Information of the approach of the travellers had been previously
sent to the monarch, but they were obliged to wait with much patience
for a considerable period, until he had put on his robes of state. In
the mean time to amuse his august visitors, the head drummer and his
assistants, with the most benevolent intention, commenced a concert
of the most bewitching melody; and long drums, kettle drums, and
horns were played with little intermission, till Mansolah, the king,
made his appearance, and the travellers were desired to draw nearer
to pay their respects to his majesty. They performed this ceremony
after the English manner, much to the entertainment and diversion of
the king, who endeavoured to imitate them, but it was easy to see
that he was but a novice in the European mode of salutation--bowing
and shaking hands; nor did he, like some other monarchs, stretch
forth his hand to be kissed, which, to a man possessing a particle of
spirit, must be degrading and humiliating. There is no doubt that it
was owing to the rusticity and awkwardness of their address, not
having been brought up amongst the fooleries and absurdities of a
court, that Mansolah's risible faculties were so strongly excited,
but he laughed so long and heartily, and his wives, and eunuchs, and
subjects of all sorts joined with him with such good will, and such
power of lungs, that at length the travellers were obliged to laugh
too, and were constrained to unite their voices to the general burst
of kindly feeling, although, if they had been asked the cause of such
jollity and obstreperous mirth, they would have been at a loss for an
answer.
Mansolah's headpiece was something like a bishop's mitre, profusely
ornamented with strings of coral, one of which answered the purpose
of a ribbon, for it was tied under the chin, to prevent the cap from
being blown off. His tobe was of green silk, crimson silk damask, and
green silk velvet, which were all sewn together, like pieces of
patchwork. He wore English cotton stockings, and neat leathern
sandals of native workmanship. A large piece of superfine light blue
cloth, given the chief by Captain Clapperton, was used as a carpet.
The eunuchs, and other individuals who were present at the interview,
prostrated themselves before their prince, agreeably to the custom of
the country, and rubbed their heads with earth two separate times,
retreating at some distance to perform this humiliating and degrading
ceremony, and then drawing near the royal person, to lie again with
their faces in the dust. They also saluted the ground near which he
was sitting, by kissing it fervently and repeatedly, and by placing
each cheek upon it. Then, and not till then, with their heads, and
faces, and lips, and breasts, stained with the red damp soil, which
still clung to them, they were allowed to seat themselves near their
monarch, and to join in the conversation. Two or three of the
inferior eunuchs, not satisfied with this servile prostration, began
to sport and roll themselves on the ground, but this could not be
effected without immense labour, and difficulty, and panting, and
puffing, and straining; for like that paragon of knighthood Sir John
Falstaff, they could not be compared to any thing so appropriately as
huge hummocks of flesh. There they lay wallowing in the mire, like
immense turtles floundering in the sea, till Ebo desired them to
rise. A very considerable number of bald-headed old men were observed
among the individuals present, their hair or rather wool, having been
most likely rubbed off by repeated applications of earth, sand,
gravel, filth, or whatever else might be at hand, when the prince
happened to make his appearance.
The conference being brought to a close, a kid, a calabash of caffas,
and two thousand kowries were presented to the Landers, and cheered
by a flourish of music, they laughed in concert as a mark of
politeness, and shook hands with the king, and walked away to their
own dwelling, which had been repaired, and thoroughly cleansed for
their use. The latter operation was particularly necessary, as
previously to their inhabiting it, it had been occupied by a
multitude of domestic animals, sheep, pigs, goats, fowls, guinea
fowls, bullocks, in fine, it had been a kind of stable, where Ebo,
the principal eunuch, kept his stock of animals. Here, however, they
were glad to lie down to repose their aching limbs, although the
stench arising from some parts of the hut was almost insupportable.
In the evening, the king returned their visit, and immediately took a
fancy to John Lander's bugle horn, which was very readily given him.
He appeared to be greatly pleased with the present, turning about and
inspecting every part of it, with the greatest curiosity. It appeared
to him, however, to be immaterial as to which end the mouth was to be
applied, for he put the lower part of the instrument to his mouth,
and drawing up his breath to its full extent, sent such a puff of
wind into it, as would have been sufficient for a diapason pipe of an
organ; not hearing, however, the accustomed sound, he delivered the
instrument to John Lander, who brought out of it the shrillest note
which he could, which set the king and his eunuchs into a violent
laugh, and he expressed his delight to the donors of so valuable a
present, assuring them that it made his heart glad to see them, and
hoped that they would make themselves quite comfortable whilst they
remained at Katunga. They now shook hands, made a bow, not one that
would have been deemed a very elegant one amongst the courtiers of
St. James', and the sovereign departed, followed by a suite of wives,
eunuchs, and other attendants. Ebo inquired if there were any thing
further that they wished to be done to their residence, to render
their stay as agreeable as possible. Their yard adjoined that of Ebo,
with which it communicated by a door way, without a door, so that it
enabled the travellers to have frequent opportunities of seeing his
numerous _unhappy wives_, and a number of little boys and girls, who
were his personal attendants. The circumstance of a eunuch keeping a
whole retinue of wives, appeared to the Landers rather an
extraordinary one, for he appeared to treat them with all the
jealousy of a Turkish pacha towards his mistresses in his seraglio.
Of their fidelity or continency, however, could be said, whenever an
opportunity presented itself; but do not require to travel as far as
Africa for the experience, when an opportunity of that kind is
wanted, it is not long before it is obtained. The eunuch sent them a
very fat sheep, as a further token of his good will. On Friday May
14th, Richard Lander accompanied by Ebo, and the other unwieldy
eunuchs, took a present to the king, which was pretty well received;
Mansolah, it was supposed out of compliment, remarked that if they
had not brought with them the value of a single kowrie, they should
have been favourably received at Katunga, and well entertained at his
own expense. They had, previously to presenting themselves before the
king, consulted their friend Ebo, on the subject of their journey to
the Niger, and he strongly advised them by no means even to hint at
such an intention to the king, whose suspicions, he assured them,
would immediately take the alarm, so that instead of being forwarded
on their way thither, they would either be detained in the town for
an indefinite time, or sent back again to the coast. They therefore
conceived it prudent to give him the following statement only:--"That
the king of England, anxious to procure the restoration of certain
papers which belonged to a countryman of theirs, who perished at
Boosa about twenty years ago, which papers were supposed to be in the
possession of the sultan of Yaoorie, they had been despatched hither
by their sovereign, in the hope that the king of Katunga would
forward them to the latter state, for the purpose of obtaining them
from the sultan of Yaoorie, and taking them back with them to
England."
Mansolah, with the natural indifference of the uncultivated mind,
displayed neither eager curiosity as to their object in coming to his
country, nor surprise when they had informed him of it, but very
promptly observed, that in two days time, he would send a messenger
to Kiama, Wouwou, Boossa, and Yaoorie, for the purpose of acquainting
the rulers of those provinces of their intention to pay them a visit,
and that on the return of the messenger, they should have his
permission to depart. This was promised after Richard Lander's
repeated solicitations and importunities, that they should not be
detained here longer than necessary, as in a very short time, the
violent rains would render the roads to those countries impassable,
and, in consequence, they would not be able to travel till the return
of the dry season. Their speedy departure was also a matter of
importance to them on account of their health, which they found to be
far better when they were travelling, than when cooped up in a close
unwholesome hut, where ventilation appeared to be the object the
least attended to, or considered of no importance at all.
They were expressly and repeatedly informed that the monarch of this
empire was brother to the king of Benin; but notwithstanding this
near relationship of the two sovereigns, not the slightest
intercourse or communication is maintained between Yarriba and that
power, and the reason ascribed for it is, that the distance between
the two countries is too great. It must, however, be remarked, that
friends and acquaintance are often called brothers in Yarriba; and to
make a distinction in the above instance, they assert that Mansolah
and the king of Benin were of one father and one mother. They made
some inquiries of Ebo on this subject, but he soon silenced their
remarks by observing, that they were too inquisitive, or to use his
own words, "that they talked too much." It was the intention of the
Landers, after leaving Yaoorie to proceed direct to Guarie, the
prince of which country would no doubt send them to Funda, whence it
would be their endeavour to discover the termination of the Niger,
agreeably to their written instructions.
Instead of the jarring noise of women's tongues, which had hitherto
annoyed and followed them at every stage of their journey from
Badagry, they at length enjoyed as much of composure and
tranquillity, as they could well desire; for the wives of Ebo
residing at some distance from the part of the yard which they
occupied, the shrill sound of their voices was pleasant, contrasted
with the former loud, discordant, and perpetual din which rang in
their ears from morning to night. Their male visitors were, likewise,
few and select, and did not remain with them any very considerable
time together. An order was issued by the king, that if any
impertinent individual troubled them at any time with his company,
when it was not desired, Ebo was at liberty to behead him, and no one
according to the strict injunction of Mattsolah, should tax the
eunuch with injustice or cruelty in the performance of his duties.
This royal proclamation as it may be termed, had the desired effect,
for it was regarded with greater exactness and punctuality than some
royal proclamations are in Europe, the people having a great dread of
Ebo, who, independently of the high office which he held of chief
eunuch, somewhat similar to the office of Lord Chamberlain at the
court of St. James', was also the occupant of the delightful office
of public executioner, an occupation which, in that despotic country,
was frequently called into practice.
The king of Katunga, like other kings, has also his master of the
horse, who at the time of Lander's visit was an elderly person,
possessing no small degree of influence over his royal master. The
European and the African master of the horse, however, in some
respects bore a great similarity to each other, although contrary to
the opinion of the metaphysicians, the same cause produced a
different effect. The European master of the horse has a great number
of useless horses under his nominal care, and yet has nothing to do;
the African master of the horse has also nothing to do, for the very
best of all reasons, that he has no horses to take care of, the whole
African stud consisting of one or two half-starved, ragged ponies,
which would disgrace a costermonger's cart in the streets of London.
Katunga, however, is not the only place in which the sun shines,
where the office is made for the man, and not the man for the office;
but as they have no pension list in Katunga, nor any retired
allowances, nor any Chiltern Hundreds, to enable them to vacate their
offices, they are immediately sent about their business when age,
sickness, or other infirmity disables them from performing the duties
of their office. The age of the master of the horse of the king of
Katunga was about seventy, but he contrived, similar to the plan
adopted in some other countries, of keeping to himself all the
emoluments of his office, and getting a deputy to perform the labour;
thus for a mess of Indian corn, the stud of the king of Katunga could
be very ably looked after by some half-starved native, whilst the
holder of the office was comfortably reposing himself amongst his
twenty or thirty wives.
This important personage had been hitherto overlooked by the Landers,
that is, they had not as yet made him any present; in order, however,
to let them know that there was such a being in existence, he sent
them a sheep as a present, on the principle of the English adage, of
throwing a sprat to catch a mackerel. A present from an African
master of the horse is not a disinterested gift; he had seen the
presents delivered to the king, and he ardently longed for a slip of
the red cloth wherewith to decorate his person, and set off the jetty
blackness of his skin.
The pride of an African dignitary will not allow him to beg, and
therefore he conjectured that on the receipt of his present of the
sheep, common courtesy would instruct the Landers to return the
compliment, by a present of some European article of corresponding
value. Nor was the master of the horse wrong in his conjectures, for
a present was sent him, and to his great delight a strip of red cloth
was included in it. The unfortunate master of the horse, however,
discovered, that although he filled the high office of master of the
horse, he was not master of himself, nor was he master of that, which
he believed did in reality belong to him, for his master and king no
sooner heard that he had received a present of a piece of red cloth,
than his majesty discovered that it was a colour, which royalty alone
was entitled to wear. The master of the horse had scarcely exhibited
his valuable present to his admiring wives, all of whom begged for a
bit wherewith to enhance the charms of their unwieldy persons, than a
messenger from the king arrived, bearing the afflicting intelligence
to the master of the horse, to deliver up for the use of his majesty,
a certain piece of red cloth presented to him by the Europeans then
in the town, or submit to have his head cut off by the dexterity of
his chief eunuch. The master of the horse judged it better to lose
the cloth than his head, and with a very ill grace, and muttering
some expressions partaking strongly of the enormous crime of high
treason, the cloth was delivered up, and the master of the horse
returned to his wives to condole with them on the heavy loss which
they had sustained.
Speaking of the town of Katunga, Lander says, "All seems quiet and
peaceable in this large dull city, and one cannot help feeling rather
melancholy, in wandering through streets almost deserted, and over a
vast extent of fertile land, on which there is no human habitation,
and scarcely a living thing to animate or cheer the prevailing
solemnity." The walls of the town have been suffered to fall into
decay, and are now no better than a heap of dust and ruins, and such
unconcern and apathy pervade the minds of the monarch and his
ministry, that the wandering and ambitious Fellata has penetrated
into the very heart of the country, made himself master of two of its
most important and flourishing towns, with little, if any opposition,
and is gradually, but very perceptibly gaining on the lukewarm
natives of the soil, and sapping the foundations of the throne of
Yarriba. The people, surely, cannot be aware of their own danger, or
they never would be unconcerned spectators of the events, which are
rapidly tending to root out their religion, customs, and
institutions, and totally annihilate them as a nation. But since they
have neither foresight, nor wisdom, nor resolution to put themselves
in a posture of defence, and make at least a show of resistance, when
danger real or imaginary menaces them; since neither the love of
country, which stimulates all nations to heroic achievements in
defence of their just and natural rights, and all that is truly dear
to them in the world; and since neither affection for their
defenceless wives and unprotected offspring, nor love of self can
awaken a single spark of courage or patriotism in their bosoms, can
scare away that demon sloth from among them, or induce them to make a
solitary exertion to save themselves and posterity from a foreign
yoke; why then, they are surely unworthy to be called a people; they
deserve to be deprived of their effects, children, and personal
liberty, to have their habitual sloth and listlessness converted into
labour and usefulness, in tilling, improving, and beautifying for
strangers, that soil, which they have neither spirit nor inclination
to cultivate for themselves.
A market is held daily in different parts of Katunga, but there are
two days in the week, in which it is much larger and more numerously
attended than on any of the other days. One is styled the queen's
market, but in the evening, when it is held in another place, it is
called the king's market. To make a market profitable, the sellers
and buyers should be equal, for where either predominate, the
advantage cannot be mutual; if the buyers exceed the sellers, the
articles sold will rise in price, and on the other hand, if the
sellers exceed the buyers, a depreciation in the price will take
place. The latter case was observed to prevail in the markets of
Katunga, and which was in a degree a direct proof that the supply
surpassed the population. The articles chiefly exposed for sale were,
several different kinds of corn, beans, peas, and vegetables, in
great abundance and variety; the butter extracted from the mi-cadama
tree, country cotton cloths, red clay, ground or guinea nuts, salt,
indigo, and different kinds of pepper; snuff and tobacco, trona,
knives, barbs, hooks, and needles, the latter of the rudest native
manufacture. There were also finger rings of tin and lead, and iron
bracelets and armlets, old shells, old bones, and other venerable
things, which the members of the society of antiquaries would
estimate as articles of real _vertu_; a great variety of beads both
of native and European manufacture, among the former of which was
recognised the famous Agra bead, which at Cape Coast Castle, Accra,
and other places, is sold for its weight in gold, and which has been
in vain attempted to be imitated by the Italians and our own
countrymen. One most remarkable thing was offered for sale, and that
was a common blue English plate, the price of which was, however, too
high for the individuals who frequented the market, although many
there were, who cast a longing eye on so valuable a piece of
property. Some of the people were disposed to look upon it as a
fetish, and the seller was by no means disinclined to invest it with
that character, as he then knew, he could demand for it whatever
price he pleased. The owner of it, however, from the exorbitant price
which he put upon the piece of English crockery, carried it home with
him, and dearly did he repent that he did not accept of the highest
offer that was made him, for on its reaching the ears of his majesty,
the king considered that he had as good a right to the English plate,
especially as it was a fetish, as he had to the scarlet cloth of his
master of the horse, and therefore the owner of it had his option, to
deliver it up for the use of royalty, as an appendage to the crown of
Katunga, or to lose his own appendage of a head under the sword of
that skilful anatomist, Ebo. The owner of the plate adopted the same
line of policy as the master of the horse, and the English plate
became a part of the hereditary property of the kings of Katunga.
Some of the articles in the market were not of the most tempting
nature, at least to a European appetite; for instead of the dainties
of an English market, consisting of hares, rabbits, fowls, &c., the
natives of Katunga feasted their looks upon an immense number of
rats, mice, and lizards, some ready dressed for the immediate
satisfaction of the appetite, with the skins on, and some undressed
to be taken home, for the Glasses and the Kitcheners of Katunga to
try their culinary skill upon. Little balls of beef and mutton were
also to be had, weighing about two ounces, but the stomach must not
have been of the squeamish kind, which could relish them.
On the return of the Landers from the market, where they were more
gazed upon than any of the articles submitted for sale, they received
a visit from their friend Ebo, who was the bearer of the unwelcome
intelligence, that a body of Fellatas from Soccatoo had arrived at
the Moussa, a river which divides Yarriba from Borgoo, and that they
had attacked a town on its borders, through which their route would
lie. Therefore, continued Ebo, the Yaoorie messenger will of
necessity be compelled to wait here till authentic intelligence be
received of the truth or falsehood of the rumour, before he sets out
on his mission to Kiama. There was little doubt, Ebo said, but the
truth or falsity of the statement would be ascertained in about three
days, and the messenger then would be immediately despatched on his
errand.
This intelligence bore in the eyes of the Landers the character of a
complete fiction, but for what purpose it was so got up, they could
not divine. The king could gain little or nothing by their protracted
stay in his capital; he had received his presents, and therefore it
was conjectured, that it might be the etiquette of the court of
Katunga, not only for the king to receive some presents from
strangers on their arrival, and especially from travellers of the
character and importance which the Landers gave themselves out to be,
as the accredited ambassadors of the king of England, but also that
the departure was to be preceded by certain presents, as a kind of
passport or purchase of his leave to travel through his dominions.
It appeared also most strange to the Landers, that the very day after
their arrival, the Fellatas should so opportunely seize upon a town,
through which they were to pass, and that the information of the
inroad of so dreaded an enemy should not have reached Katunga at an
earlier period, when intelligence of no moment whatever flies through
the country with the swiftness of an arrow from the bow. There was
also another strong inducement, which operated upon the mind of the
Landers, to expedite their departure, and that was, that from some
circumstances which had occurred, it was not beyond the range of
probability, that the head of John Lander, if not of his brother
also, might be severed by the skill of Ebo, the executioner. Love is
certainly a most wondrous power, whether it shows itself in the bosom
of the fair English girl, or in that of the sooty African; nor is it
confined to times and places, to condition or to climate; for it
grows and flourishes in the wigwam of the American, the coozie of the
African, and the proud edifices of the Europeans. It, however,
sometimes happens, that although one party may be in love, the other
is as frigid, as if he were part and parcel of an iceberg, and so was
it situated with John Lander. It has been already stated, that the
communication between the yard which the Landers occupied, and that
which was tenanted by the wives of Ebo, was uninterrupted, and of
course in the absence of their husband, there was no impediment to
any of them whispering their tale of love into the ears of the
juvenile travellers, whenever they thought they were in a disposition
to hear it. Some of the wives indeed, instead of being the nourishers
and fosterers of love, were the veriest antidotes to it, that perhaps
human nature could produce; on the other hand, there were some in the
fullness and freshness of youth, who had just been selected or rather
purchased by Ebo, as very proper persons to soothe and comfort him in
his declining years. One of them in particular, had, by certain signs
and gestures, given John Lander to understand, that although they
might vary very much in colour, yet that a kind of sympathy might
exist between their hearts, which would lead to a mutual
communication of happiness, so much desired at so great a distance
from his native land. John, however, either did not or would not
understand the language, which the sable beauty spoke; still her
conduct was not unnoticed by several other ladies of the seraglio,
and particularly by the shrivelled and the wizened, who hesitated not
to convey the intelligence to Ebo, who immediately paid a visit to
the travellers, out of pure compliment and good-will, as he said, at
the same time expressing his fears that the curiosity of his women
might be troublesome to them, and as it was by no means his wish, nor
that of his lord and sovereign, the king, that they should be
subjected to any species of annoyance, he had given directions for
the door-way to be instantly blocked up with mortar, which would
effectually prevent any further unpleasant intrusion on the part of
the women.
The Landers could evidently see the lurking motive for this extreme
attention of Ebo, to promote their comfort, nor were they in reality
displeased at it, for the society of the women was certainly at times
very unpleasant and irksome, and as some of them evinced a strong
disposition for intriguing, it was considered fortunate that the
communication was closed, as the friendship and good-will of Ebo were
particularly necessary to them, not only to secure their good
treatment during their stay at Katunga, but also to expedite their
departure from it.
Ebo had scarcely taken his departure, and they were rejoicing at the
probability of not being again intruded upon, particularly as it was
the Sabbath day, when, to their great annoyance, they were favoured
with the company of several Houssa mallams, who, notwithstanding the
irksome restraint to which they are subjected by the jealousy of the
king and his people, are content to remain so far from their native
country, and reside amongst strangers and pagans as long as they
live. Whether the priests have taken this step purely from religious
motives, or, which is the more likely reason of the two, that they
have exiled themselves from their home and families for the mere
purpose of being enriched at the expense of the credulity and
ignorance of the inhabitants, were questions, which could not at the
time be solved. At all events, the institutions of these missionaries
are effectually concealed under a cloak of piety and devotion; and
thus they are tolerated by the common consent of the monarch and his
subjects.
The practice of making presents is, in general, in the African
cities, not confined to the sovereign and his immediate ministers,
but it extends to every grade, in the least degree connected with the
court. Thus the Landers supposed that when they had made their
presents to the king and his chief eunuchs, no further demand would
be made upon them in the way of presents; in this, however, they
found themselves mistaken, for they now discovered that there were
certain gentlemen, styled head men, who are the confidential advisers
of the king, and lead his armies to battle. It was, however,
necessary previously to sending the presents to the head men, to
submit them to the inspection of the king, in order that nothing
might be given them, which had not his approbation and consent. This
was accordingly done, and the donors took particular care not to
include any red cloth amongst their presents. It was rather laughable
to see the presents undergoing the examination of Mansolah. Amongst
them were three large clasp knives, one for each of the head men,
but his majesty very unceremoniously delivered one of them, without
speaking a word, into the hands of Ebo, who as unceremoniously put it
into his belt, to be hereafter deposited amongst other valuables
belonging to the sovereignty. This occasioned Richard Lander to
return to his hut for another knife, for he easily foresaw that were
he to make any distinction in the value or the number of the articles
to the head men, it might be the cause of exciting jealousy and ill
blood, and be greatly detrimental to his own interests, for as they
were the advisers of the king, they were sure to make that one their
enemy, who might look upon his present as less valuable, than those
presented to their companions.
Towards evening, Richard Lander rode to the residence of the head
men, by each of whom he was received in the most friendly manner. The
presents were laid before them, and accepted with a profusion of
thanks. One of them attempted to make a speech, but if he acquitted
himself no better when giving his advice to his sovereign, than he
did in the expression of his thanks, he could not be said to be a
great acquisition to the councils of his king. The huts of the head
men were larger and more carefully built, and their yards more
commodious than even those of the king; all were kept in excellent
order, clean and neat. These ministers of the crown, like the
ministers of other countries, had contrived to appropriate to
themselves the good things of the country, for they were in far more
affluent circumstances than any of their neighbours; they had a wife
for almost every week in the year, and large flocks of sheep and
goats, in which the wealth of the natives principally consists. A
goat, and two large pots of country beer, were laid at the feet of
Richard Lander, and after expressing his acknowledgements, he
returned home.
The Landers were of opinion, that it would require a long residence
in this country, and a perfect acquaintance with its language to
enable a foreigner to form a correct judgment of its laws, manners,
customs, and institutions, as well as its religion and form of
government. So innumerable are the mistakes, which the smattering of
ignorant native interpreters never fails to occasion, that they
despaired of obtaining any accurate information on any of those
heads. Perhaps few despots sully their dignity, by condescending to
consult the inclination of their subjects, in personally
communicating to them their most private as well as public concerns.
Yet the sovereign of Youriba appeared to be so obliging, as to make
this a common practice. In return, however, the people are expected
and compelled to satisfy the curiosity of their prince, by adopting a
similar line of conduct towards him; and all the presents which they
receive from strangers, however trifling they may be, are in every
instance taken to his residence for inspection. Every thing, indeed,
which relates to their personal interests, and all their domestic
concerns, he listens to with the most patriarchal gravity. Thus, the
presents of the Landers to the king, were exhibited two or three
times. The presents to Ebo, and also to the head men, were also shown
to the people, having been first submitted to the inspection of the
king. The common people were all anxious to know, whether, amongst
the other things they had received, any coral had been given to the
king or his ministers; and their curiosity was immediately gratified
without hesitation or remark. If a stranger from a remote part of the
empire, wishes to visit Katunga, in order to pay his respects to the
sovereign, the chief or governor of every town through which he may
happen to pass, is obliged to furnish him with any number of carriers
he may require; and in this manner his goods are conveyed from
village to village, until he arrives at the capital. A similar
indulgence is likewise extended to any governor who may have the like
object in view.
The most laughable mistakes were frequently made here, by one of the
Badagrian messengers, who acted also as an interpreter, as regards
the gender and relationship of individuals, such as father for
mother, son for daughter, boy for girl, and _vice versa_. He informed
Richard Lander that a _brother_ of his, who was the friend of Ebo,
and resided with him, begged his permission to come and see them; of
course they expected to see a gentleman of some consequence enter
their yard, but to their surprise, the brother proved to be an old
shrivelled woman, neither more nor less than one of the eunuch's
wives.
Katunga by no means answered the expectations which the Landers had
been led to form of it, either as regards its prosperity, or the
number of its inhabitants. The vast plain also on which it stands,
although exceedingly fine, yields in verdure and fertility, and
simple beauty of appearance to the delightful country surrounding the
less celebrated city of Bohoo. Its market is tolerably well supplied
with provisions, which are, however, exceedingly dear, in so much so
that with the exception of disgusting insects, reptiles, and vermin,
the lower classes of people are almost unacquainted with the taste of
animal food.
Owing to the short time that the Landers had been in the country,
which had been chiefly employed in travelling from town to town, the
manners of the people had not sufficiently unfolded themelves their
observation, so that they were unable to speak Of them with
confidence, yet the few opportunities, which they had of studying
their characters and disposition, induced them to believe, that they
were a simple, honest, inoffensive, but a weak, timid, and cowardly
race. They seemed to have no social tenderness, very few of those
amiable private virtues, which could win their affection, and none of
those public qualities that claim respect or command admiration. The
love of country is not strong enough in their bosoms to invite them
to defend it against the irregular incursions of a despicable foe;
and of the active energy, noble sentiments, and contempt of danger,
which distinguish the North American tribes, and other savages, no
traces are to be found amongst this slothful people; regardless of
the past, as reckless of the future, the present alone influences
their actions. In this respect they approached nearer to the nature
of the brute creation, than perhaps any other people on the face of
the globe. Though the bare mention of an enemy makes the
pusillanimous Mansolah, and his unwarlike subjects tremble in every
limb, they take no measures to prevent whole bands of strangers from
locating in the finest provinces of the empire, much less do they
think of expelling them after they have made those provinces their
own. To this unpardonable indifference to the public interest, and
neglect of all the rules of prudence and common sense, is owing the
progress, which the Fellatas made in gaining over to themselves a
powerful party, consisting of individuals from various nations in the
interior, who had emigrated to this country, and the great and
uniform success which has attended all their ambitious projects. At
the time of the visit of the Landers, they were effectually in the
heart of the kingdom, they had entrenched themselves in strong walled
towns, and had recently forced from Mansolah a declaration of their
independence, whilst this negligent and imbecile monarch beheld them
gnawing away the very sinews of his strength, without making the
slightest exertion to apply a remedy for the evil, or prevent their
future aggrandizement. Independently of Raka, which is peopled wholly
by Fellatas, who have strengthened it amazingly, and rendered it
exceedingly populous, another town of prodigious size, had lately
sprung into being, which already surpassed Katunga in wealth,
population, and extent. It was at first resorted to by a party of
Fellatas, who named it Alorie, and encouraged all the slaves in the
country to fly from the oppression of their masters, and join their
standard. They reminded the slaves of the constraint tinder which
they laboured; and tempted them by an offer of freedom and
protection, and other promises of the most extravagant nature, to
declare themselves independent of Yarriba. Accordingly, the
discontented; many miles round, eagerly flocked to Alorie in
considerable numbers, where they were well received. This occurrence
took place about forty years ago, since which, other Fellatas have
joined their countrymen from Sockatoo and Rabba; and notwithstanding
the wars, if mutual kidnapping deserves the name, in which they have
been engaged, in the support and maintenance of their cause, Alorie
is become by far the largest and most flourishing city in Yarriba,
not even excepting the capital itself. It was said to be two days
journey, that is, forty or fifty miles in circumference, and to be
fortified by a strong clay wall, with moats. The inhabitants had vast
herds and flocks, and upwards of three thousand horses, which last
will appear a very considerable number, when it is considered that
Katunga does not contain more than as many hundreds. The population
of Alorie has never been estimated, but it must be immense. It has
lately been declared independent of Yarriba, and its inhabitants are
permitted to trade with the natives of the country, on condition that
no more Fellatas be suffered to enter its walls. It is governed by
twelve rulers, each of a different nation, and all of equal power;
the Fellata chief not having more influence or greater sway than the
other. Raka is but one day's journey north-east of Katunga, and
Alorie three days journey to the south-west. The party of Fellatas,
which were reported to have taken possession of a Yarriba town, on
the banks of the Moussa, were said to have abandoned it, and to have
joined their countrymen at Raka. This intelligence was brought to
Katunga by market people, no one having been sent by the king to
ascertain the number of the adventurers, or the object of their
visit.
The king of Katunga, since the arrival of the travellers in his
capital, had been very niggardly in his presents, as coming from a
monarch of a large and mighty kingdom. Nor in other respects was the
conduct of Mansolah, such as to impart to them much pleasure, nor
could they in any wise account for it, than by supposing that their
own present had fallen short of his expectations, and thereby failed
to awaken those good-natured qualities, which were displayed at sight
of the infinitely more valuable, as well as showy one of Captain
Clapperton. But whatever might have been the reason, certain it is
that Mansolah and his subjects had seen quite enough of white men,
and that the rapturous exultation which glowed in the cheeks of the
first European that visited this country, on being gazed at, admired,
caressed, and almost worshipped as a god; joined to the delightful
consciousness of his own immeasurable superiority, will in the
present, at least, never be experienced by any other. "Alas!" says
Richard Lander, "what a misfortune; the eager curiosity of the
natives has been glutted by satiety, a European is shamefully
considered no more than a man, and hereafter, he will no doubt be
treated entirely as such; so that on coming to this city, he must
make up his mind to sigh a bitter farewell to goats' flesh and
mutton, and familiarize his palate to greater delicacies, such a
lizards, rats, and locusts, caterpillars, and other dainties, which
the natives roast, grill, bake, and boil, and which he may wash down,
if he pleases, with draughts of milk white water, the only beverage
it will be in his power to obtain." On the morning of Wednesday the
19th of May, Richard Lander was desired by a messenger to visit the
king at his residence, and on his arrival there, he found a great
number of people assembled. The object of this summons was explained
by Ebo, who said that Lander had been sent for, that the present
which he, the eunuch had received, should be shown to the people
without any reservation whatever. It was accordingly spread out on
the floor, together with the presents made to the king. Even a bit of
English brown soap, which had been given to Ebo a short time before,
was exhibited along with the other things; for so great a degree of
jealousy exists among the eunuchs and others, arising from the
apprehension that one might have received more than another; that Ebo
himself, powerful as he is, would dread the effects of it on his own
person, should he have been found to have concealed a single thing.
They all in fact endeavour to disarm censure by an appearance of
openness and sincerity.
On the night of Thursday the 20th, to their infinite surprise and
pleasure, Ebo entered their yard in a great hurry, with the pleasant
information, that the king, as nothing more was to be got from them,
had consented to their departure on the following morning; and that
it was his wish they would get their things in readiness by that
time. So confident were they that they would be unable to start from
Katunga, for a month to come at the earliest, that they had not only
sowed cress and onion seed the day after their arrival, which were
already springing up, but they had actually made up their minds to
abide there during the continuance of the rains. But now they were in
hope of reaching Yaoorie in twelve or fourteen days, in which city
they intended to remain for a short time, before proceeding further
into the interior. The only drawback to their pleasure, was the
misfortune of having all their horses sick, which might seriously
inconvenience them in their progress. The old route to Kiama was
considered so dangerous, that it was understood they were to be sent
back to Atoopa, which was two long days' journey from Katunga, and
they were to proceed in a safer path. Although they now required but
five men besides their own to carry the luggage, the king scrupled
and hesitated to supply them with them, and the youngest of their
Jenna messengers was nominated to fill the place of one of them. They
were told that it was on account of the vast number of people that
have emigrated from Katunga to Raka and Alorie, that a sufficient
number of carriers could not be procured for them; but in so large a
place as Katunga, where two thirds of the population are slaves,
their reason seemed quite ridiculous, and they suspected the real one
to be the same original sin, viz. the humble character of their
present. The king, however, promised to take his farewell of them on
the following morning, and they being in good health, they hoped soon
to accomplish the object of their undertaking, and return in safety
to Old England.
On the following day, instead of the visit from the king, which they
were told on the preceding day he was to honor them with, they were
requested to repair to his residence. Accordingly, having first
saddled their horses, and packed up their luggage between six and
seven o'clock a.m., the two brothers walked to the royal residence.
On their arrival they were introduced without any ceremony into a
private yard, wherein the king had been patiently waiting their
coming for some time previously. He was rather plainly dressed in the
costume of the country, namely a tobe, trousers, and sandals, with a
cap very much resembling in shape those, which were worn by elderly
ladies in the time of queen Elizabeth, and which are still retained
by some in the more remote parts of England. On his right the eunuchs
were reposing their huge limbs on the ground, with several of the
elders of the people, and his left was graced by a circle of his
young wives, behind whom sat the widows of more than one of his
predecessors, many of whom appeared aged. A performer on the whistle
was the only musician present. So that during a very long interview,
a little whistling now and then was the only amusement which the
prince could afford them. A good deal of discussion ensued, and much
serious whispering between the monarch and his wives, in the course
of which both parties quitted the yard two or three times to hold a
secret conference; followed by the eunuchs with their hands clasped
on their breast. Mansolah at length scraped together two thousand
kowries, about three shillings and sixpence sterling, which he
presented to the four men that had accompanied the travellers from
Badagry and Jenna as guides, messengers, &c., to enable them to
purchase provisions on their journey homeward. This sum had been
collected from amongst the king's wives, each having contributed a
portion, because their lord and master did not happen to be in a
liberal mood. Poor souls! they possess scarcely the shadow of
royalty, much less the substance; the exterior forms of respect which
they receive from the male portion of the people alone distinguishing
them from their less illustrious countrywomen. They are compelled to
work in order to provide themselves with food and clothing, and
besides which, part of the earnings is applied to the king's use. To
effect these objects, they are necessitated to make long and painful
journeys to distant parts of the empire, for the purpose of trading.
They have, however, the privilege of travelling from town to town,
without being subjected to the usual duty, and can command the use of
the governor's house wherever they go. The boasted industry of
ancient queens and princesses in more classic regions, sinks into
nothing when compared to the laborious life, which is led by the
female branch of the royal family at Yarriba.
Mansolah, after some time beckoned to them to draw near him, for they
were sitting at some distance on a bundle of sticks, and with a
benevolent smile playing upon his wrinkled features, he slowly and
with great solemnity placed a goora nut in the right hand of each of
them, and then asked their names. Richard and John, they replied,
"Richard-_ee_ and John-_ee_," said the king, for he was unable to
pronounce their Christian names without affixing a vowel to the end
of them, "you may now sit down again." They did so, and remained in
that posture until they were both completely wearied, when they
desired Ebo to ask the king's permission for them to go home to
breakfast, which was granted without reluctance. Then, having shaken
hands with the good old man, and wishing a long and happy reign, they
bade him farewell for the last time, bowed to the ladies, and
returned with all haste to their hut.