My Faithful Boy
Observing That I Was About To Proceed Without Him, Resolved To Accompany
Me; And Told Me, That
Though he wished me to turn back, he never had
entertained any serious thoughts of deserting me, but had been
Advised to
it by Johnson, with a view to induce me to return immediately for Gambia.
Feb. 27th. I delivered most of my papers to Johnson, to convey them to
Gambia as soon as possible, reserving a duplicate for myself, in case of
accidents. I likewise left in Daman's possession a bundle of clothes and
other things that were not absolutely necessary; for I wished to diminish
my baggage as much as possible, that the Moors might have fewer
inducements to plunder us.
Things being thus adjusted, we departed from Jarra in the forenoon, and
slept at Troomgoomba, a small walled village, inhabited by a mixture of
Negroes and Moors. On the day following (Feb. 28th) we reached Quira; and
on the 29th, after a toilsome journey over a sandy country, we came to
Compe, a watering place belonging to the Moors; from whence, on the
morning following, we proceeded to Deena, a large town, and, like Jarra,
built of stone and clay. The Moors are here in greater proportion to the
Negroes than at Jarra. They assembled round the hut of the Negro where I
lodged, and treated me with the greatest insolence: they hissed, shouted,
and abused me; they even spit in my face with a view to irritate me, and
afford them a pretext for seizing my baggage. But, finding such insults
had not the desired effect, they had recourse to the final and decisive
argument, that I was a Christian, and of course that my property was
lawful plunder to the followers of Mahomet. They accordingly opened my
bundles, and robbed me of every thing they fancied. My attendants,
finding that every body could rob me with impunity, insisted on returning
to Jarra.
The day following (March 2d) I endeavoured, by all the means in my power,
to prevail upon my people to go on; but they still continued obstinate;
and having reason to fear some further insult from the fanatic Moors, I
resolved to proceed alone Accordingly, the next morning about two
o'clock, I departed from Deena. It was moonlight; but the roaring of the
wild beasts made it necessary to proceed with caution.
When I had reached a piece of rising ground about half a mile from the
town, I heard somebody halloo, and looking back, saw my faithful boy
running after me. He informed me, that Ali's man had gone back to Benowm,
and that Daman's Negro was about to depart for Jarra; but he said he had
no doubt, if I would stop a little, that he could persuade the latter to
accompany us. I waited accordingly, and in about an hour the boy returned
with the Negro; and we continued travelling over a sandy country, covered
chiefly with the _Asclepias giganteo_, until mid-day, when we came to a
number of deserted huts; and seeing some appearances of water at a
distance, I sent the boy to fill a soofroo; but as he was examining the
place for water, the roaring of a lion, that was probably on the same
pursuit, induced the frightened boy to return in haste; and we submitted
patiently to the disappointment. In the afternoon we reached a town
inhabited chiefly by Foulahs, called Samamingkoos.
Next morning (March 4th) we set out for Sampaka, which place we reached
about two o'clock. On the road we observed immense quantities of locusts;
the trees were quite black with them. These insects devour every
vegetable that comes in their way, and in a short time completely strip a
tree of its leaves. The noise of their excrement falling upon the leaves
and withered grass, very much resembles a shower of rain. When a tree is
shaken or struck, it is astonishing to see what a cloud of them will fly
off. In their flight they yield to the current of the wind, which at this
season of the year is always from the north-east. Should the wind shift,
it is difficult to conceive where they could collect food, as the whole
of their course was marked with desolation.
Sampaka is a large town, and, when the Moors and Bambarrans were at war,
was thrice attacked by the former: but they were driven off with great
loss, though the King of Bambarra was afterwards obliged to give up this,
and all the other towns as far as Goomba, in order to obtain a peace.
Here I lodged at the house of a Negro who practised the art of making
gunpowder. He showed me a bag of nitre, very white, but the crystals were
much smaller than common. They procure it in considerable quantities from
the ponds which are filled in the rainy season, and to which the cattle
resort for coolness during the heat of the day. When the water is
evaporated, a white efflorescence is observed on the mud, which the
natives collect and purify in such a manner as to answer their purpose.
The Moors supply them with sulphur from the Mediterranean; and the
process is completed by pounding the different articles together in a
wooden mortar. The grains are very unequal, and the sound of its
explosion is by no means so sharp as that produced by European gunpowder.
March 5th. We departed from Sampaka at daylight. About noon we stopped a
little at a village called Dungali; and in the evening arrived at Dalli.
We saw upon the road two large herds of camels feeding. When the Moors
turn their camels to feed, they tie up one of their fore legs, to prevent
their straying. This happened to be a feast day at Dalli, and the people
were dancing before the Dooty's house. But when they were informed that a
white man was come into the town, they left off dancing, and came to the
place where I lodged, walking in regular order, two and two, with the
music before them.
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