It was plain that
they mistook me for some other person; and I desired two of the most
confident to point towards the place where they had seen me.
They pointed
due south; hence I think it probable that they came from Cape Coast,
where they might have seen many white men. Their language was different
from any I had yet heard. The Moors now assembled in great numbers; with
their usual arrogance, compelling the Negroes to stand at a distance.
They immediately began to question me concerning my religion; but finding
that I was not master of the Arabic, they sent for two men, whom they
call _Ilhuidi_ (Jews), in hopes that they might be able to converse with
me. These Jews, in dress and appearance, very much resemble the Arabs;
but though they so far conform to the religion of Mahomet, as to recite,
in public, prayers from the Koran, they are but little respected by the
Negroes; and even the Moors themselves allowed, that though I was a
Christian, I was a better man than a Jew. They, however, insisted that,
like the Jews, I must conform so far as to repeat the Mahomedan prayers;
and when I attempted to waive the subject, by telling them that I could
not speak Arabic, one of them, a Shereef from Tuat, in the Great Desert,
started up and swore by the Prophet, that if I refused to go to the
mosque, he would be one that would assist in carrying me thither. And
there is no doubt but this threat would have been immediately executed,
had not my landlord interposed in my behalf. He told them that I was the
king's stranger, and he could not see me ill treated, whilst I was under
his protection. He therefore advised them to let me alone for the night;
assuring them that in the morning I should be sent about my business.
This somewhat appeased their clamour; but they compelled me to ascend a
high seat, by the door of the mosque, in order that every body might see
me; for the people had assembled in such numbers as to be quite
ungovernable; climbing upon the houses, and squeezing each other, like
the spectators at an execution. Upon this seat I remained until sunset,
when I was conducted into a neat little hut, with a small court before
it; the door of which Counti Mamadi shut, to prevent any person from
disturbing me. But this precaution could not exclude the Moors. They
climbed over the top of the mud-wall, and came in crowds into the court,
in order, they said, to see me _perform my evening devotions, and eat
eggs_. The former of these ceremonies I did not think proper to comply
with; but I told them I had no objection to eat eggs, provided they would
bring me eggs to eat. My landlord immediately brought me seven hen's
eggs, and was much surprised to find that I could not eat them raw; for
it seems to be a prevalent opinion among the inhabitants of the interior,
that Europeans subsist almost entirely on this diet. When I had succeeded
in persuading my landlord that this opinion was without foundation, and
that I would gladly partake of any victuals which he might think proper
to send me, he ordered a sheep to be killed, and part of it to be dressed
for my supper. About midnight, when the Moors had left me, he paid me a
visit, and with much earnestness desired me to write him a saphie. "If a
Moor's saphie is good, (said this hospitable old man,) a white man's must
needs be better." I readily furnished him with one, possessed of all the
virtues I could concentrate; for it contained the Lord's Prayer. The pen
with which it was written was made of a reed; a little charcoal and
gum-water made very tolerable ink, and a thin board answered the purpose
of paper.
July 25th. Early in the morning, before the Moors were assembled, I
departed from Sansanding, and slept the ensuing night at a small town
called Sibili; from whence, on the day following, I reached Nyara, a
large town at some distance from the river, where I halted the 27th, to
have my clothes washed, and recruit my horse. The Dooty there has a very
commodious house, flat roofed, and two stories high. He showed me some
gunpowder of his own manufacturing, and pointed out as a great curiosity
a little brown monkey, that was tied to a stake by the door, telling me
that it came from a far distant country, called Kong.
July 28th. I departed from Nyara, and reached Nyamee about noon. This
town is inhabited chiefly by Foulahs, from the kingdom of Masina. The
Dooty (I know not why) would not receive me, but civilly sent his son on
horseback, to conduct me to Modiboo; which, he assured me, was at no
great distance.
We rode nearly in a direct line through the woods; but in general went
forwards with great circumspection. I observed that my guide frequently
stopped, and looked under the bushes. On inquiring the reason of this
caution, he told me that lions were very numerous in that part of the
country, and frequently attacked people travelling through the woods.
While he was speaking, my horse started, and looking round, I observed a
large animal of the cameleopard kind, standing at a little distance. The
neck and fore legs were very long; the head was furnished with two short
black horns, turning backwards; the tail, which reached down to the ham
joint, had a tuft of hair at the end. The animal was of a mouse colour;
and it trotted away from us in a very sluggish manner; moving its head
from side to side, to see if we were pursuing it. Shortly after this, as
we were crossing a large open plain, where there were a few scattered
bushes, my guide, who was a little way before me, wheeled his horse round
in a moment, calling out something in the Foulah language, which I did
not understand.
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