is Tome-
what remarkable that the F oulahs, and indeed
all the inhabitants of this part of Africa, are
totally unacquainted with the art of making
eheefe. A ﬁrm attachment to the cultoms of
their anceltors, makes them view with an eye
of prejudice every thing that looks like innova-
tion. The heat of the climate, and the great
lcarcity of falt, are held forth as unanfwerable

INT_ERIOR OF AFRICA. 69

objeélions; and the whole procefs appears to
them too long and troublefome, to be attended
with any folid advantage.

Beiides the cattle, which conﬂitute the chief
wealth of the F oulahs, they polTel's fome excel-
lent horfes, the breed of which feems to be a
mixture of the Arabian with the original Afri.
can.

-——--I.-————-
CHAP. V.

Account of Kajaaga.—Serawoollie5 : their man-
ners and language—Account of joag.—The
author is ill treated and rohhed of half his
e e615, by order if the hing—Charity of a,

. emale_ﬂave.-——The author is vﬂted by Dem-
hd Sego, nephew of the hing of Ketﬂon, who
oﬁers to eondut? him infer/ct)! to Kegﬂour—The
author and Demhafet out, with at numerous
retinue, and reach Samee, on the hauhs of
the Senegal ; proceeds to Kayee, and'crqﬂiug
the Senegal,arrives in the kingdom odeﬂon.

THE kingdom of Kajaaga, in which
I was‘ «‘now arrived, is called by the French,
Gallam ;i but the name that l have adopted, is
univerfallyiufed by the natives. This country
is bounded on the fouth ealt and louth by Bam-
bouk ; on thewell by Bondou and Foota Tor-
,ra ; and on the north by the river Senegal.

_ The air and climate are, Ibelieve, more

7o TRAVELS IN THE

pure and-falubrious than at any of the fade-
ments towards'the mall; the face of the coun-
try is every where interfperced with a pleaﬁng
variety of hills and vallies; and the windings 0f
the Senegal river, which defcends from the
iocky hills of the interior, make the fcenery
on its banks very picturequ and beautiful.

The inhabitants are called Serawoollies, or
(as the French write it) Seracolets. T heir com-
plexion 1sa jet black, they are not to he dif-
tinguilhed in this refpect from the Jalolfs.

The government is monarchical ; and the re-
gal authority from what I- experienced of it,
feem-s to be fufliciently formidable. The peo-
ple themfelves, however, complain of no op-
prelfion; and feemed all very anxious to flip-
port the king, in a conteﬁ he was going to en-
, ter into with the fovereign of Kaffon. The
Serawoollies are habitually a trading people ;
they formerly carried on a great commerce
with the French, in gold and ﬂaves, and {till
maintain fome trafﬁc in {laves with the Britifh
factories on the Gambia. They are reckoned
tolerably fair and juf’t in their dealings, but are
indefatigable in their exertions to acquire
wealth, and they derive conﬁderable profits by
the fale of falt, and cotton cloth, in diﬁant
countries. When a Serawoolli merchant re-
'vtéurns home from a trading expedition, the
neighbours immediately affemble to congratu—
late him upon his arrival. On thefe occalions
the traveller difplays—his wealth and liberality,

INTER‘lGR 0F AFRKCA. 71
by maki’ngé‘a fewtprefents to’his friends ; but if
he has been unfuccel‘sful, his levee is foon over;
and every one looks upon him as a man of no
underﬂanding, who would perform a long jour~
ney, and (as theyexpre‘fs it) bring back nothing
but the hair upon his head.

Their languageabounds much in gutturals,
and is not {‘0 harmonious-asthat fpoken by the
Foulahs; it is, however, well worth acquit:
ing by thofe who travel through this part of
the African continent; it being very generally
underflood in the kingdomsof Kalfon, Kaar-
ta, Ludamar, and the northern parts of Bam-
bara. In all thefe coumries the Serawoollies
are the chief traders. -

We arrived at Ioag, the frontier town of
this kingdom, on the 24th of December; and
took up our reii‘dence at the houfe of, the chief
man, who’is here no longer known by the title
of AMai-d, 'bUt is: called the Dooty. He was a
rigid ‘Mahomedan, but diﬁinguilhed for his
holpitality. This town may be fuppofed, on
a grols computation, to contain two thoufand
inhabitants. It is liirrounded by a high wall,
in which are a number of port holes, for mull
quetry to ﬁre though, in cafe of an attack.
livery man’s poH‘eHion is likewife ﬂirrounded
by a wall; the whole forming fo many dillinét
ciladels; and among-ll a people unacquainted
with the ule of artillery, thefe 'walls anfwer all
the purpofes of llronger fortiﬁcations. To the
veilward of the town is a l'mall river, on‘the

72 TRAVELS IN THE

banks of which the natives raife great plenty of'
tobacco and onions,

The fame evening Madiboo, the Buihreen,
who accompanied me from Pifania, Went to pay
a viﬁt to his father and mother, who dweltat a
neighbouring town called Dramanet. He was
joined by my other attendant the. blackfmith ;
and as foon as it was dark, I was invited to fee
the {ports of the inhabitants, it being their cuf-
tom on the arrival of ﬁrangers, to welcome
them by diverﬁons of different kinds. I found
a great croud furrounding a party who were
dancing, by the light of fotne large ﬁres, to the
muﬁc of four drums, which were beat with
great exaElnefs and uniformity. The dances,
however, conﬁﬁed more in wanton geﬂures,
than 1n muicular exertion or graceful attitudes :
The ladies vied with each other in difplaying
the molt voluptuous movements imaginable.

Dec. 25th. About two o ’clock 1n the morn-
ing, a number ofhorfemen came into the town,
and having awakened my landlord, talked to
him for 10111 e time in the Serawoolli tongue, all
ter which they (lilmounted, and came to the
Bentang on which I had made my bed. One
of them thinking that I was aﬂeep, attempted
to iieal the mufket that lay by me on the mat;
but finding that he could not eiieﬁ his purpofe
undifcovered, he deliiled; and the ﬁrangcrs
l‘atdown by me till daylight.

I could now ealily perceive, by the counte—
,Iiatice of my interpreter, Johnfon, that l'ome‘

/

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. . 73

thing very unpleafant was in agitation. I was
likewife furprifed to Ice Madibooand the black-
fxnith f0 foon returned. On inquiring the tea-
fon, Madiboo informed me that as they were
dancing at Dramanet, ten horfemen belonging
to Batcheri, king of the country, with his fe-
cond {on at their head, had arrived there, in-
quiring if the white man had paired ; and on
being told thatI was at Joag, they rode off
without flopping. Madibo added, that on
hearing this, he and the blackfmith haﬁened
back to give me notice of their coming.
Whillt l was liﬂening to this narrative, the ten
horel‘menmentioned by Madiboo arrived; and
coming to the Bentang, difmounted and feated
themlblves with thofe who had come before,
the whole being about twenty in number, form-
ing a circle round me, and each man holding
his muﬂtet in his hand. I took this opportuni- .
ty to obferve to my landlord, that as I did not
underﬁand the Serawoolli tongue, I hoped,
whatever the men had to fay, they would {peak
in Mandingo. To this they agreed, and a
fhort man, loaded with a remarkable number
of laphitas, opened the bulinefs in a very long
harangue, informing me that I had entered the
king’s town without having ﬁrﬁ paid the duties,
or giving any prefents to the king, and that,
according to the laws of the country, my peo-
ple, cattle, and baggage, were forfeited. He
added, that they had received orders from the
H

74 TRAVELS IN THE

king to conduEt me to Maana*, the place of
his reﬁdence ; and if I refufed to come with
them, their orders were to bring me by force;
upon his faying which, all of them role up and
afked me if I was ready. It would have been
equally vain and imprudent in me to have re—
fiited or irritated fuch a body ofmen ; I there~
fore aﬁeéted to comply with their commands,
and begged them only to ﬂop a little, until I
had given my horfe a feed of corn, and fettled
matters with my landlord. The poor black-
fmith, who was a native of Kaﬂon, miliook
this feigned compliance for a real intention, and
taking me away from the company, told me,
that he had alWays behaved towards me as if I
had been his father and maiier ; and he hoped
that I would not entirely ruin him, by going to
Maana; adding, that as there was every rea—
fon to believe that a war would foon take place
between Kaflbn and Kajaaga, he {hould not
only lofe h is little property, the favings of four
years’ induliry, butfhould Certainly be detain-
ed and [old as a Have, unlefs’ his friends had an
opportunity of paying two {laves foi his re-
demption. I law this reafoning in its full force,
and determined to do my utmott to preferve the
blackfmith f1 om f0 dreadful a fate. I” there.
fore told the kings fon that I 11 as ready to go
with him, upon condition that the blackfmith,
who was an inhabitant of a diliant kingdom,

* Manna is within a {lion diilzmce of the ruins of Fort
St. Jufeph, 011 the Senegaltiver, formerly a Fiench faftmy.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ,75

and entirely unconnected with me, ihould be
allowed to {lay at Jdag, till my return; to this
they all objected, and inliﬁed, that as we. had
all a€ted contrary to the laws, we were all
’ equally anfwerable for our conduEt.

Inow took my landlord aﬁde, and giving
hima fmall prelent of gunpowder, alked his
advice in fo critical a ﬁtuation; he was de-
cidedly of opinion that I ought not to go to
the king ; he was fully convinced, he faid, that
if the king fhould dilcover any thing valuable
in my poﬂeﬂion, he would not be over ferupu-
lous about the means of obtaining it. This
made me the more folicitous to conciliate mat—
ters with the kings’ people, and I began by ob-
ferving, that what I had done did not proceed
from any want of refpeEt towards the king, nor
from any wilh to violate his laws, but wholly
from my own inexperience and ignorance, be-
ing a ﬁranger, totally unacquainted with the
laws and cul’toms of their country; I had in-
deed entered the king’s frontier, without know-
ing that I was to pay the duties beforehand,
but I was ready to pay them now; which I
thought was all they could reafonably demand.
I then tendered them, as a prefent to the king, _
the live drachms of gold which the king of Bon-
dou had given me- ; this they accepted, but in—
ﬁﬁed on examining my baggage, which I op—
pol'ed in vain. The bundles were opened; but
the men were mUch difappointed in not ﬁnding ,
in them fo much gold and amber as they ex-

76 TRAVELS IN THE

peeled ; they made up the deﬁciency, howe-
ver, by taking whatever things they fancied;
and after wrangling and debating with me till
.furil'et, they departed, having firl’t robbed the
of half my goods. Thefe proceedings difpi—
rited my people, and our fortitude was not
ﬁrengthed by a very indifferent fupper, after a
long fal’t. - Madiboo begged me to turn back;
J‘ohnfon laughed at the thoughts of proceeding
without money, and the blackfmith was afraid
to be feen, or even to fpeak, lell any one
ﬁiould difcover him to be a native of Kalfon.
In this difpoﬁtion we palfed the night by the
{ide of a dim ﬁre, and our ﬁtuation the next
day was very perplexing ; it was impoﬂible to
procure provilions without money, and I knew
that if I produced any beads or amber, the
king would immediately hear ofit, and I fhould
probably lofe the few efl‘eE‘ts I had concealed.
‘ We‘therefore refolved to combat hunger for
the day ; and wait fome favourable opportuni-
ty of purchaﬁng or begging proviﬁons.
Towards evening, as I was fitting upon the
Bentang, chewing draws, an old female ﬂave,
palling by with a balket upon her head, alked
me 9‘ I had got my dinner. As I thought {he
only laughed at me, I gave her no anfwer;
but my boy, who was ﬁtting clole by, anl'wered
for me; and told her, that the king’s people
had robbed me of all my money. On hearing
this, the good old woman, with a look of un-
affeéled benevolence, immediately took the

INTERIOR or AFRICA 77

balltet from her head, and fhewing me that it
contained ground nuts, alked me if I could
eat them; being anlwered in the afﬁrmative,
{he prefcnted me with a few handfulls, and
walked away, before I had time to thank her
for this reafonable fupply. This trifling cir-
cumllance gave me peculiar fatisfaélion : I re-
fleéled with pleafure on the conduEl of this
poor untutored llave, who, without examin~
ing into my charaEter or circumﬁances, liﬁeni
ed implicitly to the dictates of her own heart.
Experience had taught her that hunger was pain-
ful,'and her own diﬂrefles made her commife-
rate thofe of others.

The old woman had fcarcely left me, when
I received information, that a nephew of Dem-
ba Sego Jalla, the Mandingo king of Kalfon,
was coming to pay me a viﬁt. He had been
fent on an embaify to Batcheri, king of Ka-
jaara, to endeavour to fettle the difputes which
had arifen between his uncle and the latter ;
butafter debating the matter four days without
fuccefs, he was now on his return; and hear-
ing that a white man was at Joag, on his way
to Karon, curiolity brought him to fee me.
I reprefented to him my {ituation and diflrel's ;
when he frankly offered me his protection, and
laid he would be my guide to Kallon (provided
I would let out the next morning) and be arr-
fwerable for my fafety. I readily and grate-

fully accepted his offer; and was ready, with
H 2

7s ' TRAVELS IN THE

my attendants, by'daylight, on the morning of
the 27th of December.

My protector whofe name was Demba Sego,’
probably after his uncle, had a numerous reti—
nue. Our company at leaving Joag, conﬁﬁed
of thirty perfons, and ﬁx loaded alfes; and
we gode on cheerfully enough for fome hours,
without any remarkable occurrence, until we
came to a fpecies of tree, for which my inter-
preter, Johnfon, had made frequent inquiry.
On ﬁnding it, he deﬁred us to ﬂop ; and pro-
duced a white chicken, which he had purchaf.
ed at Joag for the purpofe, he tied it by the
leg to one of the branches, and then told us
we might now falely proceed, for that our
journey would be profperous. This circum-
ﬁance is mentioned, merely to illullrate the
difpoﬁtion of the Negroes, and to lhew the
power of fuperﬁition over their minds ; for al-
though this man had relided feven years in Eng-
land, it was evident that he ﬂill retained the
prejudices and notions he had imbided in his
youth. He meant this ceremony, he told me,
as an oﬁ‘eiing, orlacrilice, 'to the fpirits of the
woods ; who were, he laid, a powerful race of
beings, of a whize colour, with long ﬂowing
hair. Ilaughed at his folly, but could not
condemn the piety of his motives.

At noon we had reached Gungadi, a large
town, ashore we ﬂopped about an hour,‘un_
til form of tiie'alles that had fallen behind“
came up. Here I obferveda number of date

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 79

trees, and a mofque built of clay, with ﬁx’
turrets, on the pinnacle of which were placed
ﬁx ollrich eggs. A little before funfet we ar-
rived at the town of Samee, on the banks of
the Senegal, which is here a beautiful, but fhal-
low river, moving {lowlyr over a bed of fand
and gravel. The banks are high, and covered
with verdure; the country is open and culti-
vated ; the rocky hills of Felow and Bambouk,
add much to the beauty of the landfcape.

Dec. 28. We departed from Samee, and
arrived in the afternoon at Kayee, a large vil-"
lage, part of which is ﬁtuated on the north, and
part on the fouth {ide of the river. A little
above this place is a coniiderable cataract,
where the river iloWs oVer a ledge of whin-ﬂone
rock, with great force; below this, the river
is remarkably black and deep ; and here it was
propofed to make our cattle fwim over. After
hallooing, and firing fome mufkets, the people
on the Kallbn fide oblerved us, and brought
over a canoe to carry our baggage. I did not,
however, think it polliblc to get the cattle down
the bank, which is here more than forty feet
above the water; but the Negroes feized the
horfes, and launched them one at a time, down .
a fort of trench or gully, that was almoit per-
pendicular, and feemed to have been worn
fmooth by this fort of ufe. After the terrified
cattle had been plunged in this manner to the
water's edge, every man got down as well as he

I

could. The ferr-yrnan tne taking hold of the

80 TRAVELS IN THE

mol’t Ready ofthe horfes by a rope, led him in-
to the water, and paddled the canoe a little
from the brink; upon which ageneral attack
commenced upon the other horfes, who ﬁnd-
ing themfelves pelted and kicked on all ﬁdes,
unanimoully plunged into the river, and fol—
lowed their companion. A few boys Fwam in,
after them, and by laving water upon them
when they attempted to retum, urged them on—
wards; and we had the fatisfaElion, in about
ﬁfteen minutes, to fee them all fafe on the
other ﬁde. It was a matter of greater diﬂicuh
ty to manage the afles; their natural ﬁubborn-
nefs of difpolition made them endure a great
deal of pelting and illovincr, before they would
venture into the water, and when they had
reachef the middle of the ﬁream, four ol them
tur back, in fpite of every exertion to get
the orwards. Two hours were fpent in get-
ting the whole of them over; an hour more was
employed in tranfporting the baggage; and it
was’near funfet before the canoe returned, when
Demba Sego and myfelfembarked in this dan-
gerous pailage‘boat, which the leal’t motion
was like to overfct. The king’s nephew thought
this a proper time to have a peep into a tin box
of mine, that liood in the {Ore part of the ca-
noe; and in ﬂretching out his hand for it, he
unfortunately <1:es royed the equilibrium, and
overfet the canoe. Luckily we were not far
advanced, and got back to the ihore without
much dilﬁc culty- , from whence, after wringing

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 81'

the water from our clothes, we took a frelh de-
parture, and were l‘oon afterwards fafely lande

in KafIbn. _ ~ -

 

CHAP. VI.

Arrival at Teeﬁe.———Interview with Tiggity Se-
go, the K ing’s hrother.—Detention at Teefee.‘
Account cf that place and its inhabitants :
Incidents which occurred there.——-Rapacious
conduct if Tiggity Sega on the Author’s de-
partwa—Proeeedsfor Kooniahary, the ca-
pitat of the kingdom ; incident: on the road
and arrival there, €36.

ht» E no fooner found ourfelves fate in Kai-i
fon, than Demba Sego told me, that we were
now in his uncle’s dominions, and he hoped I
would conlider, being now out of danger, the
obligation I owed to him, and make him a fuit-
able return for the trouble he had taken on my
account, by a handfome prefent. This, as he
knew how much had been pilfered from me at
joag, was rather an unexpeaed propoﬁtion;
andI began to fear that I had not much im-
proved my condition by crolling the water;
but as it would have been folly to complain, I
made no obfervation upon his conduct, and
gave him feven bars ofamber, and fome tobac—
co ; with which he feemedto be content.
After a long day’s journey, in the courfe of
which I obferved a number of large 1001}: not

82 TRAVELS IN THE

dules of white granite, we arrived at Teefee on
the evening of Dec. 29th, and were accommo-
dated in Demba Sego’s hut. The next morn-
ing he introduced me to his father Tiggity Se-
go, brother to the king of Kaffon, chief of
Teefee. The old man viewed me with great
earneltnefs, having never, he faid, beheld but
one white man before, whom by his defcrip-
tion, I immediately knew to be Major Hough-
ton. I related to him, in anfwer to his inqui-
ries, the ' motives that induced me to explore
the country..- But he feemed to doubt the truth
of what. I-alferted; thinking, I believe, thatI
~ fecretly meditated fome proj‘eét which I was
afraid to avow. He told me it would be ne-
ceffaty I lhould go to Kooniakary, the reli-
dence of the king, to pay my rel‘peﬂs to that
”prince; but defired me to come to him again
before I left Teefee. ’

In the afternoon one of his {laves eloped;
and a general alarm being given, every perfon
that hada horfe rode into the woods, in the
hopes ofapprehending him ; and Demba Sego
\begng the life of my horfe for the fame pur-
pofe. I readily confented; and in about an hour
they all returned with the flave; who was levere-
ly flogged, and afterwards put in irons. On
the day following, (Dec. 31,) Demba Sego
was ordered to go with twenty horfemen to a
town in Gedumah, to adjuﬂ fome difpute

. with the Moors, a party of whom W€r€ fUPPOf'
ed to have ﬁolen three horfes from 'l‘eefee.

INTERIOR OF AFkICA. s3

Detnba begged, a feeond time, the ufe of my
horfe, adding, that the ﬁght of my bridle and
faddle would give him coniequence among the
Moors. This requell; alfo I readily granted,
and he promifed to return at the end of three
days. During his ablence I amufed myfelf
with walking about the town, and converﬁng
with the natives, who attended me every where
with great kindneis and curiolity, and fupplied
me with milk, eggs, and what other proviﬁons
I wanted, on very eaiy terms.

Teefee is a large, unwalled town, having
no fecurig againlt the attack of an enemy, ex~
cept a fort of citadel, in which Tiggity and
his family conﬁantly ,relidc. This town, ac-
cording to the report of the natives, was for-
merly inhabited only by a few Foulah fhep- ~
herds, who lived in confiderable affluence by
means ofthe excellent meadows in {he neigh—
bourhood, in which they reared great herds of
cattle. But their prolperity attracting the envy
offome Mandingoes, the,latter drove out the
lhepherds, and took polreliion of their lands.

The prefent inhabitants, though they policfs
both cattle andcorn in abundance, are not over
nice in articles of diet; rats, moles, fquirrels,
fnakes, locuﬁs, &c. are eaten without lcruple
by the highelt and loweft. My people were
one evening invited to a {call given by lome of
the townfmen, where, after making a hearty
meal of what they thought iil‘n and koulkous,
one of them found a piece of hard {kin in the

84 TRAVELS IN THE

difh, and brought it along with him, to fhew
me what fort of ﬁfh they had been eating. On
examining the {kin, I found they had been
“feaﬁing on a large fnake. Another cuf’tom
'ﬁill more extraordinary, is, that no woman is
allowed to eat an egg. This prohibition, whe-
ther ariﬁng from ancient fuperltition, or from
the craftinefs of fome old Buihreen who loved
eggs himfelf, is rigidly adhered to, and nothing
will more affront a woman of Teelee, than to
'oFfer her an egg. The cuﬁom is the more ﬁn-
gular, as the men eat eggs without fcruple in
the prefence of their wives, and I never ob-
ferved the fame prohibition in any Other of the
Mandingo countries.
' The third day after his fon’s departure, Tig-
gity Sego held a palaver on a very extraordi.
. nary occaﬁon, which I attended; and the de—
bates on both ﬁdes of the queﬂion difplayed
much ingenuity. The cafe was this : A young
man, a Kaﬁr, of conliderable affluence, who
had recently marrieda young and handfome
wife, applied to a very devout Bufhreen, or.
MulTulman prieﬁ, of his acquaintance, to pro-
cure him faphics for his proteéiion during the
approaching war. The Bulhreen complied
with the requell; and in order, as he pretend‘
ed, to render the l'aphies more efficacious, en—
joined the young man, to avoid any nuptial in
tercourle with his bride for the {pace of ﬁt
weeks. Severe as the injunction was, the
Kaﬁr {triclly obeyed; and without telling his

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 85

wife the real caule, abfented himfelf from her
company. In the mean time it began to be
whilpered at Teefee, that the Bulhreen, who
always performed his evening devotions at the
door of the Kaﬁr’s but, was more intimate with
the young wife than he ought to be. At ﬁrll,
the good bulband was unwilling to lufpeEt the
honour of his fanEtiﬁed friend, and one whole
month elapfed before any jealoufy role in his
mind; but hearing the charge repeated, he at-
lal’t interrogated his wife on the fubjecl, who
frankly confelled that the Bufhreen had reduced
her. Hereupon the Kaﬁr put her into conﬁne-
ment, and called a palaver upon the Bulhreen’s
conduEt. The faét was clearly proved againlt
him; and he was fentenced to be fold into lla-
very, or to ﬁnd two {laves for his redemption.
according to the pleafure of the complainant,
The injured hufband, however, was unwilling
to proceed againll his friend to fuch extremity,
and deﬁred rather to have him publicly flogged
before Tiggity Sego’s gate. This was agreed
toﬁnd the fentence was immediately executed.
The culprit was tied by the hands to a ﬁrong
flake: and a long black rod being brought forth,
the executioner, after ﬂourilhing it round his
head for fome time, applied it with fuch force
and dexterity to the Bulhreen’s back, as to
make him roar until the woods refounded with
his lbreams. The furrounding multitude, by
their hooting and laughing, manifelted how
much they enjoyed the punilhment of this old
- I

86‘ TRAVELS, IN THE ‘

gallant; and it is worthy of remark, that the
number of llripes was precifely the fame as are
enjoined by the Mofaic lawforty,fave one.

As there appeared great probability that.
Teefee, from its being a frontier town, would
be much expofed during the war to the preda~
tory eXcurftons of the Moors of Gadumah,
Tiggity Segohad, before my arrival, fent round
to the neighbouring villages, to beg or to pur—
chafe‘ as much provifions, as would afford fub-
ﬁllence to the inhabitants for one whole year,
independently of the crop on the ground, which
the Moors _might dellroy. This project was
well received by the country people, and they,
ﬁxed a day on which to bring all the proviﬁons,
they could fpare to Teefee, and as my horfe
was not yet returned, I went, in the afternoon
of January 4th, 1796, to meet the efcortwith
the provilions. _

c It was compofed of about 400 men, march:
ing in good order, with corn and ground—nuts
in calabalhes upon their heads. They were
preceded by a {’trong guard of bow1ne'n, itand
followed by eight mulicians or linging men,
As foon as they approached the town, the lat-
ter began a fong, every verfe of which was an-
fwered by the company, and fucceeded by a
few {trokes on the large drums. In this man

ner they proceeded, amidlt the acclamations of
the populace, till they. reached the houfe of
Tiggity Sego, where the loads were depolited ;
and in the evening they all alfembled under the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 87

Bcntang tree, and fpent the night in dancing
and merriment. Many of thcle llrangers re-
mained at Teefee for three days, during which
time I was con ltantly attended by as many of
them as could conveniently fee me; one party
giving way to another, as foon as curioﬁty was
gratified.

On the 51h.of January, an embaffy of ten
people; belonging to Almami Abdulkader, king
of Foota Torra, a country to the welt of Bon-
dou, arrit ed at Teefee; and deﬁring Tiggity

Qego to call an aHembly of the inhabitants,
announced publicly their king’s determinanon,
to this eff-eel: “ That unlefs all the people of
Kallon would embrace the Mahomcdan reli-
gion, and evince their c'onverlion by laying
eleven public prayers, he (the Ling of Foota
lorra) could not pollibly Rand neuter in the.
prefent contcft, but would ceitainly join his
arms to thofe of Kajaaga.” A meﬂage of this
nature, from f0 powerful a prince, could not
fail to create great alarm; and the inhabitants
of Teelee, after a long confultation, agreed to
conform to his good pleafure, humiliating as
it was to them. Accordingly, one and all pub-
licly offered up eleven prayers, which were
conﬁdered a futlicient teﬁimony of their having
renounced Paganiﬁn, and embraced the doc.-
trines of the Prophet.

It was the 8th of January before Demba Ser
g01eturned with my horle, and being quite
wearied out with the delay, I went immediate-

88 TRAVELS EN THE

ly to inform his father, that I {hould fet out for
Kooniakary early the next day. The old man
made many frivolous objeélibns; and at length
gave me to underlland, that I mull not think
ofdeparting, without ﬁrlt paying him the du-
ties he was entitled to receive from all travel—
lers; belides which, he expected, he faid, fome
acknowledgment for his kindinefs towards me.
Accordingly, on the morning of the 9th, my
friend Demba, with a number of people, came
to me, and fetid, that they were rent by Tiggity
Sego for my prefent, and wilhed to fee what
goods I had appropriated for that purpofe. I
knew that reﬁllance was hopelefs, and com.
--plaint unavailing; and being in fome meafure
prepared, by the intimation I had received the
night before, I quietly offered him fevenibars
of amber, and ﬁve of tobacco. After furvey-
ing thefe articles for fome time very coolly,
Demba laid them down, and told me, this was
not a prefent for a man of Tiggity Sego’s con-
fequence, who had it in his power to take what-
ever he pleafed from me. He added, that if I
did not confent to make him a larger oEering,
he would carry all my baggage to his father, and
let him choofe for himfelf. I had no time for
reply; for Demba and his attendants immedi-
ately began to open my bundles, and fpread
the diﬂ‘erent articles on the floor, where they
underwent a more {IriEt examination than they
had done at Joag. Every thing that pleafed
them they took without feruplc; and amongﬁ

\

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. g9

other things, Demba feized the tin box, which
had fo much attraEted his attention in croﬂing
the river. Upon colleEting the fcattered re-
mains of my little fortune after thefe people
had left me, I found that, as at Joag I had been
plundered of half, fo here, without even the
ihadow of accufation, I was deprived of half
the remainder. The blaekfmith him’felf, though
a native of Kaifon, had alfo been compeled to
open his bundles, and take an oath, that the
different articles they contained were his own
exclufive property. There was, however, no
remedy ; and having been under forne obliga-
tion to Demba Sego for his attention towards
me in the journey from Joag, I did not re-
proach him for his rapacity, but determined to
quit Teefee atall event the next morning. In
the meanwhile, in order to raife the drooping
fpirits of my attendants, I purchafed a fat iheep,
and had it dreifed for our dinner.

- Early in the morning of January 10th, there-
fore, I left Teefee, and about midday afcended
a ridge, from whence we had a dif’tant View of
the hills round Kooniakary. In the evening
we reached a fmall village, where we flept, and
departing from thence the next morning, croifed
in a few hours, a narrow but deep ﬁream called
Krieko, (a branch of the Senegal. About We
miles farther to the eaﬁward, we paifed a large
town called Madina ; and at two o’clock came
in ﬁght of Jumbo, the blackfmith’s native town,-

_ from whencehe had been. abfent‘more than four .
I 2 . ‘ 4

go: TRAVELS IN THE '

years. Soon after this, his brother, whohad'
by fome means been apprized of his coming,
came out to meet him, accompanied by a ling-
ing man; he brought a horfe for the blackfmith,
that he might enter his native town in a digniﬁed
manner; and he deﬁred each of us to put a
good charge of powder into our guns. The
iinging man now led the way, followed by the
two brothers; and we were prefently joined by
a number ofpeople from the town, all of whom
demonﬁrated great joy at feeing their old ac-
quaintance the blackfmith, by the molt extra-
vagantjumping and ﬁnging. On entering the
town, the litiging man began an extempore long
in praile of the blackfmith, eXLolling his cou—
rage in having overcome lo many diﬂicultics,
and concluding with a liriét injunction to his A
friends to drefs him plenty of vi’cluals.

When we arrived at the blackhnith’s place
of relidence, we difmounted and ﬁred our muf-
kets. The meeting between him and his rela-
tions was very tender; for thefe rude children
of nature, free from reﬁraint, dilplay their emo-
tions in the l’trongell and molt expreliive man-
ner. Amidll thcl'e tranfports, the blackfmiih’s
aged mother was led forth, leaning upon a Raff.
livery one made way for her, and lhe I’tretched
out her hand to bid her fon welcome. Being
totally blind, lhe llroked his hands, arms, and
face, with great care, and feemed highly de-
lighted, that her latter days were bleﬂ'ed by his
return, and that her ears once more heard the .

tNTERiOR or AFRICA. 9.

muﬁc of his voice. From this interview I was
fully convinced, that whatever difference there
is between the Negro and European in the con-
formation of the nofe and the colour of the (kin,
there is none in the genuine fympathies and
charaéteril’tic feelings of our common nature.
During the tumult of thefe congratulations,
I had feated myfelf apart, by the ﬁde of one of
the huts, being unwilling to interrupt the flow
of ﬁlial and paternal tendernefs; and the atten~
tion of the company was fo entirely taken up
with the blackfmith, that I believe none of his:
friends had obferved me. When all the people
prefent had feated themfelves, the blackfmith
was delired by his father to give them fome ac-
count of his adventures, and ﬁlence being
commanded, he began; and after repeatedly
thanking God for the fuccefs that had attended
him, related every material occurrence that had
happened to him, from his leaving Kalfon to
his arrival at the Gambia; his employment and
fuccefs in thofe parts; and the dangers he had
(leaped in returning to his native country. In
the latter part-of his narration, he had frequent-
ly occafion to mention me, and after many
ftrong exprellions concerning my kindnefs to
him, he pointed to the place where I fat, and
exclaimed, aﬁille ibiﬁring, “ fee him fitting
there.” In a moment all eyes were turned upon
me; I appeared like a being dropped from the
clouds; every "one was furpril'ed that they ha a

not obfervcd me before; and a few women at
I

gs ”TRAVELS IN THE

children expreﬂed great uneaﬁnefs at being f0“
near a man of fuch an uncommon appearance.
By degrees, however, their apprehenﬁons fub-
ﬁded; and when the blackfmith allured them
that I was perfectly inoflenlive, and would hurt
nobody, fome of them ventured f0 far as to
examine the texture of my clothes; but many
of them were ﬁill very fufpicious, and when by'
accident I happened to move myfelf, or look
at the young children, their mothers would
{camper off with them with the greatelt precipi-
tation. In a few hours, however, they all be-
came reconciled to me.

With thefe worthy people I {pent the re—
mainder of that, and the whole of the enfuing
day, in feaﬁing and merriment; and the black-
fmith declared he would not quit me duringmy
ﬂay at Kooniakary, for which place we fet out
early in the morning of the 14th of january,
and arrived about the middle of the day at
80010, a fmall village three miles to the fouth
of it.

As this place was fomewhat out of the di-
rect road, it is necelIary to obferve, that I went
thitherto vilit a Slatee, or Gambia trader, of
great note and reputation, named Salim Dau-
cari. He was well known to,Dr. Laidley, who ~
had truﬁed him with effects to the value Of ﬁve
Haves, and had given me an order for the whole
of the debt. We luckily found him at home,
and he received me with great kindnefs and at-
tention.

\

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 93

It is remarkable, however, that the king of
Ration was, by fome means, immediately ap-
prized of my motions; for I had been at 80010
butafew hours, before Sambo Sego, his fe-
cond fon, came with aparty of horfe, to en-
quire what had prevented me from proceeding
to Kooniakary, and waiting immediately upon
the king, who, he faid, was impatient to fee me.
Salim Daucari made my apology, and pro-
mifed to accompany me to Kooniakary the
fame evening; we accordingly departed from
$0010 at funfet, and in about an hour entered
Kooniakary. ‘But as the king had gone to
fleep, we deferred the interview till next morn-
ing, and ﬂep‘t atfthe hut of Sambo Sego.

My interview with the king, and the inci-
dents which occurred to me in the kingdoms of
KaiTon and Kaarta, will be the fubjeél of the
enfuing chapter.

TRAVELS IN THE ‘

E

(F

CHAP. 'VII.

The Author is admitted to an audience of the

King ofKaﬂon, whom he ﬁnds we]! difpefed
towards him.—InCidents during the ﬂzithor's
ﬂay at Kooniahary.——Departs from thence
for Kemmoo, the capital of Kaarta.—,-—Is re-
ceived with great hindnefs by the King of
Kaarta; who diﬂitades him from profecuting
hisjourney on account ofapproaching hoﬂili-
ties with the King (J Bambarra.—-—-The An-
thor determines to proceed; and tahes the
path to Lndamar, a Maori/h hingdom.—Is
accommodated hy the King with a guide to
jarra, the frontier town of the Maori/h ter-
ritories, and proceeds for that place accom—
panied 5}) three of the King's fans and two
hundred hor/emen.

ABOUT eight o’clock in the morning of Jan—
nary 15th, 1;96, we went to an audience of
the king Demba Sego Jalla, but the crowd of
people to fee me was f0 great, that I could
{carcely get admittance. A pailage being at
length obtained, I made my bow to the mo—
narch, whom we found ﬁtting upon a mat, in a
large hut; he appeared to be a man of about
ﬁxty years of age; his fuccefs in war, and the
mildnefs of his behaviuor in time of peace, had
much endeared him to all his fubjeﬂs: He
furveyed me with great attention; and when
Salim Daucari explained to him the objeét of

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 95

my journey, and my reafons for palﬁng through
his country, the good old king appeared not
only perfectly fatisﬁed but promifed me every
alﬁltance in his power. He informed me that he
had leen Major Houghton, and prefented him
with a white horfe; but that after croﬁing the
kingdom of Kaarta, he had lolt his life among
the Moors; in what manner he could not inform
me. ' When this audience was ended we return-
ed to our lodging, and I made up a fmall pre- ’
fent for the king, out of the few effects that
were left me; for I had not yet received any
thing from Salim Daucari. This prefent,
though inconﬁderable in itfelf, was well receiv-
ed by the king, who lent me in retUrn a large
white bullock. The fight of this animal quite
delighted my attendants; not fo much on ac-
count of its bulk, as from its being of a white
colour; which is conﬁdered as a particular
mark of favour. But although the king him-
felf was well dispofed towards me, and readily
granted me permiﬂion to pal's through his ter-
ritories, I loan difcovered, that very great and
unexpeEted obl’tacles were likely to impede my
progrels. Beiides the war which was on the
point of breaking out between Kailon and Ka—
jaaga, I was told, that the next kingdom of
Kaarta, through which my route y, was in:
volved in the Mile; and was furtheig'ore threat-
ened with hoﬁilities on the part 0 Bambarra.
The king himfelfinformed me of thefe circum~
dances; and advifed me to ﬂay in the neigh;

'96 TRAVELS IN THE

bourhood of Kooniakary, till fuch time as he
could procure proper information respeaing
Bambarra, which he expected to do in the
courfe (if four or ﬁve days, as he had already, he
' faid, fent four meffengers into Kaarta for that
purpofe.1 readily fubmitted to this propofal,

and went to 80010, to Ray there till the return
Of one of thofe meﬁengers. This afforded me
a favou1able opportunity of receiving what
money Salim Daucari could fpare me on Dr.
Laidley’s account. I fucceeded in receiving
the value of three Haves, chiefly in gold duﬂ;

and being anxious to proceed as quickly as pof-
lible, I begged Daucari to ufe his interef’t with
the king, to allow me a guide by the way of
Fooladoo, as I was informed that the war had
already commenced hetmecn the kings of Ram-
ha11a and Kaarta. Daucari accordingly fet out
for Kooniakary on the morning of the 201b,
and the fame evening returned with the king’s
anlwe1, which was to this purpofe- that the king
had, many years ago, made an agreement with
Daifey, king of Kaarta, to [end all merchants
and t1atellers through his dominions; but that
if I wiihed to take the route through Foola-
(loo, 1 had his perm: {lion to to do, though he
could not conﬁl’tently with his agreement, lend
me a guide. Having felt the want ofregal pro-
teﬁi011i11 a former part of my journey, I was
unwilling to hazard a repetition of" the haul-
{hips 1 had then expeiienced, efpccially, as the
11101 ey Il ad rcceited “as probably the lait

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ,7

[apply I fhould obtain ; I therefore determin-
ed to wait for the return of the mellcngers from
Kaarta. V. V,

In the interium, it began to be whifpered
abroad, that I had received plenty of gold from
Salim Daucari; and on the morning of the
23d, Sambo Sego paid me a viﬁt with a party
of horfemen. He inﬁﬂed upon knowing the
cxati amount of the money I had obtained ;
declaring, that whatever the fum was, one half
of it muli go to the king; beﬁdes which, he in-
timated that he expected a handfome prefentfbr
himfelf, as being the king’s Ion; and for his
attendants, as being the king’s relations. The
reader will eaﬁly perceive, that if all thefe de‘
mands had been fatisﬁed, Ifhould not have
been overburdened with money; but though
it was very mortifying to me to comply with
the demands of injuﬁice, and To arbitrary an
exaEtion, yet, thinking it was highly danger-
ous- to make a foolilh reliftance, and irritate the
lion when within the reach of his paw, I prev
pared to fubmit ; and if Salim Daucari had not
interpofed, all my endeavours to mitigate this
opprcﬂive claim would have been of no avail.
Salim at laIt prevailed upon Sambo to accept
ﬁxteen bars of European merchandize, and
fome powder and ball, as a complete payment
of every demand that could be made upon me
in the kingdom of Kalfon.

, Jan. 26th. In the forc‘noon, Iwent to the
top of a high hill to the fouthward of Soolo,
K

9'8 TRAVELS IN THE

where I had a melt enchanting profpeﬁ of the
country. The number oftowns and villages,
and the extenﬁve cultivation around them, fur-
palied every thing 1 had yet feen in Africa. A
grofs calculation may be formed of the number
of the inhabitants in this delightful plain, 'by
confidering, that the king of Kaiion can raife
four thoufand ﬁghting men by the found of his
war drum. ~‘In traverling the rocky eminences
of this hill, which are almolt deltitute of vege-
tation, I obferved a number ofrlarge holes in
the crevices and ﬂiiures of the rocks, where the
wolves and hyzenas take refuge during the day.
Some of thefe animals paid usa vilit on the
evening ofthe 27th ; their approach was difco—
vered by the dogs of the village, and on this
occaﬁon it is remarkable, that the dogs did
not bark, but howl in the molt difmal manner.
The inhabitants of the village no fooner heard
them, than, knowing the caufe, they armed
theml‘elves ; and providing bunches of dry
grafs, went in a body to the inclofure in the‘
middle of the village, where the cattle was kept.
Here they lighted the bunches of grafs, and,
waving them to and fro, ran hooping and hal-
looing towards the hills. This manoeuvre had
the deiired elieét of frightening the wolves away
from'tl e village; buton examination we found
that they had killed five of the cattle, and tom
and wounded many others.

Feb. 1ft. The meliiengers arrived from Kaar—
ta, and brought intelligence that the war had

INTERIOR OF AFR ICA. "99

not yet Commenced between Bambarra and
K aarta, and that I might probably pafs through
Kaarta- before the Bambarra army invaded that
country.

'Feb.’ 3d. Early in the morning, two guides
.on horleback came from Kooniakary tocon-
duEt me to thelrontiers of Kaarta. I accord-
ingly took leave of Salim Daucari, and parted
.for the lall time from my fellow-traveller the
blackfmith, whole kind folicitude for my wel—
fare had been fo confpicuous; and about ten
o’clock departed from $0010. We travelled
this day through a rocky and hilly country,
along the banks of the river Krieko, and at
{unfet came to the village of Soomoo, where
we llept. , ,

Feb. 4th. ‘We departed from Soomoo, and
continued our route along the banks of the
Krieko, which are every where well cultivated,
and {warm with inhabitants. At this time they
were increafed by the number of people that
, had ﬂown thither from Kaarta, on account of
the Bambarra war. In the afternoon we reach-
ed Kimo, a large village, the reﬁdence of Madi
Konko, governor of the hilly country of Kaf-
lon, which is called Sorroma. From hence the
guides appointed by the king of Kallbn return—
ed, to join in the expedition againlt Kajaaga;
and I waiteduntil the 6th, before I could pre-
vail on Madi Konko to appoint me a guide to
Kaarta.

Feb. 7th. Departing from Kimo, with Madi

/

IOO TRAVELS IN THE

Konko’s' fon as a guide, we continued our
courfe along the banks of. the Krieko until the
afternoon, when we arrived at Kangee, a cona
ﬁderable town. The Krieko, is here but a
{man rivulet; this beautiful ﬁream takes its rife
a little to the eaﬂward of this town, and def—
cends with a rapid and noify current, until it
reaches the bottom of the high hill called Tap-
pa, where it becomes more placid, and winds
gently through the lovely plains of Kooniak-
-ary 3 after which, having received an additional
branch from the north, it is loft in the Senegal,
fomewhere near the Falls of Felow.

Feb. 8th. This day we travelled over a
rough {tony country, and having paired Seimpo
and a number of other villages, arrived in the
afternoon at Lackarago, a fmall village, which
{lands upon the ridge of hills that feparates the
kingdoms of Kaffon _ and Kaarta. In the
courfe of the day we palfed many hundreds of
people ﬂying from Kaarta, with their families
and effeéts.

Feb. 9th. Early in the morning, we departed
from Lackarago, and a little to the eaﬂward
came to the brow of a hill, from whence
we had an extenﬁve view of the country. To-
wards the fouth—eaf’t were perceived fome very
dillant hills, which our guide told us were the
mountains of Fooladoo. We travelled with
great difﬁculty down a {tony and adrupt pre—
eipice, and continued our way in the bed of a
dry river courfe, where the trees, meeting over

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. to:

head, made’ the place dark and cool. In a little
time we reached the bottom of this romantic
glen, and about ten o’clock emerged from be-
tween two rocky hills, and found ourfelves on
the level and fandy plains of Kaarta. At noon
we arrived at' a Korree, or watering-place,
where, for a few ﬁrings of beads, I purchafed as
much milk and corn—meal as we could eat; in-
deed provifions are here to cheap, and the
{hepherds live in fnch affluence, that they fol-
dom alk any return for what refrelhments a
traveller receives from them. From this Kor—
ree, we reached Feefurah at funfet, where we
took up our lodging for the night.

Feb. 10th. We continued at Fcefurah all
this day, to ,have a few clothes walhed, and
learn more exactly the ﬁtuation of affairs, be-
fore we ventured towards the capital. .

Feb. nth. Our landlord, taking advantage
of the unfettled {late ofthe country, demanded
fo extravagant a fum for our lodging, that fus-
peEting he wilhed for an opportunity to quarrel
with us, I refufed to fuhmit to his exorbitant
demand; but my attendants were fo much
frightened at the reports of approaching war,
that they refufed to proceed any farther unlefs’
I could fettle matters with him, and induce him
to accompany Us to Kemrnoo, for our protec-
tion on the road. This I accomplilhed with
fume diliiculty, and by a prefent of a blanket,
which I had brought with me to ﬂeep in, and

for which our landlord had conceived a very
K 2

102 TRAVELS IN THE

great liking, matters were at'length amicably
adjuﬂed, and he moumed his horfe and led the
way. He was one of thole Negroes, who, to-
gether with the cerimonial part of the Maho-
medan religion, retain all their ancient fuperﬁia
tions, and even drink firong liquors. They
are called Johars, or Jowers, and in this king-
dom form a‘very numerous and powerful tribe.
We had no fooner got into a dark and lonely
part of the ﬁrﬁ wood, than he made a ﬁgn for
us to ﬂop, and taking hold of a hollow piece of
bamboo, that hung as an amulet round his
neck, whiitled very loud, three times. I con-
iefs I was fomewhat ﬁartled, thinking it was a
iignal for fome of his companions to come and
attack us; but he aﬁured me, that it was done
merely with a View to afcertain what fuccefs
we were likely to meet with on our prefent
journey. He then difmounted, laid his {pear
acrofs the road, and having {aid a number of
{iron prayers, concluded with three loud whif-
tles; after which he liﬂened for fome time, as
if in expectation of an anfwer, and receiving
none, told us we might proceed without fear,
for there was no danger. About noon we pafs-
ed a number of large villages quite deferted,
the inhabitants having fled into Kaiion to avoid
the horrors of war. We reached Karankalla
at funi‘et; this formerly was a large town, but
having been plundered by the Bambarrans,
about four years ago, nearly one half of it is
Hill in ruins.

INTERIOR or AFRICA. “)3

Feb. ’12th. At daylight, we‘departed from
Carankalla, and as it was but a ﬂiort day’s
journey to Kemmoo, we travelled {lower than
ufual, and amufed ourfelvesibjy colleéling fuch
eatable fruits as grew near the road ﬁde. In
this purﬁiit ‘I had wandered a little from my
people, and being uncertain whether they were
before or behind me, I' hallened to a. riﬁng
ground to look about me. As I_ was proceed-
ing towards this eminence, two Negro horfemen,
armed with mulkets, came ,gaIIOping from
among the bullies; on feeing them I' made a
full ﬂop; the horfemen did the fame, and all
three of us feemed equally furprifed and con-
founded at this interview. As I approached
them their fears increafed, and one of them, af-
ter cal’ting upon me a look of horror, rode off
at full fpeed; the other, in a panic of fear, put
his hand over his eyes, and continued muttering
prayers until his horle, feemingly without the
rider’s knowledge, conveyed him {lowly after
his companion. About a mile to the weltward,
they fell in with my attendants, to whom they
related a frightful ltory; It feems their fears had
drelled me in the flowing "robes of a tremen-V
dous fpirit, and one of them afﬁrmed, that when
I made my appearance, a cold blal’t of wind
came pouring down upon him from the fky
like it) much cold water. Aboutnoon we faw
at a dillance the capital of Kaarta, ﬁtuated in
the middle of an open plain, the country for
two miles round being cleared of wood, by the

104 TRAVELS IN THE

great confumption of that article for building
and fuel, and we entered the town about two
o’clock in the afternoon.

We proceeded without ﬂopping, to the court
before the king’s reﬁdence; but I was fo com-
pletely furrounded by the gazing» multitude,
that I did not attempt to difmount, but fent in
the landlord and M‘adi Kouko’s for), to acquaint
the king of my arrival. In a little time they
returned accompanied by a melfenger from the
king, ﬁgnifying that he would fee me in the
evening, and in .the mean time, the meileiiger
had orders to procure me a lodging, and fee
that the crowd did not moleﬁ me. He con;
duEted me into a court, at the door of which
he {lationed a man, with a {lick in his hand, to:
keep off the mob, and then {bowed me a large
but, in which I was to lodge. I had fcarcely
, feated myfelf in this fpacious apartment, when
the mob entered; it was found impolﬁble to
keep them out, and I was furrounded by as ma—
ny as the but could contain. When the ﬁrﬁ
party, however, had feen me, and allied a few
queitions, they retired, to make room for ano-
ther company; and‘in this manner the but was
ﬁlled and emptied thirteen different times.

A little before funfet, the king fent to inform
me that he was atleifure, and wilhed to fee me.
I followed the melfenger through a number of
courts furrounded with high walls, whereI 0b-
lerved plenty of dry grafs bundled up like hay,
to fodder the horfes, m cafe the town {houldv

INTERIOR OF AFRICA, 105

he invelled. On entering the court in- which
the king was fitting, 1* was aftonilhed at the
number of his attendants, and at the good or-
der that feemed’ to prevail'among them: They
were all feated; the ﬁghting men on- the king’s
right hand, and the women and children on the
left, leaving a fpace between them for my paf-
fage. . The king, whofe name was Daify Koo—
rabarri, was not to be diitinguifhed from his
iubjeﬁs by any fuperiority in point of drefs;
a bank of earth, about two feet high, upon
which was fpread a leapard’s fliin, conﬁituted
the only mark of royal dignity. When I had
feated myfell upon the ground before him, and
related the various circuml’tances that had in-
duced me to pafs through his country, and my
reaions for foliciting his protection, he appear-
ed perfetlly fatisﬁed; but‘faid it was not in his
power at prefent to afford me much alﬁﬂance;
for that all fort of communication between
Kaarta and Bambarra had been interrupted for
fome time pal’t; and as Manfong, the king of
Bamharra, with his army, had entered Foola-
doo in his way to Kaarta, there was but little
hope of my reaching Bambarra by any of the
ufual routes, in as much as coming from an
enemy’s country, I {hould certainly be plun-
dered, or taken for a fpy. If his country had
been at peace, he faid, I might have remained
with him until a more favourable opportunity
offered; but, as matters ﬂood at prefent, he
did not wilh me to continue in Kaarta, for

106 TRAVELS IN THE

fear fome accident fhould hefal me, in which
cafe my countrymen might fay, that he had
murdered a white man. He would therefore
advife me to return to Kaﬁbn, and remain there
until the war {hould terminate, which would
probably happen in the courfe of three or four
months; after which, if he was alive, .he laid,
he would be glad to fee me, and if he was dead,
his {on would take care of me.

This advice was certainly well meant on the
part of the king, and perhaps I was to blame
in not following it; but I refleéled that the hot
months were approaching, and I dreaded the
thoughts of fpending‘the rainy feafon in the in—
terior of Africa; 'l‘hefe conliderations, and
the averﬁon I felt at the idea of returning with-
out having made a greater progrefs in difcovc-
ry, made me determine to go forwards; and
though the king could not give me a guide to
Bambarra, I begged, that he would allow a
'man to accompany me as near the frontiers of
his kingdom as was conlil’tent with fafety.
,Finding that I was determined to proceed, the
{icing told me that one route {ﬁll remained, but
that, he faid was by no means free from danger;
which was to go from Kaarta into the Moor-
ilh kingdom of Ludamar, from whence I might
pafs, by a circuitous route, into Bambarra.
If I wilhed to follow this route, he would ap—
‘point people to conduEt me to Jarra, the from-
tier town of Ludamar. He then enquired
very particular how I had been treated ﬁnce I

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 107

had left the Gambia, and alked in a jocular
way, how many llaVes I expeEted to carry home
with me on my return. He was about to pro-
ceed, when a man mounted ona ﬁne Moorilh
horfe, which was covered with fweat and foam,
entered the court, and ﬁgnifying that he had
fomething of importance to communicate, the
king" immediately took up his fandals, which is
the ﬁgnal to ﬁrangers to retire. I accordingly
took leave, but delired my boy to [lay about
the place, in order to learn fomething of the
intelligence that this mellenger had brought.
In about an hour the boy returned, and in-
formed me, that the B-ambarra army had left
F ooladoo, and was on its march towards Kaar-
ta ;, that the man I had feen, who had brought
this intelligence, was one of the l'couts or
watchmen employed by the king, each of whom
has his particular ltation, commonly on fome
riiing ground, from whence he has the bell view
of the country, and watches the motions of
the enemy.

In the evening the king lent me a ﬁne lheep,
which was very acceptable, as none of us had
tailed viauals during the day. VVhillt we were
employed in drelling fupper, evening prayers
were announced; not by the call of the prieﬂs,
as ufual, but by beating on drums, and blow-
ing through large elephants’ teeth, hollowed
out in inch a manner as to refemble bugle
burns; the found is melodious, and in my opi-
nion, comes nearer to the human voice than any

108 TRAVELS IN THE

other artiﬁcial found. As the main body of
Daify’s army was, at this juncture, at Kemmoo,
the mofques were very much crowded, and I
obferVed, that the difciples of Mahomet com-
pofed nearly one half of the army of Kaarta.
Feb. 13. At daylight I fent my horfe-pif-
tols‘ and holﬂers as a prefent to the king, and
being very deﬁrous to get away from a place
which was likelyl‘oon to become a feat of war,
I begged the mellenger to inform the king, that
I wilhed to depart from Kemmoo as loon as he
{hould ﬁnd it convenient to appoint me a guide.
In about an hour the king lent his meﬂenger to
thank me for the prefent, and eight horfemen
to condué‘t me to jarra. They told me that
the king wilhed me to proceed to Jarra with all
poﬂible expedition, that they might return be—
fore any thing deciﬁve ﬂiould happen between
the armies of Bambarra and Kaarta; we ac-
cordingly departed forthwith from Kemmoo,
accompanied by three of Daify’s fons, and
about two hundred horfemen, who kindly un-
dertook to fee me a little way on my journey.

INTERIOR OF? AFRICA. ‘1'0’9
‘ CHAP. 'VIII. ‘

fur-my from K cmmoo to Funighcdy.—-—Some aa—
cvount ofthe Lotus.——A youth murdered by the
Moors; interqling fame at his death—Au-

: thou paﬂcs through Simbing.—-—Some particu-

L~larrs refpeéling Major Houghton.—-Reaches

, ’jarr‘a.—Siéuation cfthefurrounding States,
and an account of the war between Kharta
and Bamharm, €36.

N the evening of the day of our departure

from Kemmoo, the king’s eldeﬂfon and
great part. of the horlemen haVing returned, We
reached a village called Marina, wherewe ﬂept.
During the night, fome thieves broke into the
but where I had depoﬁted my baggage, and
having cut open one of my bundles, {tale a
quantity of beads, part of my clothes, and
fome amber and gold, which happened to be in
one of the pockets. I complained to my pro-
tectors, but without effeél. The next day,
Feb. 14, was far advanced before we departed
from Marina, and we travelled ﬂowly, on ac.
Count of the excellive heat, until four o’clock
in the afternoon, when two Negroes were ob-
lert'ed lilting among fome thorney bullies ata
little dil’cance from the~ road. The king’s peo-
ple, taking it for granted that they were runa-
way Haves, cocked their mulléets, and rode at
full fpeed in different direétions through the

bullies, in order to furround them, and pre-
‘ L

(ta . ,TRAVELS INTHE

vent their efcaping. The Negroes, however,
waited with great compolure until we came
within bowlhot of them, when each of them
took from his quit er a handful of arrows, and
putting two between his teeth and one in his
bow, waved to us with his hand to keep at a
diﬂance; upon which, one of the king’s people
called out to the ltrangers to give tome ac-
qount of, themfelves. They {aid that“they
were natives of Toord’a, a neighbouring village,
and had come to that plaCe to gather toméc-
rongs.” T hefe are fmall farinaceous berries of
a yellow colour and delicious talle, which I
knew to be the fruit of the rhammus lotus of
Linneeus. The Negroes Ihewed us two large
balkets-fu—ll, which they had colleéted in the-
courfe of the day. Thefe berries are much
elteemed by the natives, who convert them into
a fort of bread, by expoiing them for fome
days to the fun, and afterwards pounding them
gently in a wooden mortar, until the farinaceous
part of the berry is feparated from the (tone.
This meal is then mixed with a little water and
formed into cakes; which, when dried in the
fun, rel'emble in colour and flavour the tweet.
e't gingerbread. The liones are afterwards put
into a veilel of water, and ihaken about to as to
mfeparate the meal which may {till adhere to
withem: This communicates a Meet and agreea-
ble talte to the water, and with the addition of
a: little pounded millet, forms a plealant gruel
called/0ndi, which is the common breaklalt in

INTERIOR or ArRi‘CA. 'i’i-i

many parts of Ludamar, during the months of
February and March. The fruit is colleéled
by l‘preading a cloih upon the ground, and
beating the branches with a flick. ‘
’The lotus is very common in all the king
doms which I vilited; but is found in the great-
elt plenty on the Faudy foil of Kaarta, Luda—
mar, and the nothern parts of Bambarra, where
it is one of the molt common fhrubs of the
country. I had obferved the fame fp‘ecies at
Gambia, and had an opportunity to make a
drawing ofa branch in flower. The leaves of
the del'ert {hrub are, however much (mallet,
and more refembling, in that particular, thol'e
rreprefented in the engraving given by Desfont-
aines, in the Memoires tie l’Academie Royale
cles Sciences, 1788», p; 443. . U
As this fhrub is found in Tunis, and alfo in
the Negro kingdoms, and as it furnilhes the na-
tives of the latter with a food refembling bread,
and alfo with a fweet lipuor, which is much
relifhed by them, there can be little doubt of its ,
being the lotus mentioned by Pliny, as the food
of the Lybian Lotophagi. An army may very
well have been fed with the bread I have tailed,
made ofthe meal ofthe fruit, as is laid by Pliny
to have been done in Lybia; and as the talle
of the bread is fweet and agreeable, it is not,”
likely that the foldiers would complain of it.
We arrived in the evening at the village of
Toorda; when all the tell of the king’s people

are - TRAVELS INITHEA

turned back except two, who remained with
me as guides to Jarra.

” Feb. 15th. 1 departed from Toorda, and
about two o’clock came to a conﬁderable town
called Funingkedy. As we approached the
,town the inhabitants were much alarmed; for,
as one of my guides wore a turban, they mif-
took us for fome Moorilh banditti. This mif-
apprehenﬁon was foon cleared up, and we were
well received by_ a Gambia Slatce, who reﬁdes
at this town, and at whofe houfe we lodged.

Feb. 16th. we wereinformed that a num,
.ber of people would go from this town to jarra
ion the day following; andas the road was much
infel’ted by the Moors, werefolved to Pray and
accompany the travellers. In the mean time
we were told, that a few days before our arri-
val, mol’t of the Buﬂtreens and people of pro-
. perty in Funingkedy had gone to jarra, to con-
i‘ult about removing their families and effects to
that town, for fear ofthe approaching war; and
that the‘Moors, in their abfence, had {lolen
{tune of their cattle.

About two o’clock, as I was lying aﬂeep
upona bullock’s hide behind the door of the
hut, I was awakened by. the fcreams of wo-
men, and a general clamour and confuﬁon
among the inhabitants. At firlt I fufpeéted
‘ that the Bambarrans had actually entered the
town; but obferving my boy upon the top of
one of the huts, I called to him to know what
Was the matter. He informed me, that the

INTERIOR OF' AFRICA. 31,5

Moors were come a fecond time to Real 'the cat-£-
tle, and that they were now clofe to the town.’
I mounted the roof of the but, and obferved
alarge herd of bullocks coming towards the
toiin, followed by live Moors on horleback,
who drove the cattle forward with their mulkets,
When they had reached the wells, which are
elofe to the town, the Moors {elected from the
herd lixteen of the ﬁnel’t bealls, and drove them
oil‘ at full gallop. During this tranfaétion,
the town-people, to the number of ﬁve hum.
dred, ﬂood collected- clofe to the walls of the
town ; and when the Moors drove the cattle
away, though they paﬂ'ed within piltol-lhot of
them, the inhabitants l'carcely made a ﬂiew of
reﬁllance. I only faw four mufkets ﬁred,
which, being loaded with gunpowder of the
Negroes own manufaChxre, did no execution;
Shortly after this, I obferved a number of peo-
ple fupporting a young man upon horfeback,
and conducting him ﬂowly towards the town.
This was one of the herdfmen, who, attempt-
im; to throw his fpear, had been wounded by a.
{hot- from one of the Moors. His mother
walked on before, quite frantic with grief, clap-s
ping her hands, and enumerating the good qua-
ll’lt’S of her fon. Ee maﬁa/mic (he never told
a lie) {aid the difconl'olate mother, as her-
wounded fun was carried in at the gate—Ea
mqﬁb'fon‘io, abadzz, (he never told a lie; no,
never). When they had conveyed him to his
hut, and laidhim upon a mat, all» the fpeét’ators
L z

{‘4 TRAVELS IN THE

joined in lamenting his fate, by fcreaming and
howling in the molt piteous manner.

After their grief had fublided a little, I was
deﬁred to examine the wound. I found that
“the ball had palfed quite through his leg, having
fractured both bones a little below the knee:
The poor boy was faint from the lol‘s 'of blood,
and his {ituation withal f0 very precarious, that
I could not confole his relations with any great
hopes of his recovery. However, to give
him a polfrble chance, I obferved to them, that
it was necelfary to cut off his leg above the
knee; this propolal made every one Ptart with
horror; they had never heard of fuch a method
of cure, and would by no means give their
confent to it; indeed, they evidently conﬁden
ed me as a fort of cannibal for propofmg fo
cruel and unheard of an operation, which, in
their opinion, would be attended with more
painand danger than the wound itfelf. The
patient was therefore committed to the care of
fome old Bulhreens, who endeavoured to fe-
cure him a pallage into Paradife, by whil'per-
ing in his ear fome Arabic fentences, and delirm
ing him to repeat them. After many unfuc-
cefsful attempts, the poor heathen at lalt pro-
nounced, la illah el allah, Mal/tamer rafou-l.
calla/ti ;* and the difciples of the Prophet aﬂur.
ed his mother, that her fon had given fufhcient
evidence of his faith, and would be happy in a
fixture (late. He died the fame evening.

a ﬁ Thereis but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ‘ “5

1 Feb. 17th. My guides informedme, that
in order to avoid the Moorilh banditti, it was
necelfary. to travel in the night; we accordingly
departed from F uningkedy [in the afternoon,
accompanied by about thirty people, carrying
their effects with them into Ludamar, for fear
of the war. We travelled with great lilence
and expedition until midnight, when we [top-
ped in a fort of inclofure, near a fmall village;
but the thermometer being fo low as 68°, none
of the Negroes could ﬂeep on account of the
cold.

At daybreak on the 18th we refumed our
journey, and at eight o’clock palled Si'mbz'ng,
the frontier village of Ludamar, {ituated in a
narrow pafs between two rocky hills, and fur-
rounded with a high wall. From this village
Major Houghton (being deferted by his Ne-
gro fervants who refufed to follow him into the
Moorilh country) wrote his lalt letter, with a
pencil, to Dr. Laidley. This brave but un-
fortunate man, having furmounted many dif-
hculties, had taken a northerly direCtion, and.
endeavoured to pafs through the kingdom of
Ludamar, where I afterwards learned the fol.
lowing particulars concerning his melancholy
fate. On his arrival at jarra, he got acquaint-
ed with certain Moorilh merchants who were
travelling to Tilheet (a place near the falt pits
in the Great Defert, ten day‘s journey to the
northward), to purchafe falt; and the Major, at
the expence of a muﬂtet and fome tobacco, en-

{376" TRAVELS m' THE

gaged them to convey him thither. It is} im-
pollible to form any other opinion on this de-
termination, than that the Moors intentionally
deceiVed him, either with regard to the route
that he Wilhed to purfue, or the {late of. the
intermediate country between jarra and Turn-
buttoo. Their intention‘ probably was to rob
and leave him in the Defert. At the end of two
days he-fufpeé‘ted their treachery, and inlilled
on returning to Jarra. Finding him perliﬁ in
his. determination, the Moors robbed him of
every thing he pollefled, and went off with
their camels; the poor Major being thus de-
ferred, returned on foot to a watering place in
pollellion,of the Moors, called Tarra. He
had been fome days without food, and the un-
feeling Moors refufed to give him any, he funk‘
at lall under his dillreﬂes. Whether he actu—
ally perilhed of hunger, or was murdered out-
right by the favage Mahomedans, is not cer-
tainly known; his body was dragged into the
woods, and I was ihewn at a dillance, the
fpot where his remains were left to perifh.

About four miles to the north of Simbing‘,
We came to a ﬁnal] ﬁream of water, where we
oblerved a number of wild horfes; they were
all of one colour, and gallopped away from us.
at an early rate, frequently {topping and look—f
ing back. The Negroes hunt them for food,
and» their ﬂefh is much elleemed.

1‘. bout noon We arrived at Jarra, a large
town. htuated at the bottom of {om-e rocky'

ENTERIOR OF AFRICA. 111 ~
hills. .Bnt before I proceed to defcribe the

place-itfelf, and relate the "various occurrences
which befel me there, it will not be improper,
to give my readers a brief recital of the origin
ofthe war, which induced me to take this route;
an unfortunate determination, the immediate
caufe of all the misfortunes and calamities
which afterward befel me. The recital which
I propofe to give in this‘place, will prevent
interruptions hereafter. ‘ ,

This war, which defolated Kaarta foon after
I had left that kingdom, and fpread terror into,-
niany of the neighbouring Rates, arofe in the
following manner, A few bullocks belonging
to a frontier village of Bambarra having been
ﬁolen by a party-of Moors, were fold to the
Dooty, or chief man, of a town in Kaarta.
The villagers claimed their cattle, and being re-
fufed fatisfaclion, complained of the Dooty to
their fovereign, Manfong, king of Bambarra,
who probably beheld with an eye ofjealoufy
the growing profperity of Kaarta, and availed
himfelf of this incident, to declare hollilities
againﬂ that kingdom.

With this view he fent a meffenger and a par.
ty of horfemen to Daify, king of Kaarta, to in-
form him, that the king of Bambarra,'with nine
thoufand men, would vifit Kemmoo in the
courfe of the dry feafon; and to defire that he,
Daify, would direEt his {laves to fweep the
houfes, and have every thing ready for their ac-

. commodation. The meifenger concluded thisim-

r1128 TRAVEIJ’S IN THE

{lilting notiﬁcation, by prefenting the king with
a pair of iron‘fandals; at the fame time ad-
ding, that “until fuch time as Daily had worn
out thefe fandals in his flight, he l‘hould never
be fecure from the arrOWs of Bambarra.” 1

Daily, banning confulted with his chief men
about the belt means of repelling fo formida-
ble an enemy, returned an anl'wer of deﬁance;
and made a Buihreen write in Arabic, upon a
piece of thin board, a- fort of proclamation,
which was fufpended to a tree in the public
fquare; and a-number of aged men were lent
to different places to explain it to the common
peOple. This proclamation called upon all the
friends of Daily to join him immediately; but
to fuch as had no arms, or were afraid to enter
into the war, permilﬁon was given to retire into
any of the neighbouring kingdoms; and it Was
added, that provided they obferved a {tria neu-
trality, they fhoul'd always be welcome to re—
turn to their former habitations; if, however,
they took any aetive part againﬁ Kaarta, they
had then “ broken the key of their huts, and
could never afterwards enter the door.” Such
was the expreﬂion.

This proclamation was very generally ap-
plauded; but many of the Kaartans, and
amongﬁ others the powerful tribes of lower and
Kakaroo, availing themlelves ol the indulgent
claufe, retired from, Daily’s dominions, and
took refuge in Ludamar and Kalfon. By
means of theft: defettions, Daify’s army was not

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 119

1'0 numerous as. mioht have been expeEled; and,
when I was at Kemmoo, the whole number of
effective men, aceo1ding to report, did not ex-
ceed four thoufaud; "but they were men of
fpirit and enterprize, and could be depended
on. ‘~ “

0n the 22d of February, four days after my
arrival at lama, ManlOng, with his army, ad-
vanced towards Kemmo; and Daify, without
hazarding a battle, retired to Joko,a atown to:
the north-welt of Kemmoo, where he remain-
ed three days, and then took refuge in a ﬂrong
town called Gedingooma, {ituated in the hilly
country, and furrounded with high walls of“
ﬂone. When Daily departed from Joko his
[ons refufed to follow him, alledging, that “the
ﬁnging men would publilh their difgtace, as
foon as it {hould be known, that Daify and-his
family had fled- from. Joko without ﬁring a gun. ‘
They were therefore left behind with a number
of horfemen to defend joko ; but, after many
ﬂCirmilhes, they were totally defeated, and One
of Dalfy’s fons taken prifoner; the remainder
ﬂed to Gedingooma, which Daify had ltored
with provilions, and where he determined to
make his ﬁnal ﬂand. ~

Manfong, ﬁnding that Daily was determined

to avoid a pitched battle, placed a llrong force
at Joko to watch his motions, and feparating
the 1emainder of his army into fmall detach‘
ments, ordered them to over-run the country
and fetze upon the inhabitants, before they had

12o TRAVELS IN' THE

time to eiicape. Thefe orders were executed
with fuch pror'ertitude, that in a few days, the
whole kingdom of Kaarta became a fcence of
defolation. Moit of the poor inhabitantsof _
the dIHErent towns and villages, being furprii.
ed in the night, fell an ealy prey; and their
Corn, and every thing which could be uléiul to
; Daily, was burnt and deltroyed. During thele
tranlattions', Daily was employed in fortifying
Gedingooma: This town is built in a narrow
pals between two high hills, having only two
gates, one towards Kaart-a and the other to-
var'dxjaﬂ‘noo; the gate towards Kaarta was de-
fmded by Daiiy in perfon; and that towards
Jaﬁiroo was committed to the charge of his
fons. When the army of Bambarra approach-
ed the town, they made lb-me'attcmpts to itorm
it, but were always driven back with great lolk;
and Manfong, finding Daily more formida-
ble than he expeéted, refolved to cut off his
fupplies, and ﬂame him into fubmiihon. He
accordingly fent all the prii'onerx he had taken,
into Bambarra; and having colleéied a conli-
derable quantity oi provihons, remained with
his army two whole months in the vicinity of
Gedingooma, without doing any thing dec1live.
During this time he was much harralicd Ly fal-
lw-s from the beiieged; and his ﬂock of provii
{ions being nearly exhauﬁed, he lent to Ali,
the Moorilh king of Ludamar, for two hun-
dred horfemen, to enable him to make an at—
tack upon the north gate oi the town, and gun:

INTERIOR. OF AFRICA. its

the Bambarra :s an opportunity of ﬂorming the
place. 1)“, though he had nfade. an agree,
me‘nt with Manfong at the commencement of
thewar, to alford him afﬁltance, now refufed
to fulﬁl his engagement; which [0 enraged
Manfong, that he marched part of his army to
F uningkedy, with a view to furprife the camp
of Benowm, but the Moors having received
intelligence ofhis deﬁgn, fled to the northward;
and Manfong, without attempting any thing
farther, returned to Sego. This happened
while I was myfelf in captivity in Ali’s Camp,
as WIll hereafter be feen.

As the king of Kaarta had now got quit of
his molt formidable antagoniﬁ, it might have
been hoped, that peace would have been refloir-
ed 10 his dominions; but an extraordinary in-
cident involved him, immediately afterward, in
holiilities with Kalﬂm; the king of which
country dying about that time, the fucceﬂion
was difputed by his two fons. The younger,
Sambo Sego, my old acquaintance, prevailed;
and drove his brother from the country. He
ﬂed to Gedingooma; and being purlued thi—
ther, Daily, who had livedin conl’tant friendlhip
with both the brothers, refufed to ‘deliver him
up; at the fame time declaring, that he would
not fupport his claim, nor any way interfere in
the quarrel. Sambo Sego, elated with fuccefs,
and proud of the homage that was paid him as
fovereign of Kallon, was much dilpleafed with
Daify’s condu’ct, and joined with lbme, diialfeétr

M V t

{an [TRAVELS IN THE

ed fugitive Kaartans in aplundering expedition
againlt him; D‘aify, who little expected inch :1
Vilit, had fent a number of peOple to Joko to
plant corn, and collect together fuch cattle as
they might ﬁnd ﬂraying in the woods, in order
to l'upply his army. All there people fell into
the hands of Sambo Sego, who carried them to
Kooniakary, and afterwards fent them in cara—
vans, to be fold to the French at Fort Louis,
on the river Senegal. ' '

This attack was foon retaliated; for Daily,
who was now in dii’trefs for want ofproviﬁons,
thought he was jul’tlhed in {upplying himfelf
from the plunder of KaiTon. He accordingly
tog with him eight hundred ofhis belt men, and
- ' marching fecretly through the woods, lurprifed,
in the night, three large villages near Kodhia-
kary, in which many of his traitorous fubjeéis,
who were in Samhoo’s expedition, had taken
up their reﬁdence; all thefe, and indeed all the
able men that fell into Daify’s hands, were im.
mediately. put to death. ‘

After this expedition, Daily began‘to in-
dulge the hopes of peace; many Ql‘ his difcon-
tented fubjeets had returned to their allegiance,
and were repairing the towns which had been
delblated by the war; the rainy fealon was
approaching; and every thing wore a favoura-
bleappearance, when he was {uddenly attack-
ed from a different quarter.

‘ The jowers, Kakaroos, and Tome other

Kaartans, who had del‘erted liom him at the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 1‘23

commencement of the war, and had {hown a
decided preference to Manfong and his army
durin<r the whole campaign, were now afraid
or alliamed to alk for forgivenefs of Daily, and
being very powerful in themfelves, joined to-
gether to make war upon him. They folicited
the Moors to allift them in their rebellion, as
will appear he1eafter, and having colleéted a
conﬁderable army, they plundered a large vil-
lage belonging to Daily, and canied Ofl a
number of prifoners.

Daily immediately prepared to revenge this
infult; but the jowers, and indeed almoﬁ all
the Negro inhabitants of Ludamar, deferted
their towns and ﬂed to the ealtward; and the
rainy feafon put an end to the war of Kaarta,
which had enriched a few individuals, but
deﬂioyed the liappinefs of thoufands.

Such was the ltate of affairs among the na-
tions in the neighbourhood ofJarra, foon after
the period of my arrival there I {hall now
proceed, after giving fome defcription of that
place, with the detail of events aé they oc-
curred.

I

r24 ‘ TRAVELS IN THE

CHAP. IX.

Account of jarra, and the Maori/h inhabitants.
-'-—The Author obtains permiﬂonfrom Ali,

. the Moort/h chief or fovereign (y Ludamar,
' to pafs through his territories—Leaves jar.
ra, and arrives at Deena; is ill treated by
the Maori—Proceeds to Sampaha; ﬁnds a
Negro who makes gun powder.——Continues
hisjourney to Samee, where he is feized by
.fome Moors who are feat for that purpofe by
Ali, and he is conveyed a prijoner to the
Mooryh camp at Benowm, on the borders if

the Great Defert.

THE town of Jarra is of conﬁderable ex-
tent; the houies are built of clay and ﬂone
intermixed; the clay anfwering the purpofe of
mortar; It is ﬁtuated in the Mooriih king-
dom of Ludamar; but the major part of the
inhabitants are Negroes, from the borders of
the fouthern Rates, who prefer a precarious
prote-Etion under the Moors, which they pur.
chafe by a tribute, rather than continue expofa
ed to their predatory hoﬂilities, The tribute
they pay is conliderahle; and they manifeft
towards their Mooriih fuperiors, the moﬂ un-
limited obedience and fubmiﬂion, and are
treated by them with the utmoﬁ indignity and
contempt, The Moors of this, and the other
States adjoining the country of the Negroes,
refemble in their perfons the Mulatoes of the

INTERIOR or AFRICA. :25

'Wel‘tlndies to lo great a degree, as not eaﬁly .

‘to be diﬁinguilhed from them; and, in truth,‘ i

the prelent generation feemc to be a mixed race
between the Moors, properly (0 called, of the
North, and the Negroes of the South; polici-
ﬁng many of the worﬁ qualities "of both na-
trons.

Of the origin of thefe Moorifh tribes, as
diﬁinguilhed from the inhabitants of Barbary,
from whom they are divided by the Great.
Defert; nothing farther feems to be known
than what is related by John Leo, the African;
whole account may be abridged as follows:

“ Before the Arabian conqueli, about the
middle of the feventh century, all the inhabi-
tants of Africa, whether they were defcended
from Numidians, Phceniciaris, Carthaginians,
Romans, Vandals, or Goths, were compre-
hended under the general name of Mauri, or
'Moors. All thefe nations were converted to
the religion of Mahomet, during the Arabian‘
empire under the Kaliphs. About this time
many of the Numidian tribes, who led a wan:
dering life in the Defert, and fupported them-
felves under the produce of their cattle, rea
tired fouthward acrofs the Great Delert, td
avoid the fury of the Arabians; and by one of
thofe tribes, fays Leo, (that of Zanhaga), were
difcoyered and conduered by the Negro na-
tions on the Niger. By the Niger, is here uni
doubtedly meant the river of Senegal, which
- M 2 '

4. -_ , .j

“‘6 l TRAVELS IN THE

in the Mandingo language is called Baﬁng, or
the Black river.”

To what extent there people are now fpread
over the African continent, it is difﬁcult to af-
certain. There is reafon to believe, that their
dominion ﬁretches from Well to Bali, in a
narrow line or belt, from the mouth of the Se-
negal, on the northern fide of that river, to the
conﬁdes Of 'Abyﬂinia. They are a fubtle and
treacherous race ofpeople; and take every op-
portunity of cheating. and plundering the cre-
dulous and unfufpecling Negroes. But their
manners and general habits of life will be hell
explained, as incidents occur in the courfe of
' mynarrative.

On my arrival at Jarra, I obtained a lodg-
ing at the houfe of Daman jumma, a Gambia
Slatee. This man had lOrmerly borrowed

oods from Dr. Laidly, who had given me an or-
ﬁer for the money, to the amount oflix llaves;
and though the debt was of ﬁve years Handing,
he readily acknowledged it, and promiled me
What money he could raife. He was afraid, he'
laid, in his prefent lituation, he could not pay
more than two llaves value. ‘He gave me his
allillance, however, in exchanging my beads
and amber for gold, which was a more portable
article, and more ealily concealed from the
Moors. , ﬁ '

i The difficulties we had already encountered,
the unfettled ‘l’tate of the country, and, above \
all, the lavage and overbearing deportment of

mimics or AFRICA. .iy

the Moors, had fo completely frightened my-
attendants, that they declared they would
rather‘relinquilh every claim to reward, than
proceed one Itep farther» to the ealtward.
Indeed, the danger they incurred of being
feized by the Moors and fold into ﬂavery, be-
came every day more apparent; and I could
not condemn their appreh'enfions. In this
ﬁtuarion, deferted by my attendants, and re-
Heeling that my retreat was cut off by the war
behind me, and that a Moorifh country of ten
days’ journey lay before me, I applied to Da-
man to Obtain permillion from Ali, the chief
or fovereign of Ludamar, that I might pafs
through his country unmoleﬁed, into Bam-
barra; and Ihired one of Batman} Haves to
accompany me thither, as foon as fuch per-
miﬂion {hould be obtained. A meﬂenger was
difpatched to Ali, who at this time was en-
camped near Benowm ; and as a prefent was ne-
celfa‘ry, in order to infure fuccels, I fent him
ﬁve garments ofcottori cloth, which I p’urchaf—
ed of Batman for one of,my fowlingpieces;
Fourteen days elapfed in fettling this affair;
but, on the evening of the 26th of February,

one of Ali’s flaves arrived with directions, as

he pretended, to conduct me in fafety, as far
as Goomba; and told me, I was to pay him
One garment‘of blue cotton cloth for his atten-
dance. My faithful boy, obferving that I was
about to pmceed'without him, refolved to ac-
sompany me; and- told me, that though he

L

we; TRAVELS, IN THE. ’

wilhed me to turn back, «he never had enter-,
tained any ferious thoughts of deferting me, but i
had been advifed to it by Johnfon, with a view,
to iuduce me to returnimmediately for Gambia.
Feb. 27th. I delivered mol’tof my papers
to johnfon, to convey them to Gabia as foon
as polhble, referving a duplicate for my-
felf, in cale of accidents. I likewife left in
Daman’s polleﬂion a bundle of clothes and
other things that were not abfolutely necellary;
for I wilhed to diminilh my baggage as much as
pollible, that the Moors might have lewer in-
ducements to plunder us. .
Things being thus adjufled, we departed
from Jarra in the forenoon, and {lept at
Troomgoomba, a fmall walled village, inhabit.
ed by a mixture of Negroes and Moors. On
the day following, Feb. 28th, we reached
Queira; and on the 29th, after a torlfome
journey over a Tandy country, we came to
Compe, a watering place belonging-~to the
Moors; from whence, on the morning follow-
ing, we preceeded to Deena, a large town,
and, like Jarra, built of {tone and clay. The
Moors are here in greater proportion to the
Negroes than at Jarra. They allembled round
the but of the Negro where I lodged, and-treat,
ed me with the greatelt infolenee; they billed,
fhouted, and abufed me; they even fptt in my,
face, with a view to irritate (me, and afford
them .a 'pretext lbr feizing my baggage. But,-
ﬁnding fuch infults had not the deﬁred eﬁect,

. mmmp. or AFRICA. mg

they had recourl'e to the ﬁnal and decifive argu.
ment, that I was a Chriltian, and of courl‘e,‘
that my property was lawful plunder to theifol-

lowers ofMahomet. They accordingly open-
edmy bundles, and robbed me of every thing
they fancied, My attendants ﬁnding that every
body could rob me‘with impunity, inﬁlte‘d on
returning to jarra. ‘

The day following, March ad, I endeavour-
ed by all the means in my power, to prevail
upon my people to go on; but they {till com
tinued obflinate; and having reafon to fear
fome further infult from the fanatic Moors, l rc-
folved to proceed alone. Accordingly the
next morning, about two o’clock, I departed,
from Deena. It was moonlight; but the roar-
ing of the wild bealts made it neceﬂary to pro~
ceed with caution.

When I had reached a piece of riﬁng ground
about half'a mile from the town, I heard fome.
body halloo, and looking back, faw my faith.
ful boy running after me. 'He informed me,
that Ali’s man had gone back to Benowm, and
that Daman’s Negro was about to depart for
Jarra; but he laid he had no doubt, ifl would
{top a little, that he could peri‘uade the latter
to accompany us. I waited accordingly, and
in about an hour the boy returned with the Ne-
gro; and we'continued travelling over a Tandy
country, covered with afclepias gigantiw, until
mid-day, when we came to a number of do»
ferted huts; and feeing fome appearance-s of

5.80 = TRAVELS IN‘THE

.water at a little diltance, ‘I lent the boy to ﬁll a
foofroo; but as he was examining the place for '
water, the roaring of a lion, that was probably ,
on the fame purlhit, induced the frightened
boy to return in halte, and we fubmitted pati-
ently to the difappointment. In the afternoon
wereached a town inhabited chiefly by Fou—
lahs, called Samamingkoos.

Next morning, March 4th, we let out for
Sampaka; which place we reached about two
o’clock. On the road we obferved immenfe
qtiantitics of loculls; the trees were quite
black with‘them. Thefe infcéts devour every
vegetable that comes in their way, and in a
{hurt time completely {trip a tree of its leaves.
The noife of their excrement falling upon the
leaves and withered grafs, very much refem-
bles a {bower of rain. “7 hen a tree is ﬂiaken
or ﬁrutk, it is aﬁonilhing to fee what a cloud
of them Will fly off. In their flight they yield
to the current of the wind, which at this teafon
of the year is always from the N. E. Should
the wind “lift, it is difﬁcult to conceive where
they could colleEt food, as the whole of their
couri‘e'was marked with defolation. j

Sampaka is a large town, and when the
Moors.and Bambarrans were at war, was thrice
attacked by the former; but they were driven
off with great lols, though the king of Bam-

harra was afterwards obliged to give up this,
\ and all the other towns as far as Goomba, in
ﬁder, to obtain a piece. Here I lodged at the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 131'

houfe of a Negro who praEtifed the art of male.
ing gun-powder. He fh'ewed me a bag of ni.
tre, very white, bat the cryltals were much
fmaller' than common. They procure it in
confiderable quantities from the ponds which
are ﬁlled in the rainy feafon, and to which the
cattle refort for coolnefs during the heat of the
day. When the water is evaporated, a white
efflorefcence is obferved on the mud, which the
natives collea‘and purify in fuch a manner as to
anfwer their purpofe. The Moors fupply
them with fulpher from the Mediterranean;
and the procefs is completed by pounding the
different articles together in a wooden mortar.
The grains are very unequal, and the found of
its CXplolion is by no means fo {harp as that
produced by European gun-powder.

March 5th. We departed from Sampaka, at
daylight. About noon we flopped a little at a
village called Dangali, and in the evening ar—
rived at Dalli. We faw upon the road two
large herds of camels feeding. When the
Moors turn their camels to feed, they tie up
one of their fore legs to prevent their ﬁraying;
This happened to be a fealt day at Dalli, and
the people were dancing before the Dooti’s
houfe. But when they were informed that a
white man was come into the town, they—left
off dancing, and came to the place where I
lodged, walking in regular order, two and two,
With the muhc before them. They play upon
a fort of ﬂute; but inﬁead of blowing mm":

‘3: TRAVELS IN THE

hole in the ﬁde, they'blow obliquely over the
and, which is halfihu't by a thin piece ofwood;
they govern the holes on the ﬁde with their ﬁn.
gets, and play fome (imple and very plaintive
airs. ‘ They continued to dance and ﬁng until‘
midnight; during which time I was furrounded
by ['0 greata crowd, as made it neceifary for
me to fatisfy their curioﬁty, by ﬁtting ﬁill. -

~ March 6th. We ﬁopt here this morning,
becaufe fome of the towns-people, who'were
going for Goomba on the day following, wiih-
ed to accompany us; but in order to avoid the
crowd of people which ufually affemble in the
evening, we went to a Negro village to the call
of Dalli, callcd Samee, where we were kindly
receivedby the hofpitable Dooti, who on this
occalion killed'two ﬁne (beep, and invited his
friends to come and feaﬁ with him.

March 7th. Our landlord was f0 proud of
the honor of entertaining a white man, that he
inﬁl’ted on my ﬂaying with him and his friends
until the cool of the evening, when he faid he
would conduct me to the next village. As I
was now within two days’ journey of (300111-
ba, Ihad no apprehenlions from the Moors,
and readily accepted the invitation. I fpent
the forenoon very plealantly with thefe poor
Negroes; their company was the more accept.
able, as the gentlenefs of their manners pre-
fented aﬁriking contraf’t to the rudenefs and
barbarity of the Moors. They enlivened
their ,converfation by drinking a fermentedli-

INTERIOR” or AFRICA. . 13:3

quor made fi‘dm com; the {ante fort of beer
that I have defcribed in a former chapt‘er;a11d '
better I never tafl’cd in Great. Biitain.

In the midit of this harmlefs feltivity, I flat.‘
tered myfelf that all danger from the Mom‘s
, was over. Fancy had already plated me on
the banks of the Niger, and prefente‘d to my
imagmatidn a thouland delightful fc‘e‘nes in my
future progrefs, when a* party of Moors u11-'
expeétedly entered the hut, and di‘fpe’lled’ the’
golden dream. They came, they laid, by
Ali’s orders, to convey the to his camp at Be-‘
now'm. If I wentpeac'eably, they told me, I
had nothing to fear, but if I refuied, they had
orders to bring- me" by‘for’c‘e. I was .ﬂruck
dumb by furprife and terror, which the
Moors obferving, endeavoured to calm my-
apprehe'nﬁons, by repeating the allurance that
I had nothing to fear. Their viﬁt, they added,
was occaiion'ed by the curioiity of Ali 5 wife, »
Fatima; who had heard In much about Chrif-
tians, that {he was very anxious to fee one ; as
foon as‘ her curioﬁty ihould' be fatislied, they
had no doubt, they faid, that Ali would give
meahémdl‘omt: prefent, and fend a perfon to
(onduEt me to Bambarra. Finding intreaty
andieﬁﬁance equally fruitlefs, I prepared to
loll ow the meifengers, and took leave of my
1 landlord and his company with great reluc-
tance. Accompanied by my faithful boy, for
Daman’s {lave made his efcape on feeing the

Moors, we reached Dalli in the evening; where
N .

134 TRAVELS IN THE

we were {triétly watched ,by the Moors during
the night. r, .
March 8th. We were conduEted by a; cir-
cuitouspath through the woods to Dangali,
where we ﬂept. . . , ,
. *March 9th.. W 6, continued our journey, and
in the afternoon arrived at Sampaka. On the
road we law a party of Moors, well armed,
who told us they: were hunting for a runaway
ﬂave; but the toWnsteople informed us, that
a party of Moors had attempted to Real
{ome cattle from the town in the morning, but
were repulfed; and, on their defcribing their
perlons, we were fatisfied they were the fame
banditti we had feen in thewoods. ‘
_ Next morning, March, 10th, we let out‘for
Samaning Koos. On the road we overtook a
woman and two boys, with an afs; {heinform-
ed us that {he was going for Bambarra, but had
been ﬂopped. on the road by a‘party of Moors,
Who had taken molt of her clothes, and fome
gold from. her; and that {he would be under
the neeeliiry of returning to Deena till the faft
moon was over, The fame evening the new
moon was fecn which ulhered in the month
Rhamadan.» Large ﬁres were made. in diﬁerent
parts‘ of the town, and a- greater .quantity of‘
Vittuals than ufual dreﬁed upon the occahon.
'March 1 1th. By daylight the Moors were in
readinel‘s; but as I had {hffered much from
thirll on the road, I made. my boy ﬁll a fooﬁ‘oo
of water for my own Life; for the Moore allur-

/

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 1135

ed me, that they {hould not taﬂe' either meat
or drink until funfet. However, I found that
the exceﬂive heat of the fun, and the duﬁ we
raifed in travelling, overcame their fcruples,
and made my foofroo a very ufeful part of our
baggage. On our arrival at Deena, I went to
pay my refpecls to one of Ali’s fons. I. found
him ﬁtting in a low hut, with ﬁve or ﬁx more
of his companions, wafhing their' hands and
feet, and frequently. taking water into their .
mouths, gargling and {pitting it out again. I
was no fooner feated than he handed me a dou-
.ble- barreled gun, and told me‘ to dye the ﬂock
of a blue‘colour, and repair one of the locks.
.I found gieat difﬁculty in perfuading him that
Iknew nothing about the matter. However,’
iays be, if you cannot repair the gun, you
{hall give me fome knives and fcilfars immedi-
‘ ately; and when my boy, who acted as inter—
'preter, alfured him that I had no fuch articles,
he haltily fnatched up a muiket that ﬂood by
him, cocked it, and putting the muzzle clofe
to the boy’s ear, would certainly have {hot him
dead upon the fpot, had not the Moors wrel’ted
the mulket from him, and made ﬁgns for us to ‘
retreat. The boy being terriﬁed at this treat-
, ment, attempted to make his efcape in the
night; but was prevented by the vigilance of
the Moors, who guarded us with {triét atten—
tion; and at night always went to {leep by the
door of the hut, 111 inch a ﬁtuation, that 11 was

.136 TRAVELS in THE

allILnOMmpoﬂible to pafs .without‘ﬂepping upon
I In. . ’

March 12th. “We departed from Deena
m,w_.ards:Benowm, zand about nine o’clock came
to iKorree, .whence the Moors were preparing
~£D,depart to the fouthward, on account of the
fcareity of water; .here .We ﬁlled our foofroo,
and ,continued our journey over a hot fandy
xountry, covered with ifmall ﬂunted fhrubs,
until about one o’clock, when the heat of the
fun obliged-us Vtoxﬂop. But our water being
expended, we could .not prudently remain
longer. than a few minutes‘to colleEt a: little gum,
which is an excellent fuccedaneum for water;
:as it keeps the mouth moiﬁ, and allays, for a
rtimerthe pain in the throat. .

About ﬁve o’clock we came in ﬁght of .Be-
.nowm, thereﬁdence of Ali. »It prefentedto
the eye a great number of dirty looking tents,
rfeathered,without order, over a large fpace-qf
ground; andamong the tents appeared large
shards of camels, cattle, and goats. We reach-
,ed'.the.‘{kirts.of this camp, a little before ifunfet,
and, with much cntreaty, procured a little
water. My .arrival was no fooner obferved,
than the people who “drew water at the wells
threw down their buckets; thofe in the tents
mounted their horfes; and men, women, and
children, came running or galloping towards
.me. I foon found myfelf furrounded by fuch
a \crowd, that I could {carcely move; one
pulled my clothes, another took off my hat, a

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. t37

third {topped mefto examine my waiﬂcoat but.
tons. and a' fourth called out [a illa cl allah
Mahame; mfowl alla/z’iﬁ‘ and ﬁgniﬁed, in a‘
threatening manner, that I mull repeat thofe
words. We reached at length the king’s tent,
where we found a great number of people, men
and women, alfembled. Ali was ﬁtting upon
a black leather culhion, clipping a few hairs
from his upper lip ; a female attendant'holding‘
up a looking glals before him. He appeared
to be an old man, of the Arab call, with along
white beard, and he'lhad a fullentandvindignant
afpect. He furveyed me with attention, and
enquired of the Moors if I could fpeak Arabic;
being anfwered in the , negative, he appeared .
much furprifed, and continued ﬁlent, The
furrounding attendants, and , efpecially the
ladies, were abundantly more inquiiitive; they
allied athoufand queftions; infpeéted every
part of my apparel, learched my pockets, and
obliged me to unbutton my waiﬁcoat, and dif—
play ,the whitenefs of my lkin; they even
counted my toes and ﬁngers, as if they doubted
whether '1 Was in trmh a human being. . In a
little time the priell announced evening prayersi‘;
but before the peopledeparted, the Moor whp
had acted-as interpreter, informed me, that-
' Ali was about to prefent me With fomething‘to
eat; and looking round, I obfervedfome boys
bringing a wild’hog, which they tied to one of
* See a e 11 .
Pt; 4.

i

‘ 138 TRAVELS IN THE

the tent ﬁrings, and Ali made ﬁgns to me to
'killand d~T€fS it for fupper. Though I was very
hungry, I .did not think it prudent to eat any
‘part of an animal f0 much deteﬂed by the
Moors, and therefore told him that I never eat
{ueh food. They then untied the hog, in hopes
that it would run immediately at me; for they
believe that a great enmity fubﬁﬂs between hogs
and Chriﬂians ; but in thisthey were difappoint—
ed, for the animal no foonerregained his liber-
ty, than he began to attack indifcriminately
every perfon that came in his way, and at lalt
took ihelt’er under the couch upon which the
king‘swas ﬁtting. The aﬂembly being thus dill.
folved, l was conduEted to the tent of Ali’s
chief (lave, but was not permitted to enter, nor
allowed to touch any thing belonging (to it. I
requeﬁed {omething to eat, and a little boiled
corn, with falt and water, was at length fent
me in a wooden bowl; and amat was fpread
upon the fandbefore the tent, on which I pafs-
ed the night, furrotmded by the curious multi-
tude.
' At funrife, Ali, with a few attendants, came
onhorfebaek to viﬁt me, and ﬁgniﬁed that he
had,provided a but for me, where I could be
{beltered from the fun. I was accordingly
Conducted thither, and found the hut compara-
tively cool and pleafant. It was conﬂruéted
of~eém ﬂalks let up/on end, in the form of a.
fquare witha ﬂat roof of the fame materials,

fupported by forked ﬂicks: to one of which

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 1.39

was tiechhe wild hog before mentioned. This
animal had certainly been placed there by Ali’s
order, out of derilion to a Chriitian, and I
found 1t a very difagreeable inmate, as it drew
together a number of boys, who amufed them-
felves by beating it with Ricks, until they had
fo irritated the hog that it ran and bit at every
perfon within its reach.

I was no iooner feated 1n this my new habi—
tation, than the Moors aifembled 1n crowds to
behold me; but I found it rather a trouble,
fome levee, for I was obliged to take off one
of my ﬂockings, and {how them my foot, and
even to take off my jacket and waiﬂcoat, to
{how them how my clothes, were put on and
OH; they were much delighted with the curious
contrivance of buttons. All this was to be re-
peated to every fucceeding viﬁtor; for fuch as
had already feen thefe wonders, inﬁlied on
their friends feeing the fame; and in this man-
ner I was employed, dreﬁing and undreiﬁng,
buttoning and unbuttoning, from noon to
night. About eight o clock, Ali (cut me for
fupper, fome kouskous and {alt and water,
which was very acceptable, being the only vic‘
tuals I had taﬂed ﬁnce morning.

I obfertted that, in the night, the Moore
kept regular watch, and frequently looked into
the but, to fee if I was afleep, and if it was.
quite dark, they would light a wifp of grafs.
About two o ’clock 1n the morning a Moor en.
tered the but, probably with a view to [teal

$40 , TRAVELS IN THE

fométhing, or perhaps to murder me; and
groping about he laid his hand upon my {boulden
AS night vilitors wererat belt but fuspicious
"characters, I fprang up the moment he laid his
hand'upon me; and the Moor in hishai’te to
get off {tumbled over my boy, and fell with
his face upon theWild hog, which returned the
attack by biting the Moor’s arms. The {creams
oflthis man alarmed the people in the king’s
tent, who immediately conjectured that I had
\made my efcape, and a number of them mount-
ed. their hori‘es, and prepared .to purfue me.
I obferved upon this occaiion, that Ali did not
Heep in his own tent, but came galloping upon
a white horie from a fmall tent at a conﬁderable
dii’tance; indeed, the tyrannical and cruel be.
haviour of this man made him To jealous of
every perfon around him, that even his own
ﬂaves and domeﬂics knew not where he ﬂept.
When the Moors had explained to him the
caufe’of this outcry, they all went away, and I
was permitted to Heep quietly until morning.

. March 13, With the returning day com—
mencedl the fame round of infult and irritation;
the boys aﬂembled to beat the hog, and the
men an and women to plague the Chriltian. It
is impoﬂible for me to deieribe the behaviour
ofa people Who itudy mifchief as a fcience,
and exult in the mileries and misfortunes of
their fellow-creatures. It is iiiﬁicient to ob-
ferve, that the rudenefs, ferocity, and fanati.
cifm, which dittinguiih the Moors from the‘

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. .5141

reﬂ 0F mankind, found'here a proper fuhjeEt
whereon to exercife their propenlities. I was
a ﬂmngcr, ,I was rmprotcﬁcd, and, I was a
C/m' .ian; each of thefe circumﬂzances is fuf.
ﬁcient to drive every {park-of humanity from
the heart of a Moor; but when all of them, as
in myicafe, were combined in theifameperfon,
and a fufpicion prevailed .withal, that I had
come as afpy into the country, the readerwiil
eaﬁly imagine, that in fuc’h- a ﬁtuation, -I had
every thing to fear. Anxious, however,_to
conciliate “favour, and, if polﬁble, to afford
'the Moors no pretence for ill treating me, 3!
readily complied with every command, and
patiently bore ever infult; 'but never didany
period of my life pafs away fo heavily; from
'funrife to funfet was I obliged to fuﬁ'er, with
an unrufﬂed countenance, the vinfults of-‘the
rudeﬁ ,favagcs on earth. 7 ‘

«4.2 . TRAVELS. IN THE
CHAP. X.

=Varz'ou's occurrences during the Author’s con.
5 ﬁncmmt at Bengwm; he is viﬁtcd (ﬂy fame
‘Moorg'ﬂz ladies.——A_/uneml and a wedding;
he receives an extraordinary prcfmtfrom tire
, bride—Incidents illic/irative q/t/zc Moon 2
chamﬁfer and manners.

_ HE Moors, though ‘very indolent them-
. felves, are rigid. talk-mailers, and keep
‘every perfon under them in full employment.
,jMyyboy Demba was fent to the woods to col-
jeawhithered grafs for Ali’s horfes, and‘after
a variety of‘projeé‘ts concerning myfelf, they
.at laﬁ found out an employment for me; this
Awas no other than the reipeEtable ofﬁce of bar-
:égj‘. L I ‘was to make my ﬁrft exhibition in this
capacity in the royal preiftence,pand to be he-
noured with the talk of {having the head of the
young prince of Ludamar. I accordingly feat-
ed myfelf upon the fend, and the boy, with
‘ fome heﬁtation, {at down helide me. A fmall
razor, about three inches long, was put into
my hand, and I was ordered to proceed; but
whether from my own want of fkill, or the
improper ihape of the inﬁrument, I~u,nfortu—
nately made a ﬂight incilion‘in the boy’s head,
zit the very commencement of the operation;
and the king obferving the aukward manner in
which I held the razor, concluded that his
fon’s head was in very improper hands, and or:

, INTERIOR 0F.AFR‘ICA. ' \1435

dered me to reﬁgn the razor, and walk out of:
the tent. This I conlidered as a very fortunate‘
circumltance, for I had laid it down as a rule,
to make myfelf as ufelefs and inﬁgniﬁcant as
polﬁble, as the only means of recovering my
liberty. '
March 18th. Four Moms arrived from Jan.
ra w1th johnfon my interpreter, having feizedv
him before he had received any intimation of:
my conﬁnement, and bringing with them a bun-
ble of clothes that I had left at Daman Jumi‘
ma’s houfe, for my ufe 1n cafe I {hould return
by the way of 1m Johnfon was led into
Ali’s tent and examined; the bundle was open-
ed, and I was lent for, to explain the ufe. of
the diffeient articles. I Was happy, however,
to find, that ]ohnfon had committed my pa»
pers to the chaige of one of Daman’s wives.
When I had fatisﬁed Ali’s curiolity refpeéling'
the different articles of apparel, the bundle was
again tied up, and put in a large cow lkin bag
that ﬂood in the corner of the tent. The fame
evening Ali fent three of his people to. infotm
me, that there were many thieves 1n the neigh-‘
bourhood, and that to prevent the reft of my.
things from being ﬁolen, it was neceﬂary to.
convey them all into his tent. My clothes,
inﬁruments, and every thing that belonged to-
me, were accordingly carried away , and though
the heat and dull made clean linen very necef—
fary and refreihing, I Could not procure a tin-
gle lhirt out of ,the {mall Pto'ck I had brought.

1.4.?- , TRAVELS IN THE

alongtwith me. Ali was however difaplpoint-v
ed, by nOt- ﬁnding amongmy effects the‘ q’u‘an'.
tity‘rof gold and amber that he expected; but
tov'm‘ake fure of every thing,.he Tent the fame
people’the' morning following, to‘ examine whe-
ther I had anything concealed about my. pet'-
fon: They, with their ufual rudenefs, fea'rc‘h-
e‘d every part ‘of‘ my apparel, and {trippecl me
of all my, gold, amber, my watch, andvone
of my pocket compaffes; Ihad fortunately,
in the night, buried the other compafs in the
land; and this, with the clothes I had on, was
all that the tyranny of Ali had now left me.
The gold and amber were highly gratifying
to Moorilh avarice, but the pocket compafs
foon became an object of fup'erftitiou‘s curioﬁ-
ty. Ali was very deﬁrous to be' informed,
why that ﬁnall piece of iron, the needle, al-
ways pointed to the Great Defert; and I found
myfelf fomewhat puzzled to anfwer the quef—
tion. To have'pleaded my ignorance, would i
have created a fufpicion that I wilhed to con-
ceal‘the real truth from him; I therefore told
him, that my mother reﬁded far beyond the
lands of Zaharra, and that whill’t {he was alive,
the piece of iro'n would always point that way,
and {erve as a guide to conduct me to her, and
that'if‘ {he was dead it would point to her grave.
Ali now looked at the compafs with'redOubled
amazement; turned it round and round repeat-
edly; but obfe‘rving that it always pointed the
fame-way, he tookéit' up with great caution,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 145

o

and returned it to me, manifeﬂing, that he
thought there was fomething .of magic in it, and"
that he was afraid of keeping in dangerous an
inﬁrument in his poileﬂion.

March 20th. This morning, a council of
chief men was held in Ali’s tent refpeEting me;
their deciﬁons, though they were all unfavoura-
ble to me, were dilferently related by different
perfons. Some faid, that they intended to put
me to death; others, that I was only to lofe my
right hand; but the molt probable aggpunt was
that which I received from Ali’s ownlon, a
boy about nine years of age, who came to me
in the evening, and, with much concern, in-
formed me, that his uncle had periuaded his
father to put out my eyes, which they laid re-
iembled thofe of a cat, and that all the Built—
reens had apprOved of this meafure. His
father, however, he faid, would not put the
fentence into execution until Fatima the queen,
who was at prefent in the north, had feen me.

March 21H. Anxious to know my deﬂiny,
I went to the king early in the morning; and
as a number of Buihreens were aliembled, I
thought this a favourable opportunity of dif—
covering their intentions. I therefore began by
begging his permiﬂion to return to jarra,
which was~ﬂatly refufed: His wife, he faid, had
not yet feen me, and I muﬂ {lay until {he came
to Benowm, after which, I {hould be at liberty
to depart; and that my horfe, which had been
taken away from me the day afterl had arriv-

O

146 TRAVELS IN THE

ed, ihould be again ref’tored to me. Unfatis-
factory as this anfwer was, I was forced to ap-
pear pleafed ; and as there was little hopes of
making my efcape at this feafon of the year,
on account of the excellive heat, and the to-
tal want of water in the woods, I refolved to
wait patiently until the rains had fet in, or until
~fome more favourable opportunity fhould pre-
fentitfelfj—but 120p: deferred maketh the heart
ﬁcé ; This tedious procrai’tination from day to
day, and the thoughts of travelling through the
Negro kingdoms in the rainy reafon, which
was now fal’t approaching, made me very me-
lancholy; and having palfed a reﬁlefs night, I
found myfelf attacked, in the morning, bya
fmart fever. Ihad wrapped myfelf clofe up
in my cloak, with a view to induce perfpira-
tion, and was aﬂeep whenr'a party of Moors
entered the hut, and with their ufual rudenefs
pulled the cloak from me. I made {igns to
them that I was ﬁck, and wiihed much to Heep;
but I folicited/in. vain; my diltrels was matter
of fport to them, and they endeavoured to
heighten it by every means in their power.
This ﬁudied and degrading infolence, to which
I was conﬁantly expofed, was one of the bit-
tereﬁ ingredients in the cup of captivity, and
often madelife itfelfa burthen to me. In thofe
diﬁreﬁing moments I have frequently envied
the ﬁtuation of the flave; who, amidi’t all his
calamities, could ﬁill poffefs the enjoyment of

his own thoughts 3a happinefs to which I had,

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 147

for Tome time, been a ﬁranger. Wearied out
with fuch coutinual infults, and perhaps a little-
peeviih From the fever, I trembled lelt my pail
lion might unawares overleap the bounds of pru—
dence, and fpu'r me to fome fudden a& of refent-
ment, when death mull be the inevitable confe-
quence. In this perplexity I left my hut, and
walked to fome lhady treea little diﬂance from
the camp,where Ilay down. Buteven here, per—
fecution followed me ; and folitude was thought
too great an indulgence for a dillreifed Chriftian.
Ali’s fon, witha number of horfemen, came
galloping to the place, and ordered me to rife
and follow them. I begged they would allow
me to remain where I was, if it was only fora
few hours; but they paid little attention to
what 1 faid; and after a few threatening words,
one of them pulled out a piftol from a leather
bag, that was fallened to the pummel of his
i'addle, and prefenting it towards me, fnapped it
twice. He did this with fo much indifference,
that I really doubted whether the pif’tol was
loaded; he cocked it a third time, and was
ﬁriking the flint with a piece of [tee], when I
begged them to deﬁﬂ, and returned with them
to the camp. When we entered Ali’s tent, we
found him much out of humour. He called
for the Moor’s piﬁol, and amufed himfelf for
fome time with opening and {butting the pan;
at length taking up lIlS/pOde' horn, he l'reih
primed it; and turning round to me with a me,
mcingdook, faid fomething in' Arabic, which

148 TRAVELS IN THE

I did not underﬂand. I defired my boy, who
was ﬁtting before the tent, to inquire what of.
fence I had committed; when I was informed,
that having gone out of the camp without Ali’ s
permiﬂion, they fufpeaed that I had fome de-
iign of making my efcape; and that, in future,
if I was feen without the {kirts of the camp,
orders had been given that I {hould be ihot by
the ﬁrﬁ perfon that obferved me.

In the afternoon the horizon, to the eaﬁward,
was thick and hazy, and the Moors prognoﬂi-
cated a fand wind; which accordingly com-
menced on the morning following, and laﬁed,
with flight intermiﬂions, for two days. The
» force of the wind was not in itfelf very great,
it was what a feaman w0uld have denominated
a ﬂijjr breeze; but the quantity of fand and
dul’t carried before 1t, was fuch as to darken the
whole atmufphere. It {wept along from ealt
to well, in a thick and conﬁant ﬁream, and the
air was at times f0 dark and full of fand, that
it was diilicult to difcern the neighboring tents.
As the Moors always drefs their viEiuals 1n the
open air, this fand fellin great plenty amongit
the koufkous; it readily adhered to the ﬂtin,‘
when moiltene‘d by perfpiration, and formed a
cheap and unrivalled hair powder. The Moors
wrap a cloth rouri'd‘their face, to prevent them
from inhaling the fand, and always turn their
backs to the wind when they look up, to pre-
\ ent the {and falling 1n their eys.

About this time all the women of the camp

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 149

had their feet, and the ends of their ﬁngers, '
'I’tained of a dark {affron colour. I could ne.
Ver afcertain whether this was done from mo-
tives of religion, or by way of ornament.
The curioﬁty of the Moorilh ladies had been
very troublel'ome to me’ever ﬁnce my arrival at
Benowm; and on the evening of the 25th (whe-
ther from the inﬁigation of others, or impelled
by their own ungovernable curioﬁty, or merely
out of frolic, I cannot afﬁrm) a party of them
came into my hut, and gave me plainly to un.
derﬂand, that the objeét of their viﬁt was to
afcertain, by aétual infpeélion, whether the rite
of circumciﬁon extended to the Nazarenes
(Chriﬁians) as well as to the followers of Ma-
homet. The reader will eaﬁly judge of my
furprife at this unexpected declaration; and in
order to avoid the propofed fcru'tiny, I thought
it bell to treat the buﬁnefsjocularly. I obferv-
ed to them, that it was not cuﬂomary in my
country to give ocular demonllration in fuch
cafes, before f0 many beautiful women; but
that if all of them would retire, except the
young‘lady to whom I pointed, feleﬁing the
youngeﬁ and handfomeﬁ, I would fatisfy her
curiolity. The ladies enjoyed the jel’t, and
went away laughing heartily; and the young
damfelherfelf, to whom I had given the pre-
ference, though {he did not avail herfelf of the
privilege of infpeElion, feemed no way difpleaf-
. ed atl the compliment; for {he foon afterwards

fent me fome meal and milk for my fupper.‘
‘ O 2

;50 TRAVELS IN THE

March 28th. This morning, a large herd of
cattle arrived from the eaﬁward; and one of
the drivers to whom Ali had lent my horfe,
came into my but with the leg of anantelope
asaprefent, and told me, that my horfe was
{landing before Ali’s tent. In a little time Ali
i'ent oneof his ﬂaves to inform me, that, in
the afternoon, I muﬂ; be in readinefs to ride out
with him asA-he intended to lhew me fome of his
women. _

About four o’clock, Ali, with ﬁx of his cour-
tiers, came riding to my but, and told me to '
followthem. I readily complied. But here a
new difﬁculty occurred: The Moors, accul-
tomed to a loofe and eafy drefs, could not re-
boncile themfelVes to the appearance of my
mmke‘m breaches, which they faid were not only
inelegant, but, on account of their tightnefs,
very indecent; and as this was a viﬁt to ladies,
Ali ordered my boy to bring out theloofe cloak
which I had always worn ﬁnce my arrival at
Benowm, and told me to wrap it clofe round
me, We viﬁted the tents of four different la-
dies, at every one of which I was prefented
with a bowl of milk and water. All thefe la-
dies were remarkably corpulent, which is con-
iidered here as the higheﬁ mark of beauty. 4
They were very inquiﬁtive, and examined my
hair and {kin with great attention; but affeEled
to conﬁder me as a fort of inferior being to
themfelves, and would knit their brows, and
feem to ﬂiudder, when they looked at the white-

INTERIOR or AFRICA. , 5,

nefs of my ﬂiin. In the courfe of this evenings',
excurlion, my drefs and appearance afforded
inﬁnite mirth to the company, who galloped‘
rouiid me as if they were baiting a wild animal;
twirling their mulkets round their heads, and
exhibiting various feats of aEtivity and horfe.
manihip, ‘leemingly to difplay their fuperior
prowefs over a miferable captive.

The Moors are certainly very good horfe-
men. They ride without fear ; their faddles be-
ing high before and behind, afford them a very
fecure feat, and if they chance to fall, the whole
country is fo foft and fandy, that they are very
feldom hurt. Their greateﬁ pride, and one
of their principal amufements, is to put the
horfe to his full fpeed, and then ﬂop him with
a fudden jerk, f0 as frequently to bring him
down upon his haunches. Ali always rode
upon a milk-white horfe, with its tail died red.
He never walked, unlefs when he went to fay
his prayers; and even in the night, two or three

horfes were always kept ready faddled, ata lit-
' tle diﬂance from his own tent. The Moors fet
a very high value upon their horfes; for it is by
their fuperior fleetne-fs, that they are enabled to
make lo many predatory excuriions into the
Negro countries. They feed them three or
four times a day, and generally give them a
large quantity of fweet milk in the evening,»
which the horfes appear to reliih very much.

April 3d. This forenoon a child, which had
been fome time ﬁckly, died in the next tent,

152 TRAVELS IN THE

and the mother and relations immediately be-
gan the death howl. They were joined by a
number of female vifltors, who came on pur-_
pofe to aﬂilt at this melancholy concert. I had
no opportunity of feeing the burial, which is
generally performed fecretly, in the dulk of
the evening, and frequently at only a few yards
dil’tance from the tent. Over the grave they
plant one particular ﬂirub, and no ﬁranger is al-
loWed to pluck a leaf, or even to touch it 5 f0
great a veneration have they for the dead.

April 7th, About fQuro’clock in the after-
noon, a whirlwind paired through the camp
with fuch violence, that it overturned three
tents, and blew down one ﬁde of my hut.
Thefe whirlwinds come from the Great Defert,
and, at this feafon of the year, are [0 common,
that I have feen five or ﬁx of them at one time.
They carry up quantities of fand to an amazing
height, which refemble, at a diﬁance, f0 many
moving pillars of fmoke. _

The fcorching heat of the fun, upon a dry
and. iandy country, makes the air infuifcrably
hot. Ali having robbed me of my thermome4
ter, I had no means of forming a comparative
judgment; but in the middle of the day, when
the beams ofthe vertical fun are feconded by
the fcorching wind from the Defert, the ground
is frequently heated to fuch a degree, as not to
be borne by the naked foot ; even the Negro
ﬂaves, will not run fronr one tent to another
without their fandals. At this time of the day,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. :53

the Moors lie ﬁretched at length in their tents,
either aﬂeep, or unwilling to move; and I have
often felt the wind {0 hot, that I could not hold
my hand in the current of air which came
through the crevices of my hut, without feeling
i'enlible pain.

April 8th. This day the wind blew from the
fouthwell, and in the night there was a heavy
ﬂiower of rain, accompanied with thunder and
lightning.

April 10th. In the evening the tabala, or
large drum, was heat, taannounce a wedding,
which was held at one of the neighbouring
tents. A great number of people of both fexes
ailembled, but without that mirth and hilarity
which take place at a Negro wedding; here was
neither ﬁnging, nor dancing; nor any other
amulbment that I could perceive. A woman
was beating the drum, and the other women
joining at times, like a chorous, by fetting up
a thrill fcream; and at the fame time, moving
their tongues from one ﬁde of the mouth to the
other, with great celerity. I was foon tired,
and had returned into my but, where I was
ﬁtting almoft aﬂeep, when an old woman enter-
ed, with a wooden bowl in her hand, and {igni-
ﬁed {he had brought me a prefent from the
bride. Before I could recover from the fur-
prife which this meffage created, the woman
difcharged the contents of the bowl full in my
face. Finding that it was the fame fort of holy
water, with which, among the Hottentots, the

I54 TRAVELS IN THE

prieﬁ is faid to fprinkle a new married ample,
I began to fufpeEt that the old lady was aauat-
ed by mifchief, or malice; but {he gave me
feriouﬂy to underftand, that it was a nuptial.
benedit‘tion from the bride’s own perfon; and
which, on fuch occaiions, is always received by
young unmarried Moors as a mark of diﬁin-
guilhed favour. This being the cafe, I wiped
my'face, and fent my acknowledgements to the
lady. The wedding drum continued to~ beat,
and the women to ﬁng, or rather to whiﬂle, all
night. About nine in the morning, the bride
was brought in {late from her mother’s tent, at-
tended by a number of women, Who carried her
tent, at prefent from the hufband, forne bearing
up the poles, others holding by the ﬁrings; and
in this manner they marched, whiﬁling as form—
erly, until they came to the place appointed for
her reﬁdence, where they pitched the tent.
'The huiband followed, with a number of men
leading four bullocks, which they tied to the
lent ﬁrings; and having killed another, and dif-
tributed the beef among the people, the cere-
mony was concluded.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. , 155

CHAP. XI.

Occurrences at the camp continued—Inﬁrma—
tion collee‘led by the Author concerning Hatgﬂa
and Tombuéloo: and tile ﬁcuation (ft/Le lat-
ter.—-—Routefrom Morocco to Benowm.——Au-
thor’s dijlrefs from hunger.——A lz' removes
his camp.——The Author carried prifoner to
the new encampment, and 2's preﬂmted to Fat-
ima the queen.—Great dijireﬁfrom the want
qfwoter.

NE whole month had now elapfed ﬁnce I
was led into captivity; during which
time, each returning day brought me frefh dif-
trelles. ' I ‘watched the lingering courfe of the
fun with anxiety, and blefled his evening beams
as they {bed a yellow lul’tre along the fandy
floor of myhut; for it was then that my op—
prelfors left'me, and allowed me to pafs the
‘_ fultry night in folitude and reﬂection.
.' About midnight, a bowl of kouikous with
fome {alt and water was brought for me and
my two attendants; this was our common fare,
and it was all that was allowed us, to allay the
cravings of hunger, and fupport nature for the
whole of the following day; For it is to be ob-
ferved, that this was the Mahomedan lent ; and
as the Moors keep the falt with a religious {tria-
nefs, they thought it proper to compel me,
though a Chriltian, to a ﬁmilar obfervanee.
Time, however, fomewhat reconciled me to my

1:56 TRAVELS IN THE
ﬁtﬁn: I found that I could bear hunger and
thir -' etter than I expected; and at length, I
endeavoured to beguile the teadious hours, by
learning to write Arabic. The people who
came to fee me, foon made me acquainted with
the characters; and I difcovered, that by en-
gaging their attention in this way, they were not
fo troublefome as otherwife they would have
been; indeed, when I obferved any perfon
whofe countenance I thought bore malice to-
wards me, I made it a rule to all; him, either to
write in the fand himfelf, or to decipher what I
had already written; and the pride of ihewing
his fuperior attainments, generally induced him
to comply with my requeli.

April 14th. As queen Fatima had not yet
arrived, Ali propofed to go to the north, and
bring her back withhim; but as the place was
two days’ journey from Benowm, it was necef-
fary to have lbme refreihment on the road; and
Ali, fufpicious of thofe about him, was f0 afraid
of being poifoned, that he never eat any thing
but what was drelled under his own immediate
inf-petition. A ﬁne bullock was therefore kil-
led, and the ﬂeih being cut up into thin ﬂices,
was dried in the fun ; and this, with two bags of
dry kouikous, formed his travelling proviﬁons.

Previous to his departure, the black people
of the town of Benowm came, according to
'their ancient cuﬁom, to ﬂiew their arms, and
bring their ﬁipulated tribute of corn and cloth.
They were but badly armed; twenty-two with

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 157

 

muikets, forty or ﬁfty with bows and ;.
and nearly the fame number of men and oys,
with fpears only: They arranged them fel'ves be-
fore the tent, where they waited until their arms
were examined, and fame little difputes fettled.

About midnight on the 16th, Ali departed
quietly from Benowm, accompanied byafew
attendants. He was expected to return In the
courfe of nine or ten days.

April 18th. Two days after the departure of
Ali, a Shereef arrived with falt and fome other
articles from Walet, the capital of the king-
dom of Biroo. As there was no tent appro-
priated for him, he took up his abode in the
fame but with me. He feemed to be a well
informed man, and his acquaintance bOth with
the Arabic and Bambarra tongues, enabling him
to travel with eafe and fafety, through a num-
ber of kingdoms; for though his place of re-
ﬁdence was VValet, he had viﬁted Houﬂa, and
had lived fome years at Tombucloo. Upon
my enquiring f0 particularly about the dil’tance,
from VValet to Tombuﬁoo, he afked me if I
intended. to travel that way ; and being anfwer—
ed in the afﬁrmative, he {hook his head, and
faid it would not do; for that Chriﬂians were
looked upon there as the devil’s children, and
enemies to the Prophet. From him I learned
the following particulars; that Houffa was
the largeﬂ town he had ever feen ;- that Walet
was larger than Tombuctoo, but being remote
from the N iger, and it; trade conﬁl’ting chiefly ‘

'158 'TRAVELS IN THE

0% it was not fo much reforted to by {tran-
gers ; that between Benowm and Walet was ten
days journey, but the road did not lead through
any remarkable towns, and travellers fupport-
ed-themfelves by purchaﬁng milk from the
Arabs, who keep their herds by the watering
places ; two of the days’ journies, was over
a fandy country, without water. From ‘Walet
to Tombuétoo, was eleven days more, but
'water was more plentiful, and the journey was
ufually performed upon bullocks. He {aid
there were many Jews at T ombuétoo, but
they all fpoke Arabic, and ufed the fame pray-
ers as the'Moors. He frequently pointed his
hand to the fouth—eal’t quarter, or rather the
call by fouth, obferving, that Tombucloo was
ﬁtuated in that direElion; and though I made
him repeat this information again and again,
Lnever found him to vary more than half a
point, which was to the fouthward.

April 24th. This morning; Shereef Sidi
Mahomed Moora Abdalla, a native of Moroc-
co, arrived with ﬁve bullocks loaded with falt.
He had formerly reﬁded Tome months at Gib-
raltar, where he had picked up as much Ens
glilh, as enabled him to make himfelf under-
ltood. He informed me that he. had been ﬁve—
months in coming from Santa Cruz ; but that
great part of the time had been {pent in trading.
When I requelled him to enumerate the days
employed in travelling from Morocco to Be-
nowm, he gave‘them as follows :—To Swera,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 159

three days ;'to Agadier, three; to Jiniken, ten;
to Wadenoon, four; to Lakeneig, ﬁve; 3 to
Zeeriwin-zeriman, ﬁve ; to Tilheet, ten ; to -
Benowm ten ; in all ﬁfty days: But travellers
ufually reit a long while at Jinikin and Tilheet;
at the latter of which they dig the rock falt,
which is fo great an article of commerce with
the Negroes. 7

In converﬁng with thefe Shereefs, and the
different ltrangers that reforted t0 the camp, I
pailed my time with rather l-efs unealinefs than
formerly. On the other hand, as the dreﬂing
of my viEtuals was now left entirely to the care
of Ali’s flaves, over whom I had not the linall-
ell controul, I found myfelf but ill fupplied, _
worfe even than in the fait month; for two
fucceflive nights they neglected to fend us our
accuitomed meal, and though my boy went to ‘
a linall Negro town near the camp, and beg-
ged with great diligence from hut to hut, he
could only procure a few handfuls of ground-
nuts, which he readily {hared with me. Hun-
ger, at firli, is certainly a very painful fenfa-
tion; but when it has continued for lome
time, this pain is l‘ucceeded by langour and de-
bility; in which cafe, a draught of water, by ’
keeping the ﬁomach diﬁended, will greatly ex-
hilirate the fpirits,and remove for a ihort time
every fort of unealinefs, Johnfon and Demba
were very much dejeEied. They lay {iretched
upon the fand, in a fort of torpid ilumber ; and
even when the koufkous arrived, I found {ome

16o TRAVELS IN THE

difﬁculty in awakening them. I felt no inclina-
tion to ﬂeep, but was affected with a deep con-
vulﬁve'refpiration, like conﬁant lighing; and,
what alarmed me kill more, adimnefs of ﬁght,
and'a tendency to faint when I attempted to ﬁt
up. Thefe fymptoms did not go off until
fome time after I had received nourilhment.

We had been for iorne days in daily expec-
tation of. Ali’s return from Saheel (or the
north country) and his wife Fatima. In the
meanwhile, Manforig, king of Bambarra, as I
have related in chapter VIII. had fent to Ali
for a party of horle, to allilt in {torming Ge-
ding‘ooma. With this demand Ali had not
only refufed to comply, but had treated the
meffengers with great haughtinefs and con-
tempt ; upon which Mansong gave up all
thoughts of taking the town, and prepared to
chaﬁize Ali for his contumacy.

Things were in this ﬁtuation when, on the
29th of April, a meiTenger arrived at Benowm
with the diiagreeable intelligence, that the
‘Bambara army was approaching the frontiers
of Ludamar. This threw the whole c0untry
into confuﬁon ; and in the afternoon Ali’s. fon,
with about twenty horfemen, arrived at Be—
nowm. He ordered all the cattle to be driven
away immediately, all the tents to be ﬁruck,
and the people to hold themfelves in readinefs
to depart at daylight the next morning. ,

"April 30th. At daybreak the whole camp
was in motion. The baggage was carried up.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 161

on bullocks, the two tent poles being placed
one on each lide, and the different wooden
articles of the tent difhibuted in like manner ;
the tent cloth was thrown over all, and upon
this was commonly p ‘aced one or two women,
for the Moorifh women are very bad walkers. 7
The king’ s favorite concubines rode upon ca-
mels, with a faddle of a particular conﬁruc—
tion, and a conopy to {helter them from the
fun. We proceeded to the northward until
noon, when the king 5 fon ordered the whole
company, except two tents, to enter a thick
low wood, which was upon our right. I was
fent along with the two tents, andb arrived in
the evening at a Negro town called Farani;
here we pitched the tents in an open place, at
no g1eat diltance from the town.

The hurry and confuﬁon which attended this
decampment, prevented the Haves from dreﬂing
the ulual quantity of viéluals- and left their dry
proviﬁons fhould be exhaul’ted before they
reached their place of deltination; for as yet
none but Ali and the chief men knew whither
we were going, they thought proper to make
me obferve this day as a day of falling. -

May 1ft. As I had reafon to fufpeét that this
day was alfo to be coniidered as a faﬁ, I went
in the morning to the Negro town of Farini,
and begged fome proviﬁons of the Dotti, who
readily fupplied my wants, and deﬁred me to
come to his houfe, every day, during my ﬂay
in the neighbourhood. Thefe hofpitable peoq

' P 2 ‘

162 TRAVELS IN THE

ple are looked upon by the Moors, as an ab-
jeét‘ra'ce of Haves, and are treated accordingly.
Two of Ali’s houihold Haves, a man and a
woman, who had come along with the two
tents, went this morning to water the cattle
from thertown wells, at which there began to
be a great fcarcity. When the Negro women
obferved the cattle approaching, they took up
their pitchers, and ran with all poHible hai’te
towards the town, but before they could enter
the gate, they were Hopped by the Haves, who
compelled them to bring back the water they
had drawn for their own families, and empty
it into the troughs for the cattle, when this
was exhauited, they were ordered to draw wa-
ter until fuch a time as the cattle had all drank ;
and the woman Have aaually broke tWO wood-
en bowls over the heads of the black girls, be-
Caufe they were fomewhat dilatory in obeying
'her commands.

May 3d. We departed from the vicinity of
tFérari, and after a circuitous route through
"the wdods, arrived at Ali’s camp in the after-
”noon; This encampment was larger than that
of Benowm, and was iituated in the middle ofa
thick, wood about two miles dii’tant .from a
Negro town, called Bubaker. I immediately
waited upon Ali, in order to pay my refpcéts
'to queen Fatima, who had come with him from
Saheel. He feemed much pleated with my
coming 3 fhook hands with the, and informed
his, wife that I was the Chril’tian. She was a

INTERIOR or AFRICA. :63

woman of the Arab call, with long black hair,
and remarkably corpulent. She appeared at
ﬁrlt rather fhocked at the thought of having a
Chrillian f0 near her ; but when I‘ had, by means
of a Negro boy who {poke the Mandingo and
Arabic tongues, anfwered a great many quell
tions, which her curiolity fuggelted, refpecting
the country of the Chriltians, {he feemed more
at cafe, and prefented me with a bowl of milk ;
which I conlidered as a very favourable omen.
The heat was now almol’t inl'uﬁerable ; all
nature feemed linking under it. The diﬁant
country prefented to the eye a dreary expanfe
of land, with a few ﬁunted trees, and prickly
bufhes, in the {hade of which, the hungry cat-
tle licked up the withered grafs, 'while the ca-
mels, and goats picked off the fcanty foliage.
The f’carcity of water was greater here than at
Benowr’n. Day and nightthe wells were crowd-
ed with cattle, lowing and ﬁghting with each
other to come at the trough: excefﬁve thirlt
made many of them furious ; others, being too
weak to contend for the water, endeavouredtto
quench their thirl’t by devouring the black mud
from the gutters near the wells ; which they
did with great avidity, though it was common—
ly fatal to them. ,.
. This great l'carcity of water was felt fevere-
ly by all the people of the camp, and by none
more than inyfelf; for though Ali allowed me
a {kin for containing water, and F atima,- once
.or twice gave me a {mall fupply when I was in

;64 , TRAVELS IN THE

diﬁrefs, yet fuch was the barbarous difpoﬁtion
of the Moors at the wells, that, when my boy
attempted to ﬁll the zlkin, he commonly re-
ceived a found drubbing for his prefumption.
Every one was aﬁonilhed that the ﬂave of a
Chriﬁian, lhould attempt to draw water from
wells, which had been dug by the followers of
the Prophet. This treatment, at length, f0
frightened the boy, that I believe he would
fooner have perifhed with thirll, than attempted
again to ﬁll the Ikin; he therefore contented
himfelf with begging water from the Negro
ﬂaves that attended the camp ; and I followed
‘his example; but with indifferent fuccefs ; for
though I let no opportunity ﬂip, and was very
urgent in my folicitations, both to the Moors
and Negroes, I was butill fupplied, and fre—
quently palfed the night in the ﬁtuation of
Tantalus. N o fooner had I [but my eyes,
than fancy would convey me to the ﬁreams and
rivers of my native land; there, as I wandered
along the verdant brink, I furveyed the clear
ﬂream with tranfport, and haﬁened to fwallow
the delightful draUght ;—-but, alas ! difappoint—
ment awakened me 3 and I found myfelf a
lonelycaptive, periﬂiing of thirl’t, amidl’t the
wilds of Africa. '

One night, having folicited in vain for water
at the camp, and being quite feveriih, I refolv-
. ed to try my fortune at the wells, which were

about halfa mile dil’tant fromthe camp. Ac-
cordingly, Ifet out about midnight, and be-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA, 165

ing guided by the lowing of the cattle, foon ar-
rived at the place; where Ifound the Moors
, Very bufy drawing w.ater Irequeﬁed per.
million to drink, but was driven away with
outrageous abufe. Falling, however, from
one well to another, I came at lall: to one,
where there was only an old man and two boys.
I made the lame requel’t to this man, and he
immediately drew me up a bucket of water;
but, as I was about to take hold of it, he re-
colleEted that I was a Chrillian, and fearing
that his bucket might be polluted by my lips,
he dalhed the water into the trough, and told
me to drink from thence. Though this trough
was none of the largelt, and three cows were
already drinking in it, I refolved to come in
for my lhare; and kneeling down, thrult my
head between two of the cows, and drank
with great pleafure, until the water was nearly
exhaulted; and the cows began to contend
with each other for the lall mouthful.

In adventures of this nature, I palled the
lultry month of May, during which, no mate-
rial change took place in my ﬁtuation. Ali
llill conﬁdered me as a lawful prifoner; Fati.
ma, though {he allowed me a larger quantiy of
viEtuals than I had been accul’tomed to receive
at Benowm, had as yet laid nothing on the
fubjeét of my releafe. In the meantime, the
frequent changes of the wind, the gathering
clouds, and dillant lightning, with other ap-
pearances of approaching ram, indicated that

4166 ' TRAVELS IN THE

the wet feafon was at hand ; when the Moors an-
nually evacuate the country of the Ne-
groes, and return to the {kirts of the Great
Defert. This made me conﬁder, that my fate
was drawing to a crifis, and I refolved to wait
for the event without any feeming uneaﬁnefs;
but circumf’tances occurred which produced a
change in my favour more fuddenly than I had
.forefeen, or had reafon to expect. The cafe
was this: The fugitive Kaartans, who had
taken refuge in Ludamar, as I have related
in Chapter VIII. ﬁnding that the Moors were
about to leave them, and dreading the refent-
ment of their own fovereign, whom they had
fo bafely deferted, offered to treat with Ali,
for two hundred Morilh horfemen, to co-ope—-
rate with them in an effort to expel Daify from
Gedingooma; for until Daify ihould be van-
quilhed, orhumbled, they conﬁdered that they
could neither return to their native towns, nor
live in fecurity in any of the neighbouring king-
doms. With a view to extort money from
thefe people, by means of this treaty, Ali dif—
patched his fan to Jarra, and prepared to fol—
low him in the courfe of a few days. This was
an opportunity of two great confequence _to
me, to be negleéled. I immediately applied
to Fatima, who I found had the chief direé‘tion
in all affairs of Rate, and begged her interef’t
with Ali, to give me permiﬂion to accompany
him to Jarra. This requeﬁ, after fomeheﬁta-
'tion, was favourably received. Fatima look~

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. - :67

ed kindly on me, and I believe, was at length
moved with compaﬂion towards me. My bun.
dles were brought from the large cow-{kin bag
that ﬂood in the corner of Ali’s tent, and I was
ordered to explain the ufe of the different arti‘.
cles, and {hew the method of putting on the
boots, ﬂockings, &c. with all which I cheerful-I
ly complied, and was told that in the courfe of:
a few days I fhould be at liberty to depart.

Believing, therefore, that I {hould certainly‘
ﬁnd the\means of efcaping from Jarra, if I
{hould once get thither, I now freely indulged
the pleaﬁng hope, that my captivity would
foon terminate ; and happily, not having been
Adifappointed in this idea, I shall paufe in this
place, to colleEi, and bring into one point of
View, fuch obfervations on the Moorifh charac-
ter, and country, as I had no fair opportunity
of introducing into the preceding narrative.

 

lair-t

CHAP. XII.

Further mifcellaneous rg’leé’r’ions on the Maori z
manners and charafler. Obfer'uazﬁions on the
Great Defen‘, its animals, wild and dome/lie,
€36. €36.

rI‘HE Moors of this‘part of Africa are divi-

dedinto many feparate tribes; of which the
molt formidable, according to what was re-
ported to me, are thofe of T rafart and Il Bra,-
ken, which inhabit the northern bank of the

I68 ’TRAVEL'S IN THE

Senegal river. The tribes of Gedumah, Jail
noo and Ludamar, though not fo numerous
as the former, are neverthelefs very powerful
and warlike; and are each governed by a chief,
or king, who exercifes abfolute jurifdiE’tion
over his own horde, without acknowledging
allegiance to a common fovereign. In time of
peace, the employment of the people is pal—
turage. The Moors, indeed, fubﬁﬁ chiefly
on the ﬂefh of their cattle; and are always in
the extreme of either gluttony or abﬁinence.
In confequence of the frequent and fevere falls
which their religion enjoins, and the toillome
journies which they fometimes undertake acrofs
the Defert, they are enabled to bear both hun-
ger and thirlt, with furpriﬁng fortitude; but
whenever opportunities occur of latisfying their
appetite, they generally devour more at one
meal, than would ferve an European for three.
They pay but little attention to agriculture;
purchaﬁng their cora, cotton-cloth, and other
neceﬂaries, from the Negroes, in exchange for
falt, which they dig from the pits in the Great
Defert. '

The natural barrennefs of the country
is fuch, that it furnilhes but few materials
for manufacture. The Moors, however, con-
trive to weave a 'f'trong cloth, with which they
cover their tents ;\ the thread is fpun by their
women from the hair of goats ; and they pre-
pare the'hides of their cattle, fo as to furniﬂl

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 159

faddles,bridles,‘pouchesv, and other articles of
leather; They are likewife fulﬁciently ﬂtilﬁul
to convert the native iron, which they procure
frOm the Negroes, into {pears and knives, and
alfointo pots for boiling their food ; but their
fabres and other weapons, as well as their ﬁre-
arms and ammunition, they purchafe from the
Europeans, in exchange for the Negro ﬂaves
which they obtain in their predatory excurﬁons.
Their chief commerce of this kind is with thé
French traders on the Senegal river.

The Moors are rigid Mahomedans, and poll
fefs, with the bigotry and fuperﬂition, all the
intolerance of their left. They have no
.mofques at Benowm, but perform their devo-
tions in a fort of open ﬁled, or enclofure made
of mats. The prie{’t is at the fame time, fchool-
mailer to the juniors. His pupils aliemble
every evening before his tent; where by the
light ofa large ﬁre, made of brufh-wood and
cows’ dung, they are taught a few fentences ‘
from the Koran, and areinitiated into the prin-
ciples of their creed. Their alphabet differs
but little from that in Richardfon’s Arabic
grammar: They always write with the vowel
points: Their priel’ts even eﬂeét to know {ome-
thing of foreign literature. The prief’t ofBe-
nowm aﬂured me, that he could read the wri-
tings of the Chriﬁians; he {hewed me a nuqu
her of barbarous characters, which he ailerte'd,
were the ROman alphabet; and he produced
another fpecimen, equally unintelligible, which

17o TRAVELS IN THE

he declared to be the Kallam z'l .Indi, or Per.
ﬂan. His library conﬁﬁed of nine volumes in
quarto, molt of them, I believe, were books
of religion, for the name of Mahomet appear-
ed in red letters, in almoit every page of each.
His fcholars wrote their leﬂons upon thin
boards; paper being too expenﬁve for gene-
ral ufe. The boys were diligentenough, and
appeared to poffefs a conﬁderable {hare of
emulation; carrying their boards flung over
their [boulders when about their common em-
ployments. When a boy has committed to
memory a few of their prayers, and can read
and write certain parts ofthe Koran, be Is rec-
koned fuﬂiciently inﬁruéted; and with this {len-
‘der ﬂock oflearning, commences his career of
life. Proud of his acquirements, he furveys
with contempt the unlettered Negro; and em-
braces every opportunity of difplaying his fu-
-periority over inch of his conntrymen, as are
- not diﬂinguiihed by the fame accompliihments.
The education of the girls is negleEted alto-
'gether, mental accompliihments are but little
attended to by the women- nor is the want of
them coniidered by the men, as a defect 1n the
female cliaiaéter. They are regarded, I be-
lieve, as an inferior fpecies of animals- and
feem to be brought up for no other purpofe
'than that of adminii’tering to the fenfual plea-
fures of their imperious maﬁers. Voluptu-
oufnefs is, therefore, coniide1ed as their chief

accompliihment, and {lavilh 1ubmilhon as their
wPenlible duty. . _ ,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ,7,

The Modrs have ﬁngular ideas of feminine
perfeaion : the gracefulnels of ﬁgure and mo-
tion, and a countenance enlivened by exprell
ﬁon, are by no means eﬂ‘ential points in their
{tandard ; with them, corpulence and beauty
appear. to be terms nearly fynonymous. A.
Woman of even moderate pretenﬁons, mull; be
onewho cannot walk without a ﬂave under'
each arm to‘fupport her, and a perfeEt beauty
is a load for a camel. In confequence of this
prevalent taller for unwieldinefs of bulk, the
Moorifh ladies take great pains to acquire it
early in life; and‘for this ’purpofe,_ many of
the young girls are cornpelled by their- mothers,
to devOur a great quantity of koulkous, and
drink a large bowl of camels’ milk every morn.
ing. It is of no importance, whether the girl
has an: appetite or- not ; the kouskous and milk,
mull be Wallowcd, and obedience is frequent-
ly enforced by blows. I have feen a» poor girl
ﬁt crying, with the. bowl at her. lips, for more
than an hour ; and her mother, with a ﬂick,
in her hand, watching her all the while, and
uﬁng the flick without mercy, whenever {he
obferved that her daughter was not fwallowing.
This ﬁngular practice, inﬁead of producing
indigeﬁion and difeafe, foon covers theyoung
lady with that'degree of pl‘umpnefs, which, in
the eye of a Moor, is perfection itfelf.

’ - As‘ the Moors purchafe all their clothing
from the Negroes, the women are forced to be
very, economical in the article of drefs. In. ge-

1.72 TRAVELS IN THE

neral, they content themi'el-ves with a broad
piece of cotton cloth, which is wrapped round
the middle, and hangs down like a.petticoat,
al'moi’t to the ground; to the upper part of
this are fewed two fquare-pieces, one befbre
and the other behind, which are faﬁened toge-V
ther over the lhoulders. The head drefs is
commonly a bandage, of cotton cloth, with
fome parts of it broader than'others, which
ferve to conceal the face when they walk in the
fun ; frequently, however, when they go
abroad, they veil themfelves from head to foot.
V The employment of the women varies, ac-
cording to their degrees ofopulence. Queen
Fatima, and a few others of high rank, like the _
great ladies in fome parts of Europe, pal-s their
time chiefly inaconveriing with their viﬁtors,
performing their devotions, or admiring their
charms in a looking'glafs. The women of
inferior clafs employ themfelves in different
domeﬂic duties. They are very vain and talk
ative ;_and when any thing puts them out of
humour, they commonly vent their anger up-
on their female flaves, over whom they rule
with fevere and defpotic authority ; which leads
me to obfe'rve, that the condition-of the'fe poor
captives is. deplorably wretched. At day-
break they, are compelled to fetch water from
the wells, in large fkins, called girbas, :and as
foot) as they have brought water enough to ~
ferve'the family for the day, as we‘llas the
.horfes, for the Moors feldom give their tho-rfes

HINTERIOR OF AFRICA. 1,3

the trouble of going to the wells, they are then,
employed in pounding the torn, and dreﬂing
the'viétuals.‘ This being always done in the"
open air, the ﬂaves are expofed to the combin-
ed heat of the fun, the (and, and the fire. In
the intervals, it is their buﬁnefs to {weep the
tent, churn the milk, and perform other domef—
tic ofﬁces. With all this they are badly fed,
and oftentimes cruelly puniihedl.

The mens’ drefs among the Moors of Lu:
damar, difFers but little from that of the Ne- A
groes, which has already been defcribed, ex;
cept that they have all adopted that character-
iiiic of the Mahomedan fed, the turban; which
is here univerfally made of 'white cotton clotb.‘
Such Of the Moors as have long beards, dif.
play them with a mixture of pride and fatisfac-
tion, as denoting an Arab anceﬁry. Of this
number was Ali himfelf; but among the gene-
rality of the people, the hair is fhort and bulhy,
and univerfally black. - And here I may be
permit-ted to obferve, that if any one circum-
itance excited among them favourablethoughts
towards my own perfon, it was my beard ;
which was 39,!" grown to an enormous length,
and was always beheld with approbation or;
envy. I believe in my confcience, they thought:
it too good a heard for a Chriltian. ,
' The only difeafes which I obferved ‘to‘ pre-
vail among the Moors, were the intermittent
Ever-and dyfentary ; for the cure of which,
noftrums are {emetimes adminiﬁered by their:

Q2

1.74.“ , TRAVELS IN THE

old’women; but, in general nature is left: to
herioWn operations“. Mention .was made to
mevofaifmallpox, as being fometimes very
deﬁruélive ; but it had not, to my knowledge,
made its appearance in- Ludamar, while I was
in captivity. That it prevails, however, among
fome tribes of-the Moors, and that it is fre-
quently conveyed by them to! the Negroes in,
the fouthern Rates, I was allured on the. au--
thority of Dr. Laidley; who alfo informed
me, that the Negroes on the Gambia, practice
inoculation. .
VThe adminiﬁrarion 'of criminal j‘uflice, as-
far as I had opportunities of obferving, was
prompt and deciﬁv'egn For although civil rights
were but little regarded in: Ludamar, it was-
neceflary, when crimes were committed, that
examples fhould fometimes be made. On fuch
occaﬁons, the oHender was brought before
Ali, who pronounced, of his {ole authority,
1 what judgment he thought proper. But I
underﬂood, that, Capital punifhment was fel—
dom or never inflicted, except on the Negroes.
Although the wealth of the Moors conﬁﬁzs
chieﬂy in their numerous herds of cattle ; yet,
as the pal’toral life does not aﬂ‘orﬁull employ—
ment, the majority of the people are perfectly
idle, and {pend the day in trifling converfation.
about their horfe’s, or in laying fchemes of de-
predation on the Negro villages. ‘
' y The ufual place of rendezvous for the indo-r
lent, is the king’s tent 5 where great liberty of

l

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. (175

fpeechrfe’ems to be exerci‘fed by the Company
towards each other, while, in fpeaking of their
chief, they exprefs but one opinion. In praife
of their fovereign’they are unanimous.~ Songs
are compofed in his honour, which the com-
pany frequently ling in concert; but they are
f0 loaded with grofs adulation, that no man
but a Moorilh (lefpot, could hear them with.
out blulhing.‘ The king is dil’tinguifhed by the
ﬁnenefs of his drefs, which is compofed of blue
cotton cloth brought from Tombué’too, or
white linen or mullin from Morocco. ,He has
likewife a larger tent than any other perfon,
with a white cloth over it: But, in his ufual
intercourfe with his fubjeEls, all dif’tinétions of .
rank are frequently forgotten. He fometimes
eats out of the fame bowl with his camel dri-
ver, and repofes himfelf during the heat of the
day, upon the fame bed. The expences of his
government and houfehold are defrayed by a
tax upon his Negro fubjeéts, which is paid by
every houfeholder, either in corn, cloth, or _
gold-dult; a tax upon the different Moorilh
Korrees, or watering-places, which is common-
ly levied ﬁcattle; and a tax upon all meti-
' chandize ich palfes through the kingdom,
and is generally collected in kind. But a con-
ﬁderable part'of the king’s revenue arifes from '
the plunder of individuals. The Negro inha-
bitants of Ludamar, and the travelling mer-
chants, are afraid of appearing rich; for’Ali',
.who has fpies f’tationed in the different towns,

J76 ‘ TRAVELS IN THE

to give him information concerning the wealth
of his fubjeéls, frequently invents fome frivo»
lous lea for feizing their property, and reduc-
ing t- e opulent to a level with their fellow-Ci.
tazens.

Ofthe number of Ali’s Moorilh fubjeEis I
had no means of forming a correct eﬂimate.
The military ﬁrength of Ludamar conflﬁs in
cavalry. They are well mounted, and appear
to be very expert in ikirmifhing and attacking
by furprife. Every foldier furnifhes his own
horfe, and ﬁnds his accoutrements, conﬁﬁing
of a large fabre, a double barrelled gun, a fmall
red leather bag for holding his balls, and a
powder horn flung over the {boulderr He has _
no pay nor any remuneration but what arifes
from plunder. This body is not very nume-
rous, for when Ali made war upon Bambarra,
I was informed, that his whole force did not
exceed two thoufand cavalry. They conﬂitute‘,
however, by what I could learn, but a very
fmall proportion of the Mooriih fubjeéls. The
horfes are very beautiful, and f0 highly eﬂeem-
ed, that the Negro princes. will fometimes give
from twelve to fourteen flaves forpne horfe.

Ludamar has for its northern boundary the
Great Defert of Sahara. ' From the bell inqui— ‘
ries I could make, this vaﬂ ocean of fand,
which occupies fo large a fpace in Northern
Africa, may be pronouncedalmoﬁ deflitute of
inhabitants ; except where the fcanty Vegetation
~ which appears in certain fpots, affords paﬁur;

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. :77

age fer the ﬂocks of a few miferable Arabs,
who wander from onetwell to another.- In
other places, where the fupply of water and
paﬂurage is more abundant, fmall parties of
the Moors have taken up their reﬁ-dence : Here
they live in independent poverty, fecure from
the tyrannical government of Barbary. But
the greater part of the Defert being to-
tally deﬁitute of water, is feldom viﬁted
by any human being; unlefs where the trading
caravans trace out their toilfome and danger-
ous route acrofs it. In fome parts of this ex-
tenliveawalie, the ground is covered with low
ﬁunted fhrubs, which ferve as landmarks for
the caravans, and furnilh the camels with a
fcanty forage. In other parts, the difconfo-
late wanderer, wherever he turns, fees nothing -
around him but a valt interminable 'expanfe
of {and and {ky; a gloomy and barren void,
where the eye ﬁnds no pairticular object to reﬂ
upon, and the mind is filled with painful appre-
henlions of perifhing with thirlt. “ Surround-
ed by this’ dreary folitude, the traveller fees
the dead bodies of birds, that the violence of
the wind has brought from happier regions ;
and, ashe ruminates on the fearful length of
his remaining palfage, liltens with horror to
the voiCe of the driving blal’t ; the only found
that interrupts 'the awful repole of the De,-
fert.”* ,

. ‘The few wild animals which inhabit‘thefe ’
gir,‘ Proceedings of the African'Affociation, Part I.

378 ‘ TRAVELS IN THE

melancholy regions, are the antelope and the
oftrich; their fwiftnefs of foot enabling them
to reach the dii’tant watering places. On the
{kirts of the Defert, where water is more plen-
tiful, are found~lions,panthers, clephants,and
wild boars. _

Of domeﬁic animals, the only one that can
endure the fatigue of croﬁing the Defert, is the
camel. By the particular conformationof the
liomach, he is enabled to carry a fupply of
water fuﬂicient for ten or twelve days; his
broad and yielding foot is well adapted for a
fandy country ; and by. a {ingular motion of his
upperlip, he picks the fmalleit leaves from the
thorny ihrubs of the Defert ashe paﬂ'es along.»
The camel is, therefore, the Only head: of bur-
den employed by the trading caravans which
traverfe the Defert in different directions, from
Barbary to Nigritia. As this ufefuland docile
Creature has been fulﬁciently defcribed by fyf-
tematicle-writers, it is unneceffary for me to
enlarge upon his properties. I {hall only add,
that his ﬂeih, though to my own talte dry and
unfavory, is preferred by the Moors to any
other; and, that the milk of the female is in
univerlal eﬁeem, and is indeed fweet, pleafant
and nutritive.

I have obferved that the Moors in their
complexion, refemble the Mulattoes of the
Welt-Indies ; but they have fomething un—
pleafant in their afpeé‘t, which the Mulattoes
have not. I fancied, that I difcoveredin the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. {79

features of-rnoil of them, a difpoﬁtion towards
cruelty and low cunning; and I could never
contentplate their phyﬁognomy without feeling
fenﬁble uneaﬁnefs. From the ﬂaring wildnefs
of their eyes a {tranger would immediately fet‘
the-m down as a nation of lunatics. The treach-
ery and malevolence of their character, are
mauifeﬂed in their plundering excurﬁons
againlt the Negro villages. Oftentimes, with.
out the fmallelt provocation, and fometimes,
under the fairefl profeilions of friendfhip, they ‘
will fuddenly feize upon the Negroes cattle,
and even on the inhabitants theml'elves. The
Negroes very leldom retaliate; The enterpriz-
ing boldnefs of the Moors, their knowledge of
the country, and, above all, the fuperior fleet-
nefs of theirfThOrl‘es, make them fuch formida-
ble enemies, that the petty Negro {tates which \
border upon the Defert, are in continual terror
while the Moorifh tribes are in the vicinity,
and are too much awed to think of reﬁf’tance,

Like the roving Arabs, theMoors frequent-
1y remove from one place to another, accord.
‘ing to the feafon of the year, or the conveni-
ence of paﬁurage. In the month of February,
when the heat oftbe fun fcorches up every fort
of vegetation in the Defert, they {trike their
tents, and approach the Negro country to the
fouth, where they reﬁde until the rains com-
mence, in the month of July. At this time,
having purchafed corn and other neceﬂaries
from the Negroes, in exchange for falt, they

(80 TRAVELS IN THE

again depart to the northward, and continue in
the Defert until the rains are over, and that part
of the country becomes burnt up and barren.

This Wandering and reﬁlefs way of life, while
it inures them to hardihips, ﬁrengthens, at the
fame time, the bonds of their little fociety,
and creates in them an averfion towa1ds {tran-
gers, which is almoﬁ; infurmountable. Cut
off from all intercourfe with civilized nations,
and boaﬁing an advantage over the Negroes,
by poifeﬂing, though ina very limited degree,
the knowledge of letters, they are at once the
vainei’t and proudeﬂ, and perhaps, the molt
Ibigotted, ferocious, and intolerent, of all the
nations on the earth; combining in their cha-
racter, the blind fuperl’tition of the Negro, with
the favage cruelty, and treachery of the Arab.

It is probable that many of them had never
beheld a white man before my arrival at Be-
nowm, but they had all been taught to regard
the Chrii’tian name with inconceivable abhor-
rence, and to conﬁder it nearly as lawful to
murder a European, as it would be to kill a
dog. The melancholly fate of Major Hough-
ton, and the treatment I experienced during
my conﬁnement amOng them, will, I truit,
ferve as a warning to future travellers to avoid
this inhofpitable diﬁriét.

The reader may, probably, have expeEted
from me a more detailed and copious account
of the manners, cufioms, fuperﬁitions, and

prejudices, of this fecluded and ﬁngular.peo~

wvmw xv,- .,. w -.n— ,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 131

pic; but it mull: not be forgotten, that the
wretchednefs of my ﬁtuation among tber‘n, af.
forded me but few opportunities ‘ of colleéting
informatio‘n. Some particulars, however, might
be added in this place; but being equally ap—
plicableto the Negroes to the louthward, they
will appear in a lubfequent page.

——-—-—--—————
CHAP. x111.

Ali departsfor jarra ; the Author is allowed to
follow him thither.—-—The Author’s faithful
ferotmt, Demha, isfeized hy Ali’s order and
je-nt hath into ﬂowery—7141i returns to his
camp, and permits the Author to remain at
farm, who meditates his efcape.——Daiﬁ,
King ofKaorto, approaching with his army
towards jarrot, the inhahitomts quit the towiz,
and the Author with them.——-—A party of Moors
overtahe him at Queird ;V he gets owoyfrom
them; is again ‘purfued hy another party and
robbed, hutﬁnatly eﬁ-"et‘ts his efeape.

AV IN G, as has been related, obtained

permilﬁon to accompany Ali to Jarra, ’1
tool; leave of Queen Fatima, who with much
grace and civility returned me part of my ap-
parel; and the evening before my departure,
my horle, with my laddle and bridle were fent
me by Ali’s order. ’ -

Early on the morning of the 26th of May, 1,

departed from the camp of Bubaker, accompa—
R ..

' ‘1'8‘2 TRAVELS IN THE

nied by‘m'y twoxattendants Johnfon and Dem;
ha, and a number of the Moors on horfeback':
Ali, with about fifty horfemen, having gone pri‘.
vately from the camp during the night. We
ﬂopped about noon at Farani, and were then
joined by twelve Moors riding upon camels, and
with them we proe'eeded‘to a watering place in
the woods, where we overtoolg‘Ali and his fifty
horlemen. They were lodged in fame low
{hepherds’ tents 'neartthe wells. As the compa-
ny was numerous, the tents could, fcarcely _ ac-
fcommodate us all; and I was ordered to {leep
in the open fpace, in thecentre of the tents,
where every one might obfervezmy motions.
During the night there was much lightning from
the north-call; and about day-break a very hea-
'vy. {and—wind commenced, which continued
with great violence until four in the afternoon. ;
fThe quantity of land which paﬁed to the weft. ,
ward in the courfe Of this day, muft have been
,prodigiouﬁy great. At times it was impofﬁble ,
to look up ; and the cattle were to tormented :
bythe particles lodging in their ears and eyes, a
that they ran about like mad creatures, and I Q
was in continual danger of being trampled to )
death by them. ,

May 28th. Early in the morning the Moors:
faddled their horfes,and Ali’s chief llave order—r
ed me to get in ‘readinel's. In a little time ther
fame melleiiger returned, and taking my boy}
\by the lhoulder, told him in the h’landtngo 13.”?
guage,‘ that “ Ali was to be his matter in {kl-E

i

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 183

t-ure;" and then turning to me, “ the buﬁnefs is
{ettled at, laPt,” laid he, “the boy, and every
thing but your horfe, goes back to Iiubaker;
but you may take the old fool, meaning John—
fon the interpreter, with you, to jarra.” I made
him no anfwer; butbeing {hocked beyond de~
feription at the idea of looling the poor boy, I
haltened to Ali, who was at hreakfal’t before his
tent, furrounded by many of his courtiers. I‘
told him, perhaps in rather too palﬁonate a
ﬁrain, that whatever imprudence I had been
guilty ofin coming into his country, I thought
I had already been lhfliciently punilhed for it,by
being f0 long detained, and then plundered of
all my little property; which, however, gave me
no urieaﬁnels, when compared with what he had
juit now done me. I obferved, that the boy
which he had now feized upon, was nota (lave,
and had been aeeufed of'no offence; he was in«
deed one of my attendants, and his faithful fer-
Vices in that ’llation, had procured‘him his free—
dom ; his ﬁdelity and attachment had made him
follow me into my prefent ﬁtuation; and as he
looked up to me for proteﬂion, I could not
fee him deprived of his liberty, without remon-
ﬁrating againf’t fucb an act, as the height ofcru-
elty and injuﬁice. Ali made no reply, but with
a haughty and malignant fmile, told his inter-
preter, that ifI did not'mountnmy rhorfe imme-
diately, he would lend me back likewife..'Fhere
:is fomething in the frown of a tyrant which
.y, sizet'oufes the molt fecret emotions of the heart ; I

1'34 TRAVELS IN THE

could not fupprefs my'feelings, and for once
entertained an indignant with torid the world
of'fuch a monﬂer.

Poor Demba was not lefs aﬂ'eéled than my-
felf; he had formed a ﬁrong attachment towards
me, and had a cheerfulnefs of difpoiigion, which
often beguiled the tedious hours of captivity;
he was likewife a proficient in the Bambarra
tongue, and promifed on that account to be of
great utility to me in future. ‘ But it was in
vain to expect any thing favourable to huma-
nity,.from people who are {trangers to its dic'
-, tates. so having ihakenlhands with this unfor-
tunate boy, and blended my tears with his, af-
furing him however, that I would do my ut-
mol’t to redeem him, I faw him led oilC by three
of Ali’s Haves, towards the camp atﬁBubaker.

‘When the Moors had mounted their horfes,
I was ordered to follow them; and after a toil—
fomejourney through the woods, in a very ful-
try day, we arrive-din the afternoon at a walled
village, called Dodmbani; where we remained
two days, Waiting for the arrival of fome horfe—
men from the northward.

On the iii of June we departed from Doom-
bani towards Jarra. _ Our ' company now
‘ amounted toytwo hundred- men, all on horfe-
hack; for the Moors never ufe infantry in
their wars. They appeared capable of endur-
ing great fatigue; but from their total want. of
dilcipline, ourjourney to jarra was more like
a fox-chafe, than the marchiof an army.

Mayra...wavy,“ ..,, . - , -, , H p... .,. zﬁmtnwﬂfw’11,, ,. , \ ,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 185,

At Jarra I took up my lodging at the houfe
of my old acquaintance, Daman Jumma, and
informed him of‘ every thing that had befallen
, me. I particularly requeﬁed him to ufe his
interefi with Ali, to redeem my boy, and pro-
mifed him a bill upon Dr. ,Laidley, for the va-
Inc of two ﬂaves, the moment he brought him
to Jarra. Daman very readily undertook to
negociate the bufinefs ; but found that Ali con~
ﬁdered the boy as my principal interpreter,
and was unwilling to- part with him, left he
ihould fall a fecond time into my hands, and
be inﬂrumental in conduéting me to Bambara.
Ali therefore put off the matter frbm day to
day; but withal told Daman, that if he wilhed
to purchafe the boy for himfelf, he lhould have
him thereafter, at the common price ofa {lave ;
which Daman agreed to pay for him, whenever
Ali {hould fend him to Jarra.’

The chief objeEl‘ of Ali in this journey to
jarra, as I have already related, was to procure
money from fuch of the Kaartans, as had ta-
ken refuge in his Country. Some of thefe had
folicited his protection, to avoid the horrors of
war; «but by far the greateft number of them
were diffatisﬁed men, who wii’hed the ruin of
their own forerdgn. Thefe people no fooner
heard, that the Bamhaman army had returned
to Sego without {ubduing Daify, as was gene-
rally expected, that they. refolved to make a
fuddcn attack themfelves upon him, before he
could recruit his forces, which were now knOwn

' R 2 -

x86 TRAVELS IN THE

to be much diminilhed by a bloody campaign,
and‘in great want of proviﬁons. With this View
they folicited the Moors to. join them, and of-
fered to hire of Ali two hundred horfemen;
which Ali, with Ithe warmelt profeliions of
friendihip agreed to furniﬂi,~ upon condition
that they lhould previouﬂy fupply him 'with
four hundred head of cattle, two hundred gar-
ments of blue cloth, and a conﬁderable quan.
tity ofbeads and ornaments. The krailing this
. impoi’t fomewhat perplexed them; and in order
to procure the cattle, they perfuaded the king
to demand one-half the ﬂipulated number from
the people of Jarra, promiﬁng to replace them
in a {hort time. Ali agreed to this propofal,
and the fame evening, June 2d, the drurn wast
i'ent through the town, and the crier announced
that if any perfon fuﬁered his cattle to go into
the woods the next morning, before the king
had chofen his quota of them, his houf’e {hould
be plundered, and his ﬂaves taken from him:
The people dared not diiobey the, proclama-
‘ tion; and next morning about two hundred of
their beﬁ cattle were feleﬁed,.and delivered to
the Moors; the full complement was madeup af-
terwards, by means equally unjul’t and arbitrary.

June 8th. In the afternoon Ali lent his
chief [lave to inform me, that he was about to
return to Bubaker ;' but as he would only ﬂay
theie a few days to keep the approaching felti—
val (Emma Suite) and then return to Jarra, ‘I
had permiﬂion to remain with Daman until his

" ”Y's”: TU" w in w » ~v»rmvwwww-mwgwmm‘wwwwmvn

INTERIOR- or AFRICA. ‘ 13,.

return. This was joyful news, to me; but I'
had experienced f0 many difappointments that
I was unwilling to indulge the hope of its be-
ing -'true, until Johnfon came and told me
that Ali, with part of the horfemen, were ac-
tually gone from the town, and that the reﬂ;
were to follow him in the morning.

June gth. Early in Ithe morning, the remain-
tier of the Moors departed from the town.
They had, during their ﬂay, committed many
aEts of robbery; and 'this morning with the
molt unparalleled audacity, they feized upon ‘
three girls, who were bringing water from the
wells, and carried them away into flavery.

The anniverfary of Emma Salee at Jarra,
very well deferved to be called a, feltiVal.
The flaves were all ﬁnely elad on this occaﬁon,
and the houfeholders vied with each other in
providing large quantites of viétuals, which
they diﬁributed to all their neighbours with
the greatel’t profuﬁon; hunger was literally
banilhed from the town; man,woman and child,
bond and free, all had as much as they could eat.

June 12th. Two people, dreadfully wound-
ed, were difcovered at a watering-place in the
woods; one of them hadjult breathed his left,
but the other was brought alive to jarra. On
recoveringa little, he informed the people, that
he had ﬂed through the woods from Kaﬂbn ;
. that Daily had made war upon Sambo, the
King of that country; had furprifed three of
his towns, and put all the inhabitants to the

l

188 TRAVELS IN THE

fword. He enumerated by name, many of the
friends of the Jarra people, who had been mur-
tiered in Kaiion. This intelligence made the
deatlmhowl univerial in Jarra, for the {pace of
two days.

This piece of bad news, Was followed by
another not leis dii’trefﬁng. A number of run-
away flaves arrived from Kaarta on the 14th,
and reported that Daify, having received in-
formation concerning the intended’attack upon
him, was about to vilit Jarra. This made the
Negroes call Upon Ali for the two ‘hundred
horfemen which he was to furniih them, ac—
cording to engagement. But Ali paid, very
little attention to their remonﬁrances, and at
laﬁplainly told them, that his cavalry were
otherwife employed. the Negroes thus defert-
ed by the Moors, and fully apprized that the
king of Kaarta would {hew them as little cle-
mency as he had ihewn the inhabitants of Kaf—
fon, refolved "to collect all their forces,.and ha z—
ard a battle, before the king, who was now in
great diiirei‘s For want of proxiiions, {liouid be-
come two powerful for them. They therefore
affembled about eight hundred effective men in
the whole; and with thefe they entered Kaarta,
on the evening of the 18th of jiine.

june 19th. This morning the wind ﬂiiited
to the iouth—wei’t; and about two o’clock in the
afternoon we had a heavy tornado, or thunder
fquall, accompanied with rain, which greatly
revived the f’ e: oi'nature, and. gave a pleafant

H "urn , . W .7» . w, .., "a 4 WV. _ . "Wm,“ , "213"", C'¥’.‘PL“";,"' we'rwwmwvuvavw‘

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 189

coolnefs to’the air. This was the ﬁrﬁ rain that
had fallen for many months. .

As every attempt to redeem my boy had hi-
therto been unfuccefsful, and in all probability
would continue to prove f0 whill’t I remained

'r “2307:“

in the country, I foundthat. it was neceﬂary '

for me to come to fome determination concern-
ing my own fafety, before the rains fhould be
, fully fet in; for my landlord feeing no likeli-
hood of being paid for his trouble, began to

with me away; and Jolinfon, my interpreter,

refuling to proceed, my ﬁtuation became fiery
perplexing. If I continued where I was, :1;
fbrelaw that Imuﬁ foon fall a \‘iﬂim to, the
barbarity of the Moors; and yet, if I went
forward ﬁngly, it was evident that I muﬁ l‘uf.
tain great difﬁculties, both from the want of
means to purchafe the necellarios of life, and
of an interpreter to make myfelf underflood.
On the other hand, to return to England with;
out accomplilhing the object of my million,
was worfe than either. I therefore determin-
ed to avail m‘yfelf of the ﬁrlt opportunity of
efcaping, and to proceed directly for Bambar—
ra, as foon as the-rain had let in fora few days,
To as to afford me the certainty of ﬁnding
water in the Woods.

Such was my ﬁtuation, when, on the even-v
ing ofthe 24th ofjune, I was Ptartled by the
report offome mulkets clofe to the town, and
inquiring the reafon, was informed that the
jarra army had returned from ﬁghting Daily,

I

190 . . TRAVELS IN THE

and that this ﬁring was by way of rejoicing.
However, when the chief men of the town
had allembled, and heard a full detail of the
expedition, they were by no means relieved
from their unealinefs on Daify’s account. The
deceitful Moors having drawn back from the
confederacy, after being hired by the Negroes,
greatly difpirited the infurgents; who, inl’tead
of ﬁnding Daily with a few friends concealed
in the throng fortrefs of Gedingooma, had
found him at a town near Joko, in the open
country, furrounded by fo numerous an ar-
omy, that every attempt to attack him was at
once given up; ‘and the confederates only
thought of enriching themfelves, by the plun-
der of the {mall towns in the neighbouhood.
They accordingly fell upon two of Daiiy’s
towns, and carried oﬁr the whole of the inhabi-
tants; but left intelligence of this might reach '
Daily, and induce him to cut off their retreat,
they returned through the woods by night,
bringing with them the ﬂaves and cattle which
they had captured.

June 26th. This afternoon a fpy from Kaar-
ta brought the alarming intelligence, that Dairy
had taken Simbing in the morning, and would
be in Jarra fometime in the courfe of the en-
fuing day. A number of people" were imme-
diately ﬁationed on the‘tops of the rocks, and
in the different paﬂages leading into the town,
to give early intelligence of Daify’s motions;
and the women let about making 'the necelfary

.. , .. 1 $5..."an w—VTWWFWW‘

INTERIOR or AFRICA. :9:

preparations for quitting the town as foon as
poiﬁble.» They continued beating corn, and
packing‘up different articles, during the night;
and early in the morning, nearly one half of
the towns-people took the road from Bambarra,
.by the wayof Deena.
t Their departure was very affecting; the wo—
.men and children crying; the men fullen and
dejeﬂed; and all of them looking back with'
regret on their native town; and on the wells
and rocks, beyond which their ambition had
never tempted them to ﬁray, and where they
had laid all their plans of future happinefs; all
of which they were now forced to abandon,
and to feek lhelter among ﬁrangers.

June 27th. About eleven o’clock in the fore-
noon we were alarmed by the centinels, who
brought information that Daify was on his
‘ march towards jarra, and that the confederate
army had fled before him without firing a gun.
The terror of the townspeople on this occaiion
is not eaflly to be defcribed.——Indeed, the
fcreams of the women and children, and the
great hurry and confufton that every where pre-
vailed, made me fufpect that the Kaartans had
already entered the town; and although I had
every reafon to be pleafed with Daify’s behavi.
.our to me, when I was at Kemmoo, I had no
wilh to expofe myfel-f to the mercy of his army,
.who might in the general confufion, miflake
me fora Moor. I therefore mounted my horfe,

'and taking a large 19an com before me, rode

"1'92 TRAVELS IN THE

{lowly along with the towns people; until we
reached the foot of a rocky hill, where I dill
mounted, and drove my horfe up before me.
'When I had reached the fummit I fat down,
and having a full view of the town and the
neighbouring country, could not help lament-
ing the lituation of the poor inhabitants, who
were thronging after me, driving their lheep,
cows, goats, &c. and carrying a fcanty portion
of provilions, and afew clothes. There was
a great noife and crying every where upon the
road ; for many aged people and children were
unable to walk, andathefe, with the lick, were
obliged to be carried, otherwife they muit have
been left to certain deﬂruétion.

About ﬁve o’clock we arrived at a {mall farm
belonging to the Jarra people, called Kadee-
121- and here I found Daman and Johnfon em-
ployed in ﬁlling large bags of corn, to be car- '
, ried upon bullocks, to ferve as provifionst for
Daman’s family on the road.

June 28th, At day—break we departed from
Kadeeja, and having paffed Troongoombawith-
out ﬂopping, arrived in the afternoon at Quei~
ra. I remained here two days, in order to re-
cruit my horfe, which the Moors had reduced
to a perfeEt Roﬁnante, and to wait for the arri-
val of fome Mandingo Negroes, who were go-
ing for Bambarra in the comfe of a few days.

On the afternoon of the ﬁt of July, as I was
tending my horfe 1n the ﬁelds, Ali’ schief {lave ‘
and four Moors arrived at Queira, and took

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ‘ 193

up their lodging at the Dooty’s houfe. My in-
terpreter, johnlbn, who fufpeEted the nature
of this viﬁt, lent two boys to overhear their
converfation; from which he learnt, that they -
were {em to convey me back to Bubaker. The
fame evening two of the Moors came private-
ly to look at my horfe, and one of them pro.
pofed taking it to the Dooty’s but, but the
other obferved that fuch a precaution was un—
neceilary, as I could never efcap‘e upon fuch
an animal. They then enquired where I ﬂept,
and returned to their companions. ‘

All this was like a ﬁroke of thunder to me,
for I dreaded nothing {0 much as conﬁnement
again among the Moors, from whofe barbarity
I had nothing but death to expect. I therefore
determined immediately to fet off for Bambar—
ra; a meal‘ure which I thought offered almolt
the only chance of faving my life, and gaining
the object of my million. I communicated the
defign tojohnl'on, who,altho’he applauded my
refolution, was fo far from {hewing any incli«
nation to accompany me, that he folemnly pro—
tel’ted, he would rather forfeit his wages than
go any farther. He told me that Daman, had
agreed to give him half the price ofa {lave for
his fervice, to alhlt in condu€ting a while of
{laves to Gambia, and that he was determined
to embrace the opportunity of returning to his
wife and family.

Having no hopes therefore of perfuading

, him to accompany me, I refolved to proceed
S

194 TRAVELS IN THE

by myfelf. About midnight I got my clothes
in readinefs, which conﬁﬁed of two ﬁlms, two
pair of trowfers, two pocket-handkerchiefs, an

' upper and an under wail’tcoat, a hat and a pair
ofhalf boots; thefe with a cloak, conﬁituted
my whole wardrobe. And I had not one ﬁn-
gle bead, nor any other article of value in my
polleﬂion, to purchafe viﬁuals for myfelf, or
corn for 'my horfe.

About day break, Johnlon who had been
liﬂening to the Moors all night, came and whif-
pered to me that they were alleep. The aw—
ful criﬁs was now arrived, when I was again ei-
ther to taﬁe the bleﬂing of freedom, or lan-
guilh out my days in captlvity. A cold fweat
moiﬁened my lorehead, as I thought on the
dreadful alternative, and relleEed, that, one
way or the other, my late mull be decided in
the courle of the enluing day. But to delibe-
rate, was to lofe the only chance of efcaping.
So, taking up my bundle, I ﬁepped gently
over the Negroes, who were lleeping in the
open air, and having mounted my horle, I bade
Johnfon farewell, deﬁring him to take particu-
lar care of the papers I had entruﬂed him with,
and inform my friends in Gambia that he had
leftme in good health, on my way to Bambarra.

I proceeded with great caution; furveying
each bulb, and frequently lillening and looking
behind me for the Moorifh horfemen, until I
was abouta mile from the town, when I was
furprifed to find mylelf in the neighbourhood

" 2,1" K ' ' “1 , -v "envy?“ 34-»:
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INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 195

of Korree belonging to the Moors. The {hep-
herds followed me for about a mile, booting
and throwing {tones after me; and when I was
out oftheir reach, and had begun to indulge
the plealing hopes of efcaping, 1 was again
greatly alarmed to here fomebody holla behind
me; and looking back, I faw three Moors on
horfeback coming after me at full fpeed, hoop-
ing and brandilhing their doubleharrelled
guns. I knew it was in vain to think of efcap-
ing, and therefore turned back and met them ;
when two of them caught hold of my bridle,
one on‘each fide, and the third, préfenting his
mulket, told me I mult go back to Ali. 'When
the human mind has been fluftuating between
hope and defpair, tortured with anxiety, and
hurried from one extreme to another, it affords
a fort of gloomy relief to know the worl’t that
can pollibly happen; fuch was my ﬁtuation.
An indifference about life, and all its enjoy-
ments, had completely benumbed my faculties,
and I rode back with the Moors with apparent
unconcern. But a change took place much
fooner than I had any reafon to expect. In paf-
ﬁng through fome thick bulhes, one of the
Moors ordered me to untie my bundle, and
ihew them the contents. Having examined the
different articles, they found nothing worth
taking except my cloak, which they confidered
as a very valuable acquiﬁtion, and one of them
pulling it from me, wrapped it about himfelf.
This cloak had been of great ufe to me; it

{Fe

196 _ TRAVELS IN THE

ferved to cover me from therains in the day,
and to proteét me from the mulketoes in the
night; I “therefore earneﬁly begged him to re-
turn it,’ and followed him fome little way to
obtain it: but without paying any attention to
my requeﬂ, he and one of his companions rode
, off with their prize. When I attempted to
follow them, the third, who had remained
with me, {truck my horfe over the head, and
prefenting his tnulket, told meI {hould pro-
ceed no further. I now perceived that thefe
men had not been fent by authority to appre-
hend me, but had purfued me folely with a
View to rob and plunder me. Turning my
horrfe’s head therefore once more towards the
eaﬁ, and obferving the Moor following the ’
track of his confederates, I congratulated my-
felf on having eieaped with my life, though in
great dii’trefs, from fueh a horde of barbarians.

I was no fooner out of fight of the Moor,
than I {truck into the woods to prevent being
purfued, and kept puihing on, with all poiiible
fp‘eed, until I found myfelf near fome high
rocks,» which I remembered to have feen in my ,
former route‘from Queira to Deena; and di‘
re€ting my courfe a little to the northward, I
fertunately fell in with the path.

INTERIOR or AFRICA. :97

CHAP. XIV.

The Author eels reat '0}: at his deliverance,
and proceefds thrgoughjthe wildernefs, but ﬁnds
hisﬁtuation very deplorable ; fuﬂers greatly
from thiijl; aints on the fands ; recovers,
and mahes e arts to pighforward; \zs re—
lieved by rain, and arrives at a Foulah vil-
lage, where he is refujed relief by the Dooty,
but obtainsfood from a poor woman—Pro-
seeds through the wildernefs, and lights on
another Foulah village where he is hoﬁoitably
received by one of the ‘ﬂzepherds.—Ar7'ives
at a Negro town called Wawra, 536.

T is impollible to defcribe thejoy that arofe
in my mind, when I looked around.and
concluded that I was out of danger. I felt
like one recovered from licknefs ;-I breathed
freer; I found unufual lightnefs in my limbs;
eVen the Defert looked pleaiant; and I dread-
ed nothing fo much as falling in with {ome
wandering parties of Moors, who might con—
vey me back to the land of thieves and mur-
derers, from which I hadjul’t efcaped,

I foon became fenlible, however, that my
ﬁtuation was very deplorable; for I had no
means ofprocuring food, nor profpeé‘t of ﬁnd-
ing water. About ten o’clock perceivinga
herd ofj‘zgoats feeding clofe to the road, I took
a circu ous route to avoid being feen; and
continu‘gd travelling through the wildernefs,
directing my courfe by com Is, nearly eaﬁ-

fouth-eaf’c2 in order to reach, as foon as pofg
_ .5 a "

vortnw »

498 TRAVELS IN THE

ﬁble, fome town or village of the kingdom of
Bambarra. '

Alittle after noon, when the burning heat
of the fun was reflected with double Violence
from the hot fand‘, and the diﬁant ridges of the
hills Teen through the afcending vapour feemed
to wave and fluctuate like the unfettled fea,
I became faint with thirlt and climbed up a
tree in hopes of {'eeing diﬁant fmoke, or fome
other appearance of a human habitation; but
in vain; nothing appeared all round but thick
underwood, and hillocks of White iand.

About four o’clock I came fuddenly upon
a large herd of goats, and pulling my horfe
into a bufh, I watched to oblerve if the keep-
ers were Moors or Negroes. In a little time
I perceived two Mooriih boys, and with fome _
difﬁculty perfuaded them to approach me.
They informed me that the herd belonged to
_ Ali, and that they were going to Deena, where
the water was more plentiful, and where they
intended to ﬂay until the rain had filled the
pools in the Defert. They {hewed me their
empty water—ﬂtins, and told me that they had
feen no water in the woods. This account af-
forded me but little confolation; however, it
was in vain to repine, and I pulhed on as fall‘.
as poﬂible, in hopes of reaching fume water-
ing-place in the courfe ofthe night. My thirlt
was by this time become inluﬂ‘erable ; my
mouth was parched and inflamed; a {udden
climnefs would frequently come over my eyes,

W".- :1? - V ~
{MW .

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 1:99

withother fymptoms of fainting; and my horfe
being very much fatigued, I‘ began feriouﬂyto
apprehend that I {hould perifh of thirlt. To
relieve ‘the burning pain in my mouth and
throat, I‘chewed the leaves of different fhrubs,
but found them all bitter and of no fervice
to me.
~ A little before funfet, (having reached the
top of a gentle rifmg, I climbed a high tree,
from the topmoﬁ branches of which I wit a
melancholy look over the barren Wildernefs,
but without difcovering the moﬁ diﬁant trace
ofa human dwelling. The fame difmal unifor-
mity of ihrubs and [and every where prefented
itfelf, and the horizon was as level and uninter-
rupted as that of the fea. 7
Defcending from the tree, I found my horfe .
devouring the ﬁubble and brulhwood with
great avidity; and as I was now too faint to
attempt walking, and my horfe too much fa-
tigued to carry me I thought it but an act of
"humanity, and perhaps the lait I {hould ever
have it my power to perform, to take off his
bridle and let him lhift for himfelf; in doing
which I was fuddenly affected with {icknefs and
giddinefs, and falling upon the fand, felt as if
the hour of death was fall approaching. “ Here
then, thought. I, after a fhort but ine'lfeclcd
ﬁruggle, terminate all my hopes of being ufe-
ful in my day and generation; here mull the
fhort fpan of my life come to an end.” I call,
as I believed, .a lal‘t look on the furrounding

too TRAVELS IN THE

fcene, and whilﬁ I reﬂected on the awful change
that was about to take place, this world with
its enjoyments feemed to vanifh from my tea
collection. N ature,however, at length refum-
ed its functions; and on recovering my
fenfes, I found myfelf llretched upon the fand,
with the bridle {till in my hand, and the fun
juft finking behind the trees. I now fummon-
ed all my- refolution, and determined to make
another effort to prolong my exil’tenee. And
as the evening was fomewhat cool, I refolved
to travel as far as my limbs would carry me in
hopes of reaching my only refource, a water-
ing-place. With this view I put the bridle on
my horfe, and driving him before me, went
ﬂowly along for about an hour, when I per-
ceived {ome lightning from the north-call 3 a molt
delightful fight, for it promifed rain : The
'darknefs and lightning increafed very rapidly,
and in lefs than an hour I heard the wind roar-
ing among the bullies. I had already opened
my mouth to receive the refreihing drops
which I expeé‘ted; butI was inllamly covered
with a cloud of fand, driven with fuch force b

the wind, as to give a very difagreeable fenfa-
tion to my face and arms, and I was obliged
to mount my horfe, and l’top under a bulb, to
prevent being fuifocated. The fand continu-
ed to fly in amazing quantities for near an
hour, after which I again fet forward, and tra-
velled with difﬁculty until ten o‘clock. About
thistimel was agreeably furprifed by fome very

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 201

vivid llalhes oflightning, followed by a few
heavy drops of rain : In a little time the land
ceafed'to fly, and I alighted, and fpread out
all my clean clothes to colleﬂ the rain, which
at length I law would certainly fall. For more
than an hourit rained plentifully,and1 quench-
ed my thirll by wringing and fucking my
clothes.

There being no moon it was remarkably
dark, f0 that I was obliged to lead my horfe,‘
and direct my way by the compafs, which the
lightning enabled me to obferve. In this man-
ner I travelled with tolerable expedition until
palt midnight, when, the lightning becoming
more dil’tant, I was under the necelTity of grop-
ing along to the no fmall danger of my hands
and eyes. About two o’clock my horfe {tart-
cd at fomething, and looked round, I was not
a little furprifed to fee a light at a {hort dif-
tance among the trees, and l‘uppoﬁng it to be
a town, I groped along the land in hopes of
finding 'corn ﬁalks, cotton or other appearan-
ces of cultivation, but found none. As I ap—
proached, I perceived a‘number ofother lights
in different places, and began to fufpeél that I
had fallen upon a party of Moors. Howeyer,
in my prefent ﬁtuation I was refolved to fee
who they were, if I could do it with fafety. I
accordingly led my horle cautioully towards
the light, and heard by the lowing of the cattle,
and the clamorous tongues of the herdfmen,
that it wasa watering-place, and molt likely

r1 :3)!

with .

202 TRAVELS IN THE

belonged to the Moors. Delightful as the
found of the human voiCe was to me, I refolv_
ed once more to {trike into the woods, and ra-
ther run the rill; of perilhing of hunger, than
truﬁ mylelf again in their hands; but being l’till
thirﬂy, and dreading the approach of the burn-
ing day, I thought it prudent to fcarch for the
wells, which I expected to ﬁnd at no great dif-
tance. In this purfuit, I inadvertently ap-
proached f0 near one ofthe tents, as to be per-
ceived by a woman, who immediately {cream-
ed out. Two people came running to her af-
ﬁltancc from fome of the neighbouring tents,
and palled f0 very near me, that I thought I
was difcovered, and hallened again into the
woods.

About a mile diliant from this place, I
heard a loud and confufed noife fomewhere to
the right of my courfc, and in a fhort time was
happy to ﬁnd it was the croaking of frogs,
which was ,heavenly muﬁc to my ears. I
followed the found, and at day-break arrived
at fomc lhallow muddy pools, to full of frogs,
that it was diﬂicult to difcern the water. The
noife they made frightened my horfe, and I
was obliged to keep them quiet, by beating
the water with a branch until he had drank.
Having here quenched my thirll, I afcended
a tree, and the morning being calm, I foon
perceived the fmoke of the watering-place
which Ihad paired in the night, and obferved
anomer pillar of fmoke call-fouth-eaﬂ, diﬁant

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 203

twelve or fourteen miles. Towards this I di-
reeled my route, and reached the cultivated
ground a little before eleven o’clock ; where,
fecing a number of Negroes at work planting
com, I enquired the name of the town, and
was informed, that it was a Foulah village be-
longing to Ali, called Shrilla. I had now
fome doubts about entering it; but my horfe
being very much fatigued, and the day grow-
ing hot, not to mention on the pangs of hun-
ger which began to aﬂail me, I refolved to
venture; and accordingly rode up to the
Dooty’s houfe, where I was unfortunately de-
nied admittance, and could not obtain even a
handful of corn, either for myfelf or horfe.
Turning from this inhofpitable door, I rode,
{lowly out of the town, and perceiving fome low
fcattered huts without the walls, I direbied my
route towards them; knowing that in Africa,
as Well'as in Europe, hofpitality does not al-
ways prefer the higheft dwellings. At the
door of one of their: .huts, an old motherlys
looking woman fat, fpinning cotton; I made
iigns to her that I was hungry, and enquired
if {he had any viétuals with her in the hut. She
immediately laid down her diiiaff, and defired
me in Arabic, to come in. When I had feat-
ed myfelf upon the floor, {he fet before me
a dilh of koufkous that had been left the pre-
ceding night, of which I made a tolerable

meal, and in return for this kindnefs, I gave'

her one of my pocket-handkerchiefs; begging

204 TRAVELS IN THE

at the fame time, a little corn for my horfe,
which {be readily brought me.

Overcome with joy at f0 unexpeéled a deli-
verance, I lifted upmy eyes to heaven, and
whilﬂ my heart fwelled with gratitude, Ire.
turned thanks to that gracious and bountiful
Being, whofe power had fupported me under
fo many dangers, and had now fpread for me a
table in the wildernefs. ‘

Whillt my horfe was feeding the people be-
gan to alfemhle, and one of them whifpered
fomething to my hollefs, which much excited
her furprife. Though I was not well acquainted
with the Foulah language, I foon difcovered,
that fome Of the men wiihed to apprehend and
carry me back to Ali, in hopes, I fuppofe, of
receiving a reward. 1 therefore tied up the
corn, and lelt any one ihould fufpeél I had ran
away from the Moors, I took a northerly di-
reaion, and went chearfully along, driving
my horfe before me, followed by all the boys
and girls of the town. . When I had travelled
about two miles, and got quit of all my trou-
blefome attendants. I {truck again into the
woods, and took fhelter under a large tree,
where Ifound it necelfary to relt myfelf; a
bundle of twigs ferving me for a bed, and-my
faddle fora pillow.

I was awakened about two o’clock by three
Foulahs, who taking me for a Moor, pointed
to the fun, and told me it was time to pray.
Without entering into converfation with them,

    

"Ln/5A"

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 205

I faddledmy horfe and continued my journey.
I travelled over a level but more fertile coun-
try,,than. I had feen for fome time, until futfet,
when coming to a path that took a foutherly
direﬂion, I followed it until midnight, at which
time I arrived at a fmall pool of rain-water,
and the wood being open, I determined to rel’t
by it for the night. Having given my horfe
the remainder of the com, I made my bed as
formerly; but the mufketoes and flies from
the pool prevented {leep for fome time, and I
was twice diﬂurbed in the night by wild
beaﬂs, which came very near, and whofe howl-

ings kept the horfe in continual terror. )
July 4th. At day-break I purfued my courfe
through the woods as formerly; faw numbers
of antelopes, wild hogs, and ollriches; but the
foil was more hilly and not f0 fertile as I had
found it the preceding day. About eleven
o’clock I afcended an eminence where I climb-
ed a tree, and difcoveredat about eight miles
diﬁance an open part of the country, with fe-
. veral red fpots, which I concluded were culti—
vated land; and directing my courfe that way,
came to the precincts of a watering-place
about one o’clock. From the appearance of
the place, I judged it to belong to the Foulahs,
and was hopeful, that I lhould meet a better
reception than I had experienced at ‘Siirilla.
In this I was not deceived, {or one of the lth-
herds invited me to come into his tent, and
partake offome dates. This was one of tiiofe
T

206 TRAVELS IN THE

low Foulah tents, in which there is juﬂ room
fufﬁcient to ﬁt upright, and in which the family,
the furniture, &c. feem huddled together like
fo many articles in a chell. When I had crept
upon my hands and knees into this humble ha-
bitation,I found that it contained a woman
and three children; who, together with the
ihepherd and myfelf, completely occupied the
ﬂoor. A diih of boiled corn and dates was
produced, and the mailer of the family, as is
cuilomary in this part of the country, firPt tall-
_ ed it himlelf, and then deﬁred me to follow
his example. Whill’t I was eating, the chil- \
dren'kept their eyes ﬁxed upon me; and no .
'fooner did the {hepherd pronounce the word
Nazaranifthan : they began to cry, and their
mother creptﬂ'owly towards the door, out of
which lhe fprang like a greyhound, and was
inﬁantly followed by her children; fo fright-
ened were they at the very name of a Chriﬂian,
that no entreaties could induce them to ap-
proach the tent. Here I purchafed fome corn
for‘ my horfe in exchange for fome brafs but-
tons, and having thanked the ihepherd for his
hofpitality, {truck again into the woods. At
funfet I came to a road that took the direction
for Bambarra, and refolved to follow it for the
night; but about eight o’clock, hearing fome
people coming from the lbuthward, I'thoughtit
prudent to hide myfelf among fome thick bulhes
near the road. As thele thickets are generally
tail of wild beaﬁs, I found my lituation rather

0,53%, .7.

3*,

« INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 20?

unpleafant; ﬁtting in the dark, holding my
horfe by the nofe with both hands to prevent
him from neighing, and equally afraid of the
natives without, and the wild beaﬂs within.
My fears however were foon dillipated, for
the people, alter looking round the thicket,
and perceiving nothing, went away, and I
haﬂened to the more open parts of the wood,
where I purfued my journey E. S. E. un-
til pal’t midnight, when the joyful cry of
frogs, induced me once more to deviate a little
from my route, in order to quench my thirﬂ.
Having accomplilhed this from a large pool of
rain water, I fought for an open place, with a
ﬁngle tree in the midlt, under which I made
my bed for the night. I was difturbed by fome
wolves towards morning, which induced me to
fet forward a little before day; and having paf-
fed a {mall village .called Waffalita, I came
about ten o’clock, July 5th, to a Negro town
called Wawra, which properly belongs to
Kaarta, but was at this time tributary to Man-
fong, king of Bambarra. ,.

/

208 TRAVELS IN THE

' CHAP. xv.

The Authorproeeeds to Waﬁboo; is joined 5}
ﬁmefugz'zfz've Kaan‘ans—Difcovers the Ni-
. ger—Accozmtry’Sego, the capital of Bam-
barra—Mmzfrmg, the King, refufes tofee the
Author, éutfends him, a prcﬂnt.—Great haf-
pz'tdlz'ty ofa Negro woman, €36.
V AWRA is a fmall town furrounded
with high walls, and inhabited by a
mixture of Mandingoes and Foulahs. The in-
ixhabitants employ themfelves chiefly in cultiva-
» ting c‘cirn, which they exchange with the Moors
gfqr’féit. ‘ Here, being in fecurity from the
, ' Moors, and very much fatigued, I refolved to
r’effmyl’elf3and meeting with a hearty we}-
come from the Dooty, whole name was F lan-
, charee, I laid myfell" down upon a bullock’s
‘ hide, and ﬂept foundly for about two hours.
The curiolity of the people would not allow
me to ﬂeep any longer. They had feen my fad-
'(‘lle and bridle, and were aﬂembled in great
numbers to learn who I was, and whence I
came. Some were of opinion that I was an
'Arah; others inﬁl’ted that I,was a Moorilh
Sultan; and they continued to debate the mat-
ter with fuch warmth, that the noife awoke me.
The Dooty, who had formerly been at Gambia. ‘
at left interpofed in my behalf and allured
them, that I was certainly a white man; but he
_ was convinced, from my appearance, that I
- was a Very poor one. '

 

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 209

In the courfe of the day feveral women,
hearingthat I was going to Sego, came and
begged me to enquire of Manlong, the king,
whatbwas become oftheir children. One wo-
man in particular, told me, that her fon’s
name was Mamadee; that he was no Heathen,
but prayed to God morning and evening, and
had been taken from her about three years ago
by Manfong’s army, ﬁnce which {he had never
heard of him. She faid {he had often dreamed
about him, and begged me, if I {hould fee him

either in Bambarra, or in my own country, to ; ,

tell him that his mother and ﬁlter weret ﬂill
alive. In the afternoon the Dooty examined

the contents of the leather bag in which I had ‘ '

packed up my clothes; but ﬁnding nothing
that was worth taking he returned it, and told
me to depart in the morning.

July 6th. It rained very much in the night,
and at daylight I departed in company with a
Negro, who was going to a town called Ding-

yee for corn; but we had not proceeded above *

a mile, before the afs upon which he rode kick—
ed him oil, and he returned, leaving me to pro-
{ecute thejourney by myfelf.

I reached Dingyee about noon, but the
Dooty and molt of the inhabitants had gone

into the ﬁelds to cultivate corn. An old Fou- .,
lah obferving me wandering about the town,

~delired me to come to his hut, whereI was

well entertained ; and the Dooty, when he re-
. T 2 . ‘

210 TRAVELS IN THE

turned, fentme fome viauals for myfelf, and
com for my horfe.

July 7th. In the morning when I was about
to depart, my landlord, with agreat deal of dif-
ﬁden‘ce, begged me to give hima lock ofmy hair.
He had been told, he faid, that white men’s
hair made a faphie, that would give to the pof
feiTor all the knowledge of white men. I had
never before heard of to ﬁmple a mode of
education, but inﬁantly complied with the re-

99114.8“: and my landlord’s thirﬂ for learning was
at, with cutting and pulling, he crop-
ﬁde of my head pretty clofely; and
e done the fame with the other, had
gmﬁed my difapprobation, by putting
"1 g, ‘ rd aifuring him, that I wifhed to
’oﬂae‘of this precious merchandize for
gifuture occaﬁon.
I reached a fmall town called Waffaboo,

   
   
   
  
 
  
  
  

 

1g a guide to Satile, which is diﬁant a very
ijday’s Journey, through woods without
‘ . beaten path. I accordingly took up my
' ' .mei ence at the Booty 5 houfe, where I ﬁaid
four days; during which time I “amufed my-
5:"1‘1g to the ﬁelds with the family to
plant corn. Cultivation is cariied on here on
a very extenﬁve feaie, and, as the natives them-
felves exprels it, “ hunger is never known.”
In cuitivating the foil, the men and women
Merk together. They ufe a large lha1p pad.-

 

 

““ “WW t" 1 , *

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 211'

dle, much fuperior to the paddle ufed 1n Gam.
bia- but they are obliged, for fear of the Moors
to carry their arms with them to the ﬁeld The
mailer, with the handle of his I pear, marks the
ﬁeld 1nro regular plats, one of which 18 ailigned
to every three llaves.

On the evening of the 1 1th, eight of the fu-
gitive Kaartans arrived at Walﬁboo. They had
found it impolﬁble to live under the tyranni-
cal government of the Moors, and were now;
going to transfer their allegiance to the 1k .5}
Bambarra. They offered to take ’-
with them as far as Satile, and I a- 1
oHer.

July 12th. At daybreak we 31
travelled with uncommon expe
fet, - we ﬂopped only twice i?
the day, once at a watering- p .
and another time at the ruins of a toWn, for-
merly belonging to Daify, called Illa Compe, "
the corn town, When we arrived 1n th ,.
bourhood of Satile, the people, whowv
ployed 1n the corn ﬁelds, feeing it) man
men, took us for a party of Moor‘s,a
fcreaming away from us. The whol

 
 
 
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

  

  
 

in every direﬂion, driving the cats;W
towards the town. It was in vain
our company galloped up to unde ,

‘ ' ' them,
it only inghtened them the more, and when we

arrived at the town we found the gates flint,

and the people all under arms. After a logg

.145

212 TRAVELS IN THE

parley we were permitted to enter, and as there

was every appearance of a heavy tornado, the

. Dooty allowed us to {lcep in his baloon, and
gave us each a bullock's hide for a bed.

July 13th. Early in the morning we again
fet forward : The roads were wet and flippery,
but the country Was very beautiful, abounding
with rivulets, which were increafed by the rain
into rapid dreams. About ten o’clock we
came to the ruins ofa village, which had been

Jdgftroyed by war about {ix months before;
M norder to prevent any town from being
ei irfiifuture, the large Bentang tree,
"re p the natives fpcnt the day, had
‘ ,pwn, the» wells ﬁlled up, and
V. _ couldmake the fpot delirable
_;£omp . e royed.
, V, L3}, f' About-noon my horfc was fo much fatigued,
"i“ ”that I could not keep up with my companions;
I therefore difmounted, and dcfired them to
$(ﬁlﬁ telling them, that I would follow as
‘ iny horfe had relied alittle. But I
:‘F-themtunwilling to leave me ; the lions
“plaid, Were very numerous in thofe parts,
a» ”ithough they might not fo readily attack
a bbd‘y of people, they would foon ﬁnd out an
individual; it Was therefore agreed, that one
of‘the company {hould Pay with me to alliﬂ‘in
driving my horfe, while the others palfed on to
Galloo, to procure lodgings, and colleﬁ grafs
f the horfes before night. Accompanied by
iiiwerthy Negro, I drove my horfc before

 
 
  
 
   
       

“.-

 
  
   

 

 
  

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 213

me until about four o’clock, when we came in
light of Galloo, a conﬁderable town, ﬁanding
in a fertile and beautiful valley furrounded with
high rocks. .

As my companions had thoughts of'fetthng
in this neighbourhood, they had a ﬁne {beep
given them by the Dooty, and I was fortunate ‘
enough to procure plenty of corn for my horfe.
Here they biow upon elephant’s teeth when
they announce evening prayers, in the fame
manner as at Kemmoo. ,-

Early nextmorning, July 14th, having" "
returned many thanks to our l’anglordatfb
hofpitality, while my fellow—travellers;
up their prayers that he might nev - 4W
fet forward, and abotit three o’c
Moorja, a large town fathom F
falt, which the Moors bring here in , _ a
tities, to exchange for corn and; ‘cotténielothé‘ ,
As moﬂ of the people here are lk/I'ahom'edans,
it is not allowed to the Kaﬁrs to drink beer, .
which they call Neo-dollo, (corn {pirigexcef‘ -
in certain houfes. In one of thefe Ifrﬁiw ab
twenty ﬁtting round large velTels of this i
with the greateﬂ: conviviality; many of
in a ﬁate of intoxication. As corn is plenti‘ . .
the inhabitants are very liberal to {trangersié’E-I" ‘W
believe we had as much corn and milk fent us
by different people,’ as would have been fulﬁ-
cient for three times our number; and though
we remained here two days, we experienced
no diminution of their hoi'pitality. "ﬁt

  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
      

 

   

‘ 4

  

’!’s

214 TRAVELS IN THE '

On the morning of the 16th, we again fet
forWard, accompanied by a cotﬂe oi fourteen
afles loaded with falt, bound for Sanlanding.
The road was particularly romantic between
two rocky bills; but the Moors l'omeumess lie
in wait here to plunder iii-angers. As l‘oon as
we had reached the open country, the maﬁer
of the falt colile thanked us for having {laid
with him f0 long, and now deﬁred us to ride
on. The fun was almoﬂ let before we reach-
ed Datliboo. In the evening we had a melt
tremendous tornado. The houfé in which we
lodged being flat roofed, admitted the rain in
ﬁrearms; the floor was i'oon ankle deep, the
ﬁre*extinguill1ed, and we were left to pals the
night upon {ome bundles of fire-wood, that
happened R; lie in a corner. .

July 17th. We departed from Datliboo,
and about ten o’clock paﬂed a large coflle re-
turning from Sego, with corn paddles, mats
and other houlehold utenﬁls. At ﬁve o’clock
» we came to a large village, where we intended
til pal's the night, but the Dooty would not re-
delve us. VVhtsn we departed from this place,
my horfe was lo much fatigued, that I was un—
der the necellity of driving him, and it was
dark before we reached Fanimboo, a fmall
village; the~ Dooty of which no fooner heard
that I was a white man, than he brought; out
three 01d mufkets, and was much difappomted

when he was told that I could not repair
‘ m.

INTERIOR or AFRICA; 215.

July 18th.— We continued our journey;
but, owing to a light fupper the preceding
night, we felt our elves rather hungry this
morning, and endeavoured to procure fome
corn at a village, but without fuccefs. The
towns were now more numerous, and the land
that is not employed in cultivation, affords ex-
cellent paﬁuragc for large herds of cattle; but
owing to the great concourfe of people daily
going to, and returning from Sego, the inhag ‘7‘
bitants are lefs hofpitable to ﬁrangers. : _, ,

My horfe becoming weaker and weaker evgrgr V
day, was now of very little fervice tome,I .
was obliged to drive him before mejifor'éthe :. .
greater part of the day, , and did not reach,»
Geol‘orro until eight o’clock in thejCVening’. I
found my companions wrangling withthe Doo- _ 7
ty, who had abfolutely refufed to give or fell , ’“
them any proviﬁons, and as none of us had,’ '
tailed viétuals for the laﬁ twenty-four hours,
we were by no means difpoled to fai’t anpther
day, if we could help it: But ﬁnding/go” ‘
treaties without effect, and being very m ; s g
tigued, I fell aﬂeep, from which I was awak- g]
ened about midnight, with thejoyful informag ,‘
tion “ lainne-nata,” the viEiuals are come. This” ‘
made the remainder of the night pafs away
pieafantly, and at day-break, July 19th, we
refumed ourjourney, propoling to ﬂop at a
village called Doolinkeaboo, for the night fol-
lowing. My fellowtravellers having better
horfes than myfelf foon left me, and I was: r

, 4

 
  

 
 

n6 TRAVELS IN THE

walking barefoot, driving my horfe, when I
was met by a colﬂe of ﬂaves, about feventy in
,. number, coming from Sego. They were tied
,. together by their necks, with thongs of a bul-

’ 7 ’ lock 5 hide twifted like a rope, feven {laves up-

on a thong, and a man with a mufket between
every feven. Many ofthe {laves were ill—con-
ditioned, and a great number of them women.
In the ‘rear came Sidi Mahomed's fervant,
whom I remembered to have feen at the camp
‘ ofBenowm; he prefently knew me, and told
me, that thefe {laves were going to Morocco by
the way of Ludamar and the Great Defert.

In the afternoon, as I approached Doolin.
keaboo, I met about twenty Moors on horfe—
back, the owners of the {laves I had feen in
the morning; they were well armed with
mufkets, and very inquiﬁtive concerning me,
but not [0 rude as their countrymen generally
are. From them I learned that Sidi Maho-
med was not at Sego, but had gone to Cancaba
‘ for gold-dull. /

. When I arrived at Doolinkeaboo, I was in-
«formed that my fellow-travellers had gone on;
but my horle was f0 much fatigued that I
could not pollibly proceed after them. The
Dooty of the town at my requeﬁ, gave me a
draught of water, which is generally looked
upon as an earnell of greater hol‘pitality, and
I had no doubt of making up for the toils ol'the
. day, by a good i‘upper and a found ileep; un-
rtunately, I had neither the one nor the

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 217

other. The night was rainy and tempeltuous,
and the Dooty limited his hofpitality to the
draught of water.

july 20th. Inthe morning I endeavoured,
both by entreaties and threats, to procure fome
viEtuals from the Dooty, but in vain. I even
begged fome corn from one of his female ﬂaves,
as {he was walhing it at the well, and had the
mortiﬁcation to be refufed. However, when
the Dooty was gone to the ﬁelds, his wife fent
me a handful of meal, whichl mixed with
water, and drank for breakfal’t. About eight
o’clock I departed from Doolinkeaboo; and' ‘
at noon ﬂopped a few minutes at a large Kor-
ree, where I had fome milk' given me by the
Foulahs; and hearing that two Negroes were
going from thence to Sego, I Was happy to

have their company, and we fet out immedi- ,
ately. About four o’clock we ﬂopped .at a

{mall village, where one of the Negroes met
with an acquaintance, who invited us to a fort
of public entertainment, which was conduﬁed ,

with more than common propriety. A difhff
made of four milk and meal, called Sin/Eaton, , ”

and beer made from their corn, was diltributed,
with great liberality; and the women were ad;
mitted into the fociety, a circutnliance I had
never before obferved in Africa. There Was
no compulﬁon, every one was at liberty to
drink as he pleafed; they nodded to each other
when about to drink, and on fetting down the
calabafh, commonly laid berka (thank youth,

U i

218 TRAVELS IN THE

Both men and women appeared to be fame“-
what intoxicated, but they were far from being
0 quarrelfome.
_. I; Departing from thence, we palled feveral
: "large villages, where I was conﬂantly taken for
a Moor, and became the fubjeél of much mer-
riment to the Bambarrans, who l'eeing me drive
my thorfe before me, laughed heartily at my
appearanée.——~He hasrbeen at Mecca, ‘fays one,
you may fee that by his clothes; another aiked
me if my horl'e was ﬁck; a third wilhed to pur-
chafe it, &c. f0 that I believe the very ﬂaves
were alhamed to be feen in my company.
v ‘ gull before it was dark we took up our lodging
orvthe night at a {mall village, where I procur-
ed ibme viauals for myfell', and corn for my
liorfe, at the moderate price of a button, and
was told, that I fhould fee the Niger, which
the Negroes called Joliba, or the great water,
early the nextday. The lions are here very
numerous; the gates are ihut a little after fun-
i'et, and nobody allowed to go out. The
thoughts of feeing the Niger in the morning,
and the troublefome buzzing of mulketoes,
prevented me from {butting my eyes during the
night, and Ihad faddled my horle and was in
readinefs before day-light; buton account of
the wild beaiis, we were obliged to wait until
the people were ﬁirring, and the gates opened.
This happened to be a market-day: at Sego,
and the roads Were everywhere ﬁlled with peo-
air‘fijllef3t:arrying dillerent’articles to fell. We paf-

Flt"

i r ‘ "Elam. r‘l

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 219

fed four large villages, and at eight o’clock
law the fmoke over Sego.

As we approachedfthe town, I was fortunate
enough to overtake the fugitive Kaartans, to
whole kindnefs I had been {0 much indebted
in myjourney through Bambarra. They rea-
dily agreed to introduce me to the king; and
we rode together through fome marlhy ground,
where, as I was anxioully looking around for
the river, one of them called out, geo tyﬁlli
(fee the water) and looking forward, I fan:
with inﬁnite pleal‘ure the great objeE‘t of my U
million; the long fought for, majellie Nigeajh'f
glittering to the morning fun, as broad as the ‘ .

. Thames at Vv’eﬁminll’er, and flowing {lowly‘t-o.

the eaﬂward. Ihaftened to the brink, and hav-‘ .
ing drank of the water, lifted tip my fervent ,3,
thanks in prayer to the Great Ruler of all .
things, for having thus far crowned my endea—'
vours with fuecels.

The circumllance of the Niger’s ﬂowing to~
wards the eaﬁ, and its collateral points, did not
however, excite my furprife; for although L
had left Europe in great heiitation onithe hub",
jecl, and rather believed that it ran in megs;
trary direétion, I had made fuch frequent“.
quiries during my progrefs concerning this 1‘1-
ver, and received from Negroes of differfnt
nations fuch clear and deciﬁve allurances, tliat
its general courfe was towards the riﬁng fun,
as {carce felt any doubt on my mind; and more
efpecially, as I knew that Major Houghton
4% ‘

 

   
 

22o TRAVELS IN THE

, had collected ﬁinilar information, in the fame
manner.

Sego, the capital of Bambarra, at which I
" had now arrived, conﬁlts, properly fpeaking,
“of four dil’tinE‘t towns; two on the northern
bank of the Niger, called Sego Korro, and
Sego B00; and two on the fouthern bank, cal-
led Sego Soo Korro, and Sego See _.Korro.
They are'all lurrounded with high mud-walls;
the houfes are built of clay of a fquare form,
with flat rhofs; fome of them have two ﬁories,
and many of them are whitewaihed. Beﬁdes
thcfe buildings, Moorilh mofques are feen in
every quarter, and the ﬁreets though narrow,
are broad enough for every ufeful purpofe, in
a country where wheel carriages are entirely
unknown. From the belt enquiries I could
make, I have reafon to believe, that Sego con-
tains altogether, about thirty thoufand inhabi—
tants. The king of Bambarra couﬁantly re-
ﬁdes at Sego See Korro; he employs a great
many Haves in conveying people over the ri—
ver, and the money they receive, though the
{are is only ten Kowrie {hells for each indivi-
dual, furnilhesa conﬁderable revenue to the
king in the courfe of a year. The canoes are
of a lingular conl’truﬁion, each of them be.
ing formed of the trunks of two large trees,
rendered concave, and joined together, not
ﬁde by lide, but end ways, the junélion being
exactly"lacrofs the middle of the canoe; they
are therefore very long, and difproporuonably

. T

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 221

narrow, and have neither decks nor malts ; they
are hoWever very roomy, for I obferved in
one of them four horfes and feveral peOple
croliing over the river. When we arrived at
this ferry, we found a great number waiting
for a paﬂage; they looked at me with lilent
wonder, and I diﬁinguilhed, with concern
many Moors among them. There were three
different places of embarkation, and the ferry-
men were very diligent and expeditious, but
from the crowd of people, I‘could not immeg
diately obtaina pallage, and fat down upon”
the bank of the river, to wait for a more fag -
vourable opportunity. The View of’this ex: ' ’
tenﬁve city ; the numerous canoes upon the”
river; the crowded population, and the culti_"
vated {late of the furrounding country, form—
ed altogether a profpeé‘t of civilization and
magniﬁcence, which I little expeéled to ﬁnd in
the bofom of Africa.

I waited more than two hours without hav-
ing an opportunity of crolling the river; dur-
ing which time the people who had crolfed, car»,
ried information to Manfong the king, that a
white man was waiting for a pallage, and‘wa‘sv
coming to fee him. He immediately fent
over one of his chief men, who informed me
that the king could not polﬁbly fee me, until
he knew whathad brought me into his country,
and that I mull not prefume to crofs the river
without the king’s permillion. He therefore?
ad‘vifed me to lodge aItJa diﬁantvillage, to ﬁivhéh

~ 2

222 TRAVELS IN THE

he pointed, for the night; and faid, that in the
morning he would give me further inflruétions
how to conduct myfelf. ‘This was very dif-

icouraging. However, as there was no reme-

dy, I let off for the Village; where I found,
to my great mortiﬁcation, thatno perfon would
admit me into his houfe. I was regarded with
altonilhment and fear, and was obliged to ﬁt
all day Without viEluals in the {hade of a tree;
and the night threatened to be very uncomfort-
able, for the wind role, and there was great
appearance of a heavy rain; and the wild
heaﬂs are lo very numerous in the neighbour-
hood, thatI lhould have been under the ne-
cellity of climbing up the tree, and relting
am-onglt the branches: About {unfet however,
as I was preparing to pafs the night in this man-
ner,-and had turned my horfe loofe that he
might graze at liberty, a woman, returning
from the labours of the ﬁeld, ﬂopped to ob-
l'erve me, and perceiving that I was weary and
dejeéled, encjuired into my ﬁtuation, which I
'brieflyexplained to her; whereupon, with looks
of greatcompaﬂion, {he took up my faddle
and bridle, and told me to follow her. Having
conduaed me into her hut, {he lighted up a
lamp, fpread a mat on the floor, and told me
I might remain there for the night. Finding
that I was very hungry, {he laid lhe would pro-
cure me fomething to eat. She accordingly

.jgwent out, and returned in a lhort time with a

my ﬁne ﬁll], which, having eaufed tobe half

are . ~

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. n23

broiled upon fome embers, {he gave .me for
ﬂipper. - The rights of hofpital-ity being thus
performed towards‘a {tranger in dlfirefs, my
worthy benefaEtrefs, pointing to the mat, and
telling me I might {leep there without appre- "“5
henﬁon, called to the female part of her family,
who had ﬂood gazing on me all the while
in ﬁxed aftonilhment, to refume their tails of
{pinning cotton, in which they continued to em-
ploy themfelves great part ofthe night. They.
lightened their labour by fongs, one of which
was compofed extempore, for I was myfelfthe
fubjeé’t ofit. It was fung by one ofthefyoung
women, the ref’t joining in a fort of chorits {the
air was fweet and plaintive, and the words, lite-
rally tranllated, Were thefe—“ The winds roar‘
ed, and the rains fell :——The poor white man,
faint and weary, came and {at under our tree.
He has no mother to bring him milk; No wife
to grind his corn. Chorus. Let us pity the
white man; no mother has he, &c. &c.” Tri-
lling as this recital may appear to the reader,
to a perfon in my ﬁtuation, the circumfianc'e
was ail'eSting in the higheﬁ degree. I was op-
preifed by fuch unexpected kindnefs, and fleep
ﬂed from my eyes. In the morning I prefent.
ed my compaliionate landlady with two of the
four brafs buttons which remained on my '
wailtcoat, the only recompenfe I could make
her.

1 july 21R. I continued in the village all this
day in converfation with the natives, who caggiw

M224 * TRAVELS IN THE

‘in crowds to fee me; but was rather uneafy to;
wards evening, to ﬁnd that no meiTage had ar-
rived from the king; the more f0, as the peo.

triple began to whif per, that Manfong had receiv-
“’"ed fome very unfavourable accounts of me,

from the Moors and Slatees reﬁding at Sego;
who, it leems, were exceedingly fufpicious
concerning the motives of my journey. I
'learnt, that many confultations had been held
‘with the king, concerning my reception and
difpofal; and fom'e of the Villagers frankly
told me, that I had many enemies, and mull.
expeét no favour.

‘ a July 22d. About eleven o’clockameﬂ'en-

' a white man in diﬂrefs, had fent me ﬁve thou-

ger arrived from the king, but he gave me
‘very little fatisfaétion. He enquired particu-
larly if I had brought any prefent, and leemed
much difappointed when he was told that I had
been robbed of every thing by the Moors.
When I propofed to go along with him, he
told me to ﬂop until the afternoon, when'the
king would fend for me. .

“ ' July 23d. In the afternoon another meflen-
ger arrived from Manfong, with a bag in his
hands. He told me itwas the king’s pleafure,
thatl {hould depart forthwith from the vicinage
of Sego; but that Manfong, wilhing to relieve

{ands Kowries,* to enable me to purchafe pro—

”,3“, Mention has already been made of thefe little {hells
A lipafs current as money, in many parts of the EalLIn-
" __ as well as Africa. In Bambarra, and the/adjacent

 
  

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 225

vilions in the courfe of my journey; the mef.
fenger added, that if my intentions were really
to proceed to Jemie, he had orders to accom—
pany me as a guide to Sanfanding. I was at
ﬁrlt puzzled to account for this behaviour of
the king; but from the convcrlation I had with
the guide, I had afterwards reafon to believe
that Manfong would willingly have admitted
me into his prefence at Sego, but was appre—
heniive he might not be able to proteé‘l me,
againlt the blind and inveterate malice of the

Moorilh inhabitants. His conduéI, therefore, {

was at once prudent and liberal. The cir-

cumﬁzances under which I made 'my appear. :

ance at Sego, were undoubtedly fuch as might
create in the mind of the king, a "well warrant-
ed fufpicion, that I wiihed to conceal the

true objeEt of my journey. He argued, pro; "
bably, as my guide argued; who, When he g

was told, that I had come from a great dii’tance,
and through many dangers, to behold the Jo-

liba river, naturally enquired, if there were;
no rivers In my own country, and whether _ I

river was not like another. Notwithﬁanding

this, and in fpite of the jealous machinations *
of the Moors, this benevolent prince thonght"

fuﬂicient, that a white man was found in his
dominrons, in a condition of extreme wretch-

countries, where the neceflaries of life Are very cheap, one
hundred of them would commonly purchafe a day's provi-

ﬁons for myfelf, and corn for my horfe. I reckoned about

two hundred and ﬁfty Kowries equal to one ﬂiilling.

  

225 TRAVELS IN The .

ednefs; and that no other plea Was necellary
to entitle the fuﬁerer to his bounty.

————-—m———-——~

CHAP. XVI.

Departure/Gem Sega and arrival at Kappa—-
Deferijztion qf the Shea or vegetahle butter-

. tree—j—Arrives at Sanfmzdirngr—Behth'our
of the Moors at that place—Purfues his
journey Eq/t.——-Ineident5 on the road—Ar-
rives at Modihoo, and proceeds for Keg,
but is obliged to leave his horfe by the way.
~Emharhs at Kea- in’ ct ‘ﬁshrermmz's canoe
for‘Moorzan; is conveyed/ram thence aercfs
the Niger to Sitla.———Aceount of the Niger
- and the towns in its vicinage, 86.. e

_ EING, in the manner that has been re-
lated, compelled to leave Sego, I was
* ' ponduéled the lame evening toqa village about
{even miles to the eallward, with fome of the
inhabitants of which my guide was acquaint-
l, and by whom we were well rec_eived.*
ye was very friendly and communicative, and

fpoke highly of the hofpitality of his country—

men; but withal told me, that if Jenne was the
place of my dellination, which he feemed to
ﬁh’have hitherto doubted, I had undertaken an

’enterprize of greater danger than probably I

 

 
 

" * I lhould have before» obferved, that I found the 12m.
. "sage of Bambarra afort of corrupted Mandingo. After a
lattlepraaice I undetﬂdod and {poke it Without difﬁculty.

  

\

INTERIOR or AFRICA. m7,

was apprized of; for although the town of
. Jenne Was, nominally, a part of the king of
Bambarra’s dominions, it was in fact, hel'aid’,
a city of the Moors, the leading part of the
inhabitants being Buihreens, and even the
governor himfelf, though appointed by Man-
long, of the fame feel. Thus was I in dan-
ger of falling afecond time in the hands of
men, who would conﬁder it not only juiliﬁa-
ble, but meritorious, to deltroy me, and
this reflection was aggravated by the circurﬁ-
ﬁance, that the danger encreafed as. I ad-
vanced in myjourney; for I learned, that, the
places beyond Jenne were under the Mecir‘filh
influence, in a [ﬁll greater degree'than jenne
itfelf; arﬁﬂ‘ombuﬁoo, the great object of?
my fearch, altogether in pollellion of that fa-
vage and mercilefs people, who allow _no
Chrillians to live there. But I had now. ads. .
vanced too falﬁto think ofreturning to the
wellward onlfuc vague and uncertain informa~
tion, and determined to proceed; and being.
accompanied by the guide, I departed frof'ffill .
the village on the morning of the 24th. About

eight o’clock we paired a large town called
Kabba, iituated in the midlt ofa beautiful and
highly cultivated country, bearing a greater.
releinblance to the centre of England, than to
what I fhould have fuppofed had been the
middle of Africa. The people were every
.where employed in colleéling the fruit-of their,

  

 

Shea trees, from which they prepare, the vegcf; " ;

at,

  

'228 TRAVELS IN THE

table butter, mentioned in former parts of this
work. Thele trees grow in great abundance .
all over this part of Bambarra; They are not
planted by the natives, but are found growing
naturally in the woods, and in clearing wood-
land for cultivation, every tree» is cut down but
the Shea. The tree itfelf very much refembles
the American oak, and the fruit, from the ker-
nel of which, being ﬁrﬁ dried in the fun, the
butter is prepared, by boiling the kernel in wa-
{(2, has fomewhat the appearance of a Spanifh
olive. The kernel is enveloped in a fweet pulp
under athin green rind, and the butter produced
from it, beﬁdes the advantage of its keeping the
whole year without falt, is whiter, ﬁrmer,
and to my palate, of a richer ﬂavo “han the
beﬁ butter I ever tailed made fromﬁcow’s milk.
The grOWth and preparation of this commo-
dity, feem to be among the ﬁrl’t objeéls of Afri-
can indullry in this and t? neighbouring
Rates, and it conltitutes a main article of their
ipland commerce. '

a.“ We paﬂed in the courl‘e‘ of the day a great

many villages, inhabited chiefly by ﬁlhermen,
and in the evening about five o‘clock arrived
at Sanfanding, a very large town, containing
as I was told, from eight to ten thoufand inha~
bitants. This place is much reforted to by
the Moors, who bring falt from Beeroo, and
beads and coral from the Mediterranean, to ex-
.change here, for gold-duff and cottoh-cloth.

iThis cloth they fell to great advantageiin Bee—

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. gag

mo and other Moorifh countries, where, on
account of the rain, us cotton is cultivated.

I deﬁred my guide to conduct me to the
houfe in which we were to lodge, by the molt
private way polﬁble. We accordingly rode
along between the town and the river, pailing
by a creek or‘harbour, in which I obferved
twenty large canoes, mof’t of them fully load-
ed, and covered with mats to prevent the rain
from injuring the goods. As we proceeded,
three other canoes arrived, two with palfengers,
and one with goods. x’I was happy to ﬁnd, that
all the Negro inhabitants took me for a Mobr;
under which character I fhould probably have
palTed unmolelted, had nor a Moor, who was
ﬁtt-ing by the river lide, difcovered the miﬁake,

and letting up a loud exclamation, brought to- V‘ "

gether a number of his countrymen. \

When I arrived at the houfe of Counti
Mamadi, the Dooty of the town, I was {ur—
rounded with hundreds of people, {peaking a
variety of different dialeEts all equally unintel—
ligible to me. At length, by the allillance of
my guide, who acted as interpreter, I under-
ﬂood, that one of the fpeétators pretended to
have feen me at one place, and another at fome
other place; and a Moorilh woman abfolutely
fwore, that {he had kept my houle three years
at Gallam on the river Senegal. It was plain
that they miﬁook me for forne other perlon,
and I delired two of the moft conﬁdent, to

point towards the place where they had feen
‘i . i

4

23° TRAVELS IN THE

me. They pointed due fouth; hence I think'

é it probable that they came from Cape Coaﬂ,

I

where they might have leen many white men.

Their language was’diFferent from any I had --
yet heard. The Moors now allembled in great
numbers, with their ufual arrogance compelling
the Negroes to {land at a dillan'c‘e. They im-
mediately began to queltion me concerning my
religion; but ﬁnding that I was not mailer of
the Arabic, they fent for two men, whom they
called IZ/zuidi (jews) in hopes that they might
he able to converfe with me. Thefe Jews, in
drefs and appearance, very much refemble the
Arabs; but though they lo far conform to the
religion of Mahomet, as to recite in public
prayers from the Koran, they are but little re-
i'pe'cled by the Negroes; and even the Moors
themfelves allowed, that though I wasa Chrif.
tian I was a better man than a Jew. They how-
ever iniil’ted, that like the Jews, I mult cona
form [0 far, as to repeat the Mahomedan pray—
ers; and when I attempted to wave the fub-

" jeEt, by telling them that I could not fpeak

Arabic, one of them, a Sherecf from Tuat in
the Great Delet't, flarted up, and fwore by the
Brophet, that ifI refufed to go to the mofque,
he would be one that would allilt in carrying
the thither; and there is no doubt but this
threat would have been immediately executed,
had not my landlord interpofed in my behalf;

‘ he told them, that I was the king's ﬂranger,

and he Kgould not fee me ill treated, whillt I

INTERIOR OF AFRICA; '23:.

Was under his proteétion. He therefore advif. ‘
ed them to let me alone for the night, alluring
them, that in the morning, I lh-ould be fent ~“
about my buﬁneis. This fomewhat appealed
their clamour; but they compelled me to af.
cend a' high feat by the door of the mofque, in
order that every-Vbody might fee me; for the
people had allembled in fuchnumhers as to be
quite ungovernable, climbing upon the houfes,
and fqueezing each other like the fpeEiators,
at an execution. Upon this {eat I remained
until (mid, when I was conducted into a neat
little hut with a {mall court before it, the door
of which Counti Mamadi ﬂiut, to prevent an)r
perfon from dilturbing me. But this precau-
tion could not exclude the Moors: They climb. .
ed over the top of the mudwall, and came in
crowds into the court, in order they faid, to
fee me perform my evening devotions, and eat, '
eggs. The former of thefe ceremonies 1 did
not think proper to comply with; but I told
them I had no objeétion to eat eggs, provided
they would bring the eggs to eat. My land-
lord immediately brought me feven hen’s eggs,
and was much furpriled to ﬁnd that I could
not eat them raw, for it feems to be a preva-
lent opinion among the inhabitants of the inte-
rior, that Europeans fubﬁit almoi’t entirely
on this diet. When I had fueceecled in per-
fuading my landlord, that this opinion was
without foundation, and that Iwould gladly
. partake of any viétuals, which he might thinly

:32 TRAVELS IN THE

/

, proper to fend me, he ordered a {beep to be
. killed, and part of it to be drelTed for my fup-
per. About midnight, when the Moors had

_ left me, he paid me a vilit, and with much ear-
neﬁnefs, delired me to write him a faphie. “ If
aMoor’s faphie is good,” laid this hofpitable
old man, “ a white man’s mull needs be bet-
ter.” 1 readily furniihed him with one, poll
felled of- all the virtues I could concentrate, for
it contained the Lord’s Prayer. Thevpen with
which it was written was made of a reed; a
little charcoal and gum-water made very tole-
rable ink, and a thin board anfwered the pur-
pole of paper.

July 25th. Early in the morning, before
the Moors were allembled, I departed ‘from
Sanfanding, and ﬂept the enfuing night at a
{mall town called Sibili; from whence on‘ the
day followingl reached Nyara, a large town
at fome diﬁance from the river, where I halted
the 27th, to have my clothes walhed, and re-
cruit my horfe. The Dooty there has a very
cbmmodious houfe, ﬂat roofed, and two {’to-
ries high. He {hewed me fome gun-powder
ofhis own manufaauring ; and pointed out as
a great curioﬁty, a little brown monkey, that
we tied to a l’take by the door, telling me, that
it Came from a far diﬂant country called Kong.

July 28th. I departed from Nyara, and
reached Nyamee about noon. This town is
inhabited chiefly by F oulahs from the kingdom
of Maﬁna. The Dooty, I knew not Why,

INTERIOR or AFRICA. , 233

would not receive me, but civilly fent his {on

on horfebackto conduct me to Modiboo,which ,

he affured me was at no great diltance.
We rode nearly in a direct line through the
woods, but in general went forwards With great

circumfpeaion. I obferved that my guide fre— .

quently {topped and looked under the bullies.
On enquiring the reafon of this caution, he
told me, that lions were very numerous in that
part of the country, and frequently attacked
people travelling through ’the woods. While
he was fpeaking, my horfe ﬁarted, and looking
round, I obferved a large animal of the came-
lopard kind, ﬂanding at a little diﬁance. The
neck and fore legs were very long ; the head
was furnilhed with two {hort black horns turn-
.ing backwards ; the tail, which reached down
to the ham joint, had a tuft of hair at the end.
The animal was of a moufe colour, and it
trotted away from us in a very ﬂuggilh manner,
moving its head from ﬁde to fide, to fee if we
were purfuing it. Shortly after this, as we
were croifing a large open plain, where there

were a few fcattered bulhes, my guide who was.

a little way before me, wheeled his horfe round-
in a moment, calling out fomething in the Fou-
lah language, which I did not underf’tand. I
enquired in Mandingo what he meant: Ward
billi billgi (a very large lion) faid he, and made
ﬁgns for me to ride away. But my horfe was
too much fatigued ; fo we rode ﬂowly pail the

, {bulb from which the animal had given us 51}:

X2.

  

2,34 TRAVELS It; THE

alarm. Not feeing any thing myfelf howeVer,
f ; I thought my guide had been millaken, when
, the Foulah fuddenlyput his hand to his mouth

exclaiming, ~S0265dh an allaltz' (God preferve
us !) and to my great furprife, I then perceiv-
ed a large red lion at a fhort diltance from the
bulb, with his head couched between his fore
paws. I expected he would inﬁantly fpring
upon me, and inﬁinaively pulled my feet from
my ﬁirrups, to throw myfelf on the ground,
that my horfe might become the victim, rather
than myfelf. But it is probable the lion was
not hungry, for he quietly fulfered us to pafs,
though we were fairly within his reach. My
eyes were f0 rivetted upon this fovereign of the
bealls, that I found it impoﬂible to remove
them until we were at a conﬁderable diﬁance.
We now took a circuitous route through fome
fwampy ground, to avoid any more of thefe
difagrceable rencounters. At {unfet we arriv-
ed at ~Modiboo, a delightful village on the
banks of the Niger, commandinga View of the
river for many miles, both to the call and well.
The {mall green iilands, the peaceful retreat of
fome indullrious Foulahs whofe cattle are here
fecure from the depredations of wild beaﬁs,
and the majeﬁic breadth of the river, which is
here much larger than at Sego, renders the fit-
uation One of the molt enchanting in the world.
Here are caught great plenty offiih, by means
of long cotton nets, which the natives make
themfelves, and ufe nearly in the fame manner

INTERIQR OF AFRICA.‘ ' 235'

as nets are'ufed in Europe. I obferved the
head of a crocodile lying upon one of the hou,
fes, which they told me had been killed by the
ﬂiepherds in a fwamp near the town. Thefe
animals are not uncommon in the Niger, but I
believe they are not oftentimes found danger—
ous. They are of little account to the travel-
ler, when compared with the amazing fwarms
of muiketoes which rife from the fwamps and
creeks in fuch numbers, as to harafs even the
moi’t torpid of the natives, and as my clothes
were now almoll worn to rags, I was butill
prepared to refill their attacks. I ufually paf.
{ed the night without ihutting my eyes, walk-
ing backwards and forwards, fanning myielf
with my hat; their {tings raifed numerous
bliiters on my legs and arms ; which, together
with the 'want of ref’t, made me very feveriih
and uneafy.

July 29th. Early in the morning, my land-
lord obferved that I was ﬁckly, hurried me
away, fending a fervant with me as a guide to
Kea. But though I was little able to walk, my
horfe was Hill leis able to carry me, and about
ﬁx miles to the calf of Modiboo, in croiiing
fome rough clayey ground, he fell, and the
united firength of the guide and myielf, could
not place him again upon his legs. I fat down
for fometime belide this wornout aﬂociate of
my adventures; but ﬁnding him {till unable

to rife, Itook off the faddle and bridle, and '

placed a quantity of grafs before him. I fur,

336 “TRAVELS m THE

Veyed the poor animal, as he lay panting on
,fi';;.t-he ground, with fympathetic emotions; for I
I'V‘ﬁc‘ould net fupprefs the fad apprehenﬁon, that

. I ihould myfe‘lf in a {hort time, lie down and
periih in the fame manner, of fatigue and hun-
ger. With this foreboding, I left my poor
horfe, and withig‘reat reluctance followed my
guide on foot along the bank of the river, un-

til about‘noon, when we reached Kea, which I

found to be nothing more than a frnall ﬁfhing

village. The Dooty, a furly old man, who
was litting by the gate, received'me very cooly;
and when I informed him of my ﬁtuation, and
begged his proteélion, told me, with great in-
difference, that he paid very little attention to
ﬁne fpeeches, and that I {hould not enter his
houfe. My guide remonﬁrated in my favour,
but to no purpofe, for the Dooty remained in-
ﬂexible in his determination. I knew not
where to reﬁ my wearied limbs, but was hap-
pily relieved by a ﬁfhing canoe belonging to
Silla, which was at that moment coming down
the river. The Dooty waved to the ﬁiher-
man to come near, and deﬁred him to take
charge of me as far as Moorzan. The hiber-
man, after fome heﬁtation, confented to carry
me, and I embarked in the canoe, in company
with the fiiherman, his wife, and aboy. The

Negro who had conduéled me from Modiboo,

now left me; I requeﬁed him to look to my

horfe on his return, and take care of him if he
was l’till alive, which he promifed to do.

 

INTERIOR or AFRICA. :37

Departingfrom Kea, we proceeded about a.

mile down the rive’r, when the ﬁllierman Ppad- ,
dled the canoe to the bank, and deﬁred me to
jump out. Having tied the canoe to a llake, ’

he {tripped off his clothes, and dived for fuch
a length of time, that I thought he had actually
drowned himlelf, and was furpril‘ed to fee his
wife behave with f0 much indifference upon
the occaﬁon; but my fears were over when he
rallied up his head Item of the canoe, and call-
ed for a rope. With this rope he dived a fe—
cond time, and then got into the canoe, and
ordered the boy to alﬁﬂ him in pulling. At
length brought up a large bafket, about ten
feet in diameter, containing two ﬁne ﬁll], which
the ﬁlherman, after returning the‘balket into
the water, immediately carried afhore, and hid
in the grafs. We then went a little farther
down, and took up another bafket, in which
was one ﬁfh. The ﬁfherman now left us,‘ to
carry his prizes to fome neighbouring market:
and the woman and boy proceeded with me in
the canoe down the river.

About four o’clock we arrived at Moorzan,
a ﬁlhing town on the northern bank, from
whence I was conveyed acrofs the river to Sil-
la, a large town, where I remained until it
was quite dark, under a tree furrounded by
hundreds of people. But their language was
very different from the other parts of Bambar- ,
ra; and I was informed that, in my progrefs '
eaﬁward, the Bambarra tongue was but little

,ttv

 

   

«X238 - TRAVELS IN THE

underﬂood, and that when I reached Jenne, I
{hotrld ﬁnd, that the majority of the inhabi-
',g‘tants Ipoke a different language Aalled 7mm
”"Kummo, by the Negroes, and kalam Soudan
by the Moors. *"

With a great deal of entreaty, the Dooty
allowed me to come into his baloon to avoid
the rain; but the place was very damp, and I
had a fmart paroxyfm of fever during the
night. Worn down by ﬁcknefs, exhauﬂed
with hunger and fatigue; half naked, and with-
out any article of value, by which I might
procure provilions, Clothes, or lodging, I be—
'gan' to reﬂect feriouily on my iituation. I
was now convinced, by painful experience,
that the obf’tacles to my further progrefs were
infurmountable. The tropliical rains were a1-
ready fet in with all their violence; the rice
grounds and fwamps were every where over-
‘-ﬂowed, and in a few days more, travelling of
every kind, unlefs by water, would be com-
pletely obftruéted. The KoWries which re-
mained of the king of Bambarra’s prefent,
were not fulficient to enable me to hire a canoe
for any great diﬁance, and I- had but little
hopes of fubﬁlting by charity, in a country
where the Moors have fuch inﬂuence. But
above all I perceived, that ,1 was advancing
more and more within the power of thole
mercilefs fanatics; and from my reception
“both at Sego, and Sanfanding I was appre-
henlive, that in attempting to reach even jenne, ,

INTERIOR OF‘ AFRICA. :39

tlnlefs under the proteEtion of fome man of

confequence amongfl them, which I had no

means of obtaining, I ihould facriﬁce my life 4

 

to no purpole, for my difcoveries would periih - I I

with me. The prol‘peét either way was gloomy.
In returning to the Gambia, a journey on foot
of, many hundred miles prelented itfelf to my
contemplation, through regions and countries
unknown. Neverthelefs, this feemed to be.
the only alternative, for I law inevitable def-~
tt'uleion in attempting to proceed to the call—
ward. With this conviction on my mind,
I hope my readers will acknowledge, that
I did right in going no farther. I had made
every eiIort to execute my million in its
fullelt extent, which prudence could juitify.
Had there been the molt diltant profpeét of a.
fucceisful termination, neither the unavoida.
ble hardfhips of thejourney, nor the dangers '
of a fecondacaptivity, fhould have forced me
to deﬁil. This, however, neceﬂity compelled
me to do ; and whatever may be the opinion
of my general readers on this point, it aﬁ'orda
me inexpreﬂible {atisfaéliom that my honour.-
able employers have been pleafed, ﬁnce my '
return, to exprefs their full approbation of my
conduct. . ,
Having thus brought my mind, after much
boubt and perplexity, to a determination to re-
turnwel’tWard, I thought it incumbenthi on me
before I left Silla, tholleEt from the Moor-
ilh and Negro traders, all the information I

    

24° . TRAVELS IN THE it

.could concerning the further courfe of the Ni—

 

"’“,_;ger eaﬁward, and the ﬁtuation and extent of

 

the kingdoms in its vicinage ; and the, follow-

in‘g few notices I received from fuch various
quarters, as induce me to think they are au-
thentic.‘

Two {hort days’ journey to the eaﬁward of
Silla is the town of Jenne, which is {ituated on
a ﬁnal] iﬂand in the river, and is faid to con-
tain a greater number of inhabitants than Sego
itfelf, or any other town in Bambarra. At the
diﬁance of two days more, the river'lpreads
into a conﬁderable lake, called Dibbie (or the
dark lake) concerning the extent of which, all
the information I could obtain was, that in
croﬂing it from welt to eaﬁ, the canoes lofe
ﬁght of land one whole day. From this lake
the water iiiues in many different ﬁreams,
which terminate in two large branches, one
whereof ﬂows towards the north—eaﬁ, and the
other to the eaﬁ; but thefe branches join at
Kabra, which is one day’s journey to the fouth-
ward of TombuE’too, and is the port or {hip-
pingplace of that city. The tract of land
which the two {’treams encircle, is called Jin—
bala, and is inhabited by Negroes; and the
whole dil’tance by land, from jenne to Tom-
buEtoo, is twelve day’s journey.

From Kabra, at the diliance of eleven days'
journey‘down the ﬁream, the river paﬁes to
the fouthward of Houffa, which is two days‘
journey diitant from the river. Of the further

w-‘fmﬁaion OF AFRICA. 24x

progrefs of this great river, and its ﬁnal exit,

all the natives with whom I converfed, feemed .

to be entirely ignorant. Their commercial ‘1
purfuits feldom induce them to travel further
than the cities: of TombuEioo and Houiia, and
as the [ole objeEt of their journey is the ac-
quiremént of wealth, they pay but little atten-
tion to the courfe of rivers, or the geography
of countries. It is however,-highly probable,’
that the Niger affords a fafe and eafy commu—
nication between very remote nations. All my
informants agreed that many of the Negro mer-
chants, who arrived at Tombuaoo and HouITa
from the eai’tward, {peak a different language
from that of Bambarra, or any other kingdom
with which they are acquainted. BUt even
thefe merchants, it would feem, are ignorant of
the termination of the river, for fuch of them as
can fpeak Arabic, defcribe the amazing length
of its courfe in very general-terms; faying on-r
1y, that they believe it runs to the world’s end.

The names of many kingdoms to the eai’t-
ward of Houira, are familiar to the inhabitants
of Bambarra. I was {hewn quivers and arrows
of very curious workmanihip,which I was in.
formed came from the kingdom of Kaﬂina.

On the northern bank of the Niger, at a ihort
dii’tance from Silla, is the kingdom of Maﬁna,
‘ which is inhabited by Foulahs. They employ
themfelves there, as in other places, chiefly in
paﬁurage, and pay an annual tributeto the king

of Bambarra for the lands-which'they occupy.
Y

 

W 71hr: :‘
242 TRAVELS IN THE ' '

, . To the northeaﬁ of Maﬁna is {ituated the
kingdom of Tombuéloo, the great object of
European refearch; the capital of this king-
’ dom being one of the principal marts for that
extenﬁve commerce which the Moors carry
on with the Negroes. The hopes of acquiring
wealth in this purfuit, and zeal for propagating
their religion, have ﬁlled this exteniive city
with Moors and Mahomedan converts; the
king himfelf, and all the chief ofﬁcers of {late
are Moors; and they are {aid to be more fe—
vere and intolerant in their principles, than any
other of the Moorifh tribes in this part of
Africa. I was informer] by a venerable old
Negro, that when he ﬁri’t viiited TombuEtoo,
he took up his lodging at a fort of public inn,
the landlord of which, when he conduE’ted him
into his hut, fpread a mat on the ﬂoor, and laid
a rope upon it, faying “ if you are a Muffel-
man you are my friend, ﬁt down; but if you
are a Kaﬁr you are my ~(lave; and with this
rope, I will lead you to market.” The prefent
king of TombuEtoo is named Aim Abrahima ,-
he is reported to poilefs immenfe riches. His
wives and concubines are {aid to be clothed in
iilk, and the chief ofﬁcers of {late live in con-
iiderable fplendour. The whole expence of
his government is defrayed, as I was told, by
a tax upon merchandize, which is colleaed at
the gates of the city.
The city of Houﬁa, the capital ofa large
its kingdom of the fame “name ﬁtuated to the eai’t—

 

 

‘ y g 353%???
4% INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 243

ward of TombuEloo, is another great mart for. ,
rMoorilh commerce. I converfed with many "‘
merchants who had viﬁted that city, and they “
all agreed that it is larger, and more populous
than Tombufloo. The trade, police, and go-
vernment are nearly the fame in both ;, but in
Houlfa, the Negroes are in greater proportion
to the Moors, and have fome {hare in the go-
vernment. .

Concerning the fmall kingdom of Jinbala, I
was not able to collect much information; The
foil is faid to be remarkably fertile, and the
Whole country fo full of creeks and fwamps,
that the Moors have hitherto been baffled in
every attempt to fubdue it. The inhabitants
are Negroes, and fome of them are faid to live -
in_-conlidet-able affluence, particularly thofe
”near the capital; which is a rellingplace for
fuch merchants, as tranfport goods from Tom-
buEloo to the weftern parts of Africa.

To the fouthward of jinhala is ﬁtuated the
Negro kingdom of Gotto, which is faid to be
of great extent. It was formerly divided into
a number of petty Rates, which were governed
by their own chiefs; but their private quarrels
invited invaﬁon from the neighbouring king-
doms. At length a politic chief, of the name
of Moolfee, had addrefs enough to make them
unite in hoﬂilities againﬁ Bambarra; and on
this occaﬁon he was unanimoully chofen gene-.

"-rral, the different chiefs confenting for a time to
faél- under his command. ‘Moolfee'immediate- *

 

244 TRAVELS IN THE

ly difﬁatched a ﬂeet of canoes, loaded: with
" prov‘ilions, from the banks-of the late Dibbie
-,thp the Niger, towards Jenne, and with the
' Whole of his army pulhed forwards into Bam-
barra. He arrived on the banks of the Niger
oppoﬁte to Jenne, before the towns-people had
the fmalleﬂ intimation of his approach; his
fleet of canoes joined him the 'fame day, and
having landed the proviﬁons, he embarked
part of his army, and in the night took Jenne
by-ﬂorm. This event in terriﬁed the king of
Bambarra, that he fent mellengers to fue for
peace, and in order to obtain it, confented to
deliver to Mooflee a certain number of ﬂaves
every year, and return every thing that had
been taken from the inhabitants of Gotto.
Mool‘fee, thus triumphant, returned to Gotto,
where he was declared king, and the capital of "
the country is called by his name.

’ On the weft of Gotto is the kingdom ofi
Baedo, which was conquered by the prefenti
king of Bambarra, about feven years-ago, and l
has contributed tributary to him ever ﬁnce. ‘
Well: of Baedo is Maniana, the inhabitantsd

of which, according to the bell: informatiorrr
I was able to collecl, are cruel and ferocious;
carrying‘their refentment towards their eneﬁa
mies f0 far, as never to give quarter; and evenﬁl
to indulge themfelves with unnatural and dill?
(grilling banquets of human flefh. . ,
I am Well aware, that the accounts whlch theft;

     

 

2%? Negroes give of their enemies, ought to be rears

I

i
- r

S
1

r
\

INTERIOR or AFRICA. , 245

ceived with great caution; but I heard the
fame account in [0 many diﬂ’erent kingdoms?“4°
and from fuch variety of people, whofe verac
ty I had no occaﬁon to fufpeé’t, that I am dill
pofed to allow it for-rte degree of CI‘Cdlt. The
inhabitants of Bambarra, in the courfe of a
long and bloody war, mui’t have had fre—
quent opportunities of fatisfying themfelves as
to the faét; and if the report had been entirely
without foundation, I cannot conceive why
the term Madummm’o (man-eaters) {hould be
applied excluﬁvely to the inhabitants of
Maniana.

   
  

,l

 

CHAP. XVII.

The Author returns weﬂward, arrives at Modi-
hoo, and recovers his Iraqi—He is informed
that the King (fBamharra had fen: perfons
to apprehend him ; avoids Sega, and proceeds
along the ban/es of the Niger.——-1ncidents on
the road—Cruelties attendant on African
wars.———Croﬂes the river Frina and arrives
at Tafara, €30.

AVING,for the reafons ailigned in the
laﬂ chapter, determined to proceed no '
farther eaitward than Silla, I acquainted the n
Dooty with my intention oFreturning to Sego,
propor’ing to travel along the {outhern ﬁde of
“the river; but he informed me, that-from the ,‘r
Y2" _ .

 
   

a?“ {

3,..2- ,
2:341 1'

246 TRAVELS IN THE

numberggéof creeks and fwamps on that ﬁde, it
Kwas impoﬂible to travel by any other route
T gthan along the northern bank; and even that

route, he laid would foon be impaﬂible, on ac.
count of the overﬂowingof the river. Howe-
ver, as he commended my determination to
return wellward, he agreed to fpeak to {ome
one of the ﬁﬂiermen to carry me over to
~Moorzan. I accordingly {tepped into a ca-
noe about eight o’clock in the morning of July
30th, and in about an hour was landed-“
Moorzan. At? this place I hired a canoe for
ﬁxty Kowries, and in the afternoon arrived at
.Kea, where, for forty Kowries more, the D00-
ty permitted me to lleep in the lame but with
one of his ﬂaves: This poor Negro perceiving
that I was ﬁckly, and that my clothes were ve-
ry ragged, humanely lent mea large cloth to
cover mefor the night.

July 31lt. The Dooty’s brother being go-
ing to Modiboo, I embraced the opportunity
of accompanying him thither, there being no
beaten road. He promifed to carry my faddle,
which I had left at Kea when my horfe fell '
down in the woods, as I now propofed to pre-
ient it to the king of Bambarra.

W e departed from Kea at eight o’clock, and
about a mile to the weltward obferved, on the
bank of the river, a great number of earthen
jars piled up together. They were very neat—
ly formed, but not glazed; and were evidently
of that fort of pottery which is manufaé‘turcd

 

 

mamma or AFRICA.‘ 3:47

at DoWnie,a town to the weft of Tombuétoo,
and fold to great advantage in different partaﬁi
of Bambarra. As we approached towards the?
jars, my companion plucked up a large hand-
ful of herbage, and threw it upon them, mak-
ing ﬁgns for me to do the fame, which I did.
He then with great ferioufnefs told me, that
thefe jars belonged to fomevfupernatural‘pow-
er ; that they were found in their prefent ﬁtua-
tion about two years ago; and as no perfon had
claimed them, every traveller as he paffed them,
from refpeé’t to the inviﬁble proprietor, threw
fome‘grafs, or the branch of a tree, upon the
heap, to defend the jars from the rain.

Thus converﬁng we travelled in the moll:
friendly manner until, unfortunately, we per-
ceived the footl’teps of a lion quite frelh in the
mud near the river tide. My companion now
proceeded with great circumfpeétion, and at
lalt, coming to fome thick underwood, he in-
lifted that I {hould walk before him. I en‘
deavoured to excufe myfelf, by alledging, that
I did not know the road ; but he obﬁinately
perlilled, and after a few high words and me-
nacing looks, threw down the faddle and weng
away. This very much difconcerted me; but
as I had given up all hopes of obtainingr a horfe,
I could not think of encumbering myfelfwith
the faddle, and taking off the liirrups and
, girths, I threw the faddle into the river. a T
Negro no fooner [aw me throw the faddle intd
the water, than he came running-frbm among

.514

 

 

248 TRAVELS IN THE '

the bullies where he had concealed himfelf,
Jumped into the river, 5nd by the help of his

”2"!“pear brought out the faddle and ran away

with it. I continued my courfe along the

bank; but as the wood was remarkably thick,

and I had reafon to believe that a lion was at

no great dif’rance, I became much alarmed, and

Look a long circuit through the bufhes to avoid
rm.

About four in the afternoon I reached Mo-
diboo, where I found my faddle. The guide,
who had got there before me, being afraid that
I lhould inform the king of his conduct, had
brought the faddle with him in a canoe.

While I was converﬁng with the Dooty, and
remonﬂrating againﬁ the guide for having left
me in fuch a ﬁtuation, I heard a hOrfe neigh in
one of the huts, and the Dooty inquired, with
a fmile, if I knew who was fpeaking to me?
He explained himfelf, by telling me', that my
horfe was l’till alive, and fomewhat recovered
from his fatigue; but he infilled that I fhould
take him along with me, adding, that he had
once kept a Moor’s horfe for four months, and
when the horfe had recovered and got in good
condition, the Moor returned and claimed it,
and refufed to give him any reWard for his
trouble.

.Auguft 1ft. Ideparted from Modiboo, driv-
ing my horfe before me, and in the afternoon
"reached Nyamee, where I remained three days,
dlﬁng which time it rained without intermif-

n

 

INTERIOR 6F AFRICA. 249

lion, and 'with fuch violence, that no perfon
could venture out of doors. ‘

Aug. 5th. I departed from Nyamee, bu,

the country was fo deluged,that 1 was frequent—
ly in danger ofloiing the road, and had to wade
acrofs the favannahs, for miles together, knee
deep in water. Even the corn ground, which
is the drielt land in the country, was fo com-
pletely flooded, that my horfe twice Ruck fall
in the mud, and was not got out twice without
the greatelt difficulty.

In the evening of'the fame day I arrived at
N yara, where I was well received by the D00-
ty, and as the 6th was rainy, I did not depart
until the morning of the 7th; but the water
had fwelled to fuch a heightw that in many
places the road was fcarcely pa sable ; and tho’
I waded breaﬁ: deep acrofs the fwamps, I could
only reach a fmall village called N emaboo,
where, however, for an hundred Kowries, I
procured from fome Foulabs plenty of corn for
my horfe and milk for myfelf.

Aug. 8th. The dilﬁculties I had experienc-
ed the day before, made me anxious to-engage
a fellow-traveller; particularly as I was alfured
that in the courfe of a few days, the country
would be fo completely overflowed, as to ren-
der the road utterly impaﬂable ; but though I
offered two hundred Kowries for a guide, no-
body would accompany me. However, omthe
morning following, Auguﬂ 9th, a Moor aild
hiswife, riding upon two bulloeks, and bound;

 
 
 

 

«I I)“

250 TRAVELS IN THE

for Ségﬁwwith falt, paHed the village, and

; ‘ggvagreed tditake me along vﬁth them; but I found

.alithem of little fervice, for they were wholly un-

‘ acquainted with the road, and being accuﬂom-

ed to a fandy foil, were very bad travellers.

Inﬂead of wading before the bullocks, to feel

if the ground was folid, the woman boldly en-

tered the ﬁrﬁ f’wamp, riding upon "the top of

the load;. but when {he had proceeded about

two hundred yards, the bullock funk into a

hole, and threw both the load and herfelf a-

mong the reeds. The frightened hufband stood

ii: for fome time feemingly petriﬁed with horror,

~‘ and fuifered his wife to be almoﬂ drowned be-
fore he went to her aiﬁftance.

About fun-fet we reached Sibity, but the
Dooty receive?! me very coolly; and when I
iolicited for a guide to Sanlanding, he told me
his people were otherwife employed. I was
fhewn into a damp old hut, where I paired a

"3%; very uncomfortable night, for when the walls
of the huts are foftened by the rain, they fre—
quently become too weak to fupport the weight
of the roof. I heard three huts fall during the
night, and was apprehenﬁve that the but I
lodged in would be the fourth. In the morn-
ing, as I went to pull fome grafs for my horfe,
I counted fourteen huts which had fallen in this
manner, ﬁnce the commencement of the rainy
feafon.

'It‘ continued to rain with great violence all

the 3&1, and as the Dooty refufed to give me

 

 

‘ ' INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 251‘

any proviﬁons, I purghafed fome corn which I.
divided with my horIE. ,

Aug. 11th. The Dooty compelled me to“
leave the town, and I fet out for Sanfanding,
without any great hopes of faring better than
I had done at Sibity; for I learned from peo-
ple who came to vth me, that a report pre—
vailed, and was univerfally believed, that I
had come to Bambarra as a fpy ; and as Man-
fong had not admitted me into his prefence, the
Dooties of the different towns were at liberty
to treat me in what manner they plealed. / From
repeatedly hearing the fame Ptory‘, I had no
doubt of the truth of it; but as there was no
alternative, I determined to proceed, and alit-
tle before fun-fet I arrived at Sanfanding. My
reception was what I expected. Counti Ma—
madi, who had been f0 kind to me formerly,
fearcely gave me a welcome. Every one Wilh-
ed to Ihun me, and my landlord fent a perfon
to inform me, that a very unfavourable report
was received from Sego concerning me, and
that he wilhed me to depart early in the morn-
ing. About ten o’clock at night Counti Ma-
madi himlelf came privately to me, and in.
formed me that Manfong had difpatched a ca-
noe to Jenne to bring me back; and he was
afraid I ihould ﬁnd great difﬁculty in going to
, the welt country. He advifed me, therefore,
to depart from Sanfanding before day-break;
and cautioned me againlt {topping atDigwi,

  

.V or any town near Sego.

7:7"
t / my A

 

.252 > . TRAVELS IN THE
Aug“*2th I departed! from Sanfanding and“

‘,il,,_.v_,»g§a1‘cached Kabba in the afternoon. As I ap-

“preached the town I was furprifed to fee fe-
veral people alfembled at the» gate, one of
whom as I advanced came running towards me,
and taking my horfe by the bridle, led me
round the walls of the town, and then pointing
\ to the well, told me to go along or it would fare
worfe with me, it was in vain that I reprefent-
ed the danger of being benighted in the woods,
expofed to the inclemency of the- weather, and
the fury of wild heal’ts. “ Go along,” was all
the anfwer; and a number of people coming
up, and urging me in the fame manner with
great earneﬁnefs, Ifufpeaed that lome of the
king’s melfengers, who were fent in fearch of
me, were in the town, and that thefe Negroes,
from mere kindnefs, conduEted me pal’t it,
with a View to facilitate my efcape. I accord-
ingly took the road for Sego, with the uncom-
fortable profpeé} of paffmg the night on the
branches of a tree. After travelling about
three miles, I came to a fmall village near the
road. The Dooty was fplitting {licks by the
gate; but I found I could have no admittance;
and when I attempted to enter, he jumped up,
and, with the ﬂick he held in his hand, threat-
ened to ﬁrike me off the horfe, if I prefumed
to advance another ﬁep. '

At a little diﬂance from this village, and far"
t from the road, is another lmall one. I
N c eé‘tured, that being rather out of the com- V

93»,

a
INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 253

mon route, the inhabitants might have fewer

objections to give me houfe room for the night, ~
and having croffed fome corn ﬁelds, I fat down I

undera tree by the well. Two or three women
came to draw water, and one of them perceiv—
ing I was a ﬁranger, enquired whither I was
going. I told herI was going for Sego, but
being benighted on the road, I Wiihed to Ray
at the village until morning, and begged {he
would acquaint the Dooty with my ﬁtuation.
In a little time the Dooty fent for me, and per-
mitted me to fleep in a large baloon, in one
corner of which was conﬁruéted a kiln for dry-
ing the fruit of the Shea trees; it contained
about half a cart load of fruit, under which
was kept up a clear wood fire. I was inform-
ed, that in three days the fruit would be ready
for pounding and boiling; and that the butter
thus manufactured, is preferable to that which
is prepared from fruit dried in the fun, elpecial-
ly in the rainy feafon, when the procefs by in—
folation ls always tedious, and oftentimes inef—
feElual.

Aug. 13th. About ten o’clock I reached a
{mall village within halfa mile of Sego, where
I endeavoured, but in vain, to procure fome
proviiions. Every one feemed anxious to avoid
me, andI could plainly perceive, by the—looks
and behaviour of the inhabitants, that fome
very unfavourable accounts had been circulat~
ed concerning me. I was again informedgthat

Manfong had fent people to apprehendﬁineté.‘
. Z .i

«,1
($14,.

 

up:

254 s . TRAVELS IN THE

and th‘eﬁ o‘oty’s fon told me I had no time to
Iofe, if I wiihed to get fafe out of Bambarra.
I now fully faw the danger of my ﬁtuation, and a
determined to avoid Sego altogether. I ac-
cordingly mounted my horfe, and taking the
road for Diggani, travelled as fai’t as I could,
until I was out of ﬁght of the villagers, when
I {truck to the wef’tward, through “high grafs
and fwampy ground. About noon} I hopped
under a tree, to conﬁder what courfe to take,
for I had now no doubt, that the Moors and
Slatees had milinformed the king refpeéting the
objeét of my mifﬁon, and that people were ab~
folutely in fearch of me, to convey me a p ri-
foner to Sego. Sometimes I had thoughts of
fwimming my horfe acrofs the Niger, and go-
ing to the fouthward for Cape-Coaﬁ; but re-
fleEting that I had ten days to travel before I
fhould reach Kong, and afterwards an exten-
ﬁve country to traverfe, inhabited by various
nations, with whofe language and manners I
was totally unacquainted, I relinquifhed this
fcheme, and judged that I fhould better an-
fwer the purpofe of my miHion, by prbceed-
ing to the wei’tward along the Niger, endea-
vouring to afcertain how far the river was na-
vigable in that direction. ‘Iaving refolved
upon this courfe, I proceeded accordingly,
and a little before fun-fet arrived at a Foulah
village, called Sooboo, where, for two hun-
dred Kowries, I procured lodging for the night.

iﬁug. 14th. I continued my courfe alongthe

 

mummy AFRICA. 255

bank of the river, through a populous and
well cultivated country; I paired a walled town )
called Kamalia*, without ﬂopping, and at noon '
rode‘through a large town called Samee, where
there happened to be a market, and a number
of people allembled in an open place 1n the
middle of the town, felling cattle, clOth, corn,
&c. I rode through the midll of them, with-
.out being much obferved, every one taking me
for a Moor. In the afternoon I arrived at a
{mall village called Binni, where I agreed with
the Dooty’s ion, for one hundred Kowries, to
allow me to [lay for the night; but when the
Dooty returned, he inﬁlied that I lhould in-
ﬁantly leave the place, and if his wife and ion
had not interceded for me, I mull have com-
plied. ‘
Aug. 15th. About nine o’clock I palled a
large town called Sai, which very much ex’cit~
ed my curioﬁty. It is completely furrounded
by two very deep trenches, at about two bun-
dred yards dil’tant from the walls. ,On the top
of the trenches are a number of fquare towers,
and the whole has the appearance of a regular
fortiﬁcation. Enquiriug into the origin of this
extraordinary entrenchment, I learned from
two of the town’s—people the following parti-
culars, which, if true, furnilh a mournful pic-
ture of the enormities of African wars. About
ﬁfteen years ago, when the prefent king of
* There is another town of this name, hereafter to be
mentioned.

 

    
    

 

Bamb gmaf’s father defolated Manian‘a, the D00-
ty of S‘ai had two fons flain in battle, ﬁghting
‘ in the king’s caufe. He had a third {on living,
and when the king demanded a further rein-
forcement of men, and this youth among the
rel’t, the Dooty refufed to lend him. This con-
duEt f0 enraged the king, that when he return—
ed from Manian‘a, about the beginning of the
rainy feaafon, and found the Dootj‘i‘iproteaed
by the inhabitants, he fat down before Sai with
his army, and iurrounded the town with the
trenches I hadinow feen. After a liege oftwo
months, the town’s-people became involved in
all the horrors of famine; and whilﬂ the king’s
army were feaﬁing in their trenches, they law
with pleai'ure, the miferable inhabitants of Sai
devour the leaves and bark of the Bentang tree
that ﬂood in the middle of the town. Finding,
fi‘dW‘eyer, that the beﬁeged would fooner ‘pe-
rill) thanlnrrendcr, the king had recource to
treachery. He promifed, that if they would
open the gates, no perion {hould be put to
death, nor fuller any injury, but the Dooty
alone. The poor old man determined to [acri-
ﬁce himlelf for the lake of his fellow—citizens,
and immediately walked over to the king’s ar—
my, where he was put to death. His for), in
attempting to elcape, was caught and malla-
cred in the trenches ; and the ré’il of the town’s-
people were carried away captives, and fold as
ﬂaves to the diﬁerent Negro traders.

About noon I came to the “village of Kai-

  

“I

, INTERIOR‘L' AFRICA. 257

moo, ﬁt” (1 upon the bank of theirfgtjiver, and
as the com I had purchafed at Sibili“ was ex-

hauﬁed, I endeavoured to purchafe a frefh flip”:
ply; but was informed, that com was become ' "

very fcarce all over the country; and though
I offered ﬁfty Kowries fora {mall quantity, no
perfon would fell me any. As I was about to
depart, howeVer, One of the villagers, who pro-
bably miﬁook me for fome Moorifh fhereef,
brought me fome as a prefent, only deﬁring me
in return, to beltow my blelﬁng upon him;
which I did in plain Englilh, and he received
it with a thoufand acknowledgments. Of this
prefent I made my dinner, and it was the third
fucceHive day that I had {ubﬁﬁed entirely up-
on raw corn. '

In the evening I arrived at a {mall village,
called Song, the furly inhabitants of which
would not receive me, nor To much as permit
me to enter the gate; but as lions were very

numerous in this neighbourhood, and I had,;
frequently in the courle of the day, obferved "

the itnprellion of their feet on the road, I re-
folved to Pray in the Vicinity of the village.
Having collected fome grafs for my horfe, I
accordingly laid down under a tree by the gate.
About ten o’clock I heard the hollow roar of
the lion at no great dittancc, and attempted to
open the gat%but the people from within told
me, that no p'e‘rlon mult attempt to enter the
gate without thefﬁféjpty’s permiHion. I begged
them to inform'th

 
 
 

2 1"
45} . .

oty that a lion was ap.. , a

. manmu.z.mzu....rmy:~w'_ in“- . a a _ it

25s - TRAVELS IN THE

proachiﬁtgthe village, and I hoped he would
allow me to come within the gate. I waited
~ for an anfwer to this mellage with great anxie-
ty, for the lion kept prowling round the vil-
lage, and once advanced f0 very near me, that
I heard him .rullling among the grafs, and
climbed the tree for fafety. About midnight
the Dooty with lome of his people opened the
gate, and deﬁred me to come in. They were
convinced, they laid, that I was not a Moor;
for no Moor ever waited any time at the gate
of a village without curling the inhabitants.
Aug. 16th. About ten. o’clock I pailed a
conﬁderable town with a mofque, called Jab-
bee. Here the country begins to rife into hills,
and I could fee the fummits of high mountains
to the weflward. I had very difagreeable tra-
veiling all this day, on account of the fwampi-
nefs of the roads ; for the river was now rifen
to fuch aheight, as to overﬂow great parts of
' the ﬂat land‘on both (ides, and from the mud—
dinefs of the water, it was difﬁcult to difcern
itsdepth. In crolling one of thefe fwamps, a
little to the weftwa'rd of a town called Gangu,
my horfe being up to the belly in water, {lipt
fuddenly into a deep pit, and was almoﬂ drown—
ed before he could difengage his feet from the
{tiff clay at the bottom. Indeed both the horfe
and the rider were f0, completely covered with
mud, that in paihng the village of Calimana,
the people compared us“ ”.;1:tWO dirty elephants.
About noon I hopped :atid'fmall village near

\

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ,, 25:9

Yamina, wre I purchafed fome'cgdin, and _

dried my papers and clothes.

The town of Yamina, at a diﬁance, has a
very ﬁne appearance. It covers nearly the
fame extent of ground as Sanfanding; but hav-
ing been plundered by Daify, king of Kaarta,
about four years ago, it has not yet refumed its
former profperity, nearly one half of the town

being nothing but a heap of ruins; however, it

is [ﬁll a coniiderable place, and is fo much fre-
quented by the Moors, that I did not think it
fafe to lodge in it; but in order to fatisfy my-
felf refpeﬁing its population and extent, I re-
iolved to ride through it; in doing which I ob-
lbrved a great many Moors ﬁtting upon the
Bentangs, and other places of public refort.
Every body looked at me with aﬁonilhment,
but as I rode brifkly along they had no time to
alk queﬂions.

I arrived in the evening at Farra, a walled

village, where, without much difﬁculty, I pro-

cured a lodging for the night.

Aug. 17th. Early in the morning I purfucd
my journey, and at eight o’clock paired a con-
iiderable town called Balaba; after which the
road quits the plain, and ﬁretches along the
fide of the bill. I palled in the couri‘e of this
day the ruins ofkthree towns, the inhabitants of
which were all carried away by Daify, king of
Kaarta, on the fame day that he took and plun-
dered Yamina. Near oneofthei‘e ruins I climb-
ed a tamarind tree, but found the fruit quite

$5“
. “-260 ’TRAVELS IN THE

.greenﬁnd four, and the profpeét of the country
was by no means inviting; for the high grafs and
bufhes feemed completely to obf’truét the road,
and the low lands were all fo flooded by the
river, that the Niger had the appearance of an
extenﬁve lake. In the evening I arrived at
Kanika, where the Dooty, who was ﬁtting up-
on an elephant’s hide at the gate, received me
kindly, and gave me for fupper fome milk'and
meal, which I conﬁdered, as to a perfon in my
ﬁtuation it really was, a very great luxury.
Aug. 18th. By miﬂake I took the Wrong
road, and did not difcover my error until 1
had travelled near four miles, when coming to
an eminence, I obferved the Niger conﬁderably
to the left. DireEting my courfe towards it, I
travelled through long grafs and bulhes with
great difﬁculty, until two o’clock in the after—
'noon, when I came to a comparatively fmall,
but very rapid river, which I took at ﬁrﬁ for a
creek, {or one of the ﬁreams of the Niger.
However, after I had examined it with more
attention, I was convinced that it was a dif—
tintt river ; and as the. road evidently c-rolled
it, for I could fee the pathway on the oppoﬁte
iide, I {at down upon the bank, in hopes that
fome traveller might arrive, who would give
me the neceﬁary information concerning the
fording place; for the banks were {0 covered
with reeds and bulhes, that it would have been
almoﬁ impoﬂible to land on the other ﬁde, ex-
cept at the pathway, which, on account of the

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 26x

rapidity of the fiream, it feemed very'diﬂieult
to reach. N o traveller however arriving, and
there being a great appearance of rain, I exa—
mined the grafs and bufhes for feme way up
the bank, and determined upon entering the
river conﬁderably above the pathway, in order
- to reach the other ﬁde before the ﬁrearm had
{wept me too far down. With this View I faf-
tened my clothes upon the faddle, and was
{landing up to the neck in water, pulling my
horfe by the bridle to make him follow me,
when a man came accidentally to the place, and
feeing me in the water, called to me with great
vehemence to come out ; the alligators, he laid,
would devour both me and my horfe, if we
attempted to fwirn over. When I‘ had got out,
the ﬁranger, who had never before feen an
European, leemed wonderfully furprized. He
twice put his hand to his mouth, exclaiming in
a low tone of voice, “ God preferve me! who
is this P” But when he heard me {peak the
Bambarra tongue, and found that I was going
the fame way as himfelf, he protnifed to aﬁilt
me in croﬂing the river, the name of which he
told me was Frina. , He then went a little way
along the bank, and called to fome perfon, who
‘anfwered from the other ﬁde. In a fhort time
a.canoe, with two boys, came paddling from
among the reeds; thefe boys agreed for ﬁfty Kow-
ries, to tranfportme and my horfe over the river,
which was effected without much difﬁculty;
and I arrived in the evening at Taﬁara, a wall-

262 A, TRAVELS IN THE

ed town, and foon difcovered that the lan-
guage of the natives was improved, from the
corrupted dialeét of Bambarra, to the pure
Mandingo.

 

CHAP. XVIII.

Inhryfoitable reception at Taﬂara,—A Negro
funeral at Sacha—Continues the route along
the ban/is of the Nigerthrough feverezl villa,
,ges till he comes to Kooltkorro.—Suj7ports
himjelfoy writing faphies.——Reacizes Mar—
raooo.—-—Lofes the road; and egfter many dgﬁ
culties arrives at Bammakoo.———-Meets wit/2
great kindnefs at Kooma ; but is afterwards
ﬁripped and robbed by banditti.——Refozerce
and eon/olatz'on under exquiﬁte diﬂrejs.

N my arrival at Taffara I enquired for

the Dooty, but was informed, that he
had died a few days before my arrival, and
that there was, at that moment, a meeting of
the chief men for eleéling another, there being
fame difpute about the fucceﬂion. It was
probably owing to this unfettled Rate of the
town, that I experienced fuch a want of hof—
pitality in it, for though I informed the inha—
bitants, that I ihould only remain with them
for one night, and aﬁured them that Manfong
had given me fome Kowries to pay for my
lodging, yet no perfon invited me to come in 5

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 2'63

and I was forced to {it alone under the Bentang
tree, expofed to the rain and wind of a torna-
do, which lal’ted with great violence until mid-
night. At this time the ﬁrange’r, who had af-
ﬁlted me in crolling the river, paid me a viﬁt,
and obferving that I had not found a lodging,
invitéd me to take part of his (upper, which he
'had brought to the door of his hut; for, being
a guel’t himlelf, he could not, without his land-
lord’s confent, invite me to come in. After
this I llept upon fome wet grafs in the corner
of acourt. My horfe fared {till worfe than
myfelf; the com I had purchafed being all ex-
pended, and I could not procure a fupply.
Aug, 20th. I palled the town of Jaba, and
'ﬁopped a few minutes at a village called Somi—
no, where I begged and obtained fome coarfe
food, which the natives prepare from the hufks
of corn, and call’Boo. AbOut two o’clock I

came to the village ol’Sooha, and endeavoured ,

to purchafe fome corn from the Dooty, who
' was ﬁtting by the gate; but without luccefs.
I then requelled a little food by way of charity,
but was told he had none to fpare. V’Vhillt I
was examining the countenance of this inhofpi-
table old man, and endeavouring to ﬁnd out
the caufe of the fullen difcontent which was
vilible in his eye, he called to a Have who was
working in the corn-ﬁeld at a little dil’tance, and
ordered him to bring his paddle along with him.
' The Dooty then told him to dig a hole in the
ground, pointing to a fpot at no great dillance.

‘26, .- TRAVELS IN THE'

The {lave with his paddle began to dig a pit in
the earth, and the Dooty, who appeared-to be
a man of avery fretful difpofition, kept mut-
tering and talking to himfelf, until the pit was
' almoll finilhed, when be repeatedly pronounc-
ed the words dankatoo (good for nothing) jan-
km [6mm (a real plague) which expreﬂions I
thought could be applied to nobody but my-
felf ; and as the pit had very much the appear—
ance ofa grave, I thought it prudent to mount
my horfe, and was about to decamp, when the
ﬂave, who had before gone into the village, to
my furprife, returned with the corpfe of a boy
about nine or ten years of age, quite naked.
The Negro carried the body by a leg and an
arm, and threw it into the pit with a favage in-
difference, which I had never before feen. As
he covered the body with earth, the Dooty of-
ten expreffed himfelf, nap/Lula attiniam (mo—
ney lol’t) whence I concluded that the boy had
been one of his ﬂaves.

' Departing from this {hocking fcene, I tra—
velled by the fide of the river until funfet,
when I came to Koolikorro, a confiderable
town, and a great market for falt. Here I
took up my lodging at the houfe of a Bambar-
ran,who had formerly been the ﬂave ofa Moor,
and in that charac‘ter had travelled to Aroan,
Towdinni, and many other places in the Great
Defert; but turning Muﬂ‘ulman, and his maf.
ter dying at Jenne, he obtained his freedom,
and fettled at this place, where he carries on a ,

\
INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 265

conﬁderable trade in falt, cotton-cloth, &c.
His knowledge of the world had not leffened
that fup6rltitious conﬁdence in faphies and
charms, which he had imbibed in his earlier
years, for when he heard I was a Chriﬁian, he
immediately thought of procuring a faphie, and
for this purpofe brought out his walha, or wri-
ting-board, alluring me, that he would drefs
me a {upper of rice, if I would write him a fa-
phie to proteét him from wicked men. The
propofal was of too great confequence to me
to be refufed ; I therefore wrote the board full
from top to bottom, on both ﬁdes; and my
landlord, to be certain of having the whole
force of the charm, wafhed the writing from
the board into a calabaih with a little water,
and having faid a few prayers over it, drank'
this powerful draught ; after which, left a ﬁn-
gle word fhould efcape, he licked the board
until it was quite dry. A faphie writer was a
man of too great confequence to be long con—
‘ cealed; / the important information Was carried
to the Dooty, who lent his fon with half a {heet
of writing paper, deﬁring me to write him a
naphula ﬂap/Lie (a charm to procure wealth.)
He brought me as a prefent fome meal and
milk; and when I had ﬁnilhed the faphie, and
read it to him with an audible voice, he feemed
highly fatisﬁed with his bargain, and promifed
to bring me in the morning fome milk for my
breakfal’t. When I had ﬁnilhed my {upper of

rice and falt, I laid myfelf down upon a bul-
A a

2’66 TRAVELS IN THE

lock’s hide, and flept very quietly until morn-
ing, this being the ﬁrfl good meal and refreihing
ﬂeep that I had enjoyed 'for along time. 7
Aug. 219:. At day-break I departed from
Koolikorro, and about noon paﬂed the villages
of Kayoo and Toolumbo. In the afternoon
I arrived at Marraboo, a large town, and like
Koolikorro, famous forl its trade in falt. I
was conduEted to the houfe of a Kaartan, of
the tribe of Jower, by whom I was well re-
ceived. This man had acquired a conﬁdera-
ble property in the {lave-trade, and from his
hofpitality to ﬁrangers, was called, by way of
pre-eminence, juice, (the landlord) and his
houfe was a fort of public inn for all travellers.
Thofe who had money were well lodged, for
they always made him fome return for his kind-
nefs; but thofe who had nothing to give, were
content to accept whatever he thought proper,
and as I could not rank myfelf among the mo-
nied men, I was happy to take up my lodging
in the fame hut with {even poor fellows, who
had come fromiKancaba in a canoe 3 but our
landlord fent us fome vié‘tuals. V
Aug. 22d. One of the landlord’s fervants
went with me a little way from the town, to
ih,ew me what road to take; but, whether from-
ignorance or deﬁgn I know not, he direaed
me wrong, and I did not difcover my miﬂake
until the day was far advanced, when coming
to a deep creek, I had fume-thoughts of turn-
ing back; but as by that means I forefaw

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ‘267

that I Could not pollibly reaCh Bammakoo be-
fore night, I refolved to crofs it, and leading
my horfe clofe to the brink, I went behind
him; and pulhed him headlong into the water,
and then taking the bridle in my teeth, fwam
~ over to the other ﬁde; This was the third creek
I had crolled in this manner, ﬁnce I had left
Sego; but having fecured my notes and memo—
randums in the crown of my hat, I received
little or no inconvenience from fuch adventures.
The rain and heavy dew kept my clothes con.
{tantly wet, and the roads being very deep, and
full of mud, fuch a wafhing was fometimes
pleafant, and oftentimes neCeﬁ‘ary. I conti-
nued travelling through high grafs, without any
beaten road, and about noon came to the river,
the banks of which are. here very rocky, and
the force and roar of the water was very great.
The king of Bambarra’s canoes, however, fre-
quently pafs thele rapids by keeping clole to
the bank, perfons being ﬁationed on the fhore
with ropes faﬁened to the canoe, while others
pulh it forward with long poles. At this time
however it would, I think, have been a matter
of great diﬂiculty for any European boat to
have croiIed the ﬁream. About four o’clock
in the afternoon, having altered my courfe from
the river towards the mountains, I ’came to a
fmall pathway, which led to a village called
Frookaboo, where I llept.

Aug. 23d. Early in the morning I fet out
for Bammakoo, at which place I. arrived about (

253’ , TRAVELS IN THE

ﬁve o’clock in the afternoon. I had heard
Bammakoo much talked of as a great market
for falt, and I felt rather‘difappointed to find
it only a middling town, not quite f0 large as
Marraboo: However, the fmallnefs of its {126:
is more than compenfated by the richnefs of
its inhabitants; for when the Moors bring their
falt through Kaarta or Bambarra, they con-
ﬂantly tell a few days at this place; and the
Negro merchants here, who are well acquaint-
ed with the value of lalt in different kingdoms,
frequently purcha fe by wholefale, and retail it to
greatadvantage. Here I lodged at the houle ofa
Sera-'Woolli Negro, and was viﬁted by a num-
ber of Moors. They fpoke very good Man-
dingo, and were more civil to me than their
countrymen had been. One of them had tra—
velled to Rio Grande, and fpoke very highly
of the Chriﬂians. He fent me in the evening
Tome boiled rice and milk. I now endeavour-
ed to procure information concerning my route
to the weflward, from a {lave merchant who
had reﬁded fome years on the Gambia. He
gave me fome imperfeéi account of the dillcance,
and enumerated the names of a great many
places that lay in the way, but wi'thal told me,
that the road was impallable at this feafon of
the year; he was eVen afraid, he faid, that I
fhould ﬁnd great difﬁculty in proceedin g any far-
ther, as the road crolled the Jol‘iba at a town about
half a day’s journey to the weﬂward of Barn-
makoo, and there being no canoes at the place

INTERIDR or AFRICA. , ,6,

large enOtha to; receive my horfe, 1. could not
olﬁblyget him over for fome‘months to come.
iI'himwas‘ an obi’truélion of a very ferious na-
tune; but as Ihad no money to maintain my-
felE even for a few days, I relblved to pufh
on,» and if I could not convey my horfe acrofs
the river,’tovabandon him, and l‘wim over my—
felf» In thoughts of this nature I palled the
night, and in the morning conlulted with my
landlord, how I ﬂiould furmount the prefent
difﬁculty. He informed me that one road {till
remained, which was indeed very rocky, and
fcarcely. palfable for horfes; but that if I had
a proper guide over the hills to a town called
Sibidooloo, he had no doubt, but with pa-
tience and caution, I might travel forwards
through Manding. I immediately applied to
the Dooty, and was informed that a jilli Iced,
(iinging man) was about to depart for Sibidoo-
loo, and would {hew me the road over the hills.
Withthis man, who undertook to be my con-
du'Etor, I travelled up a rocky glen about two
miles, when we came to a {mall village, and
here my mulical fellow-traveller found out that
he had brought me the wrong road. He told
me that the horfe-road lay on the other ﬁde of
the hill, and throwing his drum Upon his baCk,
mounted up the rocks, where indeed no horfe
could follow him, leaving me to admire his
agility, and trace out a road for myfelf. As
I found it impoﬂible to proceed, I rode back
to the level ground, and direﬁing my courfe to
' A a 2

27o TRAVELS IN THE

the eaﬁward,'came about noon to another glen,
and difcovered a path, on which I obferved
the marks of horfes feet; following this path,
I came in a {hort time to fome {hepherd’s huts,
\ where I was informed thatI was in the right.
road, but that I could not polﬁbly reach Sibi-
dooloo before night. Soon after this I gained
the fummit of a hill, from whence I had an
extenfive view of the country. Towards the
l'outh-eaﬁ appeared fome very diﬁant moun-
tains, which I had formerly feen from an emi-
nence near Marraboo, where the people in-
formed me, that thefe mountains were ﬁtuated
in a large and powerful kingdom called Kong;
the fovereign ofwhich could raife a much great-
er army than the king of Bambarra. Upon this
height the foil is ﬂiallow; the rocks are iron-
lione and fchiﬁus, with detached pieces of white
quartz.

A little before fun-fet I defcended on the
northwelt fide of this ridge of hills, and as I
was looking about for a convenient tree, under
which to pals the night, for I had no hopes of
reaching any town, I defcended into a delight-
i'ul valley, and foon afterwards arrived at a ro-
mantic village called Kooma. This village is
furrounded by a high wall, and is the fole pro-
perty of a Mandingo merchant, who ﬂed hi-
ther with his family, during a former war. The
adjacent ﬁelds yield him plenty of corn, his
cattle roam at large in the valley, and the rocky
hills fecure him from the depredations of war.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 871‘

In this obfcure retreat he is feldom viﬁted by
ﬁrangers, but whenever this happens he makes
the weary traveller welcome. I foon found
myfelf furrounded by a circle of the harmlefs
villagers. They aiked a thoufand queﬂions
about my country, and in return for my infor-
mation brought corn and milk for myfelf, and
grafs for my horfe, kindled a ﬁre in the but
where I was to ﬂeep,and appeared very anxious
to ferve me.

Aug. 25th. I departed from Kooma ac-
companied by two Ihepherds who were going
towards Sibidooloo. The road was very ﬂeep
and rocky, and as my horfe had hurt his feel:
much in coming from Bambakoo, he travel-
led flowly and with great difﬁculty, for in ma-
ny places the afcent was fo {harp, and the de-
clivities fo great, that if he had made one falfe
ilep, he mul’t inevitably have been dafhed to
pieces. The {hepherds being anxious to pro-
ceed, gave themfelves little trouble about me
or my horfe, and kept walking on at a conﬁ-
derable diﬁance. It was about eleven o’clock,
as I {topped to drink a little water at a rivulet,
my companions being near a quarter of a mile
before me, thatI heard fome people calling
to each other, and prefently a loud fcreaming,
as from a perfon in great diftrefs. I immedi-
ately conjectured that a lion had taken one of
the ﬂtepherds, and mounted my horfe to have
a better view of what had happened. The
noife, however, ceafed, and I rode {lowly to-

272 TRAVELS IN THE

wards the place from whence I tho’t it had pro;
«seeded, calling out, but without receiving any
anfwer. In alittle time, hoWever, I perceiv.
ed one of the ihepherds lying among the .grafs
near the road, and though I‘ could fee no blood
upon him, I concluded he was dead. But
when I came clofe to him, he whifpered to me
to ﬂop, telling me that a party of armed men
had feized upon his companion, andihot two
arrows at himfelf as he was making his efcape.
I ﬂopped to conﬁder what courfe to take, and
looking round, law at a little diﬁauce a man
ﬁtting uponthe ﬂump of a tree; I dillinguilh.~
ed alfo the heads of ﬁx or feven more, ﬁtting
among the grafs with mquets in their hands.
I had no hopes of efcaping, and therefore de-
termined to ride forward towards them. As I
approached them, I was in hopes they were
elephant hunters; and by way of opening the
converlation, enquired if they had lhot any
thing; but without returning an anl‘wer, one
OF them ordered me to difmount, and then, as
if recolleCting himfelf, waved with his. hand
for me to proceed. I accordingly rode pail,
and had with fome difﬁculty croiied a deep
rivulet, when I heard fomebody holla, and
looking beh‘ind, law thofe I had taken for ele-
pliant hunters running after me, and calling out
to me to turn back. I ﬂopped until they were
'all come up, when they informed me, that the
king of the F oulahs had fent them on purpole
to bring me, my horfe, and every thing that

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 273

belonged to me, to Fooladoo, and that there-
fore I mult turn back, and go along with them.
Without hefltating a moment, I turned round
and followed them, and we travelled together
near a quarter of a mile, without exchanging a
word; when coming to a dark place in the
wood, one of them laid, in the Mandingo lan—
guage, “ this place will do,” and immediately
fnatched my hat from my head. Though I
was by no means free of apprehenflon, yet I
refolved to thew as few ﬁgns of fear as poﬂible,
and therefore told them, that unlefs my hat
was returned to me, I fhould proceed no fur-
ther. But before I had time to receive an an-
fwer, another drew his knife, and feizing upon
a metal button which remained upon my waift-
coat, cut it off, and put it into his pocket.
Their intentions were now obvious, and I
thought that the eaﬁer they were permitted to
rob me ‘of every thing, the lefs I had to feet/r.
I therefore allowed them to fearch my pockets
without reﬁﬁauce, and examine every part of
my apparel, which they did with the melt fcru—
pulous exaEtnefs. But obferving that I had
One wailtcoat under another, they inﬁi’ted that
I {hould calt them both off; and 'at laﬂ to
make fure work, they {tripped me quite naked.
Even my half boots, though the fole of one of
them was tied on to my foot with a broken bri—
dle-rein, were minutely infpeé‘ted. Whilft they
were examining the plunder, I begged them
with great earneﬁnefs to return my pocket

374 TRAVELS IN THE

compals; but when I pointed it out to them,
as it was lying on the ground, one of the ban—
ditti thinking I was about to take'it up, cocked
'his mufket, and {wore that he would lay ‘me
dead upon the fpot, if I prefumed to=put my
hand upon it. After this, forne of them went
away with my horfe, and the remainder ﬂood
conﬁdering, whether they lhould leave me
quite naked, or allow me l‘omething to ihelter
me from the fun. Humanity at lalt prevailed;
they returned me the worl’t of the two lhiirts,
and a pair of trowfers, and as they went aiiiay,
one of them threw back my hat, in the crown
of which I kept my memorandums, and this
was probably the reafon they did not wilh to
keep it. After they were gone, I fat for form:
time, looking around me with amazement and
terror. Which ever way I turned, nothing
appeared but danger and difﬁculty. I faw my-
Ielf‘in the midl’t of a vaﬁ wildernefs, in the
depth of the rainy feafon; naked and alone;
furrounded by favage animals, and» men {till
more ravage. I was ﬁve hundred‘miles from
the nearelt European fettlement. All 'thefe
circumﬂances crowded at once on my recoi-
leclion, and I confel's, that my fpirits began to
fail me. I conﬁdered my fate as certain, and
that I had no alternative, but to lie down ’and
periih. The influence of religion, however,
aided and fupported me. I reflected, that no
human prudence or foreﬁght could pollibly
have averted my prefent fuﬁ‘erings. I was in-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 275»

deed a {lranger in a ﬁrange land, yet Iwas
iiill under the proteEting eye of that Provi-
dence, who has condefcended to call himfelf
the ﬂranger’s friend. At this moment, painful
as my reflections were, the extraordinary beau-
ty of a fmall mofs, in fruEtiﬁcation, irreﬁﬁibly
caught my eye. I mention this to lhew, from
what triﬂing circumﬂances the mind will fome—
times derive confolation; for though the whole
plant was not larger than the top of one of my
ﬁngers, I could not contemplate the delicate
conformation o‘fits roots, leaves, and capfula,
without admiration. Can that Being, thought
I, who planted, watered, and brought to per-
fection, in this obfcure part of the world, a
thing which appears of f0 fmall importance,
look, with unconcern, upon the ﬁtuation and
fufferings of creatures formed after his own
image P—Surely not l—Relleétions like thefe
would not allow me to defpair. I {tarted up, and
difregarding both hunger and fatigue, travelled
forwards, aﬂiired that relief was at hand; and
I was not difappointed. In a {hort time I came
to a [mall village, at the entrance of which I
overtook the two ibepherds, who had come
with me from Kooma. They were much fur-
prifed to fee me; for they faid, they never
doubted that the Foulahs, when they had rob;
bed, had murdered me. Departing from this
village, we travelled over feveral rocky ridges,
and at fun-fet arrived at Sibidooloo, the fron-
tier town of the kingdom of Manding.

'276 TRAVELS IN THE

CHAP. XIX.

Government (f Manding.-—Author’s reception
hy the Man/oz, or chief man ofSihz'olooloo,
who tethes meafures for the recovery of his
horﬁ, fie—Removes to Wanda,- great [car-
city and its aﬁliéting conﬁquences.-——Recovers
his horfe and clothes.—Proceeds to Kamalia.
-—Accouozt of Kamalia.——Kind reception by
Karfa Taura, a Slatee, who propoﬁes to go
to the Gamhia with a caravan efﬂaves, Go.

TE town Of Sibidooloo is ﬁtuated in a

fertile valley, furrounded with high rocky
hills. It is fcarcely acceﬂible for horfes, and
during the frequent wars between the Bambar-
rans, F oulahs, and Mandingoes, has never
once been plundered by an enemy. When I
entered the town the people gathered round me,
and followed me into the baloon, where I was
prelented to the Dooty or chief man,- who is
here called Manfa, which ufually ﬁg_niﬁes king.
Neverthelefs, it appeared to me, that the go-
vernment of Manding was a fort of republic,
or rather an oligarchy; every town having a
particular Mania, and the chief power of the
Rate, in the lal’t relort, being lodged in the af-
fembly of the whole body. ‘1 related to the,
Manila, the circumﬁances of my having been
robbed of my horfe and apparel, and my ﬂow
was confirmed by the two ihepherds. He con-

tinued fmoaking his pipe all the time I was i

l

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. W7

1

{making} but I had no fooner ﬁniihed, than
taking his pipe from his mouth, and toiﬁng up
the {leeve of his cloak with an indignant air,
“ {it down,” faid he, “ you {hall have every
“ thing rei’tored to you ; I have {worn it ;”—‘—
And then turning to an attendant, “ give the
“ white man,” {aid he, “ a draught of water;
“ and withthe ﬁrl’t light of the morning, go
““over the hills, and inform the Dooty of Bam-
“ makoo, that a poor white man, the king of
“ Bambarra’s ﬁranger, has been robbed by the
“ king of F ooladoo’s people.”

I little expected, in my forlorn condition, to
meet with a man who could thus feel for my
fuﬂ‘erings. I heartily thanked the Mania for
his kindnefs, and accepted his invitation to re-
main with him until the return of the mefien-
ger. I was conducted into a but, and had fome
viEtuals fent me; but the crowd of people
which affembled to fee me, all of 'whom com-
miferated my misfortunes, and vented impre-
cations againﬁ the F oulahs, prevented me from
ﬂeeping Until paf’t midnight. Two days I re-
mained without hearing any intelligence of my
horfe and clothes; and as there was at this time
a great fcarcity of provilions, approaching even
to famine all over this part of the country, I
was unwilling to trefpafs any farther on the
Manfa’s generoﬁty, and begged permiﬂion to
depart . to the next village. Finding me very
anxious to proceed, he told me that I might [go

«gas far as a town called Wonda, where he hoped
' B ,b

n78 TRAVELS IN THE _

I would remain a few days, until I heard Tome
account of my horfe, &c. ,

I departed accordingly on the next morning
of the 28th, and ﬂopped at fome fmall villages
for refrelhment. I was prelented at one of
them with a dilh which I had never before feen.
It was compofed of the blolloms or anthem:
of the maize, {tewed in milk and water. It is
eaten only in time of great fcarcity. On the
30th, about noon, I arrived at Wonda, a {mall
town with a mofque, and furrounded by a high
wall. The Mania, who was a Mahomedan,
acted in two capacities; as chief magiﬁrate of
the town, and fcho'olmalter to the children. He
kept his fchool in an open ﬂied, where I was
delired to take up my lodging, until {om}; ac-
count ihould arrive from Sibidooloo, conéern‘
ing my horfe and clothes; for though the horfe
was of little ufe to me, yet the few clothes
were eflential. The little raiment upon me,
could neither proteEt me from the fun by day,
nor the dews and muiketoes by night; indeed,
my ihirt was not only worn thin like a piece of
muilin, but withal was f0 Very dirty, that I
was happy to embrace an opportunity of waﬂi.
ing it; which having done and fpread it upon
a bulb, I {at down naked in the lhade, until it.
was dry. ‘

Ever ﬁnce the commencement of the rainy
feafon my health had been greatly on the de-
cline. I had often been aﬂ‘eétedr with ﬂight

paroxyfms of fever, and from the time of leavff ‘
' ‘ |

INTERIOR OF' AFRICA. :79

ing Bammakoo, the fymptoms had conﬁdera.
bly increafed. As I was ﬁtting in the manner
def’cribed, the fever returned with fuch vio-
lence, that it very much alarmed me; the more
f0, as I had no medicine to ﬂop its progrefs,
nor any hope of obtaining that care and atten-
tion which my ﬁtuation required.

I remained at ’Wonda nine days, during
which time I experienced the regular return of
the fever every day. And though I endeavour-
ed as much as polﬁble to conceal my diﬁrefs
from my landlord, and frequently lay down
the whole day out of his ﬁght, in a ﬁeld of
corn, confcious how burthenfome I was to him
and: his family, in a time ofgfuch great fcarcity,
yet I found that he was apprized of my ﬁtua-
tion; and one morning as I feignedto be aﬁeep
by the ﬁre, he obferved to his wife, that they
were likely to ﬁnd me a very troublefome and
chargeable gueﬁ, for that, in my prefent ﬁckly
ﬁate, they {hould be obliged, for the fake of
their good name, to maintain me until I reco-
vered, or died.

The fcarcity of proviﬁons was certainly felt
at this time molt feverely by the poor people,
as the following circumi’tance mof’t painfully
convinced me. Every evening during my l’tay,
I obferved ﬁve or ﬁx women come to the
Manfa’s houfe, and receive each of them a cer-
tain quantity of corn. As I knew how valua-
yble‘this article was at this juntﬁure, I enquired

iii the Manfa, whether he maintained thefc

' M

28o TRAVELS IN THE

poor women from pure bounty, or expected
a: return when the harveﬁ {hould be gathered
in. “ Obferve that boy,” faid he, pointing to
, a ﬁne child about ﬁve years of age, “ his mo-
“ ther has fold him to me, for forty days pro-
“ vilions for herfelf and the ref’t of her family.
“ I have bought another boy in the fame man-
“ner.” Good God, thought I, what muﬂ a
mother ‘fulfer before lhe fells her own child!
I could not get this melancholy fubjeét out of
my mind, and the next night, when the women
returned for their allowance, I defired the boy
to point out to me his mother, which he did.
She was much emaciated, but had nothing
cruel or favage in her countenance, and when
ihe had received her corn, {he came and talked
to her fon with as much cheerfulnefs, as if he
he had ﬂill been under her care. -

Sept. 6th. Two people arrived from Sibidoo—
loo, bringing with them my horfe and clothes;
but I found that my pocket compafs was
broken to pieces. This was a great lofs, which
I could not repair.

Sept. 7th. As my horfe was grazing near ‘
the brink of a well, the ground gave way and
he fell in. The well was about ten feet diame-
ter, and f0 very deep, that when I faw my horfe
fnorting in the water, 1 thought it was impoﬂi-
ble to fave him. The inhabitants of the vil—
lage, however, immediately affembled, and

INTERIOR or AFRICA. ' 281

having tied together a number of withesl‘, they.
lowered a man down into the well, who fallen-
ed thofe withes round the body of the horfe, ,
and the people, having ﬁrl’t drawn up the man,
took hold of the withes, and to my furprize
pulled the horfe out with the greatelt facility.
The poor animal was now reduced to a mere
fkeleton, and the roads were fcarcely pallable,
being either Very rocky, or elfe full of mud
and water; I therefore found it impraaicable
to travel with him any farther, and was happy
to leave him in the hands of one who I thought
would take care of him. I accordingly pre—
fented him to my landlord; and deﬁred him to
fend my faddle and bridle as a prefent to the
Manfa of Sibidooloo, being the only return
I could make him, for having taken fo much
trouble in procuring my horfe and clothes.

I now thought it neceffary, ﬁck as I was, to
take leave of my hofpitable landlord. On the
morning of Sept. 8th, when I was about to de-
part, he prefented me with his fpear, as atoken
of remembrance, and a leather bag to contain
my clothes. Having converted my half boots
into fandals, I travelled with more cafe, and
ﬂept that night in a village called Ballanti. On
the 9th I reached Nemacoo; but the Manfa of
the village thought ﬁt to make me fup Upon
the camelion’s difh. By way of apology, how.-
ever, he allured me the next morning, that the

I, V ':*' From a plant called Kabba, that climbs iikc a vine upon
tam trees.
X " B b 2

i,
L'"

282 TRAVELS IN THE

fcarcity of corn was fuch, that he could not
poﬂibly allow me any. I could not accufe
him of unkindnefs, as all the people aaually
appeared to be ﬁarving.

Sept. 10th. It rained hard all day, and the
people kept themfelves in their huts. In the
'afternoon— I was viﬁted by a Negro, named
Modi Lemina Taura, a great trader, who, fuf—
peéling my diﬁrefs, brought me fome vicluals,
and promifed to conduct me to his own houfe
at Kinyeto the day following.

Sept. 11th. I departed from Nemacoo, and
arrived at Kinyeto in the evening; but having
l'i’urt mymnkle in the way, it fwelled and in-
flamed fo much, that I could neither walk 'nor
fet my' foot to the ground the next day, with-
out great pain. My landlord obferving this,
kindly invited me to Pray with him a few days,
and I accordingly remained at his houfe until
the 14th, by which time I felt much relieved,'
and could walk with the help of a {’taﬁ‘. I
now fet out, thanking my landlord for his great
care and attention; and being accompanied by
a young man who was travelling the fame way,
I proceeded for Jerijang, a beautiful and well '
cultivated diftrié‘t, the Man fa of which is reck-
oned the moﬁ powerful chief of any in Manding.

On the 15th I reached Dofita, a large town,
where I ﬂayed one day on account of therain,
but I continued very ﬁckly, and was ﬂightly
delirious in the night. On the 17th I fet out
for Manlia, a conﬁderable town, where {man

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 9,33

quantities of gold are collected. The road
led over a high rocky hill, and my ﬁrength and
fpirits were f0 much exhauﬁed, that before I
could reach the top of the hill, I was forced
to lie down three times, being very faint and
ﬁckly. I reached Manfia in the afternoon.
The Manfa of this town had the character of
being very inhofpitable; he, however, lent me
a little corn for my fupper, but demanded fome-
thing in return; and when I alfured him that
I had nothing of value in my poffellion, he
told me, as if in jeﬁ, that my white {kin {hould
not defend me, if I told him lies. He then
{hewed me the hut wherein I was to fleep, but
tookaway my fpear, faying that it fhould. be
returned to me in the morning. This triﬂing
circumﬂance, when joined to the character I
had heard of the man, made me rather fufpi-
cious of him, and I privately delired one of .
the inhabitants of the place, who had a bow '
and quiver, to {leep in the fame but with me.
About midnight I heard fomebody approach
the door, and obferving the moonlight {irike
fuddenly into the hut, I ﬁarted up, and faw a
man {’tepping cautioufly over the threlhold. I
immediately fnatched up the Negro’s bow and
quiver, the rattling of which made the man
withdraw; and my companion looking out, af.
fured me that it was the Manfa himlelf, and ad-
vifed me to keep awake until morning. I clofed
the door, and placed a large piece of wood be-
~ 't‘hind it, and was wondering at this unexpetted

984 TRAVELS IN THE

viﬁt,‘when fomebody preffed f0 hard againﬂ:
the door, that the Negro could hardly keep it
ﬂint. But when I called to him to open the
door, the intruder ran OK, as before.

Sept. 16th. As foon as it was light, the
Negro, at my requelt, went to the Manfa’s
houfe and brought away my fpear. He told
me that the Manfa was alleep, and left this in-
holpitable chief {hould devile means to detain
me, he adviled me to let out before he was
awake; which I immediately did, and about
two o’clock reached Kamalia, a fmall town,
ﬁtuated at the bottom of fome rocky hills,
where the inhabitants colleét gold in conlidera-
ble quantities. The Bulhreens herelive apart
from the Kaﬁrs, and have built their huts in a
fcattered manner, at a lhort dillance from the
town. They have aplace fet apart for per-
forming their devotions in, to which they
give the name of mzﬂdm, or mol'que; but
it is in fact nothing more than a fq‘uare piece
of ground made level, and l‘urrounded with
the trunks of trees, havinga fmall projection
towards the call, where the Marraboo, or prieﬂ:
ﬁands, when he calls the people to prayers.
Mofques of this conﬁruélion are very common
among the converted Negroes; but having nei-
ther walls nor roof, they can only be tiled in
ﬁne weather. When it rains, the Bulhreens
perform their devotions in their huts. '

On my arrival at Kamalia, I was conducted
to the houfe of a. Bufhreen named Karfa Taura

INTERIOR ‘OF AFRICA. ass, i

the brother of him to whofe holpitality I was
indebted at Kinyeto. He was colleﬁing a cof.
fle of ﬂaves, with a View to fell them to the
Europeans on-the Gambia, as foon as the rains
fhould be over. I found him ﬁtting in his ba—
loon furrounded by feveral Slatees who propo-
fed to join the coHle. He was reading to them
from an Arabic book, and enquired, with a
fmile, if Iunderltoodit? Being anfwered in
the negative, he deﬁred one of the Slatees to,
fetch the little curious book which had been
brought from the weft country. On opening
this fmall volume,I was furprifed, and delight-
ed, to ﬁnd it our Book of Common Prayer ,-
and Karfa exprelfed great joy to, hear that It
could read it ; for fome of the Slatees who had.
feen the Europeans upon the coalt, obferving
the colour of my (kin, which was now become
very yellow from ﬁcknefs, my long beard, rag-
ged clothes, and extreme poverty, were un—
willing to admit that I was a white man, and
told Karfa that they fufpeffted I was fome Arab
in difguife. Karfa however, perceiving that I
could read this book, had no doubt concern-
ingme, and kindly promiled me every allif-
tance in his power. At the fame time he in-
formed me, that it was impollible to croEs the
Jalonka wildernels for many months yet to
co me, as no lefs than eight rapid rivers, he
faid, lay in the way. He added, that he in-
tended to let out himfelf' for Gambia as foon as "
the rivers were fordable, and the grafs burnt,

166 TRAVELS IN THE

and advifed me to Ray and accompany him.
He remarked, that when a caravan of the na-
tives could not travel through the country, it
was idle fora ﬁngle white man to attempt it.
I readily admitted, that fuch an attempt was an
a& of ralhnefs, but Iall'ured him that Ihad
now no alternative, for having no money to
fupport myfelf, I muli either beg my fubﬁf-
tence by. travelling from place to place, or pe-
rilh for want. Karfa now looked at me with
great earneﬁnefs, and enquired if I could eat
the common viE‘tuals of the country, ailuring
me he had never before feen a white man. He
added, that if I would remain with him until
the rains were over, he would give me plenty
of viEtuals in the mean time, and a but to fleep
in, and that after he had conducled me in fafety
to the Gambia, I might then (make him what
returnI thought proper. I alked himif the
value of one prime {lave would fatisfy him :
He anfwered in the afﬁrmative, and immedi-
ately ordered one of the huts to be fwept for
my accommodation. Ilhus was I delivered,
by the friendly care of {his benevolent Negro,
from a ﬁtuation truly deplorable. Diﬂrefs and
famine prelled hard upon me ,;:I had before
me the gloom—y wilds of Jallonkadoo, where
the traveller fees no habitation for ﬁve fuccef-
ﬁve days. I had obferved ata diﬁance the ra-
pid Courfe of the river Kokoro, I had almoit
marked out the place where I was doomed, I

38

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 1&7

thought, to-pe‘rifh, when this friendly Negro
ﬁretched out hishofpitable hand for my relief.
In the hut which was appropriated for me, I
wasyprovided with a mat to {leep on, an earthen
jar for holding water, and a [mall calabalh to
drink out of, and Karfa lent me from his own
dwelling two meals a day, and ordered his
ﬂaves to fupply me with ﬁrewood and water.
But I found that neither the kindnefs of Karfa,
nor any fort of accommodation, could put a
{top to the fever which weakened me, and
which became every day more alarming. I
endeavoured as much as polﬁble to conceal my
dilirefs; but on the third day after my arrival,
as I was going with Karla to viIit fome of his
friends, I found mylelf f0 faint that I could
fearcely walk, and before we reached the place,
I itaggered, and fell into a pit from which the
clay had,been taken to build one of the huts.
Karfa endeavoured to confole me with the
hopes of'a fpeedy recovery, alluring me, that
if I would not walk out in the wet, I fhould
ioon be well. I determined to follow his ad-
vice, and conﬁne myfelf to my hut ; but was
ilill tormented with the fever, and my health
continued to be in a very precarious {late for
live enfuing weeks. Sometimes I could crawl
out ol‘the hut, and ﬁt a few hours in the open
air; at other timesI was unable to rife, and
pailed the lingering hours in a very gloomy
, and folitary manner. I was feldom viiited by
A any perfon except my benevolent landlord,

"£83 ' TRAVELS IN THE

who came daily to‘ enquire after my health.
'When the rains became lefs frequent, and the
country began to grow dry, the fever left me,
but in lo debilitated a condition, that I could
'fcarcely {land upright, and it was with great
difﬁculty that I could carry my mat to the
ihade of a tamarind tree at a {hort dillance, to
enjoy the refrelhing fmell of the corn-ﬁelds,
and delight my eyes with a profpeél of the
country. I had the pleafure at length to ﬁnd
myfelf ina {late of convalefcence; towards
which, the benevolent and ﬁmple manners of
the Negroes, and the perufal of Karfa’s little
volume, greatly contributed.

In the mean time, many of the Slatees who ,
reﬁded at Kamalia, having fpent all their mo-
ney, and become in a great meafure dependent
upon Karfa’s hofpitality, beheld me with an ‘
eye ofenvy, and invented many ridiculous and 5
trifling ﬁories to leflen me in Karfa’s eﬁeem: }
And in the beginning of December a Sera- 3
Woolli Slatee, with ﬁve ﬂaves, arrived from ‘
Sego; this man too, fpread a number of ma- .
licious reports concerning me, but Karfa paid
no attention to them, and continued to lhew
me the fame kindnefs as formerly. As I was
one day converﬁng with the {laves which this
Slatee had brought, one of them begged me to
give him fome viéluals. I told him I was a ,
itranger and had none to give. He replied, “I ,
“ gave you vieluals when you was hungry.
“ Have you forgot the man who brought you ,

 

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. '289

“ milk at Karrankalla 3’ But,” added he with a
ﬁgh, ' “ the mm were not then upon my legs I”
I immediately recolleéled him, and begged
fom‘e ground-nuts from Karfa to give him, as a
return for his former kindnefs: He told me
that he had been taken by the B‘ambarrans the
day after the battle at Joka, and lent to Sego,
where he had been purchafed by his prefent
maﬂér, who was carrying him down to Kajaa-
ga. Three more of thefe flaves were. from
Kaarta, and one from Walfela, all of them
prifoners of war. They [topped four days at.
Kamalia, and were then taken to Bala, where
they remained until the river Kokoro was ford-
able, and the grafs burnt.

In the beginning of December, Karfa pro-
pofed to complete his purchafe of ﬁaves, and
for this purpofe colleEted all the debts which
were owing to him in his own country; and on
the 19th, being accompanied by three Slatees,
he departed for Kancaba, a large town on the
banks of the Niger, and a great {lave-market.
Molt of the flaves who are fold at Kancaba,
come from Bambarra, for Manfong, to avoid
the expence and danger of keeping all his pri-
l'oners at Sego, commonly {ends them in {mall
parties, to be fold at the different trading towns,
and as Kancaba is much reforted to by mer-
chants, it is always well fupplied with Haves,
which are fent thither up the (Niger in canoes.
When Karfa departed from Kamalia, he pro-

pofed to return in the courfe of a month, and
, C c ,

ggo TRAVELS IN THE

during his abfence I was left to the care of a
good old Bufhreen, who acted as fchoolmaﬁer
to the young people of Kamalia.

Being now left alone, and at leifure to in-
dulge my own reﬂections, it was an opportu-
nity not to be negleéted, of augmenting and
extending the obfervations I had already made
on the climate and productions of the country ;
and of acquiring a more perfeEt knowledge of
the natives, than it was pollible for me to ob-
tain, in the courfe of a tranﬁent and perilous
journey through the country. I endeavoured
likewife to collect all the information I could,
concerning thofe important branches of Afri—
can commerce, the trade for gold, iva, and
ﬂaves. Such was my employment during the
remainder of my ﬂay at Kamalia, and I {hall
now proceed to lay before my readers the re-
fult of my refearches and enquiries, avoiding
as far as I can, a repetition of thofe circum-
ﬁances and oblervations, which were related
as occaﬁon arofe in the narrative of my journey.

INTERIOR or AFRICA. . 29:
CHAP. XX.

0f the climate and feaﬁms."——Winds.——-Vegeta-
Me produélions.—Populatioits—General 05-
fervations on the chamfier and dzﬁbtﬂtzon of
tlze‘Mandingoes ; and a fummary account of
their manners, habits (3f life, their marria-
ges, £36. 635.

THE whole of my route both in going and
returning, having been conﬁned to a tract
of country bounded nearly by the 12th and‘
I 5th parallels of latitude, the reader mull ima~
gine, that I found the climate in molt places
extremely hot; but no where did 'I feel the
beat f0 intenfe and oppreﬂive as in the camp at
Benowm, of which mention has been made in a
former place. In fome parts, where the coun-
try afcends into hills, the air is at all times com.
paratively cool ; yet none of the diﬁriéls which
I traverfed could properly be called mountain-
ous. ' About the middle of june, the hot and
fultry atmofphere is agitated by violent guﬂs
of wind, called tornadoes, accompanied with
thunder and rain. Thele-ulher in what is de.
nominated the rainy feafon, which continues
until the month of November. During this
time the diurnal rains are very heavy, and the
prevailing winds are from the fouthweﬂ. The
termination of the rainy feafon is likewife at-
tended with violent tornadoes ; after which the
windrﬂlifts to the northeall, and continues to

if]

992 TRAVELS IN- THE

blow from that quartervduring the rel’t of the
year.
_. When the wind fets in from the north-eaﬁ,
it produces a wonderful change in the face of
the country. The grafs foon becomes dry and
withered, the rivers fublide very rapidly, and
many of the trees ﬁled their leaves. About
this period is commOnly felt the harmattcm, a
dry andparching wind, blowing from the north-
eal’t, and accompanied by a thick fmoky haze,
through which the fun appears of adull red
colour. This wind, in paﬂing over the great
defert of Sahara, acquires a very ﬂrong attrac-
tion for humidity, and parches up every thing
expofed to its current. Itis, however, reck-
oned very ‘falutary, particularly to Europeans,
who generally recover their health during its
continuance. I experienced immediate relief
from ﬁcknefs, both at Dr. Laidley’s and at Ka-
malia, during the harmattan. Indeed, the air
during the rainy feafon is f0 loaded with moif-
ture, that clothes,_ fhoes, trunks, and every
thing that is not clofe to the ﬁre, become darnp
and mouldy, and the inhabitants may be {aid
to livein a fort of vapour bath: but this dry
wind braces up the folids, which were before
relaxed, gives a cheerful ﬂow of lpirits, and is
even plealant to refpiration. Its ill effeEts are,
that it produces chaps in the lips, and aflhéts
many of the natives with fore eyes. 1
Whenever the gravfs is fuilictently‘ dry, the
Negroes let it on ﬁre; butin Ludamar,_and

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 293

other Moorifh countries, this praﬁice is not [al-
: lowed, for it is upon the withered ﬁubble, that
the Moors feed their cattle 'until the return of
the rains. The burning the grals in Manding
exhibits a [cane of terriﬁc grandeur. In the
middle of the night I could fee the plains and
mountains, as far as my eye could reach, va-
riegated with lines of fire, and the light reﬂeEt-
ed on the Iky, made the heavens appear in a
blaze. In the day—time, pillars of fmoke were
feen in every direEtion, while the birds of prey
were obferved hovering round the conflagra-
tion, and pouncing down upon the fnakes, li—
zards, and other reptiles, which attempted to
efcape from the ﬂames. This annual burning
is foon followed by a frefh and fweet verdure,
and the country is thereby rendered more
healthful and pleafant.

Of the molt remarkable and important of the
vegetable produé‘tions, mention has already
been made, and they are nearly the fame in all
the dil’triéls through which I paffed. It is ob-
lervable, however, that although many fpecies
of the edible roots which grow in the Well-
India Iﬂands, are found in Africa, yet I never
faw in any part of my journey, either the fu-
gar cane, the coffee, or the cocoa tree, nor
could I learn on enquiry, that they were known
to the natives. The pineapple, and the thou-
fand other delicious fruits, which the indul’try
of civilized man, improving the bounties of na-
ture, has brought to f0 great perfeélion in the.

C c 2

294 TRAVELS IN THE

tropical climates of AmericaLare here equally
unknown. I obferved indeed, a few orange
and banana trees near the mouth of the Gain;
bia; but whether they were indigenous, or
were formerly planted there by lome of the
white traders, I could not poﬁtively learn. I
fufpecl, that they were originally introduced by
the Portuguefe. ‘

Concerning property in thefoil, it appeared
to me, that the lands in native woods, were
conﬁdered as belonging to the king, or, where
the government was not monarchical, to the
ﬁate. When any individual of free condition
had the means of cultivating more land than
he actually polfeffed, he applied to the chief
man of the diltriﬁ, who allowed him an exten—
{ion of territory, on condition of forfeiture, if
the lands were not brought into cultivation by
a given period. The condition being fulﬁlled,
the foil became veﬂed in the polfeﬂor; and for
aught that. appeared to me, defcended to his
heirs.

The population however, conﬁdering the
extent and fertility of the foil, and the cafe with
which lands are obtained, is not very great in
the countries which I vifited. I found many
extenliveand beautiful diltriEts entirely del’ti-
tute ofinhabitants; and in general, the borders
of the different kingdoms were either very
thinly peopled, or entirely deferted. Many
places are likewife unfavorable to population
from being unhealthful. The fwampy banks

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 995

of the Gambia, the Senegal, and other rivers
towards the coalt, are of this defcription. Per—
haps it is on this account chieﬂy, that the inte-
rior, countries abound more with inhabitants
than the maritime dil’trié‘ls; for all the Negro
nations that fell under my obferv‘ation, though
divided into a number of petty independent
ﬁates, fublill: chiefly by the fame means, live
nearly in the fame temperature, and poiTefs a
wonderful ﬁmilarity ofdifpoﬁtion. The Man-
dingoes, in particular, are a very gentle race,
cheerful in their difpoﬁtions, inquilitive, cre-
dulous, ﬁmple, and fond of flattery. Perhaps
the molt prominent defect in their charaﬂer,
was that infurmountable propenﬁty, which the
reader mui’t have obierved to prevail in all claf-
fes of them, to Real from me the few effects I
was poifeiled of. _ For this part of their con—'
duct no complete juﬁiﬁcation can be offered,
becaufe, theft is a crime in their own eliima-
tion, and it muﬂ‘be obierved, that they are
not habitually and generally guilty ofit towards
each other. This however, is an important
circuml’tance in mitigation; and before we pro-
nounce them a more depraved people than any
Other, it. were well to conﬁder whether the
lower order of people in any part of Europe

would have acted, under iimilar circuml’tances, /
with greater honefty towards a Manger, than
the Negroes acted towards me. It mull not be
forgotten, that the laws of the country aliord—
ed me no protection ; that every one was at 1i.

I

295 TRAVELS IN THE

berty to rob me with impunity; and ﬁnally,
that fome part of my ell'eéls were of as great
Value, in the ellimation of the Negroes, as
pearls and diamonds would have been in the
eyes of a European. Let us fuppofe, a black
merchant of Hindoltan to have found his way
into the centre of England with a box ofjewels
at his back, and that the laws of the kingdom
afforded him no fecurity; in fuch a cafe the
Wonder wOuld be, not that the ﬁranger was rob-
bed of any part of his riches, but that any part
was left for a fecond depredator. Such, on
fober reﬂection, is the judgment I have form-
ed, concerning the pilfering difpoﬁtion of the
Mandingo Negroes towards myfelf. Notwith—
{landing I was [0 great a fufferer by it, I do,
not conﬁder that their natural fenfe of juﬁice
was perverted or extinguifhed; it was over-
powered only, for the moment, by the {trength
of a temptation, which it required no common
virtue to reﬁll. '
On the other hand, as fome counterbalance
to this depravity in their nature, allowing it to
be fuch, it is impollible for me to forget the
diﬁnterei’ted charity, and tender folicitude, with
which many of thefe poor heathens, from the
fovereign of Sego, to the poor women who
received me at diiierent times into their cot-
tages, when I was perifhing of hunger, fym-
‘pathizcd with me in my fuﬁerings, relieved my
dillreiles, and contributed to my fafety. This
acknowledgment, however, is perhaps more ,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. £97

particularly due to the female part of the na-
tion. Among the men, as the reader muﬂ have
fcen, my reception, though generally kind, was
lometimes otherwife. It varied according to
the various tempers of thofe to whom I made
application. The hardnefs or avarice in fome,
and the blindnefs of bigotry in others, had
clofed up the avenues to compalnon; but I do
not recollect a lingle inﬂance of hardhearted-
nefs towards me in the women. In all my
wanderings and wretchednels, I found them
uniformly kind and compalfionate, and I can
t1uly fay, as my predeceﬂor, M1. Ledyard, has
eloquently faid before me; “ To a woman, I
“ never addrelfed myfelf 1n the language of
“ decency and friendlhip, without receiving a
“ decent and friendly anfwer. If I was hun-
“-gry, or thirﬁy, wet, or ﬁck, they did not
“ heﬁtate, like the men, to perform a generous
“ action. In fo free and f0 kind a manner did
“they contribute to my relief, that iFI was
“ dry, I drank the fweetel’t draught; and if
“ hungry, I eat the coarfefl: morfel with a
“ double relifh. ”

It is furely reafonable to fuppofe, that the,
foft and amiable fympathy of nature, which
was thus fpontaneoufly manifeﬂed towards me
in my dillrefs, is difplayed by thefe poor peo-
ple, as occaflon requires, much more llrongly
towards perfons of their own nation and neigh—
bourhood, and efpecially when the objects of
the" 1r compaﬂion are endeared to them by the

\

£98 A ‘ TRAVELS IN THE

ties of 'confanguinity. Accordingly, the ma-
ternal affection, neither Tupprelled by the re-
ﬂraints, nor diverted by the folicitudes of ci.
vilized life, is everywhere confpicuous among
them, and creates a correfpondent return of
tendernefs in the child. An illuﬂration of this
has been given in p. 51 . “ Strike me,” faid my
attendant, “ but do not ehrfe my mother.”
The fame fentiment I found univerfally to
prevail, and obferved in all parts of Africa,
that the greateﬁ affront which could be oli‘ered
to a, Negro, was to reileEt on her who gave
him birth.

It isnot ﬁrange that this fenfe of ﬁlial duty
and affeaion among the Negroes, {hould be
lefs ardent towards the father than the mother.
The fyﬂem of polygamy, while it weakens the
father’s attachment, by dividing it among the
children of different wives, concentrates all
the mother’s jealous tendernefs to one point,
the proteétion of her own offspring. I per-
ceived with great fatisfaétion too, that» the ma-
ternal folicitude extended not only to the
growth and fecurity of the perfon, but alfo, in
a certain degree, to the improvement of the
mind of the infant; for one of the ﬁrﬁ leffons
in which the Mandingo women inﬁruEt their
children, is the fraﬁicc of truth. The reader
will probably recolleEt the cale of the unhap-
py mother, whore fon was murdered by the
Mooriih banditti at Funingkedy, fee p. 1413.
Her :only confolation, in her uttermoﬂ Clif-

INTERIOR or Armca. 299

trefs, was the reflection, that the poor boy, in
the courfe of his blamelefs life, he never told
a lie. Such teﬂimony from a fond mother on
fuch an occalion, mull have operated power-
fully on the youthful part of the furrounding
fpeé’tators. It was at once a tribute of praife
to the deceafed, and a lelfon to the living.
The Negro women fuckle their children un-
til they are able to walk of themfelves. Three
years nurfing is not uncommon, and during
this period, the huIband devotes his whole at-
tention to his other wives. To this praétice it
is owing, I prefume, that the family of each
wife is feldom very numerous. Few women
have more than ﬁve or ﬁx children. As foon
as an infant is able to Walk, it is permitted to
run about with great freedom. The mother is
not over folicitous to preferve it from ﬂight
falls, and other trifling accidents. A little
practice foon enables a child to take care of
itfelf, and experience aEls the part of a nurfe.
As they advance in life, the girls are taught to
fpin cotton, and to beat corn, and are inﬁrué‘t-
ed in other domeﬁic duties, and the boys are
employed in the labours of the field. Both
fexes, whether Bulhreens or Kaﬁrs, on at-
taining the age of puberty, are circumcifed.
This painful operation is not coniidered by the
Kaﬁrs fo much in the light of a religious cere~
many, as a matter of convenience and utility.
They have indeed a fuperﬁitious notion, that.
it contributes to render the marriage Rate pro-

'300 TRAVELS IN THE ‘

liﬁc. The operation is performed upon feve—
ral young people at the fame time, all of whom
are exempted from every fort of labour for
two months afterwards. During this period
they form a fociety, called Solimana.‘ They
viiit the towns and villages in the neighbour—
hood, where they dance and ling, and are well
treated by the inhabitants. ' I had frequently,
in the courfe of my journey, obferved parties
of this defcription, but they were all males. I
had, however, an opportunity of feeing a fe-
male Sol'imana at Kamalia.

In the courfe of this celebration it frequent—
ly happens that fome of the young women get
married. If a man takes a fancy to any one
of them, it is not conﬁdered as abfolutely ne-
ceifary that he lhould make an overture to the
girl herfelf. The ﬁrit objeét is to agree with
the parents concerning the recompence to be
given them, for the lofs of the company and
fervices of their daughter. The value of two
ﬂaves is a common price, unlefs the girl is
thought very handfome, in which cafe the pa-
rents will raife in their demand very conﬁdera-
bly. If the lover is rich enough, and willing
to give the fum demanded, he then communi-
cates his wilhes to the damfel; but her confent
is by no means neceﬂary to the match, for if
the parents agree to it, and eat a few kollcmuts,
which are prefented by the fuitor as an earneft
of the bargain, the young lady mul’t either
have the man of their choice, or continue un-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 30:

married, for {he cannot afterwards be given to
another. If the parents ihouid attempt it, the
lover is then authorized, by the laws of the
country, to feize upon the girl as his (lave.
When the day for celebrating the nuptials is
ﬁxed on, a feleEt number of people are invited
to be prefent at the wedding; a bullock or goat
is killed, and great plenty of viEtuals dreﬂed
for the occaﬁon. As foon as it is dark the
bride is conducted into a hut, where a compa-
ny of matrons aiﬁfi in arranging the wedding
drefs, which is always white cotton, and is put
on in fu'ch a manner, as to conceal the bride
from head to foot. Thus arrayed, {he is feated
upon a mat in the middle of the floor, and the
old women place them‘felves in a circle round
her. They then give her a feries of inﬁruclions,
and point out with great propriety, what ought '
to be her future conduct in life. This fcene of
infiruétion, however, is frequently interrupted
by girls, who amufe the company with fongs
and dances, which are rather more remarkable
for their gaiety than delicacy. While the bride
remains within the hut with the women, the
bridegroom devotes his attention to the guelis
of both fexes, 'who aifemble without doors,
and by diﬂributing among them fmall prefents
of kolla-nuts, and feeing that every one par-
takes of the good cheer which is provided, he
contributes much to the general hilarity of the
evening. When fupper is ended, the c0mpa.

ny fpend the remaindelgolf the night in linging

392 TRAVELS IN THE

and dancing, and feldom feparate until day-
break. About midnight, the bride is privately
conducted by the women into the hut which is
to be her future relidence, and the bridegroom,
upon a lignal given, retires from his company.
The new married couple, however, are always
diﬁurbed towards morning by the women, who
allemble to inlpeEt the nuptial lheet, according
to the manners of the ancient Hebrews, as re-
corded in lcripture, and dance round it. This
ceremony is thought indilpenﬁbly necellary;
nor is the marriage conﬁdered as valid with-
out it.

The Negroes, as hath been frequently ob-
fervcd, whether Mahomedan or Pagan, allow
a plurality of wives. The Mahomedans alone
are by their religion conﬁned to four; and as
the hufband commonly pays a great price for
each, he requires from all of them“ the utmoﬁ
deference and fubmilhon, and treats them more
like hired fervants than companions, They
have, however, the management of domellic
affairs, and each in rotation is mil’trefs of the
houfehold, and has the care of drelling the vic-
tuals, overlooking the female llaves, &c. But
though the African hufbands are pollelled of
great authority over their wives, I did not ob-
lerve that in general they treat them with em.
elty; neither did I perceive that mean jealoufy
in their difpoﬁtions, which is f0 prevalent among
the Moors. They permit their wives to par-
take of all public diverﬁons, and this indul-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 353

gence is feldom abufed; for though the Negro
women are very cheerful and frank in their be-
haviour, they are by no means given to in-
trigue ; I believe that inﬁances of conjugal inﬁ-
delity are not common. When the wives quar.
rel among themfelves, a circumftance which,
from the nature of their ﬁtuation mull fre-
quently happen, the hulband decides between
them, and fometimes ﬁnds. it necelfary to ad-
minilter alittle corporal chaﬁifement, before
tranquility can be rellored. But if any one of
the ladies complains to the chief of the town,
that her hufband has unjuflly punilhed her, and
ihewn an undue partiality to {ome other of his
wives, the affair is brought to a public trial.
In thefe palavers, however, which are conduct-
ed chieﬂy by married men, I was informed,
that the complaint of the wife is not always
conﬁdered in a very ferious light; and the corn-
plainant herfelf is fometimes convicted of ﬁrife
and contention, and left without remedy. If
{he murmurs at the decifion of the court, the
magic rod of Mambo jumbo foon puts an end
to the buﬁnefs.

The children of the Mandingoes are not al-
ways named after their relations, but frequently
in confequence of fome remarkable occurrence.
Thus, my landlord at Kamalia, was called.
Kmfa, a word ﬁgnifying to replace; becaule
he was born fhortly after the death of one of
his brothers. Other names are defcriptive of
good or bad qualities; as Modi, “ a good

 

 

 

 

3’64 TRAVELS IN THE

mam” Fadibéa, “father of the town,” &c.
Indeed the very names of their towns have
fomething defcriptive in them; as Sibidooloo,
“ the town of ciboa trees;” Kenneyetoo, “ vic-
tuals here;” Dq/im, “ lift your lpoon.” Others
appear to be given by way of reproach; as
Bamma/wo, “ walh a crocodile;” Karrankalla,
“ no cup,,to drink from,” &c. A child is
named when it is feven or eight days old. The
ceremony commences by {having the infant’s
head; and a dilh called Dega, made of pound-
ed corn and {our milk, is prepared for the
guelts. If the parents are rich, a {beep or a
goat is commonly added. This feaﬂ is called
Ding koon [6e “ the child’s head Ihaving.”
During my Ray at Kamalia, I was prefent at
{our diﬁerent feal’ts of this kind, and the cere—
mony was the fame in each, whether the child
belonged to a Bulhreen or a Kaﬁr. The fchool-
mailer, who oﬂiciated as prieﬁ on thofe occa-
lions, and who is neceﬂarily a Bulhreen, ﬁrlt
laid a long prayer over the dega; during which
every perlon prefent took hold of the brim of
the calabafh with his right hand. After this‘the
fchoolmai’ter took the child in hisarms, and
laid a fecond prayer, in which he repeatedly
folicited the bleﬂing of God upon the child,
and upon all the company. When this'prayer
was ended, he whifpered a few fentences in the
child’s ear, and fpit three times in its face;
after which he pronounced its name aloud, and
returned the infant to the mother. This part

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 3/05

of the ceremony being ended, the father of
the child divided the dega into a number of
balls, one of which he diﬁributed to every
perfon prefent. An enquiry was made, if any
pcrfon in the town was dangerouﬂy lick, it
being ufual in fuch cafes to fend the party a
large portion of the dega, which is thought to
polfefs great medical virtues.

Among the Negroes every individual, be-
{ides his own proper name, has likewife a lion.
tong, or furname, to denote the family or clan
to which he belongs. Some of thefe families
are very numerous and powerful. It is impoﬂi—
ble to enumerate the various kontongs which
are found in dilferent parts of the country;
though the knowledge of many of them is of
great fervice to the traveller; for as every Ne-
gro plumes himfelf upon the importance, or
the antiquity of his clan, he is much ﬂattered
when he is addrelfed by his kontong.

Salutations among the Negroes to each other,
when they meet,'are always obferved; but thofe
in molt general ufe among the Kaﬁrs, are, Ab-
be hacrettorT-Em'ngfeni,-—Anawari, &c. all
of which have nearly the fame meaning, and
ﬁgnify, are you well, or to that effeEt. There
are likewife falutations which are ufed at differ-
ent times of the day, as Em'ng fomo, good
morning, &c. The general anfwer to all fa-
lutations,‘is to repeat the kontong of the perfon

’ who falutes, or elfe to repeat the falutationitfelf,
ﬁrlt pronouncing the wogdmarhalm, my friend.
D 2

306 TRAVELS IN THE
CHAP. XXI. 2 3:! M
Account (f the Mandmgoes co M—leezr

notions concerningt etmgy bodies and
theﬁgmc 'of the car, .—Religious opzmons.
—Difmfcs and their method of treatment. ——
Funeral ceremonies .———Amufemems, occupa-
tions, (ﬁsts, manujofiures, €36.

HE Mandingoes, and I believe the Ne-
groes in general, have no artiﬁcial me-'
thod of dividing time. They calculate the
years by the number of rainyﬂafons. They
portion the year into moons, and reckon the
days by f0 manyﬁms. The day. they divide
into morning, mid (lay, and evening, and fur-
ther fubdivide it when neceilary, by pointing
to the fun’s place in the Heavens. I frequent-
ly enquired of fome of them, what became of
the fun during the night, and whether we fhould
fee the fame fun, or a different one, in the
morning, but I found that they conﬁdered the
queliion as ve1y childilh. The fubjeét appear—
ed to them as placed beyond the reach of hu—
man inveﬁigation; they had never indulged a
conjecture, nor formed any hypotheﬁs about
the matter. The moon, by varying her form,
has more attracted their attention: On the ﬁrﬂ;
appearance of the new moon, which they look
upon to be newly greated, the Pagan nativse,
as well as Mahomedans, fay a fhort prayer-
and this feems cg be the only viﬁble adoration

INTERIOR or AF‘RICA. 357

which the Kaﬁrs offer up to the Supreme Be-
ing. This prayer is pronounced in a whifper,
the party holding up his hands before his face;
its purport, as I have been airurcd by many
different people, is to return thanks to God for
his kindnefs through the exiﬂence of the paﬂ:
moon, and to folicit a continuation of his fa-
VOur during that of the new one. Atét: the con-
cluﬁon they fpit upon their hands, and rub
them over their faces. This feems to be near-
ly the fame ceremony, which "prevailed among
the Heathens in the days of Job".

Great attention, however, is paid to the
changes of this luminary, in its monthly courfe,
and it is thought very unlucky to begin a jour-
ney, or any other work of confequence, in the
lall quarter. An eclipfe, whether of the fun or
moon,'is fuppofed to be effected by witchcraft.
The ﬂars are very little regarded,and the whole
Rudy of altronomy appears to them as a ufe-
lefs purfuit, and attended to by fuch perfons

fonly as deal in magic. «

Their notions of geography are equally pue-
rile. They imagine that the world is an ex-
tended plain, the termination of which no eye '
has difcovered, it being, they fay, overhung '
with clouds and darknels. They deferibe the
{ea as a large river of falt water, on the farther
ihore of which, is ﬁtuated a country called T o.
Imulw doo, “ the land of the white people.” At

3 Chap. xxxi, v. 25, 2h 28;

33‘s TRAVELS IN THE

3 diﬁance from Tobaubo doo, they defcribe
another country, which they alledge is inha-
bited by cannibals of gigantic ﬁze called Koomi.
This country they call jong fang doo, “ the
“land where the ﬂaves are fold.” But of all
countries in'the world their own appears to
them as the belt, their own people as the hap-
pieﬁ, and they pity the fate of other nations,
who have been placed by Providence in lefs
fertile, and lefs fortunate diflriélzs.

Some of the ibligious opinions of the Ne-
groes, though blended with the weakei’t crcdu-
lity and fuperﬁition, are not unworthy atten-
tion. I have converfed with all ranks and con-
ditions upon the fubjeét of their faith, and'can
pronounce, without the fmalleﬂ: {hadow of
doubt, that the belief of one God, and of a fu-
ture {late of reward and puniihment, is entire
and univerfal among them. rItis remarkable
however, that, except on the appearance of a
new moon, as before related, the Pagan natives
do not think it neceifary to offer up prayers
and fupplications to the Almighty. They re-
prefent the Deity, indeed, as the creator and
preferver ofall things; but in general, they con-
ﬁder him as a Being fo remote, and of f0 ex—
' alted anature, that it is idle to imagine, the
feeble fupplications of wretched mortals can re-
verfe the decrees, and change the purpofes of
unerring Wifdom. Ifthey are aiked, for what
reafon then do they offer up a prayer on the
appearance of the new moon, the anfwer is,

Jr
.k.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 5659'

that cuﬂom has made it necelfary; they do it,
'becaufe their fathers did it before them. Such
is the blindnefs of unaﬂiﬂed nature ! The con-
cerns of this world, they believe, are commit-
ted by the Al‘inighty to the fuperintendance
and direction of fubordinate fpirits, over whom
they fuppofe that certain magical ceremonies
have great influence. A white fowl .ful'pend-
ed to the branch of a particular tree; a fnake’s
head, or a few handfuls of fruit, are offerings
which ignorance and fuperll‘ition frequently
prefent, to deprecate the wrath, or to conciliate
the favor, of thefe tutelary agents. But it is
not often, that the Negroes make their religious
opinions the fubjeEt of converfation; when in-
terrogated in particular concerning their ideas
ofa future Rate, they exprefs themfelves with
great reverence, but endeavour to {horten the
difcuiﬁon by obferving—mo 0 mo inta allo, “no
“ man knows any thing about it.” They are
content, they fay, to follow the precepts and
examples of their forefathers, through the va-
rious viciﬁitudes of life; and when this world
prefents no objects of enjoyment or of com-
fort, they feem to look with anxiety towards
‘ another, which they believe will be better fuit-
ed to their natures; but concerning which,
they are far from’indulging vain and deluﬁve
conjectures. .
V The Mandingoes feldom attain extreme old
:age. At forty molt of them become grey hair-
,»ed and covered with wrinkles; ,and but few of

 

ﬁlo TRAVELS IN THE

them furvive the age of ﬁfty-ﬁve, or ﬁxty. ,
They calculate the years of their lives, as I
have already obferved, by the number of rainy
feafons, there being but one fucgh in the year,
and diﬁinguilh each year by aip‘articular name,
founded on fome remarkable occurrence which
happened in that year. Thus they fay, the
year of the Farbmma war; the year of the
Kaarta war ; the year on which Gadou was
plundered, {9°C. 80. and I have no doubt the
year 1796 will in many places, 'be dillinguilh-
ed by the name of Tobaubo tambi fang, “ the
“year the white man paliedf’ as fuch an oc-
currence would naturally form an epoch in
their traditional hiﬁory.

But, notwithllanding that longevity is un-
common among them, it appeared to me, that
their difeafes are but few in number. Their
ﬁmple‘ diet, and active way of life, preferve
them from many of thofediforders which em—
bitter the days ofluxury and idlenefs. Fevers
and ﬂuxes are the molt common, and the molt
fatal. For thefe they generally apply faphies
to dierrent parts of the body, and perform a
great many other fuperl’titious ceremonies;
fome of which are, indeed, well calculated to
infpire the patient with the hope of recovery,
and diverthis mind from brooding over his
f . own danger. But I have fometimes obferved
‘7‘" among them, a more fyﬁematic mode of treat-

ment. On the ﬁrﬁ attack of a fever, when the
patient complains of cold, he is frequently plac.

 

Lia/j“.
tar
INTERIOR or AFRICA. . 3n
ed in a fort of vapour bath; this is done by
fpreading branches of the nauclca orientqlz’s,
upon hot wood embers, and laying the patient
upon them, wrapped up in a large cotton
cloth. Water is then fprinkled upon the branch—
es, which defcending to the hot embers, foon
covers the patient with a cloud of 'vapour, in
which he is allowed to remain until the embers
are almoﬁ extinguilhed. This practice com-
monly produces a profufe perfpiration, and
wonderfully relieves the fuﬂerer. - ,
For the dyilentery, they ufe the bark of dif-

1 ferent trees reduced to powder, and mixed with
i the patient’s food; but this praaiceis in gene-

l

l

u

 

l

ral very unfuccefsful.
The other difeafes which prevail among the

.- Negroes, are theyaws ; the elephmztz'cyis ; and

a leprofy of the very worﬁ kind. This lai’t
mentioned complaint appears, at the beginning,
in fcurfy fpots upon different parts of the ho-
dy, which ﬁnally fettle upon the hands or feet,
where the {kin becomes withered, and cracks

: in many places. At length, the ends of the

ﬁngers fwell and ulcerate; the difcharge is acrid

. and foetid; the nails drop off, and the bones of
1: the ﬁngers become carious and feparate at the
7. Joints. In this manner the difeafe continues

to fpread, frequently until the patient lofes, wig
his ﬁngers and toes: Even the hands and féeé's',

:1 are fometimes deﬁroyed by this inveterate ma;

lady, to which the Negroes give the name of

v,; India jou, “incurable.”

formed by making inciﬁons in the part, and:
" applying to it a bullock’s horn with a fmall hole .

,1 .
312 TRAVELS IN THE

The Guinea worm is likewife very common
in certain places, efpecially at the commence-
ment of the rainy feafon. The Negroes attri—
bute this difeafe, which has been defcribe'd by
many writers, to bad water; and alledge, that
the people who drink from wells are more {ub—
jeEt to it, than thofe who drink from ﬁreams. ‘
To the fame caufe, they attribute the fwelliug
of the‘glands of the neck (goitres) which are
very common in fome parts of Bambarra. I
obferved‘alfo, in the interior countries, a few
inﬁances of ﬁmple gonorrhoea, but never the ‘
conﬁrmed lues. On the Whole, it appeared to ‘
me, that the Negroes are better furgeons than '
phyﬁcians. I found them very fuccefsful in 1
their management of fractures and dillocations,
and their {plints and bandages are ﬁmple, and j
eaﬁly removed. The patient is laid upon a;
foft mat, and the fractured limb is frequently 3'
bathed with cold water. All abfcelfes they open
[with the actual cautery, and the dreﬂings are
compofed of either loft leaves, Shea butter,
or cows dung, as the cafe feems in theirjudg-‘
ment to require. Towards the wait, where“
a fupply of European lancets can be procured,
they fometimes perform phlebotomy, and in
cafes of local inﬂammation, a curious fort of
cupping is praE’rifed. This operation is per-

 

   
 
  

in the end. The operatOr then takes a piece
of beeswax in his mouth, and putting his lips

‘ ﬁg};
INTERIOR or AFRICA. 3: 3

to the hole, extracts the air from the horn, and

by a dexterous ufe of his tongue, f‘tops up .

the hole with the wax. This method is found
to aafwer the. 11rpofe, and in general p1oduces
-a plentiful 1' s

When a perfon of confequence dies, the re.
lations and neighbours meet together, and ma-
nifelt their forrow by loud and difmal howlings.
A bullock or goat is killed for fuch perfons as
come to alﬁlt at the funeral, which generally
takes place in the evening of the fame day on
which the party died. The Negroes have no
appropriate burial places, and frequently dig the
grave in the floor ofthe deceafed’s hut, or in the
ihade of a favourite tree. The body is drelfed in
white cotton, and wrapped up in a mat: It is
carried to the grave in the dufk of the evening
by the relations. If the grave is without the
walls of the town, a number of prickly bullies
are laid upon it, to prevent the wolves from
digging up the body; but I never obferved that
any {tone was placed over the grave as a monu—
ment or memorial.

Hitherto I have conﬁdexed the Negroes
chiefly in a moral light, and confined rnyfelf to
the molt prominent features in their mental cha-
raeter, their domeltic amulements, occupations
and diet, their arts and manufactures, with

 

fome other fubordinate objects, are now t6 he

noticed.
Of their mufic and dancing, fome account

has incidentally been given in different parts of .

bEe

314 TRAVELS IN ‘THE

. my journal. On the firf’t of thefe heads, I have
now to add a lift of their muﬁcal inl’truments,
the principal of which are,——the koonting, a
fort of guitar with three ﬁrings?“ he lero, a
large harp with eighteen firings;the ﬁméing,
a fmall harp with {even ﬁrings—the balafou, an
inﬁrument compofed of twenty pieces of hard
wood of different lengths, with the {bells of
gourds hung underneath, to increafe the found
——the tangtang, a drum open at the lower end
—and lallly, the taZJaZa, a largeidrum, com-
monly ufed to fprcad an alarm through the
country. Belides thefe, they make ufe of
.fmall flutes, bow—firings, elephants teeth, and
bells {and at all their dances and concerts, clap-
ping (y‘hands appears to conltitute a necellary
part of the chorus. '

With the love of muﬁc is naturally. connect-
ed a taile for poetry, and fortunately for the
poets of Africa, they are in a great meafure
exempted from that neglect and indi‘gence,
which in more poliihed countries commonly
attend the votaries of the Mules. They c0n-
tilt of two claﬂes; the moi}. numerous are the

ngz'ng mm, called jilli km, mentioned in a
former part of my narrative; one or more of
thcfe may be found in every town; they ﬁng
extempore fongs in honour of their chief men,

wit any other perfons who are willing to give

. “ Tolid pudding for empty praife.” But a no-
bler part of their ofﬁce is, to recite the hii’tori-
cal events of their country; hence, in war, they

 

3.?

its.“

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 3:15

accompany the foldiers to the field, in order,
by reciting the great actions of their anceﬂors,
to awaken in them a fpirit of glorious emula-_
tion. The other clafs are devotees of the Ma-
horned'an faii *5 who travel about the country,
ﬁnging dev’ou‘i hymns, and performing I‘Cll-
giousxcremonies, to conciliate the favour of
the Almighty, either in averting calamity, or
in inl‘uring fuccefs to any enterprize. Both
defcriptions of thefe itinerant bards are much
employed and rel'peé‘ted by the people, and
very liberal contributions "are made for them.
The ulhal diet of the Negroes is fomewhat
different in diﬂerent diiiricls; in general the
people of free Condition breakfaﬂ about day-
break, upon gruel made of meal and water,
with a little of the fruit of the tamarind to give
it an acid taile: About two o’clock in the af-
ternoon, a fort of haﬂy pudding, with a little
Shea bmter, is the common meal; but the
{uppers conl’titutes the principal repaﬁ, and is
{eldom ready before midnight. This conﬁlts
almol’t univerfally of koulkous, with a {mall
portion of animal food, or Shea butter, r§i>3écd
with it. In eating, the Kaﬁrs as well as Ma-
hornedans, ul'e the right hand only. i
The beverage of the Pagan Negroes is beer
and mead, of each of which they frequently
drink to excels. The Mahomedan converts
drink nothing but water. The natives of; all
,defcription’s take fnuﬂ and fmoke tobacco;
their pipes are made of wood, with an earthen

3:6 ‘ TRAVELS IN THE'

bowl of curious wOrkmanihip. But in the
interior countries, the greatei’t of all luxuries
is falt. It would appEan {trange to an Eu—
ropean, to fee a’ child fuck a piec'ﬁ .hof rock-fair,
as if it were fugar. This, lroié'ver, 'I have
frequently leen; although in the inland parts,
the poorer clafs of the inhabitants are fo very
rarely indulged with this precious article, that
to fay a man eats falt with his vifiuals, is the
fame as faying he is a rich man. I have my-
felfiuifered great inconvenience from the fear-
city of this article. The long ufe of vegeta.
ble food, creates 1'0 painful a longing for lalt,
that no words can-i‘uﬁiciently defcribe it.

The Negroes in general, and the Mandingoes
in particular, are conliderd by the whites on the
coali as an indolent and inactive people; I think
without reafon. Thenature ofthe climate is in-
deed ‘unfavourable to great exertion; but fure-
ly, a people cannot jul’tly be denominated ha-
bitually indolent whole wants are fupplied not
by the fpontaneous produElions of nature, but
by their own exertions. Few people work
harder, when occaﬁon requires, than the Man-
dingoes, but not having many opportunities of
turning to advantage, the fuperfluous produce
of their labour, they are content with cultivat-
ing as much ground only as is neceﬂary for their
own fupport. The labours of the ﬁeld give
them pretty full employment during the rains,
and in the dry leafon, the people who live in
the vicinity of large rivers employ themlelves

:w

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 317 ,

chieﬂy in ﬁfhing. The fifh are taken in wicker
bafkets, or with [mail cotton nets, and are pre-
ferved by being ﬁrﬂ: dried in the fun, and after-
wards rubbe‘v ,with' Shea butter, to prevent
them from gliQraEting frelh moiﬁure. Others
of the nativéE' employ themfelves in hunting.
Their weapons are bows and arrows; but the
arrows in ”common are not poifonedf‘ They
are very dexterous markfmen, and will hit a
lizard on a tree, or any other lmall object, at
an amazing diﬁance. They likewife kill Gui-
nea fowls, partridges, and pigeons, but never
on the wing. W hile the men are occupied in
there purlitits, the women are very diligent in
manufacturing cotton-cloth: They prepare the
cotton for fpinning, by laying it in {mall quan-
tities at a time upon a fmooth done, or piece
or” wood, and rolling the feeds out with a thick
iron fpindle,and they lpin it with the diﬁaff: The
thread is not ﬁne, but well twiﬁed, _ and makes
a very durable cloth. A woman with common
diligence, will fpin from ﬁx to nine garments
of this cloth in one year ; which, according to

 

* Poi’foned arrows are ufed chieﬂy in war‘. The poifon,
which is laid to be very deadly, is prepared from a {hrnb culled
vKoma (a fpecies of Echites) which is very common in the
woods. The leaves of this ﬂirub, when boiled with afmall
quantity of water, yield a thick black juice, into which the
Negroes dip a cotton thread; this thread they fallen round
the iron of the arrow in Inch a manner, that it is almoﬁ im-
poiiible to extract the arrow, when it has funk beyond the
baths, without leaving the iron point and the poifoned thread
in the wound.

Ec2

318 TRAVELS IN THE

its ﬁnenefs,’ will fell for a minkalli and a half,
or two minkallies each.* The weaving is per-
formed by the men: The loom is made exaé‘t-
ly upon the lame principle as that [of Europe,
but fo {mall and narrow, that th‘éWeb is‘ feldom
more than fourinches broad. The {huttle is
of the common conl’trué‘tion, but as the thread
is coarfe, the chamber is fomewhat larger than
the European.

The women dye this cloth ofa'rich and laﬁ.
ing blue colour by the following {imple prOcefs;
the leaves of the indigo when frelh gathered,
are pounded in a wooden mortar, and mixed
in a large earthen jar with a ﬁrong lye of wood
aihes; chamber lye is fometimes added. The
cloth is f’teeped in this mixture, and allowed to
remain until it has acquired the proper ihade.
In Kaarta and Ludaxnar, where the indigo is
not plentiful, they colleé‘t the leaves and dry
them in the fun; and when they wifh to nice
them, they reduce a fuﬁicient quantity to pow-
der, and mix it with the lye as before mention-
ed. Either way, the colour is very beautiful,
with a ﬁne purple glois, and equal, in my opi-
nion, to the heft Indian or European blue.
This cloth is cut into various pieces, and few-
ed into garments with needles of the natives’
own making. '

As the arts of weaving, dying, fewing, &c,
may eaﬁly - be acquired, thofe who exercife

* A minkalli is a quantity of gold nearly equal in value
to ten {billings ﬁerling.

fff r
INTERIOR OF AFRICA. ’319

them are not con‘fidered in Africa, as following
any particular profellion ; for almol’t every {lave
can Weave, and every boy can few. The only
artiﬁswhich 'ediﬁvinétly acknowledged as fuch
by the Ne‘ , and who value themfelves on
exercifmg appropriate and peculiar trades, are
themanufaaurersof leather and of iron. The
ﬁrlt of the-{E are called Karrcm/cea, or as the
Word is fometimes pronounced, Gaungay. They
are to be found in almol’t every town, and they
frequently travel through the country in the
exerci’fe of their calling : They tan and drefs
leather with very great expedition, by i’teeping
the hide ﬁrlt in a mixture of wood-afhes and
water until it parts with the hair, and afterwards
’by ufmg the pounded leaves of a tree called
goo, as ranai’tringent. They are at great pains
to render the hide as foft and pliant as polfible,
by rubbing it frequently between their hands,
and heating it upon a Hone. The hides of bul-
locks are converted chiefly into fandals, and
therefore require lefs care in dreliing than the
{kins of lheep and goats,which are ufed for co-
vering quivers and iaphies, and in making
'fheathes for (words, and knives, belts, pockets,
and a variety of ornaments. Thefe {kins are
commonly dyed of a red or yellow colour;
the red, by means of millit {talks reduced to
powder; and the yellow, by the root of a
plant, the name of which I have forgotten.
The manufacturers in iron are not {0 nume-
rous as the Karma/teas, but they appear to

  

320 TRAVELS .IN THE

have Itudied their buﬁnefs with equal dili-
gence. The Negroes on the coaﬁ; being cheap-
1y fupplied with iron from the European tra-
ders, never attempt the manufaé’turing of this
article themfelves; but in the inland parts, the
natives fmelt this ufeful metal in fuch quanti-
ties, as not only to fupply themfelves from it
with all neceifary weapons, and inl’truments, but
even to make it an article of commerce with
fome of the neighbouring ﬁates. During my
{lay at Kamalia, there was a {melting furnace
'at a lhort diitance from the hut where I lodg-
ed, and the owner and his workmen made no
fecret about the manner of conduéting the ope.
ration, and readily allowed me to examine the
furnace, and ailiﬁ them in breaking the iron-
ﬁone. The furnace was a circular tower of
clay, about ten feet high, and three feet in diet-
meter, furrounded in two places with withes,
to prevent the clay from cracking and falling
to pieces by the violence of the heat. » Round
the lower part, on a level with the ground, but
not fo low as the bottom of the furnace, which
was fomewhat concave, were made feven open-
ings, into every one ofwhich were placed three
tubes of clay, and the openings again plaltered
up in fuch a manner, that no air could enter
the furnace but through the tubes, by the open-
ing and ihutting of which they regulated the
ﬁre. Thefe tubes were formed, by plaitering
a mixture of clay and grafs round a fmooth
roller of wood, which as foon as the clay be-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. '32:

(gain to harden was withdrawn, and the tube left
.to dryin the fun. The iron-{tone which I law
was very heavy, of a dull red colour, with
greyiih‘fpeclg, , it was broken into pieces about
the iize ofa ’ "s egg. A bundle of dry wood
-was ﬁrlt put into the furnace and covered with
a conﬁderable quantity of charcoal, which was
brought, ready burnt, from the woods. Over
this was laid a ﬁratum of iron-ﬁone, and then
anorher of charcoal, and [0 on until the fur-
nace was quite full. The ﬁre was applied
through one of the tubes, and blown for tome
time with bellows made of goat’s ﬂeins. The
operation went on very {lowly at ﬁrlt, and it
was fome hours before the flame appeared
above the furnace; but after this it burnt with
great violence all the ﬁrft night; and the peo—
ple who attended put in at times more charcoal.
On the day following the ﬁre was not f0 ﬁerce,
and on the fecond night, fome of the tubes
were withdrawn, and the air allowed to have
freer accefs to the furnace; but the heat was
ﬁill very great, and a bluiih ﬂame rofe fome
feet above the top of the furnace. On the
third day from the commencement of the ope-
ration, all the tubes_were taken out, the ends
of many of them being vitriﬁed with the heat;
but the metal was not remoi/ed untiLfome days
afterwards, when the whole was perfectly cool.
Part of the furnace was then taken down, and
the iron appeared in the form of a large irregu-
lar mafs, with pieces of charcoal adhering to it.

     

322 TRAVELS IN THE -

It was fonor0u5, and when any portion was
broken off, the fracture exhibited a granulated
appearance like broken ﬁeel. The owner in.
formed me that many parts of this cake were
ufelefs, but {till there was good iron enough to
repay him for his trouble. This iron, or ra—
ther ﬂee], is formed into various inﬁruments,
by being repeatedly heated in a forge, the heat
of which is urged by a pair of double bellows,
of a very {imple coni’truaion, being made of
two goats’ ikins, the tubes from which unite
before they enter the forge, and fupply a con-
{iant and very regular blaii. The hammer,
forceps, and anvil, are all very ﬁmple, and the
workmanihip, particularly in the formation of
knives and fpears, is not deﬁitute of merit.
The iron indeed, is hard and brittle, and re-
quires much labour before it can be made to
anfwer the purpofe.

Molt of the African blackfmiths are ac-
quainted alfo with the method of fmelting gold,
in which procefs they ufe an alkaline falt, ob-
tained from a lye of burnt cornﬁalks evaporat—
ed to drynefs. They likewife draw the gold
into wire, and form it into a variety of orna—
ments, fome of which are executed with a great
deal of taﬂe and ingenuity.

Such is the chief information I obtained,
concerning the prefent Rate of arts and manu~
faé‘tures in thofe regions of Africa, which I ex—
plored in my journey. I might add,.though
it is fcarce worthy of obfervation, that in Bam-

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 323

harm and Kaarta, the natives make very beau-
tiful balkets, hats, and other articles, both for
ufe and ornament, from m/lzes, which they Rain
of different egﬂgurs ; and they contrive alfo to
cover their é‘éflébalhes with interwoven cane,
dyed in the lame manner.

In all the laborious occupations above de-
fcribed, the mailer and his flaves work toge-
ther, without any dillinétion of fuperiority.
Hired fervants, by which I mean, perfons of
free condition voluntarily working for pay, are
unknown in Africa, and this obfervation natu-
rally leads me to conﬁder the condition of the
Haves, and the various means by which they
are reduced to lo miferable a Rate of fervitude.
This unfortunate elafs are found, I believe,in
all parts of this extenﬁve country, and conﬂi-
tute a conﬁderable branch of commerce with
the Rates on the Mediterranean, as well as with
thenations of Europe.

W

CHAP. XXII.
Olz/E’mazfz'ons on the/fair: and fources ofﬂaver

zn Africa. t

STATE of fubordination, and certain
Hnequalities of rank and condition, are
inevitable in every f’tage of civil fociety; but
when this fubordination is carried to fo great
a length, that the perfons and fervices of one

324 TRAVELS I_N THE

part of “the community are entirely at the dif.
pofal of another part, it may then be denomi-
nateda {late ofﬂavery, and in this condition
of life, a great body of the N egrtg‘kinhabitants of
Africa have continued from the molt early peri-
0d of their hiltory, with this aggravation, that
their children are born to no other inheritance.

The ﬂaves in Africa, I fuppole, are nearly
in the proportion of three to one to the free-
men. They claim no reward for their fervices
except food and cloathing, and are treated
with kindnefs or feverity, according to the
good or bad difpoﬁtion of their mailers. Cuf-
tom, however, has eﬁabliihed certain rules
with regard to the treatment of ﬂaves, which it
is thought dilhonourable to violate: Thus,
the domei‘tic llaves, or fuch as are born in a
man’s own houfe, are treated with more lenity
than thofe which are purchafed with money.
The authority of the mailer over the domeﬂic
ilave, as I have elfewhere obferved, extends
only to reafonable correction, for the mailer '
cannot fell his domel’tic without having ﬁrl’t
brought him to a public trial before the chief
men of the place.* But thcfe reﬁriétions on

* In time of famine, the mailer is permitted to fell one or
more of his domellics, to purchafe proviﬁons for his family;
an in cafe of the mailer’sinfolvency, the domcﬂic {laves are
fometimes feized upon by the creditors, and if the mailer
cannot redeem them, they are liable te be fold for payment
of his debts. Thefe are the only cafes that I recollect, in
which the domeﬂic ﬂaves are liable to be fold, without any
mifconduét or demerit of their own.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 325

the power of the mailer extend not to the cafe
of prifoners taken in war, nor to that of Haves
purchafed with money. All thefe unfortunate
beings are confidered as ﬁrangers and foreign-
ers, who have no right to the proteftlion of the
law, and may be treated with feverity, or fold
to a ﬁranger, according to the pleafure oftheir
owners. There are indeed regular markets,
where {laves of this defcription are bought and
fold, and the value of a Have in the eye of an
African purchafer, increafes in proportion to
his dil’tance from his native kingdom; for when
ﬂaves are only a few days journey from the
place of their nativity, they frequently effect
their efcape ; but when one or more kingdoms
intervene, efcape being more difﬁcult, they are.
more readily reconciled to their ﬁtuation. On
this account, the unhappy Have is frequently
transferred from one dealer to another, until he
has loll all hopes of returning to his .native
kingdom. The {laves which are purchafed by
the Europeans on the coall, are chiefly of this
defcription; a few of them are collected in the
petty wars, hereafter to be defcribed, which
take place near the coafi ; but by far the great-
er number are brought down in large caravans
from the inland countries, of which many are
unknown, even by name, to the Europeans.
The {laves which are thus brought from the ii).
terior, may be divided into two diﬁinét clall‘es;
ﬁ7ﬂ, fuch as were {laves from their birth, hav—
ing been born of enllaved mothers ; fecondév,
F f

325 ' TRAVELS IN THE

fuch as were born free, but who afterwards,
by whatever means, became flaves. Thofe of
the ﬁrPt defcription are by far the molt nume-
rous, for pril‘oners taken in war, at leaﬁ fuch
as are taken in open and declared war, when
one kingdom avows hoﬁilities againﬁ another,
are generally of this delcriptiori. The compa-
rative fmall proportion of free people to the
cnflaved, throughout Africa, has already been
noticed, and it mull be obierved, that men of
free condition have many advantages over the
llaves, even in war time. They are in general
better armed and well mounted, and can either
ﬁght or efcape with fome hopes of fuccefs; but
the llaves, who have only their fpears and bows,
and of whom great numbers are loaded with
baggage, become an eaiy prey. Thus when
Manlong, king of Bambarra, made war upon
Kaarta, as I have related in a former chapter,
he look in one day nine hundred prifoners,"of

which number not more than {eventy were free

men. 'This account I received from Daman

Jumma, who had thirty ilaves at Kemmo, all

of whom were made priloners by Manlong.

Again, when a freeman is takenprifoner, his '
friends will fometimes ranfom him by giving i
two llaves in exchange, but when a {lave is ’
taken, he has no hopes ofl‘uch redemption. To
thefe diladvantages it is to be added, that the ‘
Slatees who purchafe {laves in the interior coun- .
tries, and carry them down to the coaﬂ for
fale, conﬁantly prefer fuch as have been in

 

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 3.27

that condition of life from their infancy,
well knowing, that thefe have been accuf-
tomed to hunger and fatigue, and are bet—
ter able to ful’tain the hardihips of a long and
painful journey, than freemeni; and on their
reaching the coait, if no opportunity offers of
felling them to advantage, they can eaﬁly be
made to maintain themlelves by their labour;
neither are they f0 apt to attempt making their
efcape, as thofe who have once taited the blef-
ﬁngs of Freedom.

Slaves of the fecond defcription, generally
become fuch by one or other of the following
caufes; ﬁrli, Captivity; fecond, Famine; third,
Inijvmcy ; fourth, Crimes. A- freeman may,
by the eltablifhed cui’toms of Africa, become
a {lave by beingtaken in war. War is of all
others the moit productive fource, and was
probably the origin of ﬂavery; for, when one
nation had taken from another a greater num-
ber of captives than could be exchanged on
equal terms, it is natural to {uppofe that the
conquerors, ﬁnding it inconvenient to main~
tain their prifoners, would compel them to la-
bour; at ﬁrlt perhaps only for their own {up-
port, but afterwards to fupport their maﬂers.
Be this as it may, it is a known fact, that pri-
foners of war in Africa, are the ﬂaves of the
conquerors; and when the weak or unfucceﬁs.
ful warrior, begs for mercy beneath the uplift—
ed {pear of his opponent, he gives up atthe fame

’328 TRAVELS IN THE

time his claim to liberty, and purchaies his life ‘
at the expence of his freedom.

In a country divided into a thoufand petty
Rates, moﬁly independent and jealous of each
other; where every freeman is accuf’tomed to
arms, and fond of military atchievements;
where the youth who has praéiifed the bow and
fpear from his infancy, longs for nothing f0
much as an opportunity to difplay his valour;
it is natural to imagine, that wars frequently
originate from very frivolous provocation.
When" one nation is more powerful than ano-
ther, a pretext is feldom wanting for commenc—
ing hoﬁilities. Thus the war between Ka—
jaaga and Kaffon, was o'ccafioned by the de—
tention of a fugitive Have; that between Bam-
barra and Kaarta, by the lofs of a few cattle.
Other cafes of the fame nature perpetually ‘
occur, in which the folly or mad ambition of 1
theirprinces, and the zeal of their religious en- »
thufiaﬁics, give full employment to the fcythe j
of defolation. "

The wars of Africa are of two kinds, which
arediiiinguiﬂled by diHerent appellations. That ;
fpecies which bears the greatei’t refemblance to f;
our European contefts, is denominated killi, .
a word ﬁgnifying “to call out,” becaufe fuch
wars are openly avowed, and previoufly de—
clared. Wars of this defcription in Africa
commonly terminate, however, in the courfe V
of a ﬁngle campaign. A battle is Fought; the 2
vanquifhcd feldom think of rallying again;

 

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 329

and the conquerors have only to bind the flaves
and carry off their plunder and their viEtims;
the whole inhabitants become panic ilruclt.
-Such of the prifoners as through age or inﬁrmi-
ty are unable to endure fatigue, or are found
unﬁt for fale, are c0nf1dered as ufelefs, and I
have no doubt are frequently put to death.
The fame fate commonly awaits a chief, or any
other perfon, who has taken a very difiinguifh-
ed part in the war. And here it may be ob—
ferved, that notwithflanding this exterminating
fyﬁem, it is furpriflng to behold how foon an
African town is rebuilt and repeopled. The
circumﬂance arifes probably from this; that
their pitched battles are few ; the weakel’t know
their qwn fituation, and feek fafety in flight,
When their country has been defolated, and
their ruined towns and villages deferted by the
enemy, fuch of the inhabitants as have efcaped
the/word and the chain, generally return, tho’
with cautious Preps, to the place of their nati-
vity; for it feems to be the univerfal wifh of
mankind, to fpend the evening of their days
where they pafied their infancy. The poor
Negro feels this deﬁre in its full force. To
him, no water is fweet but what is drawn from
his own well, and no tree has f0 cool and plea-
fant a ihade as the tabba tree" of his native
village. When war compels him to abandon
the delightful fpot in which he ﬁrft drew his

* This is’a larg fpreading tree (a fpecies of Sterculia)
under which the Bentang is commonly placed,

330 ~ TRAVELS IN THE

breath, and fe‘ek for fafety in fome other king-
dom, his time is {pent in talking about the
country of his anceﬁors; and no fooner is peace
reﬁored, than he turns his back upon the land
of ﬁrangers, rebuilds with haﬁe his fallen walls,
and exults to fee the fmoke afcend from his
native village.

The other fpecies of African warfare, is dif.
‘tinguiihed by the appellation of tegria, “ plun-
“ dering or ﬁealing." It arifes from a fort of
hereditary feud, which the inhabitants of one
nation or dil’triEt bear towards another. N o
immediate caufe of holtility is ailigned, or no-
tice of attack given; but the inhabitants ofeach
watch every opportunity to plunder and diﬁrefs
the Objects of their animoﬁty by predatory ex-
curﬁons. Thefe are very common, particu-
larly about the beginning of the dry feafon,
when the labour of the harveﬂ is over, and
proviﬁons are plentiful. Schemes of vengeance
are then meditated. The chief man furveys
the number and activity of his valfals, as they
brandifh their {pears at feﬁivals, and elated with
his own importance, turns his whole thoughts
towards revenging iome depredation or inl‘ult,
which either he‘ or his anceﬁors may have re-
ceived from a neighbouring ﬁate.

Wars of this del‘cription are generally con-
duElcd with great fecrecy. A few refolute in-
dividuals, headed by {ome perfon ofenterprife
and courage, march quietly through the woods,
{urprize in the night lome unprotected village,

ENTERIOR OF AFRICA. 331

and carry off the inhabitants and their effects,
before their neighbours can come to their aflif.
tance. One morning, during my {lay at Ka-
malia, we were all much alarmed by a party of
this kind. The king of Fooladoo’s ion, with
five hundred horfemen, pailed fecretly through
the woods, a little to the fouthward of Kama-
lia, and on the morning Following, plundered
three towns belonging to Madigai, a powerful
chief in Jallonkadoo.

The fuccefs of this expedition encouraged
the governor of Bangalli, a town in Fooladoo,
to make a fecond inroad upon another part of
the fame country. Having allembled about
two hundred of his people, be paired the river
Kokoro in the night, and carried off agreat
number of prifonei‘s. Several of the inhabi-
tants who had efcaped thefe attacks, were af.
terwards feized by the Mandingoes, as they
wandered about in the woods, or concealed
themfelves in the glens and {trong places ofthe
mountains.

Thefe plundering excurﬁons always produce
fpeedy retaliation; and when large parties can-
not be collecled for this purpole, a few friends
will combine together and advance into the en-
emy’s country, with a view to plunder or carry
of}‘ the inhabitants. A iingle individual has
been known to take his bow and quiver, and
proceed in like manner: Such an attempt is
doubtlefs in him an act of ralhnefs; but when
it is conﬁdered, that in one of thele predatory

332 TRAVELS IN THE

wars, he has probably been deprived of his
child or his nearelt relation, his {ituation will
rather call for pity than cenfure. The poor
fufferer, urged on by the feelings of domeﬁic
or paternal attachment, and the ardor of re-
venge, conceals himfelfamong the bulhes, un-
til fome young or unarmed perfon paﬂes by.
He then, tiger—like, fprings upon his prey,drags
his victim into the thicket, and in the night
carries him off as a llave. ,

When a Negro has, by means like thefe,
once fallen into the hands of his enemies, he is
either retained as the {lave of his conqueror, or
bartered into a diflant kingdom; for an Afri-
can, when he has once fubdued his enemy,
will feldom give him an opportunity of lifting
up his hand againﬁ him at a future period. A
con'queror commonly difpofes of his captives
according to the rank which they held in their
native kingdom. Such of the domeﬁic {laves'
as appear to be ofa mild difpofition, and par.
ticularly the young women, are retained as his
own ilaves: Others that difplay marks of dif-
content are difpofed of .in a diﬁant country ;
and fuch of the freemen or ilaves as have taken
an aElive part in the war, are either fold to the Q
Slatces, or put to death. War therefore, is
certainly the molt general and moﬁ produélive
fource of {lavery ; and the delolations of war
often,but not always,produce the fecond caufe
of llavery,faminc, in which cafe a freeman
becomes a Have to avoid greater calamity.

 

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 333

Perhaps, by a philofophic and reflecting
mind, death itfelf would fcarcely be confider-
ed as a greater calamity than Ilavery; but the
poor Negro, when fainting with hunger, thinks
like Efau of old; “ behold I am at the point to
“ die, and whatproﬁt ﬂzall this birth-rigid do
“ to me .9” There are many inflances of free-
men voluntarily furrendoting up their liberty
to fave their lives. During agreat fcarcity
which laﬁed for three years in the countries of
the Gambia, great numbers of people became
Haves in this manner. Dr. Laidley alfured me
that, at that time, many freemen came and
begged with great earneﬁnefs, to 56 put upon,
his ﬂaw—chain, to fave them from periihing
of hunger. Large families are very often ex-
pofed to abfolute want,and as the parents have
almolt unlimited authority over their children,
it frequently happens, in all parts of Africa,
that fome ofthe latter are fold to purchafe pro-
vilions for the reﬂ ofthe family. When I was
at Jarra, Daman Jumma pointed out to me
three young ﬂaves which he had purchafed in
this manner. I have already related another
inﬂance which I faw at Wonda, and I was in-
formed that in F ooladoo, -at that time, it was
a very common praE’tice.

The third caufe of ﬂavery is infolvemy. Of
all the offences, if infolvency may be fo called,
to which ’the laws of Africa have afﬁxed the
punifhment of llavery, this is the moft com~
mon. A Negro trader commonly contraEls

T334 ‘ TRAVELS IN THE

debts on fome mercantile fpeculation, either
from his neighbours, to purchafe fuch articles
as [will fell to advantage in a diﬂant market, or
from the European traders on the wait ; pay-
ment to be made in a given time. In both
cafes, the ﬁtuati‘onof the adventurer is exactly
the fame: If he fuccecds, he’may fecure an
independency; if heuis unfuccefsful, his perfon
and fervices are at the difpofal of another ; for
in Africa, not only the eifeé‘ts of the infolvent,
but even the infolvent himielf, is fold, to fat—
tisfy the lawful demands of his creditors.*
The fOurth caufe above enumerated, is the
commi ton of crimes, on which the laws oft/i:
country cgﬁxﬂavcry as a puni/lzmmt. In Afri-
ca, the only offences of this clais are, murder,
adultery, and witchcraft; and I am happy to
fay, that they do not appear to me to be com-

* When a Negro takes up goods on credit from any of
the Europeans on the coaii, and does not make payment at
the time appointed, the European is authorized by the laws
of the country, to feize upon the debtor himfelf, if he can
ﬁnd him; or if he cannot be found, ,on any perfon of his
family ; or, in the loft refort, on any native of the fame king-
dom. The perfon thus {eized on is detained, while his friends
are Kent in queﬁ of the debtor. When he is found, a meet.
ing is called of the chief people of the place, and the debtor is
compelled to ranfom his friend by fulﬁlling his engagements.
I? we is unable to do this, his perfon is immediately fecured
art-.4 fent down to the coaﬂ, and the other relcafed. Ifthe
debtor cannot be found, the perfon feized on is obliged to
pay double the amount of the debt, or is bimielf fold into
ﬂaver . Iwas given to underlland, however, that this part
of the law is feldom enforced.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 335

men. In cafes of murder, I was informed,
that the neareﬂ: relation of the deceafed‘ had it
in his power, after conviction, either to kill
the offender with his own hand, or fell him in-
to ﬂavery. When adultery occurs, it is ge-
nerally left to the option of the perfon injured,
either to fell the culprit, or accept fucb a ran—
fom for him, as he may think equivalent'to mt?
injury he has fuliained. By witchcraft is meant
pretended magic, by which the lives or health
of perfons are affected; in other words, it is
the adminil’tering of poifon. No trial for this
offence, however, came under my obfervation
while I was in Africa, and I therefore fuppofe,
that the crime and its punifhment occur but
very feldom.

When a freeman has become a [lave by any
one of the can fes before mentioned, he generally
continues fo for life, and his children, if they are
born of an enﬂaved mother, are brought up in
the fame Rate of fervitude. There are, however,
a few inﬁances of {laves obtaining their free-
dom, and fometimes even with the confent of
their mafters, as by performing fome fingular
piece of fervice, or by going to battle, and
bringing home two Haves as a ranfom; but the
common way of regaining freedom is by efcape,
and when {laves have once felt their minds on
running away, they often fucceed: Some of
them will wait for years before an opportunity
prefents itfelf, and during that period fhew no
iigns of difcontent. In general it may be re-

336 TRAVELS IN THE

1

marked, that ﬂaves who come from a hilly
country, and have been mIich accuf’tomed to
hunting and travel, are more apt to attempt
their efcape, than fuch as are born in a flat
country, and have been employed in cultivat-
ing the land.

Such are the general outlines of that fyﬁem
of ﬂavery which prevails in Africa, and it is
evident from its nature and extent, that it is
a fyftem of no modern date: It probably had
its origin in the remote ages of antiquity, be-
fore the Mahomedans explored a path acrofs
the defert. How far it is maintained and {up-
ported by the {lave trafﬁc, which, for two hun-
dred years, the nations of Europe have carried
on with the natives of the wait, it is neither
within my province, nor in my power to ex-
plain. If my fentiments {hould be required,
concerning the effect which a difcontinuance of
that commerce would produce on the manners
of the natives, I lhould have no heﬁtation in
obferving, that, in the prefent unenlightened
ﬁate of their minds, my opinion is, the efl‘eE’t
would neither be f0 extenﬁve or beneﬁcial, as
many wife and worthy perfons fondly expeEt.

mfg/cant... ..,

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 337

CIgAP. XXIII.

0f gold dug/2 and the manner in mimic/2. it is col.
[tiled—Prong} cfwaﬂzing xii—Its value in
Africa.-——0f Wavy—Modes of hunting the
clep/zant.——Rq/Zefiiom on the unimproved
‘ﬂatc oft/16 country, €56.

HOSE valuable commodities, gold and

ivory the next objeéls of our enquiry,
have probably been found in Africa from the
ﬁrll; ages of the world. They are reckoned
among its molt important productions in the
earlielt records of its hiltory. ‘

It has been obferved, that gold is feldom or ne—
ver difcovered, except in mountainous and bar-
ren countries: Nature, it is faid, thus paking
amends in one way, for her penurioufnefs in the
other. This however, is not wholly true.
Gold is found in conﬁderable quantities
throughout every part of Manding, a coun—
try which is indeed hilly, but cannot properly
be called mountainous much lefs barren. It is
alfo found in great plenty in Jallonkadoo, parti—
cularly about Boori, another hilly, but by no
means an infertile country. It is remarkable,
that in the place lal’t mentioned, Boori, which is
ﬁtuated about four day’s journey to the fouth—
welt of Kamalia, the falt market is often fup-
plied, at {he fame time, with rockfalt from the
Great Dicfert, and fea-falt from the Rio Grande;
the pricuof each, at this dillance from its fource,

,, G g
, l t

338 TRAVELS IN THE

   

being nearly the fame, and,» dealers 1n each,
whether Moors from thelj‘} ‘rth, or Negroes
from the well, are invited thither by the fame
motives, that of bartering their falt for gold.
The gold of Manding, lb far as I could
learn, is never found in any matrix or vein, but
always in {mall grains, nearly in a pure llate,
from the ﬁze of a pin’s head to that of a pea,
{battered through a large body of [and or clay;
and in this Rate it is called by the Mandingoes
janoo munko (gold powder.) It is, however,
extremely probable, by what Icould learn of
tie ﬁtuation of the ground, that mol’t ofit has
originally been walked down by repeated tor-
rents from the neighbouring hills. T he man-
ner in which it is colleﬂed is nearly as follows:
About the beginning of December, when
the harveli is over, and the ﬁreams and torrents
have greatly fublided, the Mania, or chief of
the town, appoints a day to begin/anoo £00,
(gold waihing) and the women are lure to have
1tmfelv es in readinefs by the time appointed.
A paddle, or fpade, for digging up the land,
two or three calabalhes for walhing it in, and 1
a few quills for containing the gold dull, are §
all t] e implements necellary for the purpofe. ,
On the moming of their departure, a bullock
is killed for the bfirll day’s entertainment, and a ,
number of prayers and charms are ufed to en-
lure l‘uccel's; for a failure on that dayis thought
a badxomen. The Mania of Ka. italia, with L
fourteen of his people, were, I r' timber, {o

 

 

l

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 339

much difappoiritgd‘ in their ﬁri’t day’s walhing,
that very few ofﬁthem had refolution to perfe—
vere, and the few that did, had but very in.
different fuccefs; which, indeed, is not much
to be wondered at; for inf’tead of opening lome
untried place, they continued to dig and wafh
in the fame fpot where they had dug and walhed
for years; and where, ofcourfe, but few large
grains could be left.

The wafhing the lands of the ﬁreamsis by
far the eaﬁei’t way of obtaining the gold duﬂ;
but in moﬂ places the-fands have been fo nar-
rowly fearched before, that unlefs the dream
takes fome new courfe, the gold is found but
in fmall quantities. While fome of the party ‘
are bulied in wafhing the lands, others employ
themfelves farther up the torrent, where the
rapidity of the {tream has carried away all the
clay, land, &c. and left nothing but fmall peb-
bles. The fearch among thefe is a very trou—
blefome talk. I have feen women who have
had the [kin worn off the tops of their ﬁngers
in this employment. Sometimes, however,
they are rewarded by ﬁnding pieces of gold, ,
which they call fanoo birro (gold liones) that
amply repay them for their trouble. A wo- t
man and her daughter, inhabitants of Kamalia,
found in one day two pieces of this kind, one
of ﬁve drachms, and the other of three drachms
weight. But the moﬂ; certain and proﬁtable
mode of walhing is praélifed in the height of
the dry feafon, by digging a deep pit, like a

/

340 g TRAVELS IN THE

draw-well, near fome hill wt b has previouﬂy

been difcovered to containjg’bld. The pit is
dug with (mall fpades or corn paddles, and the
earth is drawn up in large calabafhes. As the
Negroes dig through the different ﬁrata of clay
or land, a calabalh or two of each is waﬂied,
by way of experiment; and in this manner the
labourers proceed, until they come to a {lratum
containing gold, or until they are obﬁruEled
by rocks, or inundated by water. In general,
when they come to a ltratum-of ﬁne reddifh
land, with fmall black {peeks therein, they ﬁnd
gold in fome proportion or other, and fend up
large calabalhes full of the {and for the women
to wafh; for though the pit is dug by the men,
the gold is always walhed by the women, who
are accullomed from their infancy to a ﬁmilar
operation, in feparating the hufks of corn from
the meal.

As I never defcended into any one of theft:
pits,I cannot fay in what manner they are work-
ed under ground. Indeed, the lituation in
which I was placed, made it neceflary for me
to be cautious not to incur the fufpicion of the.
natives, by examining too far into the riches of
their country; but the manner of feparating
'he gold from the land is very ﬁmple, and is
”requently performed by the women in the mid-
lle of the town ; ‘ for when the fearchers return
"mm the valleys in the evening, they common-
y bring with them each a calabaih or two of
and, to be wallied by fuch of the females as

4.

7

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 3.11

  

remain ath: " The operation is {imply as

follows: »
A portion of fand or clay, for the gold is

fometimes found in a broivn coloured clay, is
put into a large calabaih, and mixed with a I‘u F-
ﬁcient quantity of water. The woman, whole
ofﬁce it is, then ihakes the calabalh in fuch a
manner, as to mix the fand and water together,
and give the whole a rotatory motion, at ﬁrit
gently, but afterwards more quick, until afmall
portion of [and and water, at every revolution,
ﬂies over the brim of the calabaih. The {and
thus feparated, is only the coarfeﬁ particles
mixed with a little muddy water. After the
operation has been continued for fome time,
the {and is allowed to fubﬁde, and the water
poured 0%; a portion of coarfe fand, which is
now nppermoi’t in the calabaih, is removed by
the hand, and f‘reﬂi water being added, the
operation is repeated until the water comes of?
almol’t pure. The woman now takes a fecond
calabaih, and “lakes the fand and water gently
from the one to the other, referving that por-
tion of {and which is next the bottom of the
‘eaiabalh, and which is molt likely to contain
the gold. This fmall quantity is mixed with
iome pure .water, and being moved about in
the cala‘oalh, is carefully examined. Ifa few
particles of gold are picked out, the contents
of the other calabaih are examined in the fame '
manner; but, in general, the party is well con-
tented, if {he can obtain three or four grains
- G g 2

    

342 TRAVELS IN THE

from the contents of both 'cagabaﬂies. Some
women, however, by long praﬂice, become
{0 well acquainted with the nature of the fand,
and the mode of waihing it, that they will cols
leét gold, where others cannot ﬁnd a ﬁngle
particle. The gold dull is kept in quills, {lopt
up with cotton; and the walhers are fond of
dil‘playing a number of thei'e quills in their
'hair. Generally fpeaking, if a perfon ufes-
common diligence in a proper foil, it is lup-
poled, that as much gold may be colleéted by
him in the courfe of the dry feafon, as is equal
to the value of two llaves.

Thus ﬁmple is the procefs by which the
Negroes obtain gold in Manding; and it is evi-
dent from this account, that the country con-
tains a conﬁderable portion of this precious
metal; for many of the ﬁnaller particles mull
neceflarily efcape the obfervation of the naked
eye, and as the natives generally fearch the
lands of ﬁreams at a conﬁderable dil’tance from
the hills, and confequently far removed from
the mines where the gold was originally pro-
duced, the labourersare fometimes but ill paid '
. for their trouble. Minute particles only of
this heavy metal can be carried by the current
to any conﬁderable diﬂance; the larger mui’t l
remain depoﬁted near the original fource from g
whence they came. Were the gold.bearing
ﬁreams to be traced to their fountains, and the i
bills from whence they fpring properly examin.
ed, the land in which the gold is there depoﬁt~

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 343

ed would, no do," t, be found to contain par~
ticles of a much‘ia‘rge ﬁzef“ and even the {mall
grains might be Collected to conﬁderable ad-
vantage by the ufe of quickﬁlver, and other
improvements, with which the natives‘are at
prefent unacquainted. '

Part of this gold is converted into orna-
ments for the women, but in general, thefe
ornaments are more to be admired for their
weight, than their workmanlhip. They are
mally and inconvenient, particularly the ear-
rings, which are commonly fo heavy as to pull
down and lacerate the lobe of the ear; to
avoid which they are fupported by a thong of
red leather, which paﬂes over the crown of
the head from one ear to the other. The neck-
lace difplays greater fancy, and the proper ar-
rangement of the different beads and plates of
gold, is the great criterion of talte and elegance.
When a lady of confequence is in full drefs,
her gold ornaments may be worth altogether,
from ﬁfty to eighty pounds ﬂerling.

A fmall quantity of gold is likewife employ-
ed by the Slatees, in defraying the expences
of their journies to and from the wait; but by

* I am informed that the gold mine, as it is called, in
VVicklow, in Ireland, which was difcovercd in the year 1795,
is near the top, and upon the fleep Hope of a mountainJ Here
pieces of gold of feveral ounces weight were frequeutly found.
VVhat would have been gold-dull two miles below, was here
golden gravel; that is, each grain was like a {mall pebble in
ﬁle, and one piece was found which weighed near twenty,
two ounces troy.

344 TRAVELS IN THE

far the greater proportiorriis annually carried
away by the Moors, in eititkange for falt and
other merchandize. During my ﬂay at Kama-
lia, the gold colleEtedby the diderent traders
at that place, for falt alone, was nearly. edual
to one hundred and ninety-eight pounds lierling,
and as Kamalia is but a {mall town, and not
much reforted to by the trading Moors, this
quantity mull have borne a very ﬁnall propor;
tion to the gold collected at Kancaha, Kanka-
ree, and fome other large towns. The value
of falt in this part of Africa is very great. One
{1211), about two feet and a halfin length, four-
teen inches in breadth, and two inches in thick-
nefs, will fometimes fell for about two pounds
ten {billings ﬁerling, and from one pound fif-
teen {hillings to two pounds, may be conﬁder-
ed as the common price. Four of thele [labs
are conﬁdered as a load for an afs, and ﬁx for
-a bullock. The value of European merchan—
dize in Manding varies very much according
to the fupply from the coalt, or the dread of
war in the country; but the return of l‘uch ar- ,
ticles is commonly made in llaves. The price
ofa prime {lave when I was at Kamalia, was
from nine to twelve minkallies, and European l
commodities had then nearly the following i
value: 7;
18 gun flints, 3%
48 leaves of tobacco, l
20 charges of gunpowder, i
A cutlals, \

one minkalli.

  

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 345

A mulket, from three to four minkallies.

The produce "of'rt'he country, and the differ-
ent necellaries of life, when exchanged for
gold, fold as follows:

_ Common provilions for one day, the weight
of one tcelee-kéﬂ (a black bean, ﬁx of which
make the weight of one minkalli)-—~a chicken, -
one teeleekifﬁ—a lheep, three melee-killi—
a bullock, one minkalli—a horle, from ten to
feventeen minkallies.

The Negroes weigh the gold in {mall balan-

ces, which they always carry about them.
Theylmake no difference in point of value,
between gold dull and wrought gold. In bar-
tering one article for another, the perfon who
receives the gold, always weighs it with his
own teelee—kiﬂi. Thele beans are fometimes
fraudulently leaked in Sheabutter, to make
them heavy; and I once law a pebble ground
exaEtly into the form ofone of them; but fuch
praelices are not very common.
: Having now related the fuhﬁancc of what
occurs to my recollection, concerning the All
rican mode of obtaining gold from the earth,
and its value in barter, I proceed to the next
article of which I propofed to treat, namely,
wary.

Nothing creates a greater lurpriie among the
Negroes on the fea coalt, than the eagernefs
difplayed by the European traders to procure
elephants’ teeth, it being exceedingly diflicult
to make them comprehend to what ufe it is ap-

346 TRAVELS IN THE

plied. Although they are-ihewn knives with
ivory hafts, combs, and toys of the fame ma-
terial, and are convinced that the ivory thus
manufactured was originally parts of a tooth,
they are not fatisﬁed. They fufpeé‘t that this
commodity is more frequently converted in
Europe, to purpofes of far greater importance,
the true nature ofwhich is {iudiouily conceal-
ed from them, left the price of ivory ihould
be enhanced. They cannot, they fay, eafily
perfuade themfelves, that {hips would be built,
and voyages undertaken, to procure an article
which had no other value than that of furniih-
ing handles to knives, 860. when pieces of
wood would anfwer' the purpofe equally well.
Elephants are very numerous in the interior
of Africa, but they appear'to be a diﬁina fpe-
cics from thofe found in Afia. Blumenbach,
in his ﬁgures of objeEts of natural hif’tory, has
given good drawings ofa grinder of each, and
the variation is evident. M. Cuver alfo has
given in the Magazine Encyclopediguc, a clear
account of the difference between them. As
I never examined the Aﬁatic elephant, I have
ehofen rather to refer to thofe writers, than
advance this as an opinion of my own. It has
been faid, that the African elephant is ofa lefs
docile nature than the Afiatic, and incapable
of being tamed. The Negroes certainly do
not at prefent tame them; but when we conii-
der that the Cﬁrthaginians had always tame ele-
phants in their armies, and actually tranfport.

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 34;

ed fome of themté‘ftg Italy in the courfe of the
Panic wars, it'7fée'ms more likely, that they
{houldhave pollelled the artoftamingtheir own
elephants, than have fubmitted to the expence
of bringing fuch val’t animals from Aﬁa. Per—
haps the barbarOUS praElice of hunting the
African elephants for the lake of their teeth,
has rendered them more untraélable and fa-
vage than they were found to be in former
times. ' "

The greater part of the ivory which is fold
on the Gambia and Senegal rivers, is broUght
from the interior country. The lands towards
the coaﬁ are too fwampy, and too much in»-
terfeéled with creeks and rivers, for [0 bulky
an animal as the elephant to travel through
without being difcovered, and when once the
natives difeern the marks of his feet in the earth,
the whole village is up in arms. The thoughts
of feaﬁing on his flelh, making fandals of his
hide, and felling the teeth to the Europeans,
infpire every one with courage, and the animal
leldom efcapes from his purfuers; but in the
plains of Bambarra and Kaarta, and the ex-
tenﬁve wilds of Jallonkadoo, the elephants
are very numerous, and from the great fear-
city of gunpowder in thofe dil’triE‘ts, they are
lefs annoyed by the natives.

Scattered teeth are frequently picked up in
the woods, and travellers are very diligent in
looking for-them. It is a con’fmon praElice

twith the elephant to thrull his teeth under the

34s TRAVELS IN THE

roots of fuch lhrubs and buﬂies, as grow in the
more dry and elevated parts of the country,
where the foil is lhallow. Thefe buihes he
eaﬁly overturns and feeds on the roots, which
are in general more tender andjuicy than the
hard woody branches, or the foliage; but when
the teeth are partly decayed by age, and the
roots more ﬁrmly ﬁxed, the great exertions of
the animal in this praélice, frepuently caufes
them to break fhort. At KamaliaI faw two
teeth, one a Very large one, which were found
in the woods, and which were evidently broken
off in this manner. Indeed, it is difﬁcult
otherwife to account for fuch a large propor-
tion of broken ivory, as is daily offered for
fale at the diﬂerent factories ; for when the ele-
phant is killed in hunting, unlefs he dailies him-
felf over a precipice, the teeth are always ex-
tracted entire.

There are certain feafons of the year when

the elephants colleét in large herds, and tra- '

i

Verfe the country in quel’t of food or water; ;

and as all that part of the country to the north
of the Niger is deﬁitute of rivers, whenever.
the pools in the woods are dried up, the ele- ,
phants approach towards the banks of that,
river. Here they continue until the com;
mencement of the rainy feafon, in the months;
"of June or July; and during this time they
are much hunted by fuch of the Bambarrans
as have gunpowder to fpare. The elephant
hunters feldom go out ﬁngly; a party of four‘

 

INTERIOR OF AFRiCA. 3.319

or ﬁve join- t’oget-her ; and having each fu milked
himfelf with powder and ball, and a quantity
of corn-meal in a leatherbag, ‘fullicient for
ﬁve or ﬁx day‘s provilion, they enter the molt
unfrequented parts of the wood, and eximine
with great care every thing that can lead 0 the
difcovery of the elephants. In this purfuit,
notwithllanding the bulk of the animal, very
great nicety of ohfervation is required. The -
broken branches, the fcattered dung of the ani-
mal, and the marks of his feet, are carefully
inlpeéled; and many of the hunters have, by
long experience and attentive obfervation, be-
come f0 expert in their fearch, that as foon as
they obferve the footmarks of an elephant, they
will tell almoll to a certainty, at what time it
pailed, and at what diﬁance it will be found.
When they difcover a herd of elephants, they
follow them at adiliance, until they perceive
fome one l’tray from the rei’t, and come into
fuch a ﬁtuation as to be ﬁred at with advan-
tage. The hunters then approach with great
caution, creeping amongli the long graf‘s, un-
til they have got near enough to be fure’ of their
aim. They then difcharge all their pieces at
once, and throw themfelves on their faCes
among the grafs. The wounded elephant im-
mediately applies his trunk to the different
wounds ; but being unable to extra& the halls,
and feeing nobody near him, becomes quite
‘furious,‘and runs about amonglt the bulhes,
'unt‘il by fatigue and El: of" blood he has ex-

35o TRAVELS IN THE

hauﬁed ltinifelf, and affords the hunters an op-
portunity of ﬁring a fecond time at him, by
which he is generally brought to the ground.

The {kin is now taken off, and extended on
the ground with pegs, to dry, and fuch parts
of the flefh as are molt eﬁeemed, are cut up
into thin llices and dried in the fun to ferve for
provilions on fome future occalion. The teeth
are (truck out with a light hatchet, which the
hunters always carry along with them, not only
for that purpofe, butallo to enable them to cut
down fuch trees as contain honey; for though
they carry with them only five or ﬁx days pro-
vilion, they will remain in the woods for months,
if they are fuccefsful, and fupport themfelves
upon the ﬂelh of fuch elephants as they kill,
and wild honey.

The ivory thus collected, is feldom brought
down to the coaﬁ by the hunters themfelves.
They difpofe of it to the itinerant merchants,
who come annually from the coaft with arms
and ammunition, to purchafe this valuable ‘
commodity. Some of thefe merchants will ‘
”colleEt ivory in the courle of one feafon, fuﬁi-
cient to loadfour or ﬁve alles. A great quan- ;
tit’y of ivory is likewife brought from the in- ‘
terior, by the {lave coilles; there are, however, :
forne Slatees of the Mahomedan perfuaﬁon,
who, from motives of religion, will not deal ,
in ivory, nor eat of the flefh of the elephants
unlels it has been killed with a fpear. "

The quantity of ivory colleéted in this part

 

INTERIOR o-r AFRICA. 351

of Africa is not fo great, nor are the teeth in
general {0 large as in the countries nearer the
line; few of them weigh more than eighty or
one hundred pounds ; and upon an average, a
bar of European merchandize may be reckon- ,
ed as the price of a pound of ivory.

I have now, I trul’t, in this and the preceding
chapters, explained with l‘ulﬁcient minutenefs,
the nature and extent of the commercial con-
nexion which at prefent prevails, and has long
inbﬁf’ted, between the Negro natives of thole
parts of Africa which I viﬁted, and the nations
of Europe; and it appears that ﬂaves, gold and
ivory, together with the few articles enumerat—
ed in the beginning of my work, viz. bees-wax
and honey, hides, gums, and dye-woods, con—
ititute the whole catalogue of exportable com-
modities. Other productions, however, have
been incidentally noticed as the growth of Afri-
ca; fuch as grain of different kinds, tobacco,
indigo, cotton-wool, and perhaps a few others;
but of all thefe, which can only be obtained by
cultivation and labour, the natives raife fulﬁ-
cient only for their own immediate expendi-
ture; nor under the prefent fyﬁem of their
laws, manners, trade and government, can‘any
thing farther be expeEted from them. It can-
not, however, admit of a doubt, that all the
rich and valuable produElions, both of the Bali:
and Well-Indies, might eaﬁly be naturalized,
and brought to the utmoﬁ perfection, in the

ropical parts of this immenfe continent. N o-

352 . TRAVELS IN THE

thing is wanting to this end, but example to
enlighten the minds of the natives, and in-
ﬂruétion to enable them to direét their indu‘itry
to proper objeEts. It wasnot pollible for me
to behold the wonderful fertility of the foil,
the vaﬁ herds of cattle, proper both for labour
and food, and a variety of other circumltances
favourable to colonization and agriculture,and
reilet}, withal, on the means which prel‘ented
tliettilelxles ol‘a vaﬂ inland navigation, without
lamenting that a country {'0 abundantly gifted
and favoured by nature, {hould remain in its
prefent lavage and negleaed Hate. Much more
did I lament, that a people of manners and
(lifpoﬁtions fo gentle and benevolent, .lhould
either be left as they now are, immerfed in the
grofs and uncomfortable blindnefs of pagan
fuperﬁition, or permitted to become converts
to a fyltem of bigotry and fanaticilm; which,
without enlightening the mind, often debafes
the heart. On this l'ubjeét many obfervations
might be made; but the reader will probably
think that I have already digreﬂed too largely,
and I now, therefore, return to my ﬁtuation
at Kamalia.

 

 

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 353
CHAP.’ XXIV.

Tran/attic?” at Kamalz'a refumed.—-Ara6ic
MSS. in ufe among the Mahomedan Negroes.
”Reflec‘tions concerning the converﬂon and
education of the Negro children—Return of
the author’s hencfac‘tor, K a7fa.—Further ac-
count of the purchafe and treatment ofﬂaves.
——Fa' of Rhamadan how ohferoed.—Au-
thor’s anxietyfor the day of departure—The
caravan fets out—Account of it, and pro—
ceedings on the roach—Arrival at Kinyta-
hooro. ,

HE fchoolmaﬂer, to whofe care I was
., ~entrufled during the ablence of Karfa,
was a man of a mild difpolition and gentle
‘ manners; his name was Fankooma; and al—
though he himfelf adhered itriéily to the reli—
_, gion of Mahomet, he was by no means into-
,; lerant in his principles towards others who dif-
ﬁ; fered from him. He [pent much of his time
"t in reading; and teaching appeared to be his
. pleafure as well as employment. His fchool
conﬁﬁed of feventeen boys, molt of whom
were ions of Kaﬁrs; and two girls, one of
‘ whom was Karfa’s own daughter. The girls
f received their inllruﬁions in the daytime, but
_-_ the boys always had their leITons by the light of
,; a large ﬁre before daybreak, and again late
m the evening; for being conﬁdered during
: their feholarihip, as the domeﬁic Haves of the
th '

- ‘ rv’mm’v—I->A

354 TRAVELS IN THE

.maﬁer, they were employed implanting corn,

bringing fire-wood, and in other iervile oﬂices,
through the day. .
Excluﬁve of the Koran, and a book or two
of commentaries thereon, the fehoolmafier poll
felled a variety of manufcripts, which had part—

. ly been purchafed from the trading Moors, and

partly borrowed from Buihreens in the neigh—
bourhood, and copied with great care. Other
MSS. had been produced to me at difierent
places in the, courfe of my journey, and on
recounting thofe I had before feen, and thofe
which were now Ihewn to me, and interrogat-
ing the fehoolmaﬁer on the I'ubjeé‘r, I difcover-
ed that the Negroes are in poIIeHion, among
others, of an Arabic verﬁon of the Pentateuch
of Moles, which they call Taureta la Moofa.
This is f0 highly eﬂeemed, that it is often fold
forthe value of one prime ﬂave. They have
likewife a ve'rﬁon of the Pfalms of David,
(Zahara Dawz'di) and laﬁly, the book of Iiaiah,
which they call Lingteli [a Ifa, and it is in very
high eﬁeem. I fulpeé‘t indeed, that in all thefe
copies there are interpolations of fame of the
peculiar tenets of Mahomet, for I could‘dif—
tinguiih in many pailages the name of the Pro-
phet. It is p‘oﬂible, however, that this circum-
itance might otherwife haVe been accounted for,
if my knowledge of the Arabic had been more
exteniive‘. By means of thofe books, many
of the converted Negroes have acquired an ac-
quaintance with fome of the'remarkable events

{NTERIOR OF AFRICA. .355

recorded in the Old Tel’tament. The account
of our ﬁrlt patients; the death of Abel; the
deluge; he lives of Abraham, Ilaac and Ja-
cob- the ﬁory of Joleph and his brethren,
the hil’tory' of Moles, David, Solomon, &c.
All there have been related to me in the Man-
dingo language, with tolerable exaﬂnefs, by
differentpeople; and my furprife was not greater
on hearingr thefe accounts from the lips of the
Negroes, than theirs, on ﬁndingthat I.was alrea-
dy acquainted with them; for although the Ne-
groes in general have a very great idea of the
wealth and power of the Europeans, I am
afraid that the Mahomedan converts among
them, think but very lightly of our fuperior
attainments in religious knowledge. The white
traders in the maratime diﬁri‘Cts take no pains to
counteract this unhappy prejudice, always per.
forming their own devotions in fecret, and Jel:
dom condelcending to converfe with the Ne-
groesin a friendly and inltruE‘tive manner. To
me, therefore, it’was not [0 much the fubjeét
of‘wonder, as matter of regret, to obferve,
that while the fup‘erﬁition of Mahomet has, in
' this manner, fcattered a few faint beams of
learning among thefe poor people, the precious
light of Chriﬁianity lS altogether excluded. I
could not but lament, that although the wall:
f Africa, has now been known and frequent-
ed by the Europeans for more than two hun-
dred years, yet the Negroes {til l remain entire
ﬁrangers to the doEtrines of our holy religion.

356 TRAVELS IN THE

We are anxious to draw from obfcurity the
opinions and records of antiquity, the beauties
of Arabian and Aliatic literature, &c. but
while our libraries are thus ﬁored with the
learning of various countries, we dii’tribute
with a parfimonious hand, the bleﬂings of re-
ligious truth to the benighted nations of the
earth. The natives of Afia derive but little
advantage in this refpeét from an intercourl‘e
with us, and even the poor Africans, whom
we affect to confider as barbarians, look upon
us, I fear, as little better than a race of formida—
ble but ignorant heathens. When I produced
Richardfon’s Arabic grammar to fome Slatees
on the Gambia, they were aﬁonilhed to think,
that any European {hould underﬁand, and
write, the facred language of their religion.
At firfi, they fufpeéted that it might have been
written by fome of the {laves carried from the
coaﬁ‘f but on a clofer examination, they were
fatisﬁed, that no Buihreenv could write fuch
beautiful Arabic, and one of them offered to

ive me an afs and iixteen bars of goods, if I
would part with the book. Perhaps a fhort
and eafy introduEtion to Chriﬁianity, fuch as is
found in fome of the catechifms for children,
elegantly printed in Arabic, and diﬁributed on
different parts of the coall, might have a won-
derful effect The expence would be but trif-
ling, curiofity would induce many to read it,
and the evident fuperiority which it would pof-
fefs over their prefent manufcripts, both in

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 357

point of elegance and cheapnefs, might at lait
obtain it a place’among the i‘chooLbooks of
Africa. ' ‘ i
The reﬂeﬁions which 4 have thus ventured
to fubmit to my readers on this important i‘ub-
jeft, naturally fugge‘i’ted. themfelves to my
mind, on perceiving the encouragement which
was thus- given to learning, fuch as itis, in
many parts of Africa. I have obferved, that
the pupils at Kamalia were moii of them the
children of Pagans; their parents, therefore,
could have had no predile'ciion for the doé‘trines
of Mahometi Their aim was their childrens’
(improvement, and if a more enlightened fyf-
tem had prefented itfelf, it would probaby have
been preferred. The children too, wanted not
a fpirit of emulation, which it is the aim of the
tutor to encourage. When any one of them
has read through the Koran, and performed a
certain number of public prayers, a feali/is
prepared by the fchoolmafter, and the fcholar
undergoes an examination, or, in European
terms, takes out his degree. I attended atthree
different inaugurations of this fort, and heard
with pleafure the diliilla‘ and intelligent an—
fwers, which the fcholar frequently gave to the
Bufhreens,‘ who aiTembled on thofe occaﬁans,
and aEted as examiners. .VVhen the Bufhreens
had fatisﬁed themfelves refpeaing the learning
and abilities of thefcholar, the laﬁ page ofthe
Koran was put into his hand, and he was de-

ﬁred to read it aloud; after the boy had ﬁniih-

358 TRAVELS IN THE

ed this lefi'on, he preffed the paper againﬁ his
forehead, and pronounced the word Amen;
upon which all the Bulhreens role, and {baking
him cordially by thevhand, bel’towed upon him
the title of Bufhreen. ‘

When a fcholar has undergone this examina-
tion, his parents are informed that he has com-
pleted his education, and that it is incumbent .
on them to redeem their ion, by giving to the
fchoolmaiier a Have, or the price of a Have, in
exchange; which is always done if the parents
can afiord to do it; if not, the boy remains
the domeliic {lave of the fchoolmalter, until
he can, by his own induﬁry, collect goods fuf-
ﬁcient to ranfom himfelf. ~ '

About a week after the departure of Karfa,
three Moors arrived at Kamalia, with a confi-
derable quantity of falt, and other merchan-
dize, which they had obtained on credit from
a merchant of Fezzan, who had lately arrived
at Kancaba. Their engagement was to pay
him his price when the‘goods were fold, which
they expected would be in the courfe of a
month. Being rigid Bulhreens, they were ac-
commodated with two of Karfa’s huts, and fold
their goods to very great advantage.

On the 24th of January Karla returned to ,
Kamalia with a number of people, and thir-
teen prime {laves which he had purchafed. He
likewife brought with him a young girl whom
he had married at Kancaba, as his fourth wife,
andkhad given her parents three prime ﬂaves

ya :4,» f":

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 359

for her; She was kindly received at the door
of the baloon by Karfa’s otherwives, who con—
duEted their new acquaintance and co-partner
into one ofthe bell huts, which they had cauled
to be fwept and white-waihed, on purpofe to
receive her.*

My clothes were by this time become [0 very
ragged, that I was almoli alhamed to appear
out of doors; but Karfa, on the day after his
arrival, generoully prefented me with fuch a
garment and trowfers as are commonly worn
in the country.

The ﬂaves which Karfa had brought with
him were all of them prifoners of war; they
had been taken by the Bambarran army in the
kingdoms of Walrela and Kaarta, and carried
to Sego, where fome of them had remained
three years in irons. From Sego they were
fent, in company with a number of other cap-

tives, up the Niger, in two large canoes, and

oilered for fale at Yamina, Bammakoo, and
Kanca‘ba ;- at which places the greater number
of the captives were bartered for golddult, and
the remainder fent forward to Kankaree. '

Eleven of them confelied to me that they
had been flaves from their infancy; but the
other two reful'ed to give any account of their
former condition. They were all very inqui-
litive; but they viewed me at ﬁrlt with looks

* The Negroes white-walh their huts with a mixture of

lione—afhes and water, to which is commonly added a little
gun].

35° . TRAVELS IN THE

of horror, and repeatedly alked if my coun-
trymen Were C'arrnibals. They were very deft,
r'ous to know what became of the flaves after
t—hey’had eroded the falt water. I told them
that. they were employed in cultivating the
land; but they would not believe me; and one
Of‘them putting his hand upon the ground, laid
with great ﬁmplicity, “ have you really got
“ fuch ground» as this to-fet your feet upon?”
A deeply roOte‘diidea, that the whites ptlrchafei
Negtbes 'for the purpofe of devouring them,
or_ of felling them to others that they may be
devoured hereafter, naturally makes the Haves
contemplate a journey towards the eoaﬁ: with
great terror; infomuch, that the Slatees are
forced to keep them c'onllantly in irons, and
watch them very clolely, to prevent their ef-
cape. They are commonly {ecu-red by putting
the right leg of one and the left of anotherinto
the fame 'pair’of fetters. By fupporting the
fetters with a ﬁring, they can walk, though
very ilov'v‘l‘y. Everylfour {laves are likewile
faltened together bythe necks, with a. {trong
rope of twiﬁaed thongs; and in the night, an
additional pair of fetters is put on their hands,
and fometi'mes alight iron chain paired round
their necks.' , ,

Such of them as evince marks of difcontent
are fecured in a different manner. A thick
billet of wood is cut, about three feet long,
and a fmooth notch being made upon one ﬁde
of: it, the ankle of the {lave is bolted to the

INTERIéR or AFRICA. 361

fmooth part by means of a Hrong iron Haple,
one prong of which paHes on each lide of the
ankle. All thefe fetters and bolts are made
from native iron ; in the prefent cafe they were
put on by the blacklinith, as foon as the Haves
arrived from Kancaba, and were not taken off
until the morning on which the Coflle departed
for Gambia.

In other refpccls, the treatment ofthe Haves
during their Ray at Kamalia, was far from be-
ing hatth or cruel. They were led out in their
fetters every morning to the Hnade of a tama-
rind tree, where they were encouraged to play
at games of hazard, and ﬁng diverting fongs
to keep up their fpirits; for though fome of
them fuﬁained the hardlhips of their {ituation
with amazing fortitude, the greater part were
very much dejected, and would fit all day in a
fort of fullen melancholy, with their eyes ﬁxed
upon the ground. In the evening their irons
were examined, and their hand fetters put on ;
after which they were condué’ted into two large
huts, where they were guarded during the night
by Karfa’s domel’tic Haves. But notwithﬁand-
ing all this, about a week after their arrivau;

I;

one of the Haves had the addrefs to procurfffaﬂ

fmall knife, with which he opened the rings 6?".

' his fetters, cut the rope, and made his efcape ;

more of them would probably have gotoﬂ' had

r. they allil’ted each other; but the Have no {con-
3 er found himlelf at liberty, than he refufed to

a It

352 TRAVELS IN THE

ﬂop, and aflif’t in breaking the chain which was
- faiiened round the necks of his companions.
As’ all the Slatees and flaves belonging to the
coflle were now aﬂembled, either at Kamalia,
or at fome of the neigbouring villages, it might
have been expected that we ihould have fet out
immediately for Gambia; but though the day
of our departure was frequently fixed, it was
always found expedient to change it. Some
of the people had not prepared their dry pro-
viﬁons; others had gone to viiit their relations,
or collect. fome trifling debts, and laﬁ of all, it
was neceffary to confult whether the day would
be a lucky one. On account of one of thefe,
or other fuch caufes, our departure was put
off, day after day, until the month of Febru-
ary was far advanced, after which, all the Sla-
tees agreed to remain in their prefent quarters,
until theﬁyi moon zuarover. And here. I may
remark, that lofs oi'time is an object of no great
importance in the eyes of a Negro. If he has
any thing of confequence to perform, it is a
matter of indifference to him, whether he does
it today or to-morrow, or a month or two
hence; f0 long as he can fpend the prefent mo-
ment with any degree of comfort, he gives
himfelf very little concern about the future.
The fall of Rhamadan was obferved with
great liriElnefs by all the Buihreens; but in-
ilead of compelling me to follow their exam-
ple, as the Moors did on a ﬁmilaroccafron, ‘
Karfa frankly told me, that I was at liberty to g

i

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 353

purfue my own inclinatiOn. In order, how-
ever, to manifeﬁ a refpe€t for their religious
opinions, I voluntarily failed three days, which
was thought fulﬁcient to fcreen me from the
_ reproachful epithet of Kafir. During the fal’t,
all the Slatees belonging to the coﬂle ailembled
every morning in Karfa’s houfe where the
fchoolmai’ter read to them fome religious lef.
fons from a large folio volume, the author of
which was an Arab, of the name of Sheéﬂa.
In the evening, {uch of the women as had em-
braced Mahomedanifm, aifembled, and faid
their prayers publicly at the Mifura. They
were all dt‘efled in white, and went through the
different proltrations prefcribed by their reli-
gion, with becoming folemnity. Indeed, clu-
- ring the whole fait of Rhamadan the Negroes '
behaved tlientfelves with the greateﬂ meeknefs
and humility; forming a ﬁriking contraﬁ to the
favage intolerance and brutal bigotry, which
at this period charaﬁerize the Moors.

When the fail month was almof’t at an end,
the Buih'reens aflembled at the Mifura, to
watch for the appearance of the new moon;
but the evening being rather cloudy, they were
for fome time difappointed, and a numbe‘t‘?0i‘
' them had gone home with a refolucion to faﬂ
another day, when ona ludden, this delightful
object fhewed her {harp horns from behind a
cloud, and was welcomed with the'clapping of
hands, beating of drums, ﬁring mufkets, and
other marks of rejoicing. As this moon is

364 TRAVELS IN THE

reckoned extremely lucky, Karfa gave orders,
that all the people belonging to the coflle,
fhould immediately pack up their dry provi-
ﬁons, and hold themfelves in readinefs; and
on the 16th of April, the Slatees held a con-
fultation,-and fixed on the 19th of the fame
month, as the day on which the coffle lhould
depart from Kamalia. This refolution freed
me from much uneaﬁnefs, for our departure
had already been fo long deferred, that I was
apprehenﬁve it might llill be put 05“ until the’
commencement of the rainy feafon, and al-
though Karfa behaved towards me with the
greatefl kindnefs, I found my lituation very
unpleafant. The Slatees were unfriendly to
me, and the trading Moors who were at this
‘ time at Kamalia, continued to’ plot mifchief'
againlt me from the ﬁrfl day of their arrival.
Under thefe circumﬁances I reflected, that my
life in a great meafure depended on the good
opinion of an individual, who was daily hear-
ing malicious {tories con‘cerning the Europeans,
and I could hardly expect, that he would al-
ways judge with impartiality between me and
his countrymen. Time had indeed reconciled
me in forne degree to their mode of life; and
a fmoaky hut, or a fcanty fupper, gave me no
great unealinels; but I became at laﬁ wearied
out with a conﬁant {late of alarm and anxiety,
and felt a painful longing for the manifold blef-
ﬁngs of civilized fociety. ‘

On the morning of the 17th, a circumﬁance

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 35,5

occurred which wrought a conﬁderable change
in my favour. The three trading Moors who
had lodged under Karla’s protetﬁion ever ﬁnce
their arrival at Kamalia, and had gained the
eﬂeem of all the Bulhreens by an appearance
of great fanElity, fuddenly packed up their
effects, and without once thanking Karla for
his kindnefs towards them, marched over the
hills to Bala. Every one was alloniihed at this '
unexpected removal; but the affair was cleared
up in the evening, by the arrival of the Fezzan
merchant from Kancaba, mentioned in p. 358,
who allured Karfa, that thefe Moors had bor—
rowed all their falt and goods From him, and
had fent for him to come to Kamalia and re-
ceive payment. When he was told that they
had ﬂed to the weﬁward, he “wiped a tear from
each eye with the fleeve of his cloak, and ex-
claimed, “ thefe Shirru/ms (robbers) are Ma-
homedans, but they are not men ; they have
robbed me oftwo hundred minkallies.” From
this merchant I received information of the
capture of our Mediterranean convoy by the
French, in October 1795.

Apl. 19th. The long wilhed-for day of our
departure was at length arrived, and the Sla-
tees having taken the irons from their ﬂaves,
affembled with them at the door of,Karfa’s
houl'e, where the bundles were all tied up, and
every one had his load afligned him. The
cofﬂe on its departure from Kamalia, conﬁﬂ-
ed of twenty-{even {laves for fale, the proper-

I i 2

.A‘

366 TRAVELS IN THE

ty of Karfa and four other Slatees; but we.
were afterwards joined by ﬁve at Maraboo,
and three at Bala; making in all thirty—ﬁve
ﬂaves. The freemen were fourteen in number,
but molt of them had one or two wives, and
lome dOmeﬁic ﬂavesgand the fchoolmaﬁer,
who Was now upon his return for Worakoo,
the place of his nativity, took with him eight
of his fcholars, fo that the number of free peo-
ple and domeltic ﬂaves amounted to thirty-
eight, and the whole amount of the cofHe was
feventy-three. Among the freemen were ﬁx
jillakeas (finging men,) whofe mulical talents
were frequently exerted, either to divert our
fatigue, or obtain us a welcome from {tran-
gers. When we departed from Kamalia, we
were followed for about half amile, by molt
of the inhabitants of the town, fome of them
crying, and others [baking hands with their re-
lations, who were now about to leave them;
and when we had gained a piece of riling
ground, from which we had a view of Kama-
‘lia, all the people belonging to the cofﬂe were
ordered to ﬁt down in one place, with their
faces towards the weft, and the towns-people
were deﬁred to {it down in another place, with
their faces towards Kamalia. In this ﬁtuation,
the fchoolmaﬁer with two of the principal
Slatees, 'having taken their places between the
two parties, pronounced a long and folemn
prayer; after which they walked three times
round the coflle, making an impreiﬁon in the

H ' :v ‘.
3&47.’

“um m n. h.

INTERIOR OF. AFRICA. 357

ground with the ends oftheir fpears, and mut-
tering fomething by way of charm. When
this ceremony was ended, all the people be-
longing to the coﬂle fprang up, and without
taking a formal farewell of theinfriends let for-
wards. As many of the {laves had remained
for years in irons, the fudden exertion of walk-
ing quick, with heavy loads upon their heads,
occalioned fpafmodic contractions of their legs,
and we had not proceeded above a mile, be-
fore it was found neceffary to take two of them
from the rope, and allow them to walk more ,
ilowly until we reached Maraboo, a walled vil-
lage, where fome people Were waiting tojoin
the cofHe. Here we {topped about two hours,
to allow the {hangers time to pack up their
proviﬁons, and then continued our route to
Bala, which town we reached about four in
the afternOOn. The inhabitants ofBala at this
feafon of the ' year, fubﬁlt chieﬂy on ﬁll),
which they take in great plenty from the
ﬁreams in the neighbourhood. We remained
here until the afternoon of the next day, the
20th, when we proceeded to W orumbang, the
frontier village of Manding, towards Jallonka-
doo. As we propofed lhortly to enter the
Jallonka Wildernefs, the people ofthis village
furnilhed us with great plenty of provilions,
and on the morning of the 21ft, we entered
the woods to the weltward of Worumbang.
After having travelled fome little way, a con-
fultation was held whether we lhould continue

  

368 TRAVELS IN THE

our route through the Wildernefs, or fave
one days’ proviflons by going to Kinytakooro,
a town in Jallonkadoo. After debating the
matter for fome time it was agreed, that we
fhould take the road for Kinytakooro, but as
that town' was a long day’s journey dillant, it
was necelfary to take fome refrelhment. Ac-
cordingly every perfon opened his provifion
bag, and brought a handful or two of meal to
the place where Karfa and the Slatees were ﬁt-
ting. When every one had brought his quota,
and the whole was properly arranged in fmall
gourd ﬂiells, the fchoolmaﬁer offered up a
ﬂlOI‘t prayer, the fubllance of which Was, that
God and the holy Prophet might preferve us
from robbers and all bad people, that our pro.
vifions might never fail us, nor our limbs be.
COme fatigued. This ceremony being ended,
every one partook of the meal, and drank a
little water; after which we fet forward, rather
running than walking, until we came to the ri-
ver Kokoro, a branch of the Senegal, where
we halted about ten minutes. The banks of
this river are very high, and from the grafs and
brufhwood which had been left by the ﬁream,
it was evident that at this place, the water had
rifen more than twenty feet perpendicular, dur—
ing the rainy feafon. At this time it was only
a fmall ﬁream, fuch as would. turn a mill,
{warming with ﬁlh, and on account of the
number of crocodiles, and the danger of being
carried pail the ford by the force of the ﬁrearm

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 369

in the rainy feafon, it is called Kokoro (dan-
gerous.) From this place we continued tb
travel with the greateli expedition, and in the
afternoon crolled two fmall branches of the
Kokoro. About fun-let we cafne in fight of
Kinytakooro, a conﬁderable' town, nearly
fpuare, ﬁtuated in the middle ofa large and '
well cultivated plain; before we entered the
town we halted until the people who had fallen
behind came up. During this day’s travel two
ﬂaves, a woman and a girl belonging to a Sla- ,
tee of Bala, were f0 much fatigued, that they
could not keep up with the cofile; they were
feverely whipped, and dragged along until
about three o’clock in the attemoon, when
they were. both affeEted with vomiting, by
which it was difcovered that they had eaten clay.
This praEiice is by no means uncommon
amongft the Negroes, but whether it arifes
from a vitiated appetite, or from a fettled in-
tention to deﬁroy themfelves, I cannot afﬁrm.
They were permitted to lie down in the woods,
and three people remained with them until they
had relied themfelves; but they did not arrive
at the toWn until paf’t midnight, and were then
in much eXhaul’ted, that the Slatee gave up all
thoughts of taking them acrofs the woods in
their prefent condition, and determined to re.
turn with them to Bala, and wait for another
opportunity.
As this was the ﬁrli town beyond the limits
of Manding, greater etiquette than ufual was ob-

376 TRAVELS’IN THE

ferved. Every perfon was ordered to keep in
his proper ﬁation, and we marched towards the
town in a fort of proceﬂion, nearly as follows.
In front, ﬁve or ﬁx ﬁnging men, all of them
, belonging to the cofﬂe ; thefe were followed by
the other free people; then came the {laves
faf’tened in the ufual way by a rope round their
necks, four of them to a rope, and a man with
a lpear between each four; after them came
the domeﬁic ﬂaves, and in the rear the women
‘of free condition, wives of the Slatees, &c.
In this manner we proceeded, until we came
within a hundred yards of the gate; when the
ﬁnging men began a loud fong, well calculat-
ed to ﬂatter’the vanity of theinhabitants, by
extolling their known hofpitality to ﬁrangers,
and their particular friendihip for the Mandin-
goes. When we entered the town we proceed-
ed to the Bentang, where the people gathered
round us to hear our dentrgi (hiﬂory,) this
was related publicly by two of the {inging men;
they enumerated every little circumﬂance
3;,» which had happened to the cofﬂe, beginning
with the events of the prefent day, and relat-
ing every thing in a backward feries, until they
reached Kamalia. When this hii’tory was end—
ed, the maﬁer Of the town gave them a fmall
prefent, and all the people of the cofﬂe, both
free and enflaved, were invited by {ome per-
fon or other, and accommodated with lodging
and proviﬁons for the night.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 371
CHAP. XXV.

The coﬁle crqﬂes the fallonka Wildern_efs.—~—
Mifemble fate ofone oft/zefema‘leﬂaves.——
Arrives at Soofeeta; proceeds to Manna.—
Account (y _7allonkas.—-—Crojﬂs the Senegal.
~——Bria’ge of a ﬁﬁgular conﬂruflion.—Ar-
ﬁves at Malacotta.——Remarkable conduc‘l (3/
the King oft/Le jaloﬁi, BC.

E continued at Kenytakooro until-noon

ofthe 22d of April, when we removed
to a village about feven miles to the weﬁward,
the inhabitants of which, being apprehenﬁve of
hoﬂilities from the F Oulahs of F ooladoo, were
at this time employed in conﬂruaing 'fmall
temporary huts among the rocks, on the ﬁde
of a high hill clofe to the village. The ﬁtua-
tion was almoﬂ impregnable, being every
where furrounded with high precipices, except
on the eaﬂern ﬁde, where the natives had left
a pathway quﬁcient to allow one perfon at a
time to al‘cend. Upon the brow of the hill
immediately over this path, I oberved feverak
heaps of large lool'e ﬁones, which the people
told me were intended to be thrown down up-
on the F oulahs, if they {hould attempt the
hill. .

At daybreak on the 23d, we departed from
this vill'age, and entered the Jallonka Wilder-
nefs. We paired in the courfe of the morning
the ruins of two {mall towns, which had lately

" Mr,

372 TRAVELS IN THE

been burnt by the Foulahs. The ﬁre muft
have been very intenfe, for I obferved that the
walls of many of the huts were {lightly vitriﬁed,
and appeared at a dillance as if covered with
a red varnilh. About ten o’clock we came to
the river VVo'nda, which is i‘omewhat larger than
the river'Kokoro; but the ﬁream was at this
time rather muddy, which Karfa alfured me was
oceaﬁoned by amazing {hoals of ﬁlh. They
were indeed feen in all directions, and in fuch
abundance, that I fancied the water itfelf tailed x
and fmelt ﬁihy. As foon as we had crolfed
the river, Karfa gave orders, that all the peo-
ple of the cofflelhould in future keep clofe
\ together, and travel in their proper ﬁation;
the guidesand young men were accordingly
placed in the van, the women and {laves in the
centre, and the freemen in the rear. In this
order we travelled with uncommon expedition,
through a woody, but beautiful country, inter-
fperfed with a pleaﬁng variety of hill and dale,
and abounding with partridges, guinea—fowls,
‘, and deer, until fun-let, when we arrived at a
. “*moﬂ: romantic Ptream, called Co-meiffang. My
arms and neck having been expofed to the fun
during the whole day, and irritated by the rub-
bing of my drefs in walking, were now very
much inflamed and covered with bliﬁers, and
I was happy to embrace the opportunity, while
the cofﬂe relied on the bank of this river, to
bathe myfelf in the ﬁrearm. This practice, to-
gether with the cool of the evening, much (it.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. i373

* minifh‘ed the inflammatiOn. About three miles
to the weft ard ofthe Coﬁneilfangvve halted in
a thick wodb, and kindled our ﬁres for the night.
We were all by this time very much fatigued,
having, as I judged, travelled this day thirty
miles, but no perfon was heard to complain.
VVhillt fupper was preparing, Karfa made one
of the ﬂaves break fome branches from the
trees for my bed. When we had ﬁnilhed our »
fupper of koufkous, moiltened with fome boil-
ing water, and put the Haves in irons, we all
' lay down to fleep; but we Were frequently
dilturbed in the night by the-howling of wild
beafts, and we found the fmall brown ants very
'troublefome. ‘ _
April 24th. Before day—break the Bufhreens
faid their morning prayers, and molt of the
free people drank a little mowing (a fort of
gruel) part of which was likewife given to fuch
of the flaves as appeared leal’t able to fuliain
the fatigues of the day. One of Karfa’s fe-
male llaves was very/fulky, and when fome
gruel was offered to her {he refufed to drink it. a? .V
As foon as day dawned we fet out, and Ira.
velled the whole morning over a wild and rocky
country, by which my feet were much bruifed,
and I was fadly apprehem’ive that I {hould not
be able -to keep up with the cofﬂe during the
day; but I was in a great meafure relieved
from this anxiety, when I obferved that others
were more exhauf’ted than myfelf. In particu-

lar, the woman {lave who had refufed viétuals
K k ~

' /
, xﬁ"; ,

is

i 374 TRAVELS IN THE

in the morning, began now to lag behind, and
complain dreadfully of pains in her legs. Her
load was taken from her and given to another
ﬂave, and {he was ordered to keep in the front
of the cofHe. About eleven o’clock, as we
were reﬁing by a fmall rivulet, fome of" the
peOple difcovered a hive of bees in a hollow
tree, and they were proceeding to obtain the
honey, when the largelt fwarm I ever beheld,
ﬂew out, and attacking the people of the cofﬂe,
made us fly in all directions. I took the alarm
ﬁrﬁ, and I believe was the only perfon who ef-
caped with impunity. When our enemies
thought ﬁt to delift from purfuing us, and every
perfon was employed in picking out the Rings
he had received, it was difcovered that the
poor woman above mentioned, whofe name
was Nealee, was not come up, and as “many
of the {laves in their retreat had left their bun-
dles behind them, it became neceﬂary for fome

7. perfons to return‘and bring them. In order to
do this with fafety, ﬁre was fet t0 the grafs a

confiderable way to the eaI’tward of the hive,
and the wind driving the ﬁre furioully along,
the party pufhed through the fmoke, and reco-
vered the bundles. They likewife brought with
them poor Nealee, whom they found lying by
the rivulet. She was very much exhauﬁed,
and had crept to the ﬂream, in hopes to de—
fend herfelf from the bees byxthrowing water -
over her body; but this proved ineﬂectual, for
{he was ﬁling in the molt dreadful manner.

INTERIOR or AFRICA; _ 375‘

When the Slatees had picked out the Rings
as far as they could, {he was wafhed with wa-
ter, and then rubbed with bruifed leaves; but
the wretched woman obItinately refu fed to pro-
ceed any farther, declaring that {he would ra-
thé? die than walk another ftep. As entreaties
and threats were ufed in vain, the whip was at
length applied, and after bearing patiently a
few ﬁrokes, {he {tarted up and walked with to-
lerable expedition for four or ﬁve hours longer,
when {he made an attempt to run away from
the coffle, but was fo very weak, that {he fell
down in the grafs. Though {he was unable to
rife, the whip was a fecond time applied, but
without effect; upon which K'arfa defired two
of the Slatees to place her upon the afs which
carried our dry provilions; but {he could not
ﬁt erect, and the afs being very refractory, it
was found impolfible to carry her forward in
that manner. The Slatees however were un-
willing to abandon her, the day’sjourney being
nearly ended; they therefore made a fort of
litter of bamboo canes, upon which {he was

placed, and tied on it with flips of bark; this"

litter was carried upon the heads oftwo Haves,
one walking before the other, and they were
followed by two others who relieved them occa-
ﬁonally. In this manner the woman was carried
forward until it was dark, when we reached a

ﬂream of water at the foot of a high hill, called

GankaramKooro, and here we {topt for the
night, and fet about preparing our fupper. As

in“,

\
\

376 TRAVELS IN THE

we had only eat one handful of meal {ince the
preceding night, and travelled all day in a hot
fun, many of the ilaves who had loads upon
their heads, were Very much fatigued, and
fome ofthem fnapt theirﬁngers, which among
the Negroes is a fure lign of defperation. The
Slatees immediately put them all in irons, and
fuch of them as had evinced 11 »“ns of great def-
pondency, ' Were kept apart from the reﬂ, and
had their hands lied. In the morning they were
found greatly recovered.

April 25th. At daybreak poor Nealee was
awakened, but her limbs were now become fo
ﬁiif and painful, that {he could neither walk
nor hand; {he was therefore lifted like a corpfe
upon the back of the afs, and the Slatees en-
deavoured to fecure her in that ﬁtuation, by
faﬂening her hands together under the afs’s neck,
and her feet under the belly, with long {lips of
bark; but the afs was f0 very unruly, that no
Inn of treatment could induce him to proceed
with his load, and as Nealee made no exertion ‘
to prevent herfelf from falling, {he was quickly
thrown off, and had one of her: legs much
bruifed. Every attempt to carry her forward
being thus found ineffectual, the general cry
ofthe coﬂle was, “ ka'ng-tegi, kang-tegz',” “ cut
iter throat, cut her throat ;” an operation I did
not wiih to fee performed, and therefore march-
ed onwards with the foremoﬂ of the cofﬂe. I
had not walked above a mile, when one of
Karfa’s domeltic ﬂaves came up to me with

h

!\

INTERIOR OF AFRICA; 3,,

poor Nealee’s garment upon the end of his "

bow, and exclaimechalee aﬁlita (Nealee is
loft.) I allied him whether the Slatees had
given him the garment as a reward for cutting
her, throat? he replied, that Karfa and the
fchoolmaﬂer would not confent to that meat-
fure, but had left her on the road; where un-
doubtedly {he foon perilhed, and was probably
devoured by wild beaﬁs. ,

The fad fate of this wretched Woman, not-
withﬁanding the outcry before mentioned,
made a {trong imprelﬁon on the minds of the
whole coﬁle, and the fchoolmaf’ter failed the

\whole of the enfuing day in confequence of it.
We proceeded in deep ﬁlence, and [con after-
wards crolTed the river F urkoomah, which was
about as large as the river Wonda. We now
travelled with great expedition, every one be-
ing apprehenﬁve he might otherwife meet with
the fate of poor Nealee. It was however with
great difﬁculty that I could keep up, although
I threw away my fpear, and every thing that
could in the leaﬂ obﬁruél me. About noon
we law a large herd of elephants, but they’
fulfered us to pafs unmolef’ted, and in the even-
ing we halted near a thicket of bamboo, but
found no water, f0 that we were forced to
proceed four miles farther, to a fmall ﬂream,
where we ﬁopt for the night. We had march-
ed this day, as I judged, about twenty-ﬁx
miles. -1 -

April 26th. This moining two of the fchool-

K 2 '

If

t anal“

v1: .

378 TRAVELS IN THE

mafter’s pupils complained much of pains in
their legs, and one of the ﬂaves walked lame,
the foles of his feet being very much blif’tered
and inﬂamed; we proceeded notwithﬁanding,
and about eleven o’clock began to afcend a
rocky hill, called Bo’ki—Kooro, and it was pail:
two in the afternoon before we reached the le-
vel ground on the other fide. This was the
molt rocky road we had yet encountered, and
it hurt our feet much. In a fhort time we ar-
rived at a pretty large river called Boki, which
we forded; it ran fmooth and clear over a bed
of whindlone. About a mile to the weftward
of the river we came to a road which leads to
the north-calf towards Gadou, and feeing the
marks of many horfes feet upon the foft fand,
the Slatees conjectured, that a party of plun-
derers had lately rode that way, to fall upon
fome town of Gadou, and left they {hould dif-
cover upon their return, that we had paffed,
and attempt to purfue us by the marks of our
feet, the coﬂle was ordered to difperfe, and
travel in a loolg manner through the high grafs
and bufhes. A little before it was dark, having
croffed the ridge of hills to the wel’tward of the
river Boki, we came to a well called cullong
guz' (white land Well) and here we reﬁed for the
hi ht. :

gApril 27th.'We departed from the well early
in the morning, and walked on with the greateﬂ:
alacrity, in hopes of reaching a town before

night. The road during the forenoon led thro’

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 379;.

extenlive thickets of dry ’bamboos. About;
two ”o’clock we came to a ﬁream called Nun-
kolo, where we were each of us regaled with
ahandful of meal, which, according to a fu-
perl‘titious cuﬁom, was not to‘be eaten until
it was ﬁrf’t moif’tened with water from this
ﬁream. About four o’clock we reached 300- -
feeta, a fmall Jallonka village, {ituated in the
dillrié‘t of Kullo, which comprehends all that
tract of country lying along the banksof the
Black river, or main branch of the Senegal.
Thefe were the ﬁrll human habitations we had '
feen {ince we had left the village to the weft-
ward of Kinytakooro; having travelled in the
courfe of the lalt ﬁve days upwards of one
hundred miles. Here, after a great deal of
entreaty, we were provided with huts to ﬂeep
in, but the mailer of the village plainly told
us, that he could not give us any proviﬁons,
as there had lately been a great {carcity in this
part of the country. He aHured us, ' that be-
fore they had gathered in thei-r.prei'ent crops,
the-whole inhabitants of Kullo had been for
twenty-nine days without tailing corn; during
which time they fupported themielves entirely
upon the yellow powder which is found in the
pods of the‘ m'tm, fo called by the natives, a fpe-
‘ cies of mimofa, and upon the feeds of the barn.
" boo cane, which, when properly pounded and
' ’dreﬂ‘ed5 talle very much like rice. As our dry
provilions were not yet exhauﬁed, a coniidera-
ble quantity of kouikous was dreiled 'for fup.

_ ’wwgw /
38.0 TRAVELS IN THE

per, and many of the villagers were invited to
take part of the repalt; but they made a very
bad return for this kindnefs; for in the night
they feized upon one of the fchoolmafter’s
boys who had fallen alleep under the Bentang
tree, and carrie’d him away. The boy fortu-
nately awoke before he was far from the village,
and fetting up a loud icream, the man who car.
ried'him, put his hand upon his mouth, and
(ran with him into the woods; but afterwards
underftanding that he belonged to the fchool-
rnaﬁer, whofe place of refidence is only three
day’s journey dillant, he thought, I fuppofe,
that he could not retain him as a Have, without
the fchoolmaﬂer’s knowledge; and therefore
{tripped off the boy’s clothes, and permitted
him to return. ‘

April 28th. Early in the morning we depart-
ed from Soofeta, and about ten o’clock came
to an unwalled town called Manna, the inha-
bitants of which were employed in colleéting
the fruit of the.nitta trees, which are very nu-
merous in this neighbourhood. The pods are
long and narrow, and contain a few black feeds
enveloped in the fine mealy powder before
mentioned; the meal itfelf is of a bright yel-
low colour, refembling the flour of fulphur,
and has a fweet mucilaginous tal’te; when eaten
by itfelf it is clammy, but when mixed with
milk or water, it conltitutes a very pleafant
and nourifhing article of diet.

The language of the people of Manna, is

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 38;

the fame that is fpoken all over that extenfive
and hilly country called Jallonkadoo. The
Jollank’as, like the Mandingoes, are governed
by anumber of petty chiefs, who are in a great
meafure independent of each other; they have
no common fovereign, and the chiefs are fel-
doim upon fuch terms of friendfhip as to alﬁi’t
each other, even in war time. The chief of
Manna, with a number of his people, accom-
panied us to the banks of the Baﬁng, or Black
river, a principal branch of the Senegal, which
we crolfed upon a bridge of Bamboos, of a
very ﬁngular conﬁruEtion. The river at this
place is fmooth and deep and has very little Cur-
rent. Two tall trees, when tied together by
the tops, are fufﬁciently long to reach from one 7
iide to the other, the roots reiling upon the

rocks, and the tops floating in the water.

When a few trees have been placed in this di.

reEtion, they are covered with dry bamboos,

f0 as to form a ﬂoating bridge, with a ﬂoping

gangway at each end where the trees reﬂ upon

the rocks. This bridge is carried away every

year by the fwelling of the river in the rainy

feafon, and is conl’tantly rebuilt by the inha-

bitants of Manna, who on that account, ex-

pect a fmall tribute from every paifenger. ’

In the afternoon we paifed {everal villages,
at none of which could we procure a lodging;
and‘in the twilight we received information,
that two hundred Jallonkas had aﬂembled near
a town called Melo, with a View to plunder_

3.3, ,, .TRAVELS IN THE

the cofHe. This induced us to alter our courfe,
and we travelled with great fecrecy until mid—
night, when we approached a town called Ko-
ba. Before we entered the town, the names of
all the people belonging to the coffle were cal-
led over, and a freeman and three flaves were
foimd to be milﬁng. Every perfon immedi-
ately concluded that the Haves had murdered ‘
the freeman, and made their efcape. It was
therefore agreed, that fix people fhould go
back as far as the lalt village, and endeavour
to ﬁnd his body, or collect forne information
concerning the Haves. In the meantime, the
coffle was ordered to lie concealed in a cotton
ﬁeld, near a large nitta tree, and nobody to
fpeak, except in a whifper. 'It Was towards
morning before the ﬁx men returned, having
heard nothing of the man or the Haves. As
none of us had tafled vitluals for the lafl
twenty-four hours, it was agreed that we lhould
go into Koba, and endeavour to procure forne
proviﬁons. We accordingly entered the town
before it was quite day, and Karla purchafed
from the chiefman, for three firings of beads,
a conﬁderable quantity of ground nuts, which _
We roaﬁed and eat for breakfaﬁ; we were af.
terwards provided with huts, and relied here
for the day.

About eleven o’clock, to’ our great joy and
furprife, the freeman and {laves who had de-
parted from the coﬂle the preceding night, en-
tered the town. One of the Have, it feems,

INTERIOR or AFRICA. . 383

had hurt his foot, and the night being very
dark, they loon loit ﬁght of the cofHe. The
freeman, as foon as he found himfelf alone
with the ﬂaves, was aware of his own danger,
and inﬁl’ted‘ on putting them in irons. The
ﬂaves were at ﬁri’t rather unwilling to fubmit,
but when he threatened. to {lab them one by
one with his fpear, they made no further reiil’t-
ance, and he remained with them among the '
buihes until morning, when he let them out of
irons, and came to the town in hopes of hearing
which route the come had taken. The infor-
mation that we received concerning the Jallon—
kas, who intended to rob the cofi'le, was this

day conﬁrmed, and we were forced to ”remain _ —

here until the afternoon of the 30th, when
Karfa hired a number of people to proteEl us,
and we proceeded to a village called Tinking-
tang. Departing from this Village on the day
following, we croﬂed a high ridge of-moun;
tains to the weft of. the Black river, and tra-
velled over a rough ﬁony country until funfet,
when we arrived at Lingicotta, a fmall village
in the diﬁriét of W'oradoo. Here we ﬂiook
out the laﬂ handful of meal from our dry pro-
vilion bags, this being the {econd day, fince i
we croIfed the Black river, that we had travel-
led from morning until night, without tailing
one morfel of food.

May 2d. We departed from LingiCotta, but
the {laves being very much fatigued, we halted
for the night at a village about nine miles to the

384 5* TRAVELS IN THE

Weﬂward, and procured fome proviﬁons
through the interelt of the fchoolmalter, who
now fent forward a melfenger to Malacotta,
his native town, to inform his friends of his ar-
rival in the country, and to defire them to pro-
vide the neceffary quantity of viEtuals to en-
tertain the cofﬂe for two or three days.

May 3d. We fet out for Malacotta, and about
noon arrived at a village near a coniiderable
{tream of water, which flows to the weltward;
here we determined to {top for the return of
the melfenger, which had been fent to Malacot-
ta the day before, and as the natives affured
me (here was no crocodiles in this ﬁream, I
went and bathed myfelf. Ver)i few people
here can fwim, for they came in fnumbers to
diffuade me from venturing into a pool, where
they faid the water would come over my head.
About two o’clock the meﬂenger- returned
from Malacotta, and the fchoolmaﬁer’s eldeﬂ;
brother being impatient to fee him, came along
with the meﬂenger to meet him at this village.
The interview between the two brothers, who _
had not feen each other for nine years, was very
'natural and affecting. They fell upon each
other’s neck, and it was fometime before either
of them could fpeak. At length, when the
fchoolmaﬁer had a little recovered himfelf,‘
he took his brother by the hand, and turning
round, “This is the man,” faid be, pointing
to Karfa, “’ who has been my father in Man~

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 385

“ ding; I would have pointed him out fooner
“ to you, but my heart was full.” \
We reached Malacotta in the evening, where
we were well received. This is an unwalled
town; the huts for the molt part are made of
fplit cane, twiﬁed into a fort of wicker—work,
and plaftered over with mud. Here we re-
mained three days, and were each day prefent-
ed with a bullock from the fehoolmaﬁer; we
were likewife well entertained by the towns-
people, who appear to be very active and in-
duftrious. They make very good foap by
boiling ground nuts in water, and then adding
a lye of wood aihes. They likewife manufac-
ture excelle t iron, which they carry to Bon-
dou to bart for falt. A party of the towns-
people had lately returned from a trading ex-
pedition of this kind, and broughtinformation
concerning a war between Almami Abdulka-
der, king of F oota Torra, and Dame], king
of the jaloﬂs. The events of this war foon
became a favourite fubjeét with the ﬁnging
men, and the common topic of converfation
in all the kingdoms bordering upon the Sene-
gal and Gambia; and as the account is fomef
what ﬁngular, I {hall here abridge it for the
reader’s information. The king of F oota Tor-
ra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating his
religion, had fem an embaffy to Damel, {imi-
lar to that which he had fent to Kaﬂ'on, as re—
lated in page 87. The ambaﬂador on the pre-

fent occaﬁon, was accompanied by two of the
L l

386 575‘ TRAVELS IN THE

principal Bufhreens, who carried each a large
knife ﬁxed on the top ofa long pole. As foon
as he had procured admiﬂion into the prefence
of Damel, and announced the pleafure of his
fovereign, he ordered the Bufhreens to prefent
theemblems of their million. The two knives
were accordingly laid before Dame], and the
ambaflador explained himfelf as follows :—
“ With this knife,” faid he, “ Abdulkader will
“ condefcend to {have the head of Damel, if
“ Damel will embrace the Mahomedan faith,
“and with this other knife, Abdulkader will
“ cut the throat of Damel, if Damel refufes
“to embrace it; take your choice.” Damel
coolly told the ambafiador that he had no choice
to make; he neither chole to have his head
ﬂiaved, nor his throat cut; and with this an-
fwer the ambafiador was civilly difmiiled. Ab-
dulkader took his meafures accordingly, and
with a powerful army invaded Damel’s coun-
try. The inhabitants of the towns and Villages
ﬁlled up their wells, deltroyed their proviﬁons,
carried of? their effeas, and abandoned their
dwellings, as he approached. By this means
he was led on from place to place, until he had
advanced three day’s journey into the country
of the Jalolis. He had indeed no oppoﬁtion,
‘but his army had fuffered f0 much from the
fcarcity of water, that feveral of his mcnhad
died by the way. This induced him to direct
his march toWards a watering place in the
woods, where his men having quenched their

an.

INTERIOR or AFRICA; ,3; 337

thirﬂ, and being overcome with fatigue, lay“
down carelelsly to fleep among the bulhes. In
this ﬁtuation they were attacked by Damel be-
fore day-break, and completely routed. Many
of them were trampled to death as they lay
alleep by the Jaloff horfes ; others were killed
in attempting to make their efcape; and a Hill
greater number were taken prifoners. Among
the latter was Abdulkader himfelf. This am-
bitious, or rather frantic prince, who but a
month before had fent the threatening melfage
to Dame], was now himfelf led into his pre-
fence as a miferable captive. The behaviour
‘ of Damel on this occafion, is never mentioned
by the ﬁnging men, but in terms of the highelt
approbation, and it was indeed f0 extraordina.
ry, in an African prince, that the reader may
ﬁnd it difﬁcult to give credit to the recital.
When his royal prifoner was brought before
him in irons, and thrown upon the ground, the
magnanimous Dame], initead of fetting his foot
upon his neck and {tabbing him with his fpear,
according to cul’tom in fuch cafes,’addre{fed
him as follows: “ Abdullzader, anfwer me this
“ queﬁion: If the chance of war had placed
“ me in your iituation, and you in mine, how
“ would you have treated me P" “I would have
“ thrul’t my fpear into your heart,” returned
Abdulkader with great firmnefs, “ and I knour
“ that a ﬁmilar fate awaits me.” “ Not fo,”
faid Dame]; “ my fpear is indeed red with the -
“ blood of your fubjeéts killed in battle, and ,

388 TRAVELS IN THE

a?"
“ I could now give it a deeper {lain by dipping
“it in your own; but this would not build up
“my towns, nor bring to life the thoufands
"‘ who fell in the woods. I will not therefore
“ kill you in cold blood, but I will retain you
“ as my (lave, until I perceive, that your pre-
“ fence in your own kingdom will be no longer
“dangerous to your neighbours, and then I
“ will conﬁder of the proper way of difpoﬁng
“ of you.” Abdulkader was accordingly re-
tained, and worked as a {lave for three months;
at the end of which period, Damel liﬁened to
the folicitations of the inhabitants of Foota
Torra, and reﬂored to them their king. Strange
as this {tory may appear, I have no doubt of
the truth of it; it was told me at Malcotta by
the Negroes, it was afterwards related to me
by the Europeans on the Gambia, by fome of
the French at Gorce, and conﬁrmed by nine
ﬂaves, who were taken prifoners along with
Abdulkader by the watering place in the woods,
and carried in the fame {hip with me to the
W ell-Indies.

INTERIOR or AFRICA. 389
CHAP. XXVI.

The Caravan proceeds to Konhodoo and croJVes
the Faleme river.——A rrival at ﬁveral places.
—Incidents on the way—A matrimonial
cafe.—The Caravan proceeds through many
towns and villages, and arrives on the ban/cs
of the Gambia ; paﬂes through Medina, the
capital (fWoolli,anolﬁnallyﬂops at jindey.
-—The author proceeds to Pifania.—Vario us
occurrences previous to his departure from
Africa—His paﬂ'age in an Americanﬂzip‘.
-—-Short account (yr his voyage to Great-Bri-
tain by the way of the Wdl-Inclies, 8c.

N the 7th of May we departed from Ma-
lacotta, and having crofied the Ba lee,

“ Honey river,” a branch of the Senegal, we
arrived in the evening at a walled town called
Bintingala, where we relied two days. From
thence, in one day more, we proceeded to
Dindikoo, a {mall town {ituated at the bottom
of a high ridge of hills, from which this dif—
tri€t is named Konhodoo, “ the hilly country.”
Thefe hills are very produaive of gold. I
was fhewn a {mall quantity ofthis metal, which
had been lately colleé‘ted ; the grains were about
the ufual ﬁze, but much ﬂatter than thofe of
Manding, and were found in white quartz,
which had been broken to pieces by hammers.
At this town I met with a Negro whole hair
and (kin were of a dull white colour. He was of
L 2

390 TRAVELS IN THE

that fort which are called in the Spaniih Well-
Indies,AlIn'7ws, or White Negroes. The {kin
is cadaverous and unﬁghtly, and the natives
conﬁdered this Complexion, I believe truly, as
the effect of difeafe.
May 1 1th. At day-break we departed from
Dindikoo, and after a toilfome day’s travel,
arrived in the evening at Satadoo, the capital
of a diftriét of the fame name. This town
was formerly of conﬁderable extent, but many
families had left it in confequence of the pre-
datory incurﬁons of the Foulahs of Foota
Jalla, who made it a practice to come fecretly
through the woods, and carry of? people from
the corn-ﬁelds, and even from the wells near
the town. In the afternoon of the 12th we
croiled the Faleme river, the fame which I had
- formerly croﬂed at Bondou in my journey
eallward. This river at this feafon of the year
is eaﬁly forded at this place, the ﬁream being
only about two feet deep. The water ‘is very
pure, and flows rapidly over a bed of fand and
gravel. We lodged for the night at a fmall
village called Medina, the fole property of a
Mandingo merchant, who by a long intercourfe
with Europeans, has been induced to adopt Tome
of their cuf’toms. His viEluals were ferved up
in pewter dilhes, and even his houfes were built
after the faﬂiion of the Englifh houfes on the
Gambia.

. May 13th. In the morning, as we were pre.

‘ paring to depart, a coﬁle of {laves belonging

INTERIOR. OF AFRICA. 391

to fome Serawoolli traders, croﬂ'ed the river,
and agreed to proceed with us to Baniferile,
the capital of Dentila; a very long day’s jour-
ney from this place. We accordingly fet out
together, and travelled with great expedition
through the woods until noon, when one of
the Serawoolli {laves dropt the load from his
head, for which he was fmartly whipped. The
load was replaced; but he had not proceeded
above a mile, before he let it fall a fecona
time, for which he received the fame punilh-
ment. After this he travelled in great pain
until about two o’clock, when we {topt to
breathe a little by a pool of water, the day be-
ing remarkably hot. The poor ﬂave was now
to completely exhauﬂed, that his matter was
obliged to releafe him from the rope, for he
lay motionlefs on the ground. A Serawoolli
therefore undertook to remain with him, and
endeavour to bring him to the totvn during the
cool of the night; in the meanwhile we con-
tinued our route, and after a very hard day’s
travel, arrived at Baniferile late in the evening.

One of our Siatees was a native of this place,
from which he had been abfent three years.
This man invited me to go with him to his .
houfe, at the gate of whichhis friends met
him, With many expreiiions of joy, {baking
hands with him, embracing him, and ﬁnging
and’dancing before him. As foon as he had
feated himfelf upon a mat by the threfhold oE

    
 

his door, a young woman, his intended bride

392 _ TRAVELS m THE

brought a little water in a calabalh, and kneel.
ing down before him, deﬁred him to walh his
hands; when he had done this, the girl, with
a tear of joy lparkling in her-eyes, drank the
water, this being conﬁdered as the greatell:
proof {he could poliibly give him of her ﬂ-
delity and attachment. About 'eight o’clock
the fame evening, the Serawoolli who had been
left in the woods to take care of the fatigued
ave, returned and told us that he was dead ;
the general opinion however, was, that he him-
felf had killed him, or left him to perilh on
the road; for the Serawoollies‘ are laid to be
inﬁnitely more cruel in their treatment ofllaves
than the Mandingoes. We remained at Bani-
ferile two days, in order to purchafe native
iron, Shea-butter, and fome other articles for
fale on the Gambia; and here, the Slatee who
had invited me to his houfe, and who polleiled
three Haves, part of the coﬂle, having obtain-
ed information that the price on the wait was
very low, determined to feparate from us and
remain with his llaves where he was,"until an
opportunityfhould offer of dirpoﬁng of them
to advantage ; giving us to underﬁand, that he
ihould complete his nuptials with the young
woman before mentioned, in the meantime.
May 16th. We departed from Baniferile
and travelled through thick woods until noon,
when we law at a diﬂance the town of Julifum
da, but did not approach it, as we propofed
to rei’t for the night at a large town called

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. . 393

Kirwani, which we reached about four o clock
in the afternoon. This town ﬂands 1n a valley,
and the country for more than a mile round 1t,
is cleared of wood, and well cultivated. The
inhabitants appear to be very active and in-
dulirious, and feem to have carried the fyf-
Rem of agriculture to fome degree of per-
feaion; for they colleEt the dung oftheir cattle
into large heaps during the dry leafon, for the
purpol‘e of manuring their land with it at the

proper time. I faw nothing like this in «any ‘
other part of Africa. Near the town are fe-
veral {melting furnaces, from which the natives
obtain very good iron. They afterwards
hammer the metal into fmall bars, about a
foot in length and two inches in breadth, One »
of which bars is fuﬂicient to make two Man;
dingo corn paddles. On the morning after
our arrival we were viﬁted by a ‘Slatee of this
place, who informed Karfa, that among fome
ﬂaves he had lately purchafed, was a native of
Foota Ialla; and as that country was at no
great diltance, he could not fafely employ him
in the labours ofthe ﬁeld, leﬁ he {hould efl‘eﬁ _
his efcape. TheVSIatee was the1efore deﬁiﬂus
of exchanging this Have for one of Karf'a’ s,
and offered fome cloth and fome Shea-butter to
induce Karfa to comply with the propofal,
which was accepted. The Slatee thereupon
fenta boy to order the Have in queition to
bring him a few ground nuts. The poor crea-
ture ibon afterwards entered the court in

394 TRAVELS IN THE

whicg‘we were ﬁtting, having no {ufpicion of
what was negociating, until the mailer caufed
the gate to be fhut, and told him to ﬁt down.
The ﬂave now faw his danger, and perceiving
the gate to be ihut upon him, threw down the
nuts andjumped over the fence. He was im-
mediately purfued and overtaken by the Sla-
tees, who brought him back, and {ecured him
in irons, after which, one of Karfa’s {laves was
releafed and delivered in exchange. The un-
fortunate captive was at ﬁrii very much de-
jected, but in the courfe of a few days his me-
lancholy gradually fubﬁded, and he became at
length as cheerful as any of his companions.
Departing from Kirwani, on the morning
of ' the 20th we entered the Tenda Wil-
dernefs of two‘ day’s journey. The woods
were very thick, and the country {helved to-
wards the foutlrwei’t. About ten o’clock we
met a cofHe of twenty-(ix people, and feven
loaded affes, returning from the Gambia. Moit
of the men were armed with mulkets, and had
broad belts of fcarlet cloth over their ihoulders,
511% European hats upon their heads. They
i V ‘rmed us that there Was very little demand
for Haves on the coaﬂ, as no veifel had arriv-
ed for fome months pail. ' On hearing this,
the Serawooilies who had travelled with us
from the Faleme river, ‘feparatedp themfelves
and their {laves from the cofﬂe. They had not
they faid, the means of maintaining their Haves
in Gambia until a. veifel ihould arrive, an '1

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. we" 395

were unwilling to fell them to difadvantage;
they therefore departed to the northward for
Kajaaga. We continued our route through
the wildernefs, and travelled all day through
a ragged country, covered with extenﬁve
thickets of bamboo. At fun-fet, to our great
joy, we arrived at a pool of water at a large
Tabba tree, whence the place is called Tabba
gee, and here we reﬁed a few hours. The
water at this feafon of the year is by no means
plentiful in thefe woods, and as the days were
infufferably hot, Karfa propofed to travel in
the night. Accordingly about eleven o’clock,
the ﬂaves were taken out of their irons, and
the people of the coHle received orders to keep
clofe together, as well to prevent the ﬂaves
from attempting to efcape, as on account of
the wild beafts. We travelled with great ala-
crity until daybreak, when it was difcovered
that a free woman had parted from the, coHle in
the night; her name was called until the woods
refounded, but no anfwer being given, we
conjeaured that {he had either miﬁaken the
road, or that a lion had feized her unperc ' ,-
ed. At length it was agreed, that four pecfrﬁe
fhould go backa few miles to a fmall rivulet,
where fome of the cofile had ﬁopt to drink, as
we paifed it in the night, and that the collle
{hould wait for their return. The fun was
about an hour high before the people came
back with the woman, whom they found ly-,
ing falt afleep by the ﬁream. We now refumg

396 W TRAVELS IN THE
ed our journey, and about eleven o’clock
reached a walled town called Tambacunda,
where we were well received. Here we re-
mained four days, on account ofa palaver
which was held on the following occaﬁon:
Modi Lemina, one of the Slatees belonging to
the coHl‘e, had formerly married a woman of
this town, who had borne him two children;
he afterwards went to Manding, and remained
there eight years, without fending any account
of himfelf during all that time to his deferted
wife; who, feeing no profpeé’t of his return, at r
the end of three years had married another
man, to whom {he had likewife borne two
children. Lemina now claimed his wife, but
the fecond hulband'refufed to deliver her up,
inlilting that by the laws of Africa, when a
man has been abfent three years from his wife,
without giving her notice of his being alive,
the woman is at liberty to marry again. After
all the circumllances had been fully inveﬁigat-
ed in an aiiembly of the chief men, it was de-
termined, that the wife fhould make her choice,
a be at liberty either to return to the ﬁrﬂ:
huiband, or continue with the fecond, as lhe
alone ihould think proper. Favourable as
this determination was to the lady, {he found
it a difﬁcult matter to make up her mind, and
. requel‘ted time for coniideration; but I think I
could percieve, that ﬁrﬂ love would carry the
day. Lamina was indeed, fomewhat .older
than his rival, but he was alfo much richer.

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 397

What weight this circumfiance had in the fcale
of his wife’s affections, I pretend not to fay.
On the morning of the 26th, as we departed
from Tambacunda, Karfa obferved to me, that
there were no Shea-trees farther to the weftward
than this town. I had collected and brought
with me from Manding the leaves and flowers
of this tree, but they were [0 greatly bruifed
on the road, that I thought it belt to gather
another fpecimen at this place. The appear-
ance of the fruit evidently places the Shea-tree
in the natural order of fapotas, and it has fome
refemblance to the mad/Luca tree, defcribed by
Lieutenant Charles Hamilton, in the Afiatic
Refearches, Vol. I. p. 300. About one o’clock
we reached Sibikillin, a walled village, but the
inhabitants, having the charaEter of inhofpi-
tality towards ﬁrangers, and of being much
addicted to theft, we did not think proper to
enter the gate. We relied a fhort time under
a tree, and .then continued our route until it
was dark, when we halted for the night by a
fmall ﬁream running towards the Gambia.
Next day the road led over a wild and rodty
country, every where riﬁng into hills, and
abounding with monkeys and wild beafis. In
the rivulets among the hills, we found great
plenty of ﬁfh. This was a very hard days’
journey, and it was not until fun-let that we
reached the village of Koomboo, near to which
are the ruins ofa large town formerly def’troycd

by war. The inhabitants of Koomboo, like
M m

398 a , TRAVELS IN THE

thofe of Sibikillin, have fo bad a reputation,
that {trangers feldom lodge in the village; we
accordingly relied for the. night in the ﬁelds,
where we erected temporary huts for our pro-
teaion, there being great appearance of rain.

May 28th. We departed from Koomboo,
and flept at a Foulah town about feven miles to
the weltward ; from which, on the day follow-
ing, having croﬂed a conliderable branch of
the Gambia called Neola Koba, we reached a
well inhabited part of the country. Here are
feveral towns in ﬁght of each other, collective-
ly called Tenda, but each is diﬁinguiihed alfo
by its particular name. We lodged atone of
them, called Koba Tenda, where we remained
the day following, in order to procure provi-
lions for our fupport in eroﬂing the Simbani
woods. On the 30th we reached Jallacotta, a
conﬁderable town, but much infelled by F ou—
lah banditti, who come through the woods from
Bondou, and {teal every thing they can lay
their hands on. A few days before our arrival
they had {tolen twenty head of cattle, and on
theaday following made a fecond attempt, but
were beaten off, and one of them taken prifon-
er. -Here one of the {laves belonging to the
coflle, who had travelled with great difﬁculty
for the laf’t three days, was found unable to
proceed any farther; his maﬁer, a finging man,
propofed therefore to exchange him for a young
{lave girl, belonging to one of the towns people.
The poor girl was ignorant of her fate untii

INTERIOR OF AFRICA; 399

the bundles were all tied up in the morning,
and the collie ready to depart, when, coming
with forne other young women to fee the coHle
fet out, her mailer took her by the hand and
delivered her to the ﬁnging man. Never was
a face of ferenity more l‘uddenly changed into
one of the deepelt dil’trefs ; the terror the ma- ‘
nifelled on having the load put upon her head,
and the rope faﬂened round her neck, and the
forrow with which {be bade adieu to her compa-
nions, were truly affeétibg. About nine o’clock
we crolied a large plain covered with cilzocz
trees, a fpecies of the palm, and came to the
river Nerico, a branch of the Gambia. This
was “but a {mall river at this time, but in the
rainy feafon it is often dangerous to travellers.
As foon as we had crolled this river, the ﬁng—
ing men began to vociferate a particular long,
exprellive of their joy at having got fafe into
the weft country, or, as they expreiled it, the
land ofthe fetti-ngfun. The country was found
to be very level, and the foil a mixture of clay
and'l'and. In the afternoon it rained hard, and
we had recourfe to the common Negro um-
brella, a large ciboa leaf, which being placed
upon the head, completely defends the whole
body from the rain. We lodged for the night
under the {hade ofa large tabba tree, near the
ruins of a village. On the morning following
we crolled a ﬁream called Noulico, and about
two o’clock, to my inﬁnite joy, I faw m‘yfelf
once more on the banks of the Gambia, which

4 40° . TRAVELS IN THE

at this place being deep and fmooth, is naviga-
' ble; but the people told me, that a little lower
down the ﬁrearm is fo ' fhallow, that the coHle
frequently crofs it on foot. On the fouth iide of
the river oppofite to this place, is a large plain
of clayey ground, called Toombi Toorila. It
is a fort of-mora-fs in which people are fre-
quently loft, it being more than a days’ jour-
ney acrofs it. In the afternoon we met a man
and two women, with bundles of cotton (cloth
upon their heads. They were going, they faid,
for Dentila, to purchafe iron, there being a
great fcarcity of that article on the Gambia.
A little before it was dark we arrived at a vil-
lage in the kingdom of Woolli, called Seefu-
kunda. Near this village there are great plenty
of nitta trees, and the ﬂaves in paﬁing along
had colleéted large bunches of the fruit; but
fuch was the fuperﬁition ofthe inhabitants, that
they would not permit any of the fruit to be
brought into the village. They had been told,
they faid, that fome cataflrophe would happen
to the place, when people lived upon nittas,
and neglected to cultivate corn.

June 2d. We departed from SeefukUnda,
and paﬂed a number of villages, at none of
which was the cofHe permitted to ﬂop, al-
though we were all very much fatigued: It
Was four o’clock in the afternoon before we
reached Baraconda, where we relied one day.
Departing from Baraconda on the morning of
the 4th, we reached in a few hours Medina, the

INTERIOR or AFRICA. . i 401

capital of the king of VVoolli’s dominions,
from whom the reader may recollect I received
an hofpitable reception in the beginning of
December, 1795, in my journey eaitward,
(vide p. 40.) I immediately enquired concern-
ing the health of my good old benefactor, and
learnt with great concern that he was dangerouf—
ly ill. As Karfa would notallow the colfle to
ﬂop, I could not prefent my refpeEts to the
king in perfon; but I fent him word by the
ofﬁcer to whom we paid cul’toms, that his
prayers for my fafety, had not been unavailing.
We continued our route until fun-fet, when
we lodged at a fmall village a little to the weft-
ward of Kootakunda, and on the day follow-
ing arrived at Jindey, where, eighteen months
before, I had parted from my friend Dr. Laid-
ley; an interval, during which I had not be-
held the face of a Chriﬂian, nor once heard
the delightful found of my native language.
Being now arrived within a i‘nort dil’tance of
Pifania, from whence my journey originally
commenced, and learning that my friend Karfa
was not likely to meet with an immediate op-
portunity of {elling his ﬂaves on the Gambia,
it occurred to me to fuggel’t to him, that he
would find it his interel’t to leave them at Jin-
dey until a market lhould offer. Karfa agreed
with me in this opinion, and hired from the
chief man of the town, huts for their accom-
modation, and a piece of land on which to

employ them, in raiﬁng corn and other provi-
m 2

40.2 - TRAVELS IN'i‘iiE

{ions for their maintenance. With regard to
himl'elf, he declared that he would not quit me
until my departure from Africa. We fet out
accordingly, Karfa, myfelf, and one of the
F oulahs belonging to. the cofHe, early on'the
morning of the 9th ; but although I was now
approaching the end of my tedious and toil-
fome journey, and expected in another day to
meet with countrymen and friends, I could
not part for the laﬂ time with my unfortunate
fellow-travellers, doomed as I knew mof’t of
them to be to a life of captivity and flavery in a
foreign land, without great emotion. During a
wearifome peregrination of more than ﬁve hun-
dred Britiih miles, expoled to the burning rays
ofa tropical fun, thefe poor ﬂaves, amidﬁ their
own inﬁnitely greater fufferings, would com-
miferate mine, and frequently, of their own
accord, bring water to quench my thirﬂ, and
at night colleﬂ branches and leaves to prepare
me a bed in the Wildernefs. We parted with
reciprocal expreﬂions of regret and benediction.
My good wiihes and prayers were all I could
bei’tow upon them, and it afforded me fome
confolation to be told, that they were feniible’
I had no more to give.

My anxiety to get forward admitting of no-
delay on the road, we reached Tendacunda in
the evening, and were hofpitably received at
the houfe of an aged black female, called Se—
niora Camilla, a perfon who had reﬁded many
years at the Engliih faﬁory, and fpoke our

', $1
INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 403

language. I was known to her before I left
the Gambia, at the outfet of my journey; but
my drefs and figure were now fo different from
the ufual appearance of an European, that {he
was very excu fable in mif’taking me for a Moor.
When I told her my name and country, fhe fur-
veyed me with great afionifhment, and feemed
unwilling to give credit to the tefiimony of her
fenfes. She affured me that none of the traders
on the Gambia ever expected to fee me again,
having been informed long ago, that the Moors
of Ludamar' had murdered me, as they had.
murdered Major Houghton. I enquired for
my two attendants, Iohnfon and Demba, and
learnt, with great Iorrow, that neither of them
was returned. Karfa, who had never before
heard people converfe in Englifh, liftened to
us with great attention. Every thing he faw
feemed wonderful. The furniture of the houfe,
the chairs, &c. and particularly beds with cur-
tains, were objects of his great admiration,
and he aiked me a thoufand quefiions concern-
ing the utility and neceflity of different articles,
to fome of which I found it difficult to give
fatisfaétory anfwers.

On the morning of the 10th, Mr. Robert
Ainlley, having learnt that I was at Tendacun.
da, came to meet me, and politely offered me
the ufe of his horfe. He informed me that
Dr. Laidley had removed all his property to a
place called Kaye, a little farther down the ri-
ver, and that he was then gone to Doomafanfa

a 12'" .

‘ 404 TRAVELS IN THE

with his velfel, to purchaie rice, but would re-
turn in a day or two. He/ therefore invited
me to Ray with him at Pifania, until the Doc-
tor’s return. I accepted the invitation, and
being accompanied by my friend Karfa, reach-
ed Pifania about ten o’clock. Mr. Ainlley’s
fchooner was lying at anchor before the place.
This was the mof’t furpriﬁng objeét which Kar-
fa had yet feen. He could not eafily compre-
hend the ufe of the mafts, fails, and rigging;
nor did he conceive that it was poﬂible, by any
fort of contrivance, to make f0 large a. body
move forwards by the common force of the
wind. The manner of fal’tening together the
different planks which compofed the veifel, and
ﬁlling up the feams fo as to exclude the water,
was perfeétly new to him, and I found that the
fcbooner, with her cable and anchor, kept
Karfa in deep meditation the greater part of
the day.

About noon on the 12th, Dr. Laidley re-
turned from Doomafanfa, and received me
with great joy and fatisfaétion, as one rifen
from the dead. Finding that the wearing ap.
parel which I had left under his care, was not
fold or fent to England, I left no time in re-
fuming the Engliih drefs, and dilrobing my
chin of its venerable incumbrance. ' Karfa fur—
veyed me in my Britiih apparel with great de-
light, but regretted exceedingly that I had
taken off my heard, the lofs of which, he faid,
had converted mefrom a man into a boy.

1r.“
INTERIOR OF AFRICA; 405 .

Doaor Laidley readily undertook to difcharge
all the pecuniary engagements which I had en-
tered into ﬁnce my departure from the Gam-
bia, and took my draft upon the Aflociation
for the amount. My agreement with Karfa,
as I have already related, was to pay him the
value of one prime ﬂave, for which I had given
him my bill upon Dr. Laidley, before we de-
parted from Karﬁalia ; for, in cafe of my death
on the road, I was unwilling that my benefaétor
Ihould be a lofer. But this good creature had
continued to manifeit towards me f0 much
kindnefs, that I thought I made him but an
inadequate recompence, when I told him, that
he was now to receive double the {um I had
originally promifed; and Dr. Laidley aliured
him, that he was ready to deliver the goods to
that amount, whenever he thought proper to
fend for them. Karfa was overpowered by this
unexpeEted token of my gratitude, and {till
more fo, when he heard that I intended to lend
a handfome prefent to the good old {'chool-
mailer, Fankooma, at Malacotta. He pro-
mifed to carry up the goods along with his own,
and Dr. Laidley aﬂ'ured him that he would
exert himfelf in alﬁﬁing him to difpofe of his
Haves to the belt advantage, the moment a flaw:
velfel lhould arrive. Thefe and other inﬁ'ances
of attention and kindnefs {hewn him by Dr.
Laidley, were not led upon Karfa. He would
often fay to me, “ my journey has indeed been
profperous 1” But obferving the improved

”406 TRAVELS IN THE

Rate of our manufaEtures, and our manifeﬂ
fuperiority in the arts of civilized life, he
would fometimes appear penﬁve, and exclaim
with an involuntary ﬁgh,fa£oﬁ7zg'intafeng,
“ black men are nothing.” At other times he
Would afk me, with great ferioufnefs, what
cotlld polﬁbly have induced me, who was no
trader, to think of exploring f0 miferable a
country as Africa? He meant by this to ﬁg-
nii‘y, that, after what I muft have witneffed in
my own country, nothing in Africa could in
his opinion deferve a moment’s attention. I
have preferved thefe little traits of charaaer
in this worthy Negro, not only from regard to
the man, but alfo becaufe they appeared to me
to demonf’trate, that he poffeifed a mind above
his‘condition; and to fuch of my readers as
love to contemplate human nature in all its
varieties, and to trace its progrefs from rude-
nefs to reﬁnement, I hope the account I have
given of this poor African, will not be unac-
ceptahle.

No European veffel had arrived at the Gam-
bia for many months previous to my return from
the interior, and as the rainy {cafon‘was now
fetting in, I perfuaded Karfa to return to his
people at Jindey. He parted with me on the
14th with great tendernefs; but as I had little
hopes of being able to quit Africa for the re-
mainder of the year, I told him, as the fact
was, that I expeéted to fee himlagain before
my departure. In this, however, I‘was luckily

INTERIOR OF AFRICA. 4071

difappointed, and my narrative now haflens
to its concluﬁon; for on the 15th, the {hip
Charleﬂown, an American veffel, commanded
by Mr. Charles Harris, entered the river. She
came for ﬂaves, intending to touch at Goree
to ﬁll up, and to proceed from thence to South
Carolina. As the European merchants on the
Gambia had at this time a great many {lav es
on hand, they agreed with the captain to pur-
chafe the whole of his cargo, conlif’ting chiefly
of rum and tobacco, and deliver him {laves to
the amount in the comfe of two days. This
afforded me fuch an opportunity of returning,
though by a circuitous route, to my native
country, as I thought was not to be negleaed.
Ittherefore immediately engaged my paffage in
this veffel for America, and having taken leave
of Dr. Laidley, to whofe kindnefs I was fo
largely indebted, and my other friends on the
river, I embarked at Kaye on the 17th day of
June.

Our paITage down the river was tedious and
fatiguing, and the weather was fo hot, moift,
and unhealthy, that before our arrival at Go-
rec, four of the leamen, the furgeon, and three
of the flaves, had died of fevers. At Goree
we were detained, for want of proviﬁons, un-
til the beginning of OEtober.

The number of flaves received on board
this V'effcl,, both on the Gambia, and at Goree,
was one hundred and thirty, of whom about
twentyfive had been, I fuppofe, of free con-

408 TRAVELS IN THE

dition, in Africa, as mail of thofe, being Bufh-
reens, could write a little Arabic. Nine of
them had become captives in the religious war
between Abdulkader and Damel, mentioned
in the latter part of the preceding chapter.
Two of the others had feen me as I pafied
through Bondou, and many of them had heard
of me in the interior countries. My conver-
fation with them, in their native language, gave
them great comfort, and as the {urgeon was
dead, I confented to act in a medical capacity
in his room for the remainder of the voyage.
They had in truth need of every confolation
in my power to beﬁow; not that I obferved
any wanton acts of cruelty praclifed either by
the maﬁer, or the feamen, towards them ; but
the mode of confining and fecuring Negroes in
the American flave ﬂlips, owing chieﬂy to the
weaknefs of their crews, being abundantly more
rigid and fevere than in Britilh veiIels employ-
ed in the fame trafﬁc, made thefe poor crea—
tures to fuffer grgatly, and a general ﬁcknefs
prevailed amongﬁ them. Beiides the three
who died on the Gambia, and ﬁx or eight while
we remained at Goree, eleven perilhed at fea,
and many of the furvivors were reduced to a
very weak and emaciated condition.

In the midf’t of thefe diﬁreﬁes, the vefiel,
after having been three weeks at fea, became
f0 extremely leaky, as to require conﬂant ex-
ertion at the pumps. It was found necelIary,
therefore, to take fome of the ablelt of the

t

‘9‘

\

‘2‘”

iNTERIOR OF AFRICA. 409

Negro men out of irons, and employ them in
this labour, in which they were often worked
beyond their ﬁrength. This produced a com.
plication of miferies not eafily to be defcribed.
We were,‘however, relieved much fooner than
I expected, for the leak continuing to gain
upon us, notwithﬂanding our utmoﬁ exertions
to clear the veflel, the feamen inliiled on
bearing away for the Vv'eftIndies, as‘aifording
the only’chance of faving our lives. Accord- ‘
ingly, after fome objections on the part of the
matter, we directed our courfe for Antigua,
and fortunately made that illand in about thirty
ﬁve days after our departure from Goree.
Yet even at this juncture we narrole efcaped 7
deﬁruaion, for on approaching the north-well:
ﬁde of the illand, we (truck on the Diamond
Rock, and got into St. John’s harbour with
great diﬂiculty. The Veﬂel was afterwards cona
demned as unﬁt for fea, and the Haves, as I
have heard, were ordered to be fold for the
beneﬁt of the owners.

At this iiland I remained ten days, when the
Chel’terﬁeld Packet, homeward bound from
the Leeward Iflands, touching at St. Johns for
the Antigua mail, I took my pailage in "that
veilel. We failed on the 24th of November,
and after a {hort but tempeituoUs voyage, ar-
rived at F almouth on the 22d of December,
from whence I immediately fet out for Lon-
don, having beep abfent from England two ;

years and {even months.
N n

 

THE NEGRO SONG.

The incident of the Negro Song, related in the 15th Chap-
ter of this work, (p. 223), having been communicated to
the Dutchefs of Devon/hire, jhe was played to think ﬁr
highly if this fi’mpie and unpremeditated efuﬁon, as to
make a veijion of it with her ownpen; and caiife it to be
jet to muﬁc by an eminent Compofer. With this elegant
produfiion, in which the piaintivefzmplicity of the origi-
nal is preferved and improved, the Author think: himﬁif
highly honoured in being permittedjo addrn his book.

I.
HE loud wind roar’d, the rain fell faﬂ ;
The White Man yielded to the blaﬂ;
He fat him down, beneath our tree,
F or weary, fad, and faint was he;
And ah, no wife, or mothers’ care,
.For him, the milk or corn prepare ;

cnonva
The White‘Man, find! our pity ﬂzare;
Alas, no wife, or mothers’ care,
For him, the milk orcorn prepare.

II.
The ﬁorm is o’er, the tem ell ail;
And Mercys’ voice has hufh’d the blaﬁ : g
T he wind is heard in whifpers low; Y)
The W hit: Man, far away muﬁ go 5“. “
But ever in his heart will bear
Remembrance of the Negros’ care.

euonu&
Go, White Man go ;—-but with thee bear
The Negros’ wijh, the Negros’ prayer;
Remembrance of the Negros’ care. 2‘ 3’

,1; ., Q.

‘

up

 

 

A

1
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IN NEVV—YORK.

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Abraham Van Gelder

Jacob Van Duvoort

James Votey

Thomas Vail

Peter Van Skiver

James Ver Veelen

John Vanhorn

Richard V. Varick
W

John VVright

John Woodward

002

' IVIr. John Watts

Andrew W ell
Francis Wayland
Seth Wayland
Hendrick Willfe
Thomas Warren
Elijah Warner
William Work
Jofeph Webb
Stephen Wright
Afa VVhiteker
John Williams
VV'rlliam Williams
Hercnlus VVendover

Capt. jolhua Wilmurt
Mr. lfrael Wood

William 'Weir

Luther V’Villiams

John Weller

Peter Williams

Daniel Williams

James Wilfon V
James Johnfon Warren
Albert Wellerfield
Nehemiah \Voodrulf
John Willon

Samuel Woodrulf
Peter Winthrop

John Wellels

Richard Wilmlhurll
Peter Waldron "‘
John Wrighterj

Samuel Williams

M. P. Waage

Joliah Well:

John W intringham
George Whitﬁeld
Ezekiel Williams

‘
SUBSCRIBERS . =NAMES.

M'r. Laurence-White ' , Mr. SmithVandei/vateﬁ; ,'
James Warner' . Jofeph Webb
Jofeph L. Wheeler '. . Bernard Ward
Wm. Whecloek —, Wui’. L. Whaley‘
Thomas.lefon 2 —r. ,
John Wingﬁeld NEWARK, N. J.
Silas White ‘ , '_.

Jotham Wright Jacob Baldwin .
James Wade Oliver Ball 4

Y ' ' James Campbell
Ezekiel Young 'John Davis
George Youle ' Jacobi Doremus

-_--- ' John Gardner

BROOKLYN. " Adam Humes -

--— Mile Patty Jolmfoh
Killner Grant. Mr. John Pool
John Mandeville . Abraham Reeves,
Abraham Poll Amos Stillman
Wm. Skinner ' Daniel Say'res
Elkanah Smith Ephraim Smith. ' .
Iﬁael Tmhill .

8

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51133012135123 m” CONNEbTICUT.

NEW-HAVEN.
Mr. Jeremiah Atwater 3dj

.oel Au ar
Johnfon Burrill
John Bilhop
Wheeler Brown
Samuel Billtop .
Nehemiah Bradley
Richard Cutler
Parfons Clark
Alex. Cobum
Oliver Deming
Elihu Dagget
Napthali Dagget
Richard Eld, Jr
Wm. Fitch
John Fitch
Alfred Green
Benjamin Grannil's
Richard Corham
Horace Hamden
Julius Hotchkifs

Samuel Huggins, Jr. .'

Daniel Hubbard
Wm. F. Harvey
Bela Higgins
Ebenezer Johnfon
David Kimberly
Wm. Lyon, Jr.
Stephen Lines
Ifaac Q. Leaks
'Nath. S. Lewis
Henry Lynde
Wm. Mansﬁeld, Jr.
Eli Mix

Marcus Merriman

George Miles

Mr. Ifaac Mix

40"

Elias Mix

Joliah Mansﬁeld
John Morris

Elijah Olborn
Anthony Perit ,
George Peckham
Reuben Rice

John Ritter
hiatthew Read
Thaddeus Sherman
Elias Stilwell

Elias Shipman
Timothy Stow

Seth P. Staples
Samuel 1%. Thomas
Thomas Townfend
Ifaac Tuttle
Stephen Trowbridge
Meir. I‘. & K. Townfend
Mr. Eben Townfend, jr.
John Townfend
Charles Whittelfey

‘ David \Vells

——-

NIIDDLETOWN.
Thomas Ault '

Wm. Cooper

Seth Crowel
Maynard Franklin
Abijah Hall
Nehemiah Hubbard jr.
Elijah Kentﬁeld
Gideon Lucas

Wm. Ruliel

Al pheus Shumway
Samuel Sbujhmayd

 

SUBSCRIBE RS NAMES.

HARTFORD. 1 ‘

Mr. Wm. Barton Jr.

Joﬁah S. Burnham V

James Belden
Royal A. Bowen
George Burr jr.
Arnold Bullard

Robert Johnfon Collins

James Church
Wm. Clark
Geo. Corning
George Caldwell
Samuel C. Camp
Noble Day
Samuel Darnforth
John Fowle
Henry King
Jofeph Lynde
Samuel Lyman
Samuel Marlh jr.
\ Henry Peterfon
H. Sadd
Elijah Spencer
Wm. Starr jr.
Jonas Sloan
George White
Nathaniel Wales
Thomas VVells
Thomas Williams

NORWICH.

Mellrs. Avery & Tracey
Mr. Benjamin *Ames .

Wm. Brown
’ ".3 Jofeph Brewller
_John Beatty‘é

 
   
 

Mr. Seabury Brewﬁer
' .Ezra Bachus

Bachus Barret

' Nahum Cutler ‘

John Clark
Blifs Coming
John Convcrfe
James Denifon
Rullel Dennifs
Samuel Danforth
John Eells
Nathaniel Eells
Luther Edgerton
Gurdon Edgerton
Lodwick Filh "
Nathaniel Gilbert
Wheeler Gee:
Silas Goodill
Eliphalet Huntington
Daniel Huntington
James Huntington
Thomas Hubbgrd, Jr.
John Hamilton '
Jabez Huntington
ev1 Huntington
Jofeph Howland
Nathaniel Howland
Richard Howell
John Hyde

_, Thomas Harland

Jofeph Huntington
Erallus Huntington
Abiel Hyde
Ebenezer Hy‘de:
David Hayes

VV. S. Hart
Jeremiah Halley "
Thomas King
Simon Lathrop

3!?

x

Mr. Joﬂihua Lathrop
Daniel Lathrop

Ala Lathrop

Wm. Mayo

Diah Manning
David N evins
Alher Perkins ‘
Dwight Replay
Uriah Rogers
Benjamin Snow
John Smith 3d .
Nathaniel ,Shipman
Conﬁder Sterry
Luiher Spalding
Samuel Tyler

David Tracy

David Taber
Nathaniel TOanend
Simeon Thomas
Henry Tracey
Abijah Thomas
Ifrael E. Vale ‘
Samuel Brown Walls
Burrel Woodworth
Charles T. VVood

4 Samuel \Voodbridge
Araunah Waterman.

NE‘W-LONDON.

Rufus Avery, Groton
Gilbert Avery

onathan Auﬂin, Mont—
Robert Allyn [ville
Cheﬁer Androfs
Eliphalet Bulkley
Silas Bingham
Abijah Beebe
Peter Beebe

Capt. John '

_ (S.UB§CIRIBERS. NAMES“.

Mr. JobarBeebe ._ ..
‘Walter Burdick, Groton

Noyes Barber; do.

.Nathan Bailey

Zenas Browu

Hubbel Brooks

Giles Ghefler

Oliver Comﬂock ,
Ilaac V. H. Crannell
George Colfax

Elihu Cracker

John Cheller

Ifaac Clark

Ezra Chappell

John Dennis .
Richard Deﬂion, jr.
Jeremiah Douglas
Wm. Eldridge
Nicoll Fofdick

John A. Fulton
Ezekiel Fox

_ Thomas Fordick

Nathaniel Hewit

David Holt '

Stephen Holt, jr.

David Harris

VVilliam Harris, jr.

Daniel Hull

Jofeph D. Huntington,
Windham.

Henry Jepfon

Henry Jolinfon

Nathaniel Ledyard

L man Law

Gurdon Ledyard, Groton

Capt. Wm. Leeds, do.

Amos Leed

Henry Malian

:0 Carter

  

 

ksvascmms NAMES.

'Mr. Jofcph Mete‘alf,’ Leba-
-- non.
Wm. Mc NaughtOn,
Montville.
.Chriﬂopher Manwaring
George Newcome
John O’Brien
Wm. P‘enniman
Peter Richards
James Springer
Benjamin Starr
John Sears
,Samuel Sizer
Simeon Smith
Daniel G. Thacher
John P. Tron
' Richard Tinker
Meir. J. and A. \Voodward
Mr. Jofcph Woodwill
Abilhai Woodward
Chriﬁopher White, Gro«

ton.
STON IN GTON.
Stephen Brown

 

Mr. Oliver Cobb

' James Clark, jr.
Jonathan Crary-
Samuel F. Dennifon
Jofeph Davis
John Denifon
Elil’ha Denifon
Nalhaniel Fanning
Elnathan Fellowes
Nathan Grant
VVilliam Hazard
John Jeffords
VVm. Lord
Jonathan Palmer, jr.
Elijah Palmer
Amos Palmer ‘
Amafa Patterfon -
Luke Palmer
John Roots ‘
Alex. G.‘ Smith
Zebulon Stanton
Edward Smith

h-~ A

 

 

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