May 2d. We Departed From Lingicotta; But The Slaves Being Very Much
Fatigued, We Halted For The Night At A
Village about nine miles to the
westward, and procured some provisions through the interest of the
schoolmaster; who now sent
Forward a messenger to Malacotta, his native
town, to inform his friends of his arrival in the country, and to desire
them to provide the necessary quantity of victuals to entertain the
coffle for two or three days.
May 3d. We set out for Malacotta, and about noon arrived at a village,
near a considerable stream of water which flows to the westward; here we
determined to stop for the return of the messenger which had been sent to
Malacotta the day before; and as the natives assured me there were no
crocodiles in this stream, I went and bathed myself. Very few people here
can swim; for they came in numbers to dissuade me from venturing into a
pool, where they said the water would come over my head. About two
o'clock the messenger returned from Malacotta; and the schoolmaster's
elder brother being impatient to see him, came along with the messenger
to meet him at this village. The interview between the two brothers, who
had not seen each other for nine years, was very natural and affecting.
They fell upon each other's neck, and it was some time before either of
them could speak. At length, when the schoolmaster had a little recovered
himself, he took his brother by the hand, and turning round, "This is the
man" (said he, pointing to Karfa) "who has been my father in Manding; I
would have pointed him out sooner to you, but my heart was too full."
We reached Malacotta in the evening, where we were well received. This is
an unwalled town; the huts for the most part are made of split cane,
twisted into a sort of wicker-work, and plastered over with mud. Here we
remained three days, and were each day presented with a bullock from the
schoolmaster; we were likewise well entertained by the townspeople, who
appear to be very active and industrious. They make very good soap, by
boiling ground nuts in water, and then adding a ley of wood ashes. They
likewise manufacture excellent iron: which they carry to Bondou to barter
for salt. A party of the townspeople had lately returned from a trading
expedition of this kind, and brought information concerning a war between
Almami Abdulkader, King of Foota Torra, and Damel, King of the Jaloffs.
The events of this war soon became a favourite subject with the singing
men, and the common topic of conversation in all the kingdoms bordering
upon the Senegal and Gambia; and as the account is somewhat singular, I
shall here abridge it for the reader's information. The King of Foota
Torra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating his religion, had sent an
embassy to Damel, similar to that which he had sent to Kasson, as related
in page 67.
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