We Proceeded To
The Northward Until Noon, When The King's Son Ordered The Whole Company,
Except Two Tents, To Enter A Thick Low Wood, Which Was Upon Our Right.
I
was sent along with the two tents, and arrived in the evening at a Negro
town called Farani; here we pitched the tents in an open place, at no
great distance from the town.
The hurry and confusion which attended this decampment prevented the
slaves from dressing the usual quantity of victuals; and lest their dry
provisions should be exhausted before they reached their place of
destination, (for as yet none but Ali and the chief men knew whither we
were going,) they thought proper to make me observe this day as a day of
fasting.
May 1st. As I had some reason to suspect that this day was also to be
considered as a fast, I went in the morning to the Negro town of Farani,
and begged some provisions from the Dooti, who readily supplied my wants,
and desired me to come to his house every day during my stay in the
neighbourhood. These hospitable people are looked upon by the Moors as an
abject race of slaves, and are treated accordingly. Two of Ali's
household slaves, a man and a woman, who had come along with the two
tents, went this morning to water the cattle from the town wells, at
which there began to be a great scarcity. When the Negro women observed
the cattle approaching, they took up their pitchers, and ran with all
possible haste towards the town, but before they could enter the gate,
they were stopped by the slaves, who compelled them to bring back the
water they had drawn for their own families, and empty it into the
troughs for the cattle. When this was exhausted, they were ordered to
draw water until such time as the cattle had all drank; and the woman
slave actually broke two wooden bowls over the heads of the black girls,
because they were somewhat dilatory in obeying her commands.
May 3d. We departed from the vicinity of Farani, and after a circuitous
route through the woods, arrived at Ali's camp in the afternoon. This
encampment was larger than that of Benowm, and was situated in the middle
of a thick wood about two miles distant from a Negro town, called
Bubaker. I immediately waited upon Ali, in order to pay my respects to
Queen Fatima, who had come with him from Saheel. He seemed much pleased
with my coming; shook hands with me, and informed his wife that I was the
Christian. She was a woman of the Arab cast, with long black hair, and
remarkably corpulent. She appeared at first rather shocked at the thought
of having a Christian so near her; but when I had (by means of a Negro
boy, who spoke the Mandingo and Arabic tongues) answered a great many
questions, which her curiosity suggested, respecting the country of the
Christians, she seemed more at ease, and presented me with a bowl of
milk; which I considered as a very favourable omen.
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