The Negro Who Had
Conducted Me From Modiboo Now Left Me.
I requested him to look to
my horse on his return, and take care of him if he was still alive,
which he promised to do.
Departing from Kea, we proceeded about a mile down the river, when
the fisherman paddled the canoe to the bank and desired me to jump
out. Having tied the canoe to a stake, he stripped off his clothes,
and dived for such a length of time that I thought he had actually
drowned himself, and was surprised to see his wife behave with so
much indifference upon the occasion; but my fears were over when he
raised up his head astern of the canoe and called for a rope. With
this rope he dived a second time, and then got into the canoe and
ordered the boy to assist him in pulling. At length they brought up
a large basket, about ten feet in diameter, containing two fine
fish, which the fisherman - after returning the basket into the
water - immediately carried ashore and hid in the grass. We then
went a little farther down and took up another basket, in which was
one fish. The fisherman now left us to carry his prizes to some
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 fishing town on the
northern bank, from whence I was conveyed across the river to Silla,
a large town, where I remained until it was quite dark, under a
tree, surrounded by hundreds of people.
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
smart paroxysm of fever during the night. Worn down by sickness,
exhausted with hunger and fatigue, half-naked, and without any
article of value by which I might procure provisions, clothes, or
lodging, I began to reflect seriously on my situation. I was now
convinced, by painful experience, that the obstacles to my farther
progress were insurmountable. The tropical rains were already set
in with all their violence - the rice grounds and swamps were
everywhere overflowed - and in a few days more, travelling of every
kind, unless by water, would be completely obstructed. The kowries
which remained of the king of Bambarra's present were not sufficient
to enable me to hire a canoe for any great distance, and I had but
little hopes of subsisting by charity in a country where the Moors
have such influence. But, above all, I perceived that I was
advancing more and more within the power of those merciless
fanatics, and, from my reception both at Sego and Sansanding, I was
apprehensive that, in attempting to reach even Jenne (unless under
the protection of some man of consequence amongst them, which I had
no means of obtaining), I should sacrifice my life to no purpose,
for my discoveries would perish with me. The prospect either way
was gloomy. In returning to the Gambia, a journey on foot of many
hundred miles presented itself to my contemplation, through regions
and countries unknown. Nevertheless, this seemed to be the only
alternative, for I saw inevitable destruction in attempting to
proceed to the eastward. With this conviction on my mind I hope my
readers will acknowledge that I did right in going no farther.
Having thus brought my mind, after much doubt and perplexity, to a
determination to return westward, I thought it incumbent on me,
before I left Silla, to collect from the Moorish and negro traders
all the information I could concerning the farther course of the
Niger eastward, and the situation and extent of the kingdoms in its
vicinage; and the following few notices I received from such various
quarters as induce me to think they are authentic:-
Two short days' journey to the eastward of Silla is the town of
Jenne, which is situated on a small island in the river, and is said
to contain a greater number of inhabitants than Sego itself, or any
other town in Bambarra. At the distance of two days more, the river
spreads into a considerable lake, called Dibbie (or the Dark Lake),
concerning the extent of which all the information I could obtain
was that in crossing it from west to east the canoes lose sight of
land one whole day. From this lake the water issues in many
different streams, which terminate in two large branches, one
whereof flows towards the north-east, and the other to the east; but
these branches join at Kabra, which is one day's journey to the
southward of Timbuctoo, and is the port or shipping-place of that
city. The tract of land which the two streams encircle is called
Jinbala, and is inhabited by negroes; and the whole distance by land
from Jenne to Timbuctoo is twelve days' journey.
From Kabra, at the distance of eleven days' journey down the stream,
the river passes to the southward of Houssa, which is two days'
journey distant from the river. Of the farther progress of this
great river, and its final exit, all the natives with whom I
conversed seemed to be entirely ignorant. Their commercial pursuits
seldom induce them to travel farther than the cities of Timbuctoo
and Houssa, and as the sole object of those journeys is the
acquirement of wealth, they pay little attention to the course of
rivers or the geography of countries. It is, however, highly
probable that the Niger affords a safe and easy communication
between very remote nations. All my informants agreed that many of
the negro merchants who arrive at Timbuctoo and Houssa from the
eastward speak a different language from that of Bambarra, or any
other kingdom with which they are acquainted But even these
merchants, it would seem, are ignorant of the termination of the
river, for such of them as can speak Arabic describe the amazing
length of its course in very general terms, saying only that they
believe it runs TO THE WORLD'S END.
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