CHORUS.
_Go, White Man, Go; - But With Thee Bear
The Negro's Wish, The Negro's Prayer;
Remembrance Of The Negro's Care._]
July 23d. In the afternoon another messenger arrived from Mansong, with a
bag in his hands.
He told me it was the king's pleasure that I should
depart forthwith from the vicinage of Sego; but that Mansong, wishing to
relieve a white man in distress, had sent me five thousand Kowries,[12] to
enable me to purchase provisions in the course of my journey; the
messenger added, that if my intentions were really to proceed to Jenne,
he had orders to accompany me as a guide to Sansanding. I was, at first,
puzzled to account for this behaviour of the king; but from the
conversation I had with the guide, I had afterwards reason to believe
that Mansong would willingly have admitted me into his presence at Sego;
but was apprehensive he might not be able to protect me against the blind
and inveterate malice of the Moorish inhabitants. His conduct, therefore,
was at once prudent and liberal. The circumstances under which I made my
appearance at Sego were undoubtedly such as might create in the mind of
the king a well warranted suspicion that I wished to conceal the true
object of my journey. He argued, probably, as my guide argued, who, when
he was told that I had come from a great distance, and through many
dangers, to behold the Joliba river, naturally inquired, if there were no
rivers in my own country, and whether one river was not like another.
Notwithstanding this, and in spite of the jealous machinations of the
Moors, this benevolent prince thought it sufficient, that a white man was
found in his dominions, in a condition of extreme wretchedness; and that
no other plea was necessary to entitle the sufferer to his bounty.
[12] Mention has already been made of these little shells, (p. 23
[At the end of chapter II. Transcriber.]) which pass current as money
in many parts of the East Indies as well as Africa. In Bambarra, and
the adjacent countries, where the necessaries of life are very cheap,
one hundred of them would commonly purchase a day's provisions for
myself, and corn for my horse. I reckoned about two hundred and fifty
Kowries equal to one shilling.
CHAPTER XVI.
_Departure from Sego, and arrival at Kabba. - Description of the shea, or
vegetable butter tree. - The Author and his guide arrive at
Sansanding. - Behaviour of the Moors at that place. - The Author pursues
his journey to the eastward. - Incidents on the road. - Arrives at Modiboo,
and proceeds for Kea; but obliged to leave his horse by the way. - Embarks
at Kea in a fisherman's canoe for Moorzan; is conveyed from thence across
the Niger to Silla - determines to proceed no further eastward. - Some
account of the further course of the Niger, and the towns in its
vicinage, towards the East._
Being, in the manner that has been related; compelled to leave Sego, I
was conducted the same evening to a village about seven miles to the
eastward, with some of the inhabitants of which my guide was acquainted,
and by whom we were well received.[13] He was very friendly and
communicative, and spoke highly of the hospitality of his countrymen; but
withal told me, that if Jenne was the place of my destination, which he
seemed to have hitherto doubted, I had undertaken an enterprise of
greater danger than probably I was apprized of; for, although the town of
Jenne was nominally a part of the King of Bambarra's dominions, it was,
in fact, he said, a city of the Moors; the leading part of the
inhabitants being Bushreens, and even the governor himself, though
appointed by Mansong, of the same sect.
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