Thus Was I In Danger Of Falling A
Second Time Into The Hands Of Men Who Would Consider It Not
Only
justifiable; but meritorious, to destroy me; and this reflection was
aggravated by the circumstance that the danger increased as
I advanced in
my journey; for I learned that the places beyond Jenne were under the
Moorish influence, in a still greater degree than Jenne itself; and
Tombuctoo, the great object of my search, altogether in possession of
that savage and merciless people, who allow no Christian to live there.
But I had now advanced too far to think of returning to the westward, on
such vague and uncertain information, and determined to proceed; and
being accompanied by the guide, I departed from the village on the
morning of the 24th. About eight o'clock, we passed a large town called
Kabba, situated in the midst of a beautiful and highly cultivated
country; bearing a greater resemblance to the centre of England, than to
what I should have supposed had been the middle of Africa. The people
were everywhere employed in collecting the fruit of the Shea trees, from
which they prepare the vegetable butter, mentioned in former parts of
this work. These 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 itself very much resembles the
American oak; and the fruit, from the kernel of which, being first dried
in the sun, the butter is prepared by boiling the kernel in water, has
somewhat the appearance of a Spanish olive. The kernel is enveloped in a
sweet pulp under a thin green rind; and the butter produced from it,
besides the advantage of its keeping the whole year without salt, is
whiter, firmer, and, to my palate, of a richer flavour than the best
butter I ever tasted made from cow's milk. The growth and preparation of
this commodity seem to be among the first objects of African industry in
this and the neighbouring states; and it constitutes a main article of
their inland commerce.
[13] I should have before observed, that I found the language of
Bambarra a sort of corrupted Mandingo. After a little practice, I
understood and spoke it without difficulty.
We passed, in the course of the day, a great many villages, inhabited
chiefly by fishermen; and in the evening about five o'clock arrived at
Sansanding, a very large town, containing, as I was told, from eight to
ten thousand inhabitants. This place is much resorted to by the Moors,
who bring salt from Beeroo, and beads and coral from the Mediterranean,
to exchange here for gold-dust and cotton-cloth. This cloth they sell to
great advantage in Beeroo, and other Moorish countries, where, on account
of the want of rain, no cotton is cultivated.
I desired my guide to conduct me to the house in which we were to lodge,
by the most private way possible.
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