This Morning Two Of The Schoolmaster's Pupils Complained Much
Of Pains In Their Legs, And One Of The Slaves Walked
Lame, the soles of
his feet being very much blistered and inflamed; we proceeded,
notwithstanding, and about eleven o'clock began
To ascend a rocky hill
called Boki-Kooro, and it was past two in the afternoon before we reached
the level ground on the other side. This was the most rocky road we had
yet encountered, and it hurt our feet much. In a short time we arrived at
a pretty large river called Boki, which we forded: it ran smooth and
clear, over a bed of whinstone. About a mile to the westward of the
river, we came to a road which leads to the north-east towards Gadou, and
seeing the marks of many horses' feet upon the soft sand, the Slatees
conjectured that a party of plunderers had lately rode that way, to fall
upon some town of Gadou; and lest they should discover, upon their
return, that we had passed, and attempt to pursue us by the marks of our
feet, the coffle was ordered to disperse, and travel in a loose manner
through the high grass and bushes. A little before it was dark, having
crossed the ridge of hills to the westward of the river Boki, we came to
a well called _culleng qui_, (white sand well,) and here we rested for
the night.
April 27th. We departed from the well early in the morning, and walked on
with the greatest alacrity, in hopes of reaching a town before night. The
road, during the forenoon, led through extensive thickets of dry bamboos.
About two o'clock we came to a stream called Nunkolo, where we were each
of us regaled with a handful of meal, which, according to a superstitious
custom, was not to be eaten until it was first moistened with water from
this stream. About four o'clock we reached Sooseeta, a small Jallonka
village, situated in the district of Kullo, which comprehends all that
tract of country lying along the banks of the Black river, or main branch
of the Senegal. These were the first human habitations we had seen since
we left the village to the westward of Kinytakooro; having travelled in
the course of the last five days upwards of one hundred miles. Here,
after a great deal of entreaty, we were provided with huts to sleep in;
but the master of the village plainly told us that he could not give us
any provisions, as there had lately been a great scarcity in this part of
the country. He assured us, that before they had gathered in their
present crops, the whole inhabitants of Kullo had been for twenty-nine
days without tasting corn; during which time, they supported themselves
entirely upon the yellow powder which is found in the pods of the
_nitta_, so called by the natives, a species of mimosa; and upon the
seeds of the bamboo cane, which, when properly pounded and dressed, taste
very much like rice.
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