Amady's tale has often been printed, and there is no need here to
repeat anything but essentials; his padding is even more woolly than
Isaaco's. In the great canoe,[6] which Isaaco had helped to load
before departing, Mungo Park rowed away on November 17th, 1805, with
the survivors of his company of forty, namely, four white men and five
Negroes, including Amady, for crew. From the very outset the voyage
proved unpropitious. Almost every village they passed on the river
bank came out against them in canoes, armed with bows and arrows,
pikes and assegais. Each member of the crew kept fifteen muskets in
action; to kill and kill was the only chance of forcing a passage
through. There was no Isaaco to try the magic of conciliation. Once
indeed, when they had beaten off sixty canoes with appalling
slaughter, Amady ventured to remonstrate. "Martin," he said, taking
hold of his arm, "let us cease firing: we have killed too many
already." "On which," he comments, "Martin wanted to kill me and would
have done so had not Mr. Park intervened." The troubles thickened. The
news of their coming had evidently been spread in advance. Just beyond
Gotoigega they encountered a whole army, comprised of the Poule
nation, such beasts themselves, that (says Amady) they possess no
beasts of any other kind. They were suffered to go by in ominous
silence--only to fall foul of a squadron of hippopotami, who nearly
washed them over. At an island just beyond, Amady was landed to forage
for milk; but there was no milk to be had, not even the milk of human
kindness. The natives took him prisoner and decided he should be done
to death. But Mungo Park was watching; and by a fortunate chance two
canoes full of natives, bringing fresh provisions for sale, had come
alongside at that moment. Mungo Park made it abundantly clear that he
would kill every man-jack of them if a hair of Amady's head were
touched. So the prisoners were exchanged. It was a narrow escape for
Amady; and the uneasiness it caused was increased by the constant
cries from the shore, "Amady Fatouma, how can you pass through our
country without giving us anything?" "I seriously promised," he
observed, "never to pass there again without making considerable
charitable donations to the poor." As they came to the frontiers of
Haoussa another large army of Moors watched them from a mountain.
Fortunately they had no fire-arms, and could do no harm. On reaching
Yaour, the first place of any size in Haoussa, Amady was landed, as
his bargain was to bring the party only so far. In addition to his
pay, he conveyed Mungo Park's presents to the King; but, instead of
delivering these in person, gave them to the Chieftain of Yaour, who
promised to forward them. A little slip, it seems, but fraught with
deadly consequence. The Chieftain, finding out from Mungo Park that he
did not intend to return that way, determined to keep the presents
for himself. The next morning, as Amady was paying his court to the
King and expecting the presents to come, two horsemen rode in from
Yaour and said: "We are sent from the Chief to let you know that the
white men went away without giving you or him anything. They have a
great many things with them and have given nothing. This Amady Fatouma
now before you is a bad man, and has made a fool of you." Poor Amady
was forthwith put in irons and all his goods confiscated, with the
exception of his Arabic charms, which they dared not touch. The next
morning the King sent his army to Boussa and posted it on a rock which
straddled the width of the river, leaving only a narrow opening for
the current to race through. Mungo Park, seeing the danger,
nevertheless resolved to force a passage. But the odds were terrific.
It took half the men to keep the canoe moving against the current,
while the rest fired at the enemy as they hurled stones and assegais
upon their heads. At last the two steersmen were slain, and the canoe
went adrift. In a desperate attempt to lighten it, they cast all the
baggage into the river, but still could make no headway. Overpowered
by numbers and fatigue, and with no chance of killing a whole army,
they saw but one hope of escape--namely, to make for the shore and get
away into the bush. Taking hold of one of the white men, Mungo Park
leapt into the river, Martin, with another white man, following after;
but, fine swimmers as they were, the current proved too strong for
them and all four were drowned. The one Negro left in the canoe
surrendered, and both he and the canoe were dragged to shore and
carried to the King.
After being kept three months in irons, Amady was released and in part
consoled with a concubine. But he made it his first business before
departing to visit the slave taken in the canoe, and learn from him
the sad details of Mungo Park's destruction. The only thing that was
found in the canoe after its capture was a sword belt which the King
used as a saddle-girth for his horse.