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.
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