- The Author proceeds for
Fatteconda - incidents on the road. - Crosses the Neriko, arrives at
Koorkarany - reaches the River Faleme - Fishery on that river - proceeds
along its bank to Naye or Nayemow - crosses the Faleme, and arrives at
Fatteconda. - Has an interview with Almami, the Sovereign of
Bondou. - Description of the King's dwelling - has a second interview with
the King, who begs the Author's Coat - Author visits the King's wives - is
permitted to depart on friendly, terms. - Journey by night - arrives at
Joag. - Some account of Bondou and its inhabitants, the Foulahs._
Tallika, the frontier town of Bondou towards Woolli, is inhabited chiefly
by Foulahs of the Mahomedan religion, who live in considerable affluence,
partly by furnishing provisions to the _coffles_, or caravans, that pass
through the town, and partly by the sale of ivory, obtained by hunting
elephants; in which employment the young men are generally very
successful. Here, an officer belonging to the King of Bondou constantly
resides, whose business it is to give timely information of the arrival
of the caravans; which are taxed according to the number of loaded asses
that arrive at Tallika.
I took up my residence at this officer's house, and agreed with him to
accompany me to Fatteconda, the residence of the king, for which he was
to receive five bars; and before my departure I wrote a few lines to Dr
Laidley, and gave my letter to the master of a caravan bound for the
Gambia. This caravan consisted of nine or ten people with five asses
loaded with ivory. The large teeth are conveyed in nets, two on each side
of the ass; the small ones are wrapped up in skins, and secured with
ropes.
December 14th. We left Tallika, and rode on very peaceably for
about two miles, when a violent quarrel arose between two of my
fellow-travellers, - one of whom was the blacksmith, - in the course of
which they bestowed some opprobrious terms upon each other; and it is
worthy of remark, that an African will sooner forgive a blow than a term
of reproach applied to his ancestors: "Strike me, but do not curse my
mother," is a common expression even among the slaves. This sort of
abuse, therefore, so enraged one of the disputants, that he drew his
cutlass upon the blacksmith, and would certainly have ended the dispute
in a very serious manner, if the others had not laid hold of him, and
wrested the cutlass from him. I was obliged to interfere, and put an end
to this disagreeable business, by desiring the blacksmith to be silent,
and telling the other who I thought was in the wrong, that if he
attempted in future to draw his cutlass, or molest any of my attendants,
I should look upon him as a robber, and shoot him without further
ceremony. This threat had the desired effect, and we marched sullenly
along till the afternoon, when we arrived at a number of small villages
scattered over an open and fertile plain:
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