The Kingdom Of Barra, In Which The Town Of Jillifree Is Situated,
Produces Great Plenty Of The Necessaries Of Life;
But the chief trade of
the inhabitants is in salt; which commodity they carry up the river in
canoes as
High as Barraconda, and bring down in return Indian corn,
cotton cloths, elephants' teeth, small quantities of gold dust. The
number of canoes and people constantly employed in this trade, make the
King of Barra more formidable to Europeans than any other chieftain on
the river; and this circumstance probably encouraged him to establish
those exorbitant duties, which traders of all nations are obliged to pay
at entry, amounting to nearly L. 20 on every vessel, great and small.
These duties, or customs, are generally collected in person by the
Alkaid, or governor of Jillifree, and he is attended on these occasions
by a numerous train of dependants, among whom are found many who, by
their frequent intercourse with the English, have acquired a smattering
of our language; but they are commonly very noisy, and very troublesome;
begging for every thing they fancy with such earnestness and importunity,
that traders, in order to get quit of them, are frequently obliged to
grant their requests.
On the 23d we departed from Jillifree, and proceeded to Vintain, a town
situated about two miles up a creek on the southern side of the river.
This is much resorted to by Europeans, on account of the great quantities
of bees-wax which are brought hither - for sale: the wax is collected in
the woods by the Feloops, a wild and unsociable race of people; their
country, which is of considerable extent, abounds in rice; and the
natives supply the traders, both on the Gambia and Cassamansa rivers,
with that article, and also with goats and poultry, on very reasonable
terms. The honey which they collect is chiefly used by themselves in
making a strong intoxicating liquor, much the same as the mead which is
produced from honey in Great Britain.
In their traffic with Europeans, the Feloops generally employ a factor or
agent, of the Mandingo nation, who speaks a little English, and is
acquainted with the trade of the river. This broker makes the bargain;
and, with the connivance of the European, receives a certain part only of
the payment, which he gives to his employer as the whole; the remainder
(which is very truly called the cheating money) he receives when the
Feloop is gone, and appropriates to himself, as a reward for his trouble.
The language of the Feloops is appropriate and peculiar; and as their
trade is chiefly conducted, as hath been observed, by Mandingoes, the
Europeans have no inducement to learn it. The numerals are as follow:
One ......... _Enory_.
Two ......... _Sickaba_, or _Cookaba_.
Three ....... _Sisajee_.
Four ........ _Sibakeer_.
Five ........ _Footuck_.
Six ......... _Footuck-Enory_.
Seven ....... _Footuck-Cookaba_.
Eight ....... _Footuck-Sisajee_.
Nine ........ _Footuck-Sibakeer_.
Ten ......... Sibankonyen.
On the 26th we left Vintain, and continued our course up the river,
anchoring whenever the tide failed us, and frequently towing the vessel
with the boat.
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