The Expedition leaves Kayaye — Difficulty in procuring Water
at Jaroomy — Arrival and Halt at Coonting — Description of
that Town and surrounding Country — Civility of the Chief —
Departure from Coonting — Deaths among the Animals, and difficulty
of procuring Carriers — Arrival at the Wallea Creek — Attempt
of some People to stop us — Pass the Creek — Cane Bridge —
Attempt at Murder by one of our native Civilians, and his Desertion
— Enter the Kingdom of Woolli — Arrival at Madina, the Capital
— Transactions and Difficulties there — Description of the Town,
and the Mumbo Jumbo Ceremony — Departure from Madina, and theft
by the Natives — Arrival at Kussaye.
The first division[7] left Kayaye on the morning of the 27th, at seven
o’clock, and the second and third[8] followed immediately after. I
did not myself leave Kayaye until evening, in expectation of the
arrival of the camels. This not taking place, I moved forward, with
the part of that division which was ready, and left Mr. Partarrieau,
with two loads, to await the arrival of those left behind by Bon-ama,
and to follow me as soon as possible. We travelled along nearly east
at the rate of two miles an hour over a flat country thinly covered
with baobabs, tamarinds, rhamnus lotus, and other fruit trees,
within a short distance of the river; between us and which lay a
low tract of land, annually inundated, where rice is cultivated by
the natives when the water retires after the periodical rains.
About nine, P.M., we reached a small village, called Jaroomy, where
I found that Mr. Dochard had halted the front divisions in order to
await our coming up. During this short march, one of the horses died,
and another was left behind, unable to move.
Here difficulties began to present themselves; the chief of the
village refused to allow water to be drawn from the wells, without
receiving payment for it, to which Mr. Dochard, very prudently, would
not submit, sending the animals to the river, which was distant about
two miles. This convinced the fellow that he was wrong; and he came
in the evening to apologize, by saying, that he was afraid the wells
would be run dry by us. He was told his excuse was a bad one, and
his conduct was such as would prevent us from giving him any thing.
The country, for some distance round this village, has the marks of
cultivation; there were some extensive cotton and indigo plantations;
and, although no rain falls at that season, they looked green and
well. The soil, though sandy, appeared good, and well fitted to
produce all tropical grains, vegetables, &c. in perfection.
We left Jaroomy at six o’clock on the 26th, and travelled east
over a gently ascending country, beautifully wooded, until half-past
seven, when we came to a small town called Jonkaconda, inhabited
by Bushreens, and very prettily situated on a little hill under the
shade of some few large trees, somewhat resembling the horse chestnut,
except that the trunk is covered with large sharp protuberances in
the shape of thorns. It produces a quantity of silky cotton, in pods
of an oval shape, about five inches long and four in circumference;
these burst when ripe, and contain each about half an ounce of
this cotton. The natives do not make any use of it; they prefer the
common cotton, from which they manufacture all their clothes. There
the path turned a little to the south of east, and led us over a
country similar to that already mentioned, with this difference,
that the wood was rather closer.
At half after eight, we reached another small village (Lemaine),
the chief of which, a good-looking young man, was very civil, and
made us a present of some palm wine, in return for which we gave him
three bars in amber beads, &c. He paid us a visit at our bivouac
under some shady trees. He was attended by about fifteen people,
preceded by a _Jallikea_, singing man, vociferating the praises
of his master, who, although very communicative and good-humoured,
did not seem to have a mean idea of himself. The river is distant
from this village a mile and a half, SSW.
After a few hours’ rest to the men and animals, and of which all
were much in need, particularly the horses, we moved forward at two,
P.M., and reached Coonting at half after five, all much fatigued. We
passed two small villages, likewise, at the foot of some hills,
and distant from each other about two miles and a half. Their
general appearance was extremely neat and comfortable, and the
ground about them appeared well cultivated. Some large enclosures
of cotton and indigo, were extremely well-looking, and shewed much
regularity. The path, for the most part of the way, was extremely
narrow and inconvenient, in consequence of the closeness of the wood,
which is low and stunted, the soil being a mixture of dark red sand,
and small iron stone gravel, large masses of which rose above the
surface in all directions. The face of the country was, in general,
covered with low wood, except in the vicinity of the towns, where it
has been cleared, either for the purpose of cultivation or for fuel.
Coonting is a considerable town, partly surrounded with a mud wall,
about six feet high. It is in three divisions, each separated from
the other by a clear space of about two hundred yards, in which
stand some fine large evergreen trees, in whose shade the natives
spend the most part of the day, engaged in conversation, playing a
game somewhat resembling draughts, at which they are very clever,
and sleeping, a very general recreation in that country. Here also
is held the assembly of the head men and chiefs, when any matter
of importance requires their attention. Each of those divisions is
governed by a head man, who is under the control of a chief, subject
to the king of Katoba. The town is pleasantly situate in an extensive
plain, and bears the marks of cultivation to a considerable distance,
surrounded on all sides, except the SW., by gently rising hills,
covered with wood. The town is plentifully supplied with water of a
good quality, from wells nine fathoms deep, at the bottoms of which
is a stratum of solid rock.
Here we decided on waiting the arrival of Mr. Partarrieau with the
camels, as the place afforded an abundance of forage and water for
the animals, and an opportunity of procuring a small quantity of
rice, pistacios, cassada, and small beans, for ourselves. The chief
priest of the town paid us a visit, making a present of a fowl and
two bottles of milk, or, as they call it, giving us service, that is
a complimentary visit, which we returned in the evening. We found him
seated in a large circular mud hut, surrounded by about twenty five
boys, from the age of seven to fourteen, learning to read and write
Arabic. The Koran was the only book from which they were taught,
and their education was generally considered completed when they
could read and expound any passage in it. The most of the people
there are Mahomedans.
The old gentleman received us kindly, and conducted us to the Alcaid,
or chief, a venerable looking old man, who, on our informing him of
the object of our travelling in his country, said that he perfectly
recollected seeing Mr. Park when he last went to the east, but was
extremely sorry to hear he never returned to his own country, a fate
which he prayed to God might not be ours. We made him a small present,
and one to the priest, for which they appeared very grateful. Two
of the European and one of the native soldiers had attacks of
intermittent fever this day, but were nevertheless able to come on.
Mr. Partarrieau joined us in the afternoon, bringing with him only
one camel; the other having died before it reached Kayaye, he was
obliged to hire men to carry that proportion of the baggage left
behind, which was intended as a load for it.
We left Coonting at four o’clock on the morning of the 28th,
and travelled east. Two of the horses were unable to rise from the
ground this morning, and were left to their fate. At about a mile
from Coonting, we entered a thicket composed of underwood and cane,
which was so close that we were obliged to cut down the branches
and some trees, for a considerable distance, in order to admit of
the camels passing with the loads. The face of the country begins to
rise here considerably, and to be diversified by hill and dale—the
former high and covered with wood, and the latter apparently very
fertile. The soil, too, changed from light sand to a hard yellow clay,
intermixed with small quartz pebbles. For about two miles the road led
us over hilly and broken ground within a few yards of the river side.
At mid-day we reached a small walled town, Kolicorri, but which had
such a wretched appearance that we were deterred from halting at it;
we therefore continued our march ESE. about two miles further, when we
arrived at Tandicunda, a very respectable town, defended by a strong
stake fence interwoven with thorny bushes, and wholly inhabited by
Bushreens. Two more of the horses gave up during this march, and were
left on the path in a dying state. To transport the loads of those
animals we were obliged to hire carriers, a sufficient number of
which we had much difficulty in procuring. Our own men were obliged
to assist. The town of Pisania, which formerly stood within a short
distance of Tandicunda, was then a heap of ruins, having been some
years since abandoned by Mr. Amsley, in consequence of the annoyance
he frequently experienced from the people of Bondoo and Woolli. Its
situation was extremely beautiful, being close to the river-side,
on an elevated spot shaded with large trees, and most conveniently
placed for commercial purposes.
We left Tandicunda at five o’clock on the morning of the 29th,
and travelled to the east, over a country beautifully diversified,
to Samee, a small walled town containing about a hundred and twenty
huts. The inhabitants are Sonikeas or Pagans. Dyeing with indigo
is here carried on to some extent. About a quarter of a mile to the
south-east, by a small creek or branch of the Gambia, its water good
and plentiful, we halted, under a large tree, which afforded the most
grateful shelter to all from the excessive heat of the sun. One of
our moors had so severe an attack of remittent fever as to be unable
to keep up; one of the native civilians was left with him.
When the intense heat of the sun had diminished in a small degree,
we again moved forward to the ENE. over an open and well-cultivated
country. We saw, at a short distance, on the right of our path,
a Foolah encampment. Some of the women and children, the latter
entirely naked, came close to the path, and stared with astonishment
at our white skins, and not less so at the camels, which appeared
to excite much wonder. The animals were much fatigued, and many of
them in a very weak state. We arrived at Jindey, a small village
situate on an eminence, within less than a quarter of a mile west
from the Wallia Creek. Here we halted under some large trees south
of the village, for the night, having travelled to-day about fifteen
miles. We had scarcely placed the tentmills, and retired to rest,
when one of our guides came from the village to say, that a number
of Foolahs had just arrived there, and from some part of their
conversation he had overheard, he was inclined to think they had
an intention of endeavouring to steal some of our horses during the
night. Had such really been their wish or not, I cannot say, but the
morning arrived without any attempt of the kind being made. It was
more than probable our guide only circulated such a report, in order
to make his attention to our interest appear to greater advantage,
and which he, naturally enough, supposed would entitle him to,
or at least, induce us to give him, an adequate reward.
The chief of Wallia (a province of Katoba, but over which the king
has little control) lives about five miles south of this place. As he
was a person of some consequence in the country, and might be of use,
we sent him our compliments, with a present of eight bars in tobacco,
amber, and beads, and, having made the chief of Jindey another,
we moved towards the Creek at six o’clock on the morning of the
30th, but had not proceeded one hundred yards, when the horses in
front were stopped by some people, stating that they were sent by
the Wallia chief, to say, that unless we would pay him his regular
customs, in the same way as the vessels which ascend the river on
trading voyages, we should not be allowed to proceed. We laughed at
the idea of three or four men saying they would not allow us to pass,
and told them we had already despatched a messenger to their master,
with a present, and to which we would make an addition of four bars
for themselves. This was not satisfactory enough, and they again
insinuated that we should not move until the chief himself should
arrive. We ordered the whole to halt, and the men to load their
muskets; we asked where were those people who wished to dispute our
passage? None appearing, we moved on without further molestation
to the Creek, which we reached in about twenty minutes. The tide
was nearly full, but still running up at the rate of about a mile
per hour.
There is over this creek, which is about two hundred and sixty feet
wide, four feet deep, with clay and mud bottom, a cane bridge,
supported by two rows of forked stakes, on which are laid cross
pieces; these are covered with small pieces of Bamboo, which, further
strengthened by being interwoven with the smaller branches of the
cane, affords a safe, though shaking passage for two or three people
on foot. The banks of the creek are covered with a kind of mangrove,
some acacias, and a great number of the mimosas. Having unloaded the
animals, and led them through the water to the opposite side, the men
waded across, carrying the baggage on their heads, which was completed
without any accident in about an hour. From the eastern bank, where
we halted to cook dinner and give the men an opportunity to wash
their clothes, I had a very good view of the bridge, the village,
and the surrounding country; the latter, though much parched from
the total want of rain for many months, and the almost continued
influence of the dry east wind, accompanied by a scorching sun,
has not altogether lost its verdure. Great numbers of evergreen
trees and shrubs, afford a pleasing and refreshing relief to the eye,
wearied from beholding a light coloured sand reflecting the rays of a
vertical sun unobstructed by clouds. The thermometer stood at 97° in
the shade, open air, and at 80° in the water, which is very muddy,
though sweet and good. There were fish in the creek, for I saw them
rise. We do not know what species, but from the skeleton of one which
had been devoured by a hawk, we concluded some of them to be catfish.
[Illustration: CANE BRIDGE OVER THE WALLIA CREEK.
_Published by John Murray, London. April 1825._]
This creek joins the Gambia about five miles from where we crossed
it, and is navigable for boats to twice that distance above the
bridge, where, on both sides of it, are situate towns with which an
advantageous trade in all the productions of the country might be
carried on.
At half after four, the object of our halt being effected, we marched
for Pakeba, distant three miles and a half, where we arrived at six,
and halted for the night. The whole distance from the creek to this
town is well cultivated; some enclosures of cotton and indigo had a
flourishing appearance. The town is a small one, containing about
one hundred and fifty huts, and defended by a strong mud wall,
seven feet high, and a stake fence outside. The inhabitants are
Sonikeas or Pagans, and are subject to Katoba, at least nominally
so; for in Africa, the further a town is removed from the capital,
the less control the king has over it, and, in almost all cases,
those towns are exclusively governed by their own chiefs.
Our animals were daily diminishing in number, and there had not as yet
appeared any opportunity of replacing them; four horses died, or were
abandoned as useless, since our departure from Tandicunda, and many
more would, I feared, soon follow. We had, however, but not without
much difficulty, procured a few carriers from among the natives;
and some of our own native soldiers and civilians took forward that
part of the baggage for which we had no other means of conveyance.
One of the men from the Wallia chief came to our bivouac in the
evening, and told us that his master was extremely sorry for what had
taken place in the morning, and particularly so, as his people had
no orders to that effect; he had only sent them to request that we
might remain at Jindey until ten o’clock in the forenoon, at which
hour he intended coming to pay us his respects.
We were enabled here to purchase two bullocks, together with a
small quantity of rice and corn. The former cost fourteen bars each;
value about one pound sterling.
We left Pakeba on the 1st of May, at six in the morning, and travelled
NE. by E. until nine, when we reached Sandoo Madina. The path good,
over a sandy soil, mixed with small iron-stone gravel, thinly covered
with thorny underwood and dry grass. Two more horses were abandoned
at Pakeba, as useless, and one left behind on the path. Our moor
continued very unwell. In addition to fever, he had a very severe
pulmonic attack, and on the whole so weak, that I almost despaired
of his recovery.
At three in the morning, previous to leaving Pakeba, we were alarmed
by screams, apparently of some person in agony. We immediately
repaired to the spot, accompanied by some of the watch. There we
found the wife of Yarra Comba, one of the native civilians from
Sierra Leone, weltering in her blood, having received three very
severe wounds on the head from her husband, who, exasperated at
her refusing to desert with him (a step, he told her, he was about
to take), and fearing, we supposed, that she would give the alarm,
after thus brutally attempting to seal her lips, by taking her life,
made his escape; in accomplishing which he succeeded, being favoured
by a dark night, and an intricately wooded country.
The wounds appeared to be all but fatal; the exterior membrane of
the brain, was visible in one of them, and the other two were very
deep. When every attention in the dressing, &c., had been paid,
and I found that there was no hope of getting hold of the savage
who inflicted them, I sent her to the chief of the town, to whom we
gave ten bars for her support, until she might be able to return
to Kayaye. As an inducement to make this man act kindly to her,
we gave him a further sum of ten bars for himself, and offered a
handsome reward for the apprehension of her husband.
About three miles before we reached this town, we observed some
stones of curious form and composed of red sand-stone, in which were
encrusted small silicious pebbles. They had much the appearance of
broken pillars; some were standing upright, and others lying flat on
the surface. From the space inside them, and its form, which was an
oblong square, we are inclined to think they must, at some former
period, have supported a roof. The largest of them is as four feet
in circumference, and seven feet high.
Sandoo Madina is a very small walled village, inhabited by Sonikeys,
and is subject to Katoba, but more immediately under the control of
the Wallia chief, who is himself nominally subject to the former. This
subjection is however not easily defined: a slave running away
from one finds an asylum with the other, who (on both sides) does
not hesitate to acknowledge his having kept him in despite of the
other’s remonstrances.
At a short distance to the NW. is a small unwalled Bushreen town
called Coota Cunda; the water good and plentiful, and every appearance
of extensive cultivation.
We received a visit from the chief of Jambaroo, a small independent
province of Jaloff Woolli, situate about fifteen miles north of this
village. We bought from him a small strong horse for eighty-five
bars in amber and coral, the value of which did not exceed five
pounds sterling. We made him a small present.
Corporal Richmond, a native, was added to the sick list, with a
severe pulmonic attack. Some of the men who have had slight attacks
of intermittent fever appear to recover rapidly; on the whole, the
health of the party might be then considered good. Mr. Nelson was
the only one of the officers who was at all delicate; Mr. Pilkington
was recovering rapidly.
Having left Sandoo Madina at four o’clock in the morning of the 2d,
we had a pleasant march to the next town, Fodia Cunda, the first
of Woolli, which we reached at half after nine, having passed the
ruins of two towns, both destroyed by the people of Bondoo in their
wars with this country. The animals travelled very badly, being too
heavily loaded, and which could not be avoided, in consequence of
the very rapid decrease of their numbers, and the impossibility of
replenishing them; five died or were abandoned this day’s march.
We here procured a plentiful supply of milk and butter, such as
it was, and more than a sufficiency of corn to give the horses,
camels, &c. as much as they could eat, and which they were much
in want of, not having had more than one good feed since we left
Kayaye. The country about this village, although much parched,
was beautifully picturesque, being thickly covered with wood,
and agreeably diversified by hill and dale. There were numbers of
wandering Foolahs with large herds of cattle, in the vicinity of
this village: those people supply the inhabitants of the towns who
keep no cattle themselves with milk and butter, in exchange for
which they receive cotton cloths, glass beads, and tobacco.
From Fodia Cunda I despatched Lamina, our Sego guide, to the town of
Slatee Modiba, to request him to meet us at Madina to-morrow; this
man being a relative of the king’s, with whom he has considerable
influence, advising him in all affairs of importance, and well known
to Lamina, we considered it right to secure his interest, by sending
him a small present, and holding out the promise of a suitable reward,
should he act in compliance with our wishes.
We left Fodia Cunda at six, on the morning of the 3d, and travelled
east, at a smart pace, over a flat country, little wooded and for the
most part cultivated; the soil was of a darker colour, and contained
more mould and clay than any we had seen since leaving Kayaye. We
arrived at Madina at nine, and bivouacked under a large tree, about
five hundred yards north of the town.
[Illustration: W. Gray del.
MEDINA, CAPITAL OF WOOLLI.
_Published Feb. 1825. by John Murray, London._]
Madina is a respectable walled town, containing about two hundred
and fifty huts, and from eight hundred to a thousand inhabitants,
all Sonikeas; it is the capital of the kingdom of Woolli, and the
residence of the king. Outside the walls is a strong stake or palisade
fence, about five feet high, which gave to the place the appearance
of a large fortified redoubt. The interior of the town was beautifully
shaded with large trees of the fig and palm kind, and altogether had a
very good outward appearance. There are three gates to it; two in the
north, and one in the east, which are shut every night. The interior
of the town does not at all accord with its external appearance,
being filled with small round grass, and mud huts jumbled together
without any regard to order or regularity, and between which are
heaps on heaps of filth of every description. The house of the king
is separated from those of his subjects by a mud wall about nine feet
high, and stands nearly in the centre of the town; that of his son,
and some of the chief men are similarly inclosed, but the walls of the
latter are not so high. Two wells situate within the wall at the east
end of the town, of tolerably good water, supply the inhabitants with
that necessary article in sufficient abundance. The ground, to the
extent of half a mile all round the town, was cleared, and bore the
marks of cultivation. A few large shady evergreen trees, scattered
over this plain, relieves the otherwise fatiguing prospect of such
an extent of arid surface. At a short distance to the south, lay a
large Bushreen town, called Barra Cunda, which might contain from one
thousand to one thousand five hundred inhabitants, and was surrounded
by a slight stake fence, interwoven with thorny bushes, which is the
only defence the followers of Mahomet in this country adopt. This
arises from their not engaging in war, and never meeting with any
other attack from an invading army than on their provisions, with
which they are in general abundantly supplied, being more industrious
and more abstemious than the Pagans; a large proportion of whose corn,
rice, &c., goes in the purchase of inebriating liquors. The dress
of the latter also is neither so good nor so cleanly as that of the
former, which is, almost invariably, white or blue. The Sonikeys
are careless about their dress or persons, and what with smoking,
drinking, and dirt, they are the most filthy set we ever saw.
We observed hanging on a stake, outside the walls of the town, a dress
composed of the bark of a tree torn into small shreds, and formed so
as to cover the whole body of the person wearing it, who is a sort of
bugbear, called Mumbo Jumbo, that occasionally visits all the Mandingo
towns, for the purpose of keeping the married women in order. I have
been told that the husband who has occasion to find fault with one
of his wives, for here every man has as many as his circumstances
will admit, either puts on this dress himself, or gets one of his
friends to do it, and having made known his intended visit to the
town, by shrieking and howling in the woods near it, arrives after
sunset at the assembly place, where all the inhabitants are obliged
to meet him, with music, singing, and dancing, which continues for
some hours, and terminates by his seizing the unfortunate woman, and
flogging her most unmercifully in presence of the whole assembly,
who only laugh at this horrid performance. We have never had an
opportunity of seeing this ourselves, but have heard it from so many,
and with such corroborative exactness of description, that we have
no doubt of its existence to a much greater extent of blind savage
superstition than has been described to us.
Immediately on our arrival, we sent to apprize the king, and requested
to be informed at what hour he could receive our visit. We were,
however, told that he was then drunk, and could not be seen on
business.
Slatee Modiba arrived, bringing us a present of a fine bullock. He
also told us the same story, but said he hoped the evening would
find the king in a state to receive us.
At length, about five in the afternoon, we went, accompanied
by Mr. Burton, Lamina, and Sergeant Tuft; the latter served as
interpreter. We found his majesty (if we may so prostitute the
title), seated on a low wooden stool, outside the walls of his house,
surrounded by all the great men of the town, who, with himself,
did not appear to have entirely recovered from the effects of their
morning’s debauchery. Having made him a small present, which it is
the custom of this country to do, previous to addressing the king on
our business, we told him in as few words as possible, the object we
had in view in travelling through the country, and the advantages its
inhabitants would derive from the existence of a friendly and direct
intercourse with the English, who, should no serious difficulties
present themselves, would soon make trading voyages into the interior,
and furnish them with all European merchandize at a much cheaper rate
than they could at present procure them. The only answer we received,
was made by his friend Modiba (for he did not say a word himself),
and, although expressed in many words, and in very ambiguous terms,
might be construed into this, that he always thought the English
were the friends of Africa, and would do every thing in his power
to facilitate the attainment of their wishes.
As nothing but the common routine of a formal visit of ceremony could,
consistent with their customs, take place at the first interview,
even had the king been _compos mentis_, we were obliged to take our
leave without anything more having been said as to the terms on which
we might expect his protection. Modiba, however, told us he would take
care that no rum should be drank by Mansa[9] in the morning, previous
to our seeing him, and requested we would shew him the present we
intended to give; which we promised to do, when it could be prepared.
During the night, one of the natives made an attempt to steal
something from one of the tents, and would have succeeded, had
not Sergeant Major Lee, observing the bale stirring, fired in the
direction, but I believe without effect. This served, at least,
to deter others from a similar attempt.
Having selected the present, consisting of amber, coral, bafts
blue and white, silver, guns, &c., in all amounting to upwards of
five hundred bars, thirty pounds sterling, and submitted them to
the inspection of Modiba, who appeared to be pleased with them,
we waited on the king on the morning of the 4th, and were shewn
into the inner inclosure of the palace, which was, if any thing,
more filthy than the rest of the town. Here we found him seated on
a lion’s skin, to which were attached a number of grigris, under
the shade of a miserable hovel in the shape of a balcony, outside the
door of his bed-room, surrounded by four or five of his head men or
ministers; and, notwithstanding Modiba’s promise to the contrary,
the rum bottle had been in use, to what extent we cannot say, but he,
on this occasion, favoured us with his conversation, asking several
questions about our country, the Expedition, its object, &c.; all
which we answered as briefly and explicitly as possible. When the
present was laid before him, he condescended to smile at the amber,
but on looking at the dollars and coral for some time, with an air
of the greatest indifference, he said something to his own people,
and told us that he would not accept of so trifling an offer from such
great men, particularly as he had been told we had given more to the
king of Katoba, whom he looked on as a very petty chief indeed. Modiba
said much to induce him to take it, but to no effect. We therefore
returned to the camp leaving him, great as was his avarice, paying
more attention to the rum bottle than what had been going forward.
While we were talking to Modiba on the best means of satisfying
Mansa, and at the same time those about him, the former made his
appearance, coming from the town, attended by about fifty people
singing and beating drums. He seated himself under a tree, at a short
distance from our camp, and sent Modiba, who had gone to meet him,
to let us know he came to pay his respects. When we went to him, he
beckoned me to sit beside him, which I did in apparent good humour;
after the usual salutations, he begged a piece of muslin to make a
dress. This was complied with, when he said, he had brought a bullock
for supper, but added that we did not shew ourselves inclined to
think well of him, in giving him so poor a present. This, with a
great deal more noisy irrelevant matter from himself and attendants,
took up nearly half an hour, much to our annoyance. He ended, however,
by telling us that he had left the settling of the affair to Modiba,
and returned to the town.
In order that more time should not be lost here, we made an addition
to the former present of forty-five bars, coral and dollars, and
gave it to Modiba to present, as all we would or could give him. He
was then drunk, and not to be seen.
In a short hour after this, Mansafarra, the king’s eldest son, came
galloping from the town into our camp, attended by five or six people,
armed with guns and spears, and, apparently in a great rage, said
that he was offended at our not paying him our respects in person,
and, although we might think little of him, he was, nevertheless,
of as much consequence in the country as his father. We endeavoured
to pacify him by appearing in good humour, and was going to give him
our hands, when he rode off, in as great a hurry as he came, having
first made one of his men throw down a pile of our arms, which was
standing near them. He was not contented with this indifference on
our part, and shortly returned on foot, attended as before. The first
person he met was Private Robinson, lying on the ground. To him he
gave two or three kicks, and would have fired his musket at him, had
he not been prevented by some of his own people. On this occasion,
we, with much difficulty, kept our temper, but as the fellow was
beastly drunk, and we were aware of the serious consequences that
might arise from any violence offered to one of the royal family,
we overlooked the insult, and merely directed the men to stand to
their arms, and take no notice of him. He did not like the appearance
things bore at that moment, and went off as before.
The people of the town, seeing us pay such little attention to the
insult offered by their prince, no doubt thought they might follow
his example with impunity, and therefore endeavoured to run away with
every thing they could lay their hands on. This was too much. We
could bear it no longer, and ordered the men to load and fall in,
and, as it was nearly sunset, we had the whole of the baggage removed
to some distance from the tree we had been sitting under, and placed
triple sentinels. While the men were employed at this, the natives
stole two horses, one ass, a bullock, and a goat. The horses, ass,
and goat were recovered, but the bullock we never heard of.
A strict watch during the night prevented the possibility of any
attempt at theft, and on the morning of the 5th, Modiba came at an
early hour, to say that the king was not satisfied at the addition
made to the present, and, unless we gave him more, he would send
his people to help themselves. Entreaties were to be borne with,
but threats, and of this nature too, required decisive steps. We
consequently directed Modeba to let the king know he might come as
soon as he pleased, when we should be ready to give him the reception
his appearance might merit. The bugles then sounded to arms; the
animals were collected; and the men formed a hollow square round
them and the baggage.
Modiba, who was more than astonished at our answer and preparations,
went off without saying a word; but returned in a few minutes,
to request we would give him ten dollars for himself, in part
payment of two horses we had purchased from him the day before,
and for which he had agreed to take an order on the Commissariat
Officer at St. Mary’s, River Gambia. This we complied with, and
are satisfied he gave them to Mansa. We however did not let him know,
that we thought so. At length we were informed that guides would be
provided for us, and we might proceed in the morning. In the evening,
Mansa sent us a bullock, in place of the one which was stolen.
The guides joined us in the morning of the 6th, and all things
being ready, we commenced moving from Madina, that nest of thieves;
but the front division had scarcely left the ground, when an immense
mob collected, in order to plunder if possible. Messrs. Dochard and
Partarrieau remained with the camel division, which was to bring up
the rear, and had much difficulty in keeping the natives from actually
forcing some things out of our men’s hands. A small medicine-chest
was purloined by one of them, who had run some distance with it before
it was missed. Private Ferrier overtook and knocked the fellow down,
and would have shot some others who came to his assistance, had not
Mr. Dochard prevented him by laying hold of his firelock. Such a
barefaced and determined set of thieves we never met.
We travelled SE. and by E. thirteen miles, to the village of
Bambako. The path this day was over a hard yellow clay soil, mixed
with small quartz pebbles, and much broken into deep ruts by the
rains; the whole distance, to within a quarter of a mile, covered
with loose brushwood and a few large trees of the acacia species.
Corporal Pickard, a European, was so ill as to be unable to walk,
and private Richmond, a native soldier, was nearly as bad; they
were carried forward on two of the officers’ horses. Bambako is
a very miserable village indeed, not containing more than twenty
huts of the poorest description: the situation of it, however,
in some measure made up for its wretched appearance; it was on the
summit of an elevated plain, beautifully covered with some of those
large trees which bear the cotton, already mentioned, and a great
number of baobabs, tamarinds, and palm trees; and it is plentifully
supplied with good water, from wells twelve fathoms deep. We were
able to purchase there one horse, two asses, three goats, and some
corn for the animals. The horses and asses were a very welcome and
necessary supply at that moment, as we had lost by death, during
the day’s march, three horses.
We passed the night there, and moved forward to the SSE. at seven on
the morning of the 7th. The soil and appearance of the country the
same as that of the preceding day’s march. The path was not so
much broken, and the animals travelled better. We reached Canopê
at eleven, A.M., where we halted in order to refresh the men and
animals, and to purchase, if possible, a few asses, which we were
told by our guides were here in great numbers. Large prices, in
amber, coral, and blue baft, induced the natives to sell us seven
very good ones. We had much difficulty in procuring water here,
not in consequence of any want of it at the place, but because the
people would not allow us to approach the wells, alleging that it
was their property, and we must pay for it as well as for the other
commodities of life. Remonstrance, and an inclination to force on
our part, together with the interference of our guides, at length
obtained it; not, however, before it was much wanted.
We left that inhospitable village at three, P.M., the same day,
and travelled in the same direction over a very finely diversified
country, for two hours, when we arrived at a small village called
Kussaye, or Metofodia Cunda, having passed, about two miles before
it, the ruins of a very large walled town, called Maja Cunda. This
was formerly the residence of Modiba, the man who assisted us at
Woolli, but was destroyed and abandoned by him, in consequence of
the surrounding soil not producing good crops; it is very light and
sandy, and mixed with lumps of a stiff white clay, having much the
appearance of pipe-clay.
The occurrences at Madina, the hurry at leaving it, and the very great
want of means of conveyance which we experienced, together with the
confused state of the baggage in consequence of such want, and the
indisposition of some of the men, induced us to determine on halting
here for a day, in order to set all things right: we therefore took
up our bivouac under the shade of some large trees outside the town,
the chief of which was extremely kind and attentive to all our wants,
inasmuch as his circumstances would admit.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 7: Having twenty-two animals’ loads.]
[Footnote 8: With nineteen each.]
[Footnote 9: Title of the kings of Woolli.]