(_From Landers' Travels, vol. ii._)
"About ten o'clock at night, when we were sleeping on our mats, we were
suddenly awoke by a great cry of distress from innumerable voices,
attended by a horrid clashing and clattering noise, which the hour of
the night tended to make more terrific. Before we had time to recover
from our surprise, old Pascoe rushed breathless into our hut, and
informed us with a trembling voice that 'the sun was dragging the moon
across the heavens.' Wondering what could be the meaning of so strange
and ridiculous a story, we ran out of the hut half dressed, and we
discovered that the moon was totally eclipsed. A number of people were
gathered together in our yard, in dreadful apprehension that the world
was at an end, and that this was but the 'beginning of sorrows.' We
learnt from them that the Mahomedan priests residing in the city, having
personified the sun and moon, had told the king and the people that the
eclipse was occasioned through the obstinacy and disobedience of the
latter luminary. They said that for a long time previously the moon had
been displeased with the path she had been compelled to take through the
heavens, because it was filled with thorns and briers, and obstructed
with a thousand other difficulties; and therefore that, having watched
for a favourable opportunity, she had this evening deserted her usual
track, and entered into that of the sun. She had not, however, travelled
far up the sky, on the forbidden road, before the circumstance was
discovered by the sun, who immediately hastened to her in his anger, and
punished her dereliction by clothing her in darkness, forcing her back
to her own territories, and forbidding her to shed her light upon the
earth. This story, whimsical as it may seem, was received with implicit
confidence in its truth by the king and queen and most of the people of
Boossà; and the cause of the noises which we had heard, and which were
still continuing with renewed vehemence, was explained to us by the fact
that they were all 'assembled together in the hope of being able to
frighten away the sun to his proper sphere, and leave the moon to
enlighten the world as at other times.' This is much after the manner of
many savage nations.
"While our informant was yet speaking to us, a messenger arrived at our
yard from the king, to tell us the above tale, and with an invitation to
come to see him immediately. Therefore, slipping on the remainder of our
clothes, we followed the man to the residence of his sovereign, from
outside of which the cries proceeded, and here we found the king and his
timid partner sitting on the ground. Their usual good spirits and
cheerful behaviour had forsaken them entirely; both appeared overwhelmed
with apprehension, and trembled at every joint. Like all their subjects,
in the hurry of fear and the suddenness of the alarm, they had come out
of their dwellings half dressed, the head and legs, and the upper part
of their persons, being entirely exposed. We soon succeeded in quelling
their fears, or at least in diminishing, their apprehension. The king
then observed, that neither himself nor the oldest of his subjects
recollected seeing but one eclipse of the moon besides the one he was
gazing at; that it had occurred exactly when the Falátahs began to be
formidable in the country, and that it had forewarned them of all the
wars, disasters, and calamities, which subsequently took place.
"We had seated ourselves opposite to the king and queen, and within two
or three feet of them, where we could readily observe the moon and the
people without inconvenience, and carry on the conversation at the same
time. If the royal couple shuddered, with terror on beholding the
darkened moon, we were scarcely less affected by the savage gestures of
those within a few yards of us and by their repeated cries, so wild, so
loud, and so piercing, that an indescribable sensation of horror stole
over us, and rendered us almost as nervous as those whom we had come to
comfort. The earlier part of the evening had been mild, serene, and
remarkably pleasant; the moon had arisen with uncommon lustre, and being
at the full, her appearance was extremely delightful. It was the
conclusion of the holidays, and many of the people were enjoying the
delicious coolness of a serene night, and resting from the laborious
exertions of the day; but when the moon became gradually obscured, fear
overcame every one. As the eclipse increased, they became more
terrified. All ran in great distress to inform their sovereign of the
circumstance, for there was not a single cloud to cause so deep a
shadow, and they could not comprehend the nature or meaning of an
eclipse. The king was as easily frightened as his people, being equally
simple and ignorant; he would not therefore suffer them to depart.
Numbers sometimes beget courage and confidence, he thought; so he
commanded them to remain near his person, and to do all in their power
to restore the lost glory of the moon.
"In front of the king's house, and almost close to it, are a few
magnificent cotton-trees, round which the soil had been freed from
grass, &c., for the celebration of the games. On this spot were the
terrified people assembled, with every instrument capable of making a
noise which could be procured in the whole town. They had formed
themselves into a large treble circle, and continued running round with
amazing velocity, crying, shouting, and groaning with all their might.
They tossed and flung their heads about, twisted their bodies into all
manner of contortions, jumped into the air, stamped with their feet on
the ground, and flourished their hands above their heads. No scene in
the romance of Robinson Crusoe was so wild and savage as this; and a
large wood fire, with a few men spitted and roasting before it, was
alone wanting to render it complete! Little boys and girls were outside
the ring, running to and fro, clashing empty calabashes against each
other, and crying bitterly; groups of men were blowing on trumpets,
which produced a harsh and discordant sound; some were employed in
beating old drums; others again were blowing on bullock's horns; and in
the short intervals between the rapid succession of all these fiend-like
noises, was heard one more dismal than the rest, proceeding from an iron
tube, accompanied by the clinking of chains. Indeed, everything that
_could_ increase the uproar was put in requisition on this memorable
occasion; nor did it cease till midnight, when the eclipse had passed
away. Never have we witnessed so extraordinary a scene as this. The
diminished light, when the eclipse was complete, was just sufficient to
enable us to distinguish the various groups of people, and contributed
in no small degree to render the scene still more imposing. If an
European, a stranger to Africa, were to be placed on a sudden in the
midst of the terror-struck people, he would imagine himself to be among
a legion of demons, holding a revel over a fallen spirit; so peculiarly
unearthly wild, and horrifying was the appearance of the dancing group,
and the clamour which they made. It was perhaps fortunate for us that we
had an almanac with us, which foretold the eclipse; for although we
neglected to inform the king of this circumstance, we were yet enabled
to tell him and his people the exact time of its disappearance. This
succeeded in some measure in suppressing their fears, for they would
believe anything we might tell them; and perhaps, also, it has procured
for us a lasting reputation 'and a name.' 'Oh,' said the king, 'there
will be sorrow and crying this night from Wowow to Yàoorie. The people
will have no one to comfort or condole with them; they will fancy this
eclipse to be the harbinger of something very dreadful; and they will be
in distress and trouble till the moon shall have regained her
brightness.' It was nearly one o'clock when we left the king and queen,
to return to our hut; everything was then calm and silent, and we lay
down to rest in peace."
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