As Soon As We Had
Crossed The River, Karfa Gave Orders That All The People Of The Coffle
Should In
Future keep close together, and travel in their proper station;
the guides and young men were accordingly placed in the
Van, the women
and slaves in the centre, and the freemen in the rear. In this order, we
travelled with uncommon expedition through a woody, but beautiful
country, interspersed with a pleasing variety of hill and dale, and
abounding with partridges, guinea-fowls, and deer, until sunset, when we
arrived at a most romantic stream called Co-meissang. My arms and neck
having been exposed during the whole day, and irritated by the rubbing of
my dress in walking, were now very much inflamed and covered with
blisters; and I was happy to embrace the opportunity, while the coffle
rested on the bank of this river, to bathe myself in the stream. This
practice, together with the cool of the evening, much diminished the
inflammation. About three miles to the westward of the Co-meissang we
halted in a thick wood, and kindled our fires for the night. We were all,
by this time, very much fatigued, having, as I judged, travelled this day
thirty miles; but no person was heard to complain. Whilst supper was
preparing, Karfa made one of the slaves break some branches from the
trees for my bed. When we had finished our supper of kouskous, moistened
with some boiling water, and put the slaves in irons, we all lay down to
sleep; but we were frequently disturbed in the night by the howling of
wild beasts; and we found the small brown ants very troublesome.
April 24th. Before daybreak the Bushreens said their morning prayers, and
most of the free people drank a little _moening_, (a sort of gruel,) part
of which was likewise given to such of the slaves as appeared least able
to sustain the fatigues of the day. One of Karfa's female slaves was very
sulky, and when some gruel was to offered her, she refused to drink it.
As soon as day dawned we set out, and travelled the whole morning over a
wild and rocky country, by which my feet were very much bruised; and I
was sadly apprehensive that I should not be able to keep up with the
coffle during the day; but I was in a great measure relieved from this
anxiety, when I observed that others were more exhausted than myself. In
particular, the woman slave, who had refused victuals in the morning,
began now to lag behind, and complain dreadfully of pains in her legs.
Her load was taken from her, and given to another slave, and she was
ordered to keep in the front of the coffle. About eleven o'clock, as we
were resting by a small rivulet, some of the people discovered a hive of
bees in a hollow tree, and they were proceeding to obtain the honey, when
the largest swarm I ever beheld flew out, and attacking the people of the
coffle, made us fly in all directions. I took the alarm first, and I
believe was the only person who escaped with impunity. When our enemies
thought fit to desist from pursuing us, and every person was employed in
picking out the stings he had received, it was discovered that the poor
woman above mentioned, whose name was Nealee, was not come up; and as
many of the slaves in their retreat had left their bundles behind them,
it became necessary for some persons to return, and bring them. In order
to do this with safety, fire was set to the grass, a considerable way to
the eastward of the hive, and the wind driving the fire furiously along,
the party pushed through the smoke, and recovered the bundles. They
likewise brought with them poor Nealee, whom they found lying in the
rivulet. She was very much exhausted, and had crept to the stream in
hopes to defend herself from the bees by throwing water over her body,
but this proved ineffectual; for she was stung in the most dreadful
manner.
When the Slatees had picked out the stings as far as they could, she was
washed with water, and then rubbed with bruised leaves; but the wretched
woman obstinately refused to proceed any farther; declaring that she
would rather die than walk another step. As entreaties and threats were
used in vain, the whip was at length applied; and after bearing patiently
a few strokes, she started up and walked with tolerable expedition for
four or five hours longer, when she made an attempt to run away from the
coffle, but was so very weak, that she fell down in the grass. Though she
was unable to rise, the whip was a second time applied, but without
effect; upon which Karfa desired two of the Slatees to place her upon the
ass which carried our dry provisions; but she could not sit erect; and
the ass being very refractory, it was found impossible to carry her
forward in that manner. The Slatees, however, were unwilling to abandon
her, the day's journey being nearly ended; they therefore made a sort of
litter of bamboo canes, upon which she was placed, and tied on it with
slips of bark: this litter was carried upon the heads of two slaves, one
walking before the other, and they were followed by two others, who
relieved them occasionally. In this manner the woman was carried forward
until it was dark, when we reached a stream of water, at the foot of a
high hill called Gankaran-Kooro; and here we stopt for the night and set
about preparing our supper. As we had ate only one handful of meal since
the preceding night, and travelled all day in a hot sun, many of the
slaves, who had loads upon their heads, were very much fatigued: and some
of them _snapt their fingers_, which among the Negroes is a sure sign of
desperation.
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