But It Was In Vain To Expect Anything Favourable To
Humanity From People Who Are Strangers To Its Dictates.
So having shaken
hands with this unfortunate boy, and blended my tears with his, assuring
him, however, that I would do my utmost to redeem him, I saw him led off
by three of Ali's slaves towards the camp at Bubaker.
When the Moors had mounted their horses, I was ordered to follow them;
and, after a toilsome journey through the woods, in a very sultry day, we
arrived in the afternoon at a walled village, called Doombani; where we
remained two days, waiting for the arrival of some horsemen from the
northward.
On the 1st of June we departed from Doombani towards Jarra. Our company
now amounted to two hundred men, all on horseback; for the Moors never
use infantry in their wars. They appeared capable of enduring great
fatigue; but from their total want of discipline our journey to Jarra was
more like a fox-chase than the march of an army.
At Jarra, I took up my lodging at the house of my old acquaintance, Daman
Jumma; and informed him of every thing that had befallen me. I
particularly requested him to use his interest with Ali to redeem my boy,
and promised him a bill upon Dr. Laidley, for the value of two slaves,
the moment he brought him to Jarra. Daman very readily undertook to
negotiate the business; but found that Ali considered the boy as my
principal interpreter, and was unwilling to part with him, lest he should
fall a second time into my hands, and be instrumental in conducting me to
Bambarra.
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