They Play Upon A Sort Of Flute; But Instead Of Blowing
Into A Hole In The Side, They Blow Obliquely Over The End, Which Is Half
Shut By A Thin Piece Of Wood:
They govern the holes on the side with
their fingers, and play some simple and very plaintive airs.
They
continued to dance and sing until midnight; during which time I was
surrounded by so great a crowd, as made it necessary for me to satisfy
their curiosity, by sitting still.
March 6th. We stopt here this morning because some of the townspeople,
who were going for Goomba on the day following, wished to accompany us:
but in order to avoid the crowd of people which usually assembled in the
evening, we went to a Negro village to the east of Dalli, called Samee,
where we were kindly received by the hospitable Dooty, who on this
occasion killed two fine sheep, and invited his friends to come and feast
with him.
March 7th. Our landlord was so proud of the honour of entertaining a
white man, that he insisted on my staying with him and his friends until
the cool of the evening, when he said he would conduct me to the next
village. As I was now within two days' journey of Goomba, I had no
apprehensions from the Moors, and readily accepted the invitation. I
spent the forenoon very pleasantly with these poor Negroes: their company
was the more acceptable, as the gentleness of their manners presented a
striking contrast to the rudeness and barbarity of the Moors. They
enlivened their conversation by drinking a fermented liquor made from
corn; the same sort of beer that I have described in a former chapter;
and better I never tasted in Great Britain.
In the midst of this harmless festivity, I flattered myself that all
danger from the Moors was over. Fancy had already placed me on the banks
of the Niger, and presented to my imagination a thousand delightful
scenes in my future progress, when a party of Moors unexpectedly entered
the hut, and dispelled the golden dream. They came, they said, by Ali's
orders, to convey me to his camp at Benowm. If I went peaceably, they
told me I had nothing to fear; but if I refused, they had orders to bring
me by force. I was struck dumb by surprise and terror, which the Moors
observing, endeavoured to calm my apprehensions, by repeating the
assurance that I had nothing to fear. Their visit, they added, was
occasioned by the curiosity of Ali's wife, _Fatima_, who had heard so
much about Christians, that she was very anxious to see one: as soon as
her curiosity should be satisfied, they had no doubt, they said, that Ali
would give me a handsome present, and send a person to conduct me to
Bambarra. Finding entreaty and resistance equally fruitless, I prepared
to follow the messengers, and took leave of my landlord and his company
with great reluctance. Accompanied by my faithful boy, (for Daman's slave
made his escape on seeing the Moors,) we reached Dalli in the evening,
where we were strictly watched by the Moors during the night.
March 8th. We were conducted by a circuitous path through the woods to
Dangali, where we slept.
March 9th. We continued our journey, and in the afternoon arrived at
Sampaka. On the road we saw a party of Moors, well armed, who told us
that they were hunting for a runaway slave; but the townspeople informed
us, that a party of Moors had attempted to steal some cattle from the
town in the morning, but were repulsed; and on their describing the
persons, we were satisfied that they were the same banditti that we had
seen in the woods.
Next morning (March loath) we set out for Samamingkoos. On the road we
overtook a woman and two boys, with an ass; she informed us that she was
going for Bambarra, but had been stopped on the road by a party of Moors,
who had taken most of her clothes, and some gold from her: and that she
would be under the necessity of returning to Deena, till the fast moon
was over. The same evening the new moon was seen, which ushered in the
month Rhamadan. Large fires were made in different parts of the town, and
a greater quantity of victuals than usual dressed upon the occasion.
March 11th. By daylight the Moors were in readiness; but as I had
suffered much from thirst on the road, I made my boy fill a soofroo of
water for my own use; for the Moors assured me that they should not taste
either meat or drink until sunset. However, I found that the excessive
heat of the sun, and the dust we raised in travelling, overcame their
scruples, and made my soofroo a very useful part of our baggage. On our
arrival at Deena, I went to pay my respects to one of Ali's sons. I found
him sitting in a low hut, with five or six more of his companions,
washing their hands and feet, and frequently taking water into their
mouths, gargling, and spitting it out again. I was no sooner seated, than
he handed me a double-barrelled gun, and told me to dye the stock of a
blue colour, and repair one of the locks. I found great difficulty in
persuading him that I knew nothing about the matter. However, says he, if
you cannot repair the gun, you shall give me some knives and scissors
immediately; and when my boy, who acted as interpreter, assured him that
I had no such articles, he hastily snatched up a musket that stood by
him, cocked it, and putting the muzzle close to the boy's ear, would
certainly have shot him dead upon the spot, had not the Moors wrested the
musket from him and made signs for us to retreat. The boy, being
terrified at this treatment, attempted to make his escape in the night;
but was prevented by the vigilance of the Moors, who guarded us with
strict attention; and at night always went to sleep by the door of the
hut, in such a situation that it was almost impossible to pass, without
stepping upon them.
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