The Slatees, However, Were Unwilling To Abandon Her, The
Day's Journey Being Nearly Ended; They Therefore Made A Sort Of
Litter Of Bamboo-Canes, Upon Which She Was Placed, And Tied On It
With Slips Of Bark.
This litter was carried upon the heads of two
slaves, one walking before the other, and they were followed by two
others, who relieved them occasionally.
In this manner the woman
was carried forward until it was dark, when we reached a stream of
water at the foot of a high hill called Gankaran-Kooro, and here we
stopped for the night, and set about preparing our supper. As we
had only ate one handful of meal since the preceding night, and
travelled all day in a hot sun, many of the slaves who had loads
upon their heads were very much fatigued, and some of them SNAPPED
THEIR FINGERS, which among the negroes is a sure sign of
desperation. The slatees immediately put them all in irons, and
such of them as had evinced signs of great despondency were kept
apart from the rest, and had their hands tied. In the morning they
were found greatly recovered.
April 25. - At daybreak poor Nealee was awakened, but her limbs were
now become so stiff and painful that she could neither walk nor
stand; she was therefore lifted, like a corpse, upon the back of the
ass, and the slatees endeavoured to secure her in that situation by
fastening her hands together under the ass's neck, and her feet
under the belly, with long slips of bark; but the ass was so very
unruly that no sort of treatment could induce him to proceed with
his load, and as Nealee made no exertion to prevent herself from
falling she was quickly thrown off, and had one of her legs much
bruised. Every attempt to carry her forward being thus found
ineffectual, the general cry of the coffle was Kang-tegi, kang-tegi
("Cut her throat, cut her throat") - an operation I did not wish to
see performed, and therefore marched onwards with the foremost of
the coffle. I had not walked above a mile, when one of Karfa's
domestic slaves came up to me, with poor Nealea's garment upon the
end of his bow, and exclaimed, Nealee affeeleeta ("Nealee is lost")!
I asked him whether the slatees had given him the garment as a
reward for cutting her throat. He replied that Karfa and the
schoolmaster would not consent to that measure, but had left her on
the road, where undoubtedly she soon perished, and was probably
devoured by wild beasts.
The sad fate of this wretched woman, notwithstanding the outcry
before mentioned, made a strong impression on the mind of the whole
coffle, and the schoolmaster fasted the whole of the ensuing day in
consequence of it. We proceeded in deep silence, and soon
afterwards crossed the river Furkoomah, which was about as large as
the river Wonda. We now travelled with great expedition, every one
being apprehensive he might otherwise meet with the fate of poor
Nealee.
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