I Obtained A Lodging At One Of The
King's Near Relations, Who Apprized Me, That At My Introduction To The
King, I Must Not Presume _To Shake Hands With Him_.
It was not usual, he
said, to allow this liberty to strangers.
Thus instructed, I went in the
afternoon to pay my respects to the sovereign; and ask permission to pass
through his territories to Bondou. The king's name was _Jatta_. He was
the same venerable old man of whom so favourable an account was
transmitted by Major Houghton. I found him seated upon a mat before the
door of his hut: a number of men and women were arranged on each side,
who were singing and clapping their hands. I saluted him respectfully,
and informed him of the purport of my visit. The king graciously replied,
that he not only gave me leave to pass through his country, but would
offer up his prayers for my safety. On this, one of my attendants,
seemingly in return for the king's condescension, began to sing, or
rather to roar, an Arabic song; at every pause of which, the king
himself, and all the people present, struck their hands against their
forehead, and exclaimed, with devout and affecting solemnity, _Amen!
Amen!_[5] The king told me furthermore, that I should have a guide the
day following, who would conduct me safely to the frontier of his
kingdom. I then took my leave, and in the evening sent the king an order
upon Dr. Laidley for three gallons of rum, and received in return great
store of provisions.
[4] Medina in the Arabic signifies a city. The name is not uncommon
among the Negroes, and has probably been burrowed from the
Mohamedans.
[5] It may seem from hence that the king was a Mahomedan; but I was
assured to the contrary. He joined in prayer on this occasion
probably from the mere dictates of his benevolent mind, considering
perhaps that prayers to the Almighty, offered up with true devotion
and sincerity, were equally acceptable, whether from Bushreen or
Pagan.
December 6th, early in the morning, I went to the king a second time, to
learn if the guide was ready. I found his majesty sitting upon a
bullock's hide, warming himself before a large fire; for the Africans are
sensible of the smallest variation in the temperature of the air, and
frequently complain of cold when a European is oppressed with heat. He
received me with a benevolent countenance, and tenderly entreated me to
desist from my purpose of travelling into the interior; telling me that
Major Houghton had been killed in his route, and that if I followed his
footsteps, I should probably meet with his fate. He said that I must not
judge of the people of the eastern country by those of Woolli: that the
latter were acquainted with white men, and respected them; whereas the
people of the east had never seen a white man, and would certainly
destroy me. I thanked the king for his affectionate solicitude, but told
him that I had considered the matter, and was determined, notwithstanding
all dangers, to proceed. The king shook his head, but desisted from
further persuasion; and told me the guide should be ready in the
afternoon.
About two o'clock, the guide appearing, I went and took my last farewell
of the good old king, and in three hours reached Konjour, a small
village, where we determined to rest for the night. Here I purchased a
fine sheep for some beads, and my Serawoolli attendants killed it with
all the ceremonies prescribed by their religion: part of it was dressed
for supper: after which a dispute arose between one of the Serawoolli
Negroes and Johnson, my interpreter, about the sheep's horns. The former
claimed the horns as his perquisite, for having acted the part of our
butcher, and Johnson contested the claim. I settled the matter by giving
a horn to each of them. This trifling incident is mentioned as
introductory to what follows; for it appeared on inquiry that these horns
were highly valued, as being easily convertible into portable sheaths, or
cases, for containing and keeping secure certain charms or amulets called
_saphies_, which the Negroes constantly wear about them. These saphies
are prayers, or rather sentences, from the Koran, which the Mahomedan
priests write on scraps of paper, and sell to the simple natives, who
consider them to possess very extraordinary virtues. Some of the Negroes
wear them to guard themselves against the bite of snakes or alligators;
and on this occasion the saphie is commonly enclosed in a snake's or
alligator's skin, and tied round the ancle. Others have recourse to them
in time of war, to protect their persons against hostile weapons; but the
common use to which these amulets are applied is to prevent or cure
bodily diseases; to preserve from hunger and thirst; and generally to
conciliate the favour of superior powers under all the circumstances and
occurrences of life.[6]
[6] I believe that similar charms or amulets, under the names of
_domini, grigri, fetich_ &c. &c. are common in all parts of Africa.
In this case it is impossible not to admire the wonderful contagion of
superstition; for, notwithstanding that the majority of the Negroes are
Pagans, and absolutely reject the doctrines of Mahomet. I did not meet
with a man, whether a Bushreen or Kafir, who was not fully persuaded of
the powerful efficacy of these amulets. The truth is, that all the
natives of this part of Africa consider the art of writing as bordering
on magic; and it is not in the doctrines of the prophet, but in the arts
of the magician, that their confidence is placed. It will hereafter be
seen that I was myself lucky enough, in circumstances of distress, to
turn the popular credulity in this respect to good account.
On the 7th I departed from Konjour, and slept at a village called Malla,
(or Mallaing;) and on the 8th about noon I arrived at Kolor, a
considerable town; near the entrance into which I observed, hanging upon
a tree, a sort of masquerade habit, made of the bark of trees, which I
was told on inquiry belonged to MUMBO JUMBO.
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