Just Before It Was Dark, We Took Up Our Lodging For
The Night At A Small Village, Where I Procured
Some victuals for myself
and some corn for my horse, at the moderate price of a button; and was
told
That I should see the Niger (which the Negroes call Joliba, or _the
great water_) early the next day. The lions are here very numerous. The
gates are shut a little after sunset, and nobody allowed to go out. The
thoughts of seeing the Niger in the morning, and the troublesome buzzing
of musketoes, prevented me from shutting my eyes during the night; and I
had saddled my horse and was in readiness before daylight; but, on
account of the wild beasts, we were obliged to wait until the people were
stirring, and the gates opened. This happened to be a market-day at Sego,
and the roads were every where filled with people carrying different
articles to sell. We passed four large villages, and at eight o'clock saw
the smoke over Sego.
As we approached the town, I was fortunate enough to overtake the
fugitive Kaartans, to whose kindness I had been so much indebted on my
journey through Bambarra. They readily agreed to introduce me to the
king; and we rode together through some marshy ground, where, as I was
anxiously looking around for the river, one of them called out _qeo
affili_, (see the water,) and looking forwards, I saw with infinite
pleasure the great object of my mission, the long sought for majestic
Niger glittering to the morning sun, as broad as the Thames at
Westminster, and flowing slowly _to the eastward_. I hastened to the
brink, and having drank of the water, lifted up my fervent thanks in
prayer to the Great Ruler of all things for having thus far crowned my
endeavours with success.
The circumstance of the Niger's flowing towards the east and its
collateral points did not, however, excite my surprise; for although I
had left Europe in great hesitation on this subject, and rather believed
that it ran in the contrary direction, I had made such frequent inquiries
during my progress concerning this river, and received from Negroes of
different nations such clear and decisive assurances that its general
course was _towards the rising sun_, as scarce left any doubt on my mind;
and more especially, as I knew that Major Houghton had collected similar
information in the same manner.
Sego, the capital of Bambarra, at which I had now arrived, consists,
properly speaking, of four distinct towns; two on the northern bank of
the Niger, called Sego Korro, and Sego Boo; and two on the southern bank,
called Sego Soo Korro, and Sego See Korro. They are all surrounded with
high mud walls; the houses are built of clay, of a square form, with flat
roofs; some of them have two stories, and many of them are white-washed.
Besides these buildings, Moorish mosques are seen in every quarter, and
the streets, though narrow, are broad enough for every useful purpose in
a country where wheel carriages are entirely unknown. From the best
inquiries I could make, I have reason to believe that Sego contains
altogether about thirty thousand inhabitants. The king of Bambarra
constantly resides at Sego See Korro; he employs a great many slaves in
conveying people over the river, and the money they receive (though the
fare is only ten Kowrie shells for each individual) furnishes a
considerable revenue to the king in the course of a year. The canoes are
of a singular construction, each of them being formed of the trunks of
two large trees, rendered concave, and joined together, not side by side,
but end-ways, the junction being exactly across the middle of the canoe;
they are, therefore, very long and disproportionately narrow, and have
neither decks nor masts. They are however, very roomy, for I observed in
one of them four horses and several people crossing over the river. When
we arrived at this ferry, with a view to pass over to that part of the
town in which the king resides, we found a great number waiting for a
passage; they looked at me with silent wonder, and I distinguished with
concern many Moors among them. There were three different places of
embarkation, and the ferrymen were very diligent and expeditious; but
from the crowd of people, I could not immediately obtain a passage, and
sat down upon the bank of the river to wait for a more favourable
opportunity. The view of this extensive city, the numerous canoes upon
the river, the crowded population, and the cultivated state of the
surrounding country, formed altogether a prospect of civilization and
magnificence, which I little expected to find in the bosom of Africa.
I waited more than two hours without having an opportunity of crossing
the river; during which time the people who had crossed carried
information to Mausong the King, that a white man was waiting for a
passage, and was coming to see him. He immediately sent over one of his
chief men, who informed me that the king could not possibly see me, until
he knew what had brought me into his country; and that I must not presume
to cross the river without the king's permission. He therefore advised me
to lodge at a distant village, to which he pointed, for the night; and
said that in the morning he would give me further instructions how to
conduct myself. This was very discouraging. However, as there was no
remedy, I set off for the village; where I found, to my great
mortification, that no person would admit me into his house. I was
regarded with astonishment and fear, and was obliged to sit all day
without victuals in the shade of a tree; and the night threatened to be
very uncomfortable, for the wind rose, and the was great appearance of a
heavy rain; and the wild beasts are so very numerous in the
neighbourhood, that I should have been under the necessity of climbing up
the tree and resting among the branches.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 59 of 146
Words from 59388 to 60412
of 148366
