We Accordingly Rode Along Between The
Town And The River, Passing By A Creek Or Harbour, In Which I Observed
Twenty Large Canoes, Most Of Them Fully Loaded, And Covered With Mats, To
Prevent The Rain From Injuring The Goods.
As we proceeded, three other
canoes arrived, two with passengers, and one with goods.
I was happy to
find that all the Negro inhabitants, took me for a Moor; under which
character I should probably have passed unmolested, had not a Moor, who
was sitting by the river side, discovered the mistake, and setting up a
loud exclamation, brought together a number of his countrymen.
When I arrived at the house of Counti Mamadi, the Dooty of the town, I
was surrounded with hundreds of people, speaking a variety of different
dialects, all equally unintelligible to me. At length, by the assistance
of my guide, who acted as interpreter, I understood that one of the
spectators pretended to have seen me at one place, and another at some
other place; and a Moorish woman absolutely swore that she had kept my
house three years at. Gallam, on the river Senegal. It was plain that
they mistook me for some other person; and I desired two of the most
confident to point towards the place where they had seen me. They pointed
due south; hence I think it probable that they came from Cape Coast,
where they might have seen many white men. Their language was different
from any I had yet heard. The Moors now assembled in great numbers; with
their usual arrogance, compelling the Negroes to stand at a distance.
They immediately began to question me concerning my religion; but finding
that I was not master of the Arabic, they sent for two men, whom they
call _Ilhuidi_ (Jews), in hopes that they might be able to converse with
me. These Jews, in dress and appearance, very much resemble the Arabs;
but though they so far conform to the religion of Mahomet, as to recite,
in public, prayers from the Koran, they are but little respected by the
Negroes; and even the Moors themselves allowed, that though I was a
Christian, I was a better man than a Jew. They, however, insisted that,
like the Jews, I must conform so far as to repeat the Mahomedan prayers;
and when I attempted to waive the subject, by telling them that I could
not speak Arabic, one of them, a Shereef from Tuat, in the Great Desert,
started up and swore by the Prophet, that if I refused to go to the
mosque, he would be one that would assist in carrying me thither. And
there is no doubt but this threat would have been immediately executed,
had not my landlord interposed in my behalf. He told them that I was the
king's stranger, and he could not see me ill treated, whilst I was under
his protection. He therefore advised them to let me alone for the night;
assuring them that in the morning I should be sent about my business.
This somewhat appeased their clamour; but they compelled me to ascend a
high seat, by the door of the mosque, in order that every body might see
me; for the people had assembled in such numbers as to be quite
ungovernable; climbing upon the houses, and squeezing each other, like
the spectators at an execution.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 119 of 282
Words from 62243 to 62808
of 148366
