The Inhabitants Of Bala, At
This Season Of The Year, Subsist Chiefly On Fish, Which They Take In
Great Plenty From The Streams In The Neighbourhood.
We remained here
until the afternoon of the next day, the 20th, when we proceeded to
Worumbang, the frontier village of Manding towards Jallonkadoo.
As we
proposed shortly to enter the Jallonka Wilderness, the people of this
village furnished us with great plenty of provisions; and on the morning
of the 21st, we entered the woods to the westward of Worumbang. After
having travelled some little way, a consultation was held, whether we
should continue our route through the Wilderness, or save one day's
provisions by going to Kinytakooro, a town in Jallonkadoo. After debating
the matter for some time, it was agreed that we should take the road for
Kinytakooro; but as that town was a long day's journey distant, it was
necessary to take some refreshment. Accordingly, every person opened his
provision bag, and brought a handful or two of meal, to the place where
Karfa and the Slatees were sitting. When every one had brought his quota,
and the whole was properly arranged in small gourd shells, the
schoolmaster offered up a short prayer, the substance of which was, that
God and the holy Prophet might preserve us from robbers and all bad
people, that our provisions might never fail us, nor our limbs become
fatigued. This ceremony being ended, every one partook of the meal, and
drank a little water, after which we set forward, (rather running than
walking) until we came to the river Kokoro, a branch of the Senegal,
where we halted about ten minutes. The banks' of this river are very
high; and from the grass and brushwood which had been left by the stream,
it was evident that at this place the water had risen more than twenty
feet perpendicular, during the rainy season. At this time it was only a
small stream, such as would turn a mill, swarming with fish; and on
account of the number of crocodiles, and the danger of being carried past
the ford by the force of the stream in the rainy season, it is called
_Kokoro_, (dangerous.) From this place we continued to travel with the
greatest expedition, and in the afternoon crossed two small branches of
the Kokoro. About sunset we came in sight of Kinytakooro, a considerable
town, nearly square, situate in the middle of a large and well cultivated
plain: before we entered the town we halted, until the people who had
fallen behind came up. During this day's travel, two slaves, a woman and
a girl, belonging to a Slatee of Bala, were so much fatigued, that they
could not keep up with the coffle; they were severely whipped, and
dragged along until about three o'clock in the afternoon, when they were
both affected with vomiting, by which it was discovered that they had
eaten clay. This practice is by no means uncommon amongst the Negroes;
but whether it arises from a vitiated appetite, or from a settled
intention to destroy themselves, I cannot affirm.
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