THE KINGDOM OF WOOLLI—JOURNEY TO BONDOU.
ON the 2nd of December, 1795, I took my departure from the hospitable
mansion of Dr. Laidley. I was fortunately provided with a negro servant
who spoke both the English and Mandingo tongues. His name was Johnson.
He was a native of this part of Africa, and having in his youth been
conveyed to Jamaica as a slave, he had been made free, and taken to
England by his master, where he had resided many years, and at length
found his way back to his native country. As he was known to Dr.
Laidley, the Doctor recommended him to me, and I hired him as my
interpreter, at the rate of ten bars monthly to be paid to himself, and
five bars a month to be paid to his wife during his absence. Dr. Laidley
furthermore provided me with a negro boy of his own, named Demba, a
sprightly youth, who, besides Mandingo, spoke the language of the
Serawoollies, an inland people (of whom mention will hereafter be made)
residing on the banks of the Senegal; and to induce him to behave well,
the Doctor promised him his freedom on his return, in case I should
report favourably of his fidelity and services. I was furnished with a
horse for myself (a small but very hardy and spirited beast, which cost
me to the value of £7 10s), and two asses for my interpreter and servant.
My baggage was light, consisting chiefly of provisions for two days; a
small assortment of beads, amber, and tobacco, for the purchase of a
fresh supply as I proceeded; a few changes of linen, and other necessary
apparel; an umbrella, a pocket sextant, a magnetic compass, and a
thermometer; together with two fowling-pieces, two pair of pistols, and
some other small articles.
A free man (a _bushreen_, or Mohammedan) named Madiboo, who was
travelling to the kingdom of Bambara, and two slatees, or slave
merchants, of the Serawoolli nation, and of the same sect, who were going
to Bondou, offered their services, as far as they intended respectively
to proceed, as did likewise a negro named Tami (also a Mohammedan), a
native of Kasson, who had been employed some years by Dr. Laidley as a
blacksmith, and was returning to his native country with the savings of
his labours. All these men travelled on foot, driving their asses before
them.
Thus I had no less than six attendants, all of whom had been taught to
regard me with great respect, and to consider that their safe return
hereafter to the countries on the Gambia would depend on my preservation.
Dr. Laidley himself, and Messrs. Ainsley, with a number of their
domestics, kindly determined to accompany me the first two days; and I
believe they secretly thought they should never see me afterwards.
We reached Jindey the same day, having crossed the Walli creek, a branch
of the Gambia, and rested at the house of a black woman, who had formerly
been the paramour of a white trader named Hewett, and who, in consequence
thereof, was called, by way of distinction, _seniora_. In the evening we
walked out to see an adjoining village, belonging to a slatee named
Jemaffoo Momadoo, the richest of all the Gambia traders. We found him at
home, and he thought so highly of the honour done him by this visit, that
he presented us with a fine bullock, which was immediately killed, and
part of it dressed for our evening’s repast.
The negroes do not go to supper till late, and, in order to amuse
ourselves while our beef was preparing, a Mandingo was desired to relate
some diverting stories, in listening to which, and smoking tobacco, we
spent three hours. These stories bear some resemblance to those in the
Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, but, in general, are of a more ludicrous
cast.
About one o’clock in the afternoon of the 3rd of December, I took my
leave of Dr. Laidley and Messrs. Ainsley, and rode slowly into the woods.
I had now before me a boundless forest, and a country, the inhabitants of
which were strangers to civilised life, and to most of whom a white man
was the object of curiosity or plunder. I reflected that I had parted
from the last European I might probably behold, and perhaps quitted for
ever the comforts of Christian society. Thoughts like these would
necessarily cast a gloom over my mind; and I rode musing along for about
three miles, when I was awakened from my reverie by a body of people, who
came running up, and stopped the asses, giving me to understand that I
must go with them to Peckaba, to present myself to the king of Walli, or
pay customs to them. I endeavoured to make them comprehend that the
object of my journey not being traffic, I ought not to be subjected to a
tax like the slatees, and other merchants, who travel for gain; but I
reasoned to no purpose. They said it was usual for travellers of all
descriptions to make a present to the king of Walli, and without doing so
I could not be permitted to proceed. As they were more numerous than my
attendants, and withal very noisy, I thought it prudent to comply with
their demand; and having presented them with four bars of tobacco, for
the king’s use, I was permitted to continue my journey, and at sunset
reached a village near Kootacunda, where we rested for the night.
In the morning of December 4th I passed Kootacunda, the last town of
Walli, and stopped about an hour at a small adjoining village to pay
customs to an officer of the king of Woolli; we rested the ensuing night
at a village called Tabajang; and at noon the next day (December 5th) we
reached Medina, the capital of the king of Woolli’s dominions.
The kingdom of Woolli is bounded by Walli on the west, by the Gambia on
the south, by the small river Walli on the north-west, by Bondou on the
north-east, and on the east by the Simbani wilderness.
The inhabitants are Mandingoes, and, like most of the Mandingo nations,
are divided into two great sects—the Mohammedans, who are called
_bushreens_, and the pagans, who are called indiscriminately _kafirs_
(unbelievers) and _sonakies_ (_i.e._, men who drink strong liquors). The
pagan natives are by far the most numerous, and the government of the
country is in their hands; for though the most respectable among the
bushreens are frequently consulted in affairs of importance, yet they are
never permitted to take any share in the executive government, which
rests solely in the hands of the _mansa_, or sovereign, and great
officers of the state. Of these, the first in point of rank is the
presumptive heir of the crown, who is called the _farbanna_. Next to him
are the _alkaids_, or provincial governors, who are more frequently
called _keamos_. Then follow the two grand divisions of free-men and
slaves; of the former, the slatees, so frequently mentioned in the
preceding pages, are considered as the principal; but, in all classes,
great respect is paid to the authority of aged men.
On the death of the reigning monarch, his eldest son (if he has attained
the age of manhood) succeeds to the regal authority. If there is no son,
or if the son is under the age of discretion, a meeting of the great men
is held, and the late monarch’s nearest relation (commonly his brother)
is called to the government, not as regent, or guardian to the infant
son, but in full right, and to the exclusion of the minor. The charges
of the government are defrayed by occasional tributes from the people,
and by duties on goods transported across the country. Travellers, on
going from the Gambia towards the interior, pay customs in European
merchandise. On returning, they pay in iron and _shea-toulou_. These
taxes are paid at every town.
Medina, the capital of the kingdom, at which I was now arrived, is a
place of considerable extent, and may contain from eight hundred to one
thousand houses. It is fortified in the common African manner, by a
surrounding high wall built of clay, and an outward fence of pointed
stakes and prickly bushes; but the walls are neglected, and the outward
fence has suffered considerably from the active hands of busy housewives,
who pluck up the stakes for firewood. I obtained a lodging at one of the
king’s near relations, who apprised me that at my introduction to the
king I must not presume to _shake hands with him_. “It was not usual,”
he said, “to allow this liberty to strangers.” Thus instructed, I went
in the afternoon to pay my respects to the sovereign, and ask permission
to pass through his territories to Bondou. The king’s name was Jatta.
He was the same venerable old man of whom so favourable an account was
transmitted by Major Houghton. I found him seated upon a mat before the
door of his hut; a number of men and women were arranged on each side,
who were singing and clapping their hands. I saluted him respectfully,
and informed him of the purport of my visit. The king graciously
replied, that he not only gave me leave to pass through his country, but
would offer up his prayers for my safety. On this, one of my attendants,
seemingly in return for the king’s condescension, began to sing, or
rather to roar an Arabic song, at every pause of which the king himself,
and all the people present, struck their hands against their foreheads,
and exclaimed, with devout and affecting solemnity, “_Amen_, _amen_!”
The king told me, furthermore, that I should have a guide the day
following, who would conduct me safely to the frontier of his kingdom—I
then took my leave, and in the evening sent the king an order upon Dr.
Laidley for three gallons of rum, and received in return great store of
provisions.
_December_ 6.—Early in the morning I went to the king a second time, to
learn if the guide was ready. I found his Majesty seated upon a
bullock’s hide, warming himself before a large fire, for the Africans are
sensible of the smallest variation in the temperature of the air, and
frequently complain of cold when a European is oppressed with heat. He
received me with a benevolent countenance, and tenderly entreated me to
desist from my purpose of travelling into the interior, telling me that
Major Houghton had been killed in his route, and that if I followed his
footsteps I should probably meet with his fate. He said that I must not
judge of the people of the eastern country by those of Woolli: that the
latter were acquainted with white men, and respected them, whereas the
people of the east had never seen a white man, and would certainly
destroy me. I thanked the king for his affectionate solicitude, but told
him that I had considered the matter, and was determined, notwithstanding
all dangers, to proceed. The king shook his head, but desisted from
further persuasion, and told me the guide should be ready in the
afternoon.
About two o’clock, the guide appearing, I went and took my last farewell
of the good old king, and in three hours reached Konjour, a small
village, where we determined to rest for the night. Here I purchased a
fine sheep for some beads, and my Serawoolli attendants killed it with
all the ceremonies prescribed by their religion. Part of it was dressed
for supper, after which a dispute arose between one of the Serawoolli
negroes, and Johnson, my interpreter, about the sheep’s horns. The
former claimed the horns as his perquisite, for having acted the part of
our butcher, and Johnson contested the claim. I settled the matter by
giving a horn to each of them. This trifling incident is mentioned as
introductory to what follows, for it appeared on inquiry that these horns
were highly valued, as being easily convertible into portable sheaths, or
cases, for containing and keeping secure certain charms or amulets called
_saphies_, which the negroes constantly wear about them. These saphies
are prayers, or rather sentences, from the Koran, which the Mohammedan
priests write on scraps of paper, and sell to the simple natives, who
consider them to possess very extraordinary virtues. Some of the negroes
wear them to guard themselves against the bite of snakes or alligators;
and on this occasion the saphie is commonly enclosed in a snake’s or
alligator’s skin, and tied round the ankle. Others have recourse to them
in time of war, to protect their persons against hostile weapons; but the
common use to which these amulets are applied is to prevent or cure
bodily diseases—to preserve from hunger and thirst—and generally to
conciliate the favour of superior powers, under all the circumstances and
occurrences of life. {41}
In this case it is impossible not to admire the wonderful contagion of
superstition, for, notwithstanding that the majority of the negroes are
pagans, and absolutely reject the doctrines of Mohammed, I did not meet
with a man, whether a bushreen or kafir, who was not fully persuaded of
the powerful efficacy of these amulets. The truth is, that all the
natives of this part of Africa consider the art of writing as bordering
on magic; and it is not in the doctrines of the prophet, but in the arts
of the magician, that their confidence is placed. It will hereafter be
seen that I was myself lucky enough, in circumstances of distress, to
turn the popular credulity in this respect to good account.
On the 7th I departed from Konjour, and slept at a village called Malla
(or Mallaing), and on the 8th about noon I arrived at Kolor, a
considerable town, near the entrance into which I observed, hanging upon
a tree, a sort of masquerade habit, made of the bark of trees, which I
was told, on inquiry, belonged to _Mumbo Jumbo_. This is a strange
bugbear, common to all the Mandingo towns, and much employed by the pagan
natives in keeping their women in subjection; for as the kafirs are not
restricted in the number of their wives, every one marries as many as he
can conveniently maintain—and as it frequently happens that the ladies
disagree among themselves, family quarrels sometimes rise to such a
height, that the authority of the husband can no longer preserve peace in
his household. In such cases, the interposition of Mumbo Jumbo is called
in, and is always decisive.
This strange minister of justice (who is supposed to be either the
husband himself, or some person instructed by him), disguised in the
dress that has been mentioned, and armed with the rod of public
authority, announces his coming (whenever his services are required) by
loud and dismal screams in the woods near the town. He begins the
pantomime at the approach of night; and as soon as it is dark he enters
the town, and proceeds to the bentang, at which all the inhabitants
immediately assemble.
_December_ 9.—As there was no water to be procured on the road, we
travelled with great expedition until we reached Tambacunda; and
departing from thence early the next morning, the 10th, we reached in the
evening Kooniakary, a town of nearly the same magnitude as Kolor. About
noon on the 11th we arrived at Koojar, the frontier town of Woolli,
towards Bondou, from which it is separated by an intervening wilderness
of two days’ journey.
The guide appointed by the king of Woolli being now to return, I
presented him with some amber for his trouble; and having been informed
that it was not possible at all times to procure water in the wilderness,
I made inquiry for men who would serve both as guides and water-bearers
during my journey across it. Three negroes, elephant-hunters, offered
their services for these purposes, which I accepted, and paid them three
bars each in advance; and the day being far spent, I determined to pass
the night in my present quarters.
The inhabitants of Koojar, though not wholly unaccustomed to the sight of
Europeans (most of them having occasionally visited the countries on the
Gambia), beheld me with a mixture of curiosity and reverence, and in the
evening invited me to see a _neobering_, or wrestling-match, at the
bentang. This is an exhibition very common in all the Mandingo
countries. The spectators arranged themselves in a circle, leaving the
intermediate space for the wrestlers, who were strong active young men,
full of emulation, and accustomed, I suppose, from their infancy to this
sort of exertion. Being stripped of their clothing, except a short pair
of drawers, and having their skin anointed with oil, or _shea_ butter,
the combatants approached each other on all-fours, parrying with, and
occasionally extending a hand for some time, till at length one of them
sprang forward, and caught his rival by the knee. Great dexterity and
judgment were now displayed, but the contest was decided by superior
strength; and I think that few Europeans would have been able to cope
with the conqueror. It must not be unobserved, that the combatants were
animated by the music of a drum, by which their actions were in some
measure regulated.
The wrestling was succeeded by a dance, in which many performers
assisted, all of whom were provided with little bells, which were
fastened to their legs and arms; and here, too, the drum regulated their
motions. It was beaten with a crooked stick, which the drummer held in
his right hand, occasionally using his left to deaden the sound, and thus
vary the music. The drum is likewise applied on these occasions to keep
order among the spectators, by imitating the sound of certain Mandingo
sentences. For example, when the wrestling-match is about to begin, the
drummer strikes what is understood to signify _ali bæ see_ (sit all
down), upon which the spectators immediately seat themselves; and when
the combatants are to begin, he strikes _amuta_! _amuta_! (take hold!
take hold!)
In the course of the evening I was presented, by way of refreshment, with
a liquor, which tasted so much like the strong beer of my native country
(and very good beer too), as to induce me to inquire into its
composition; and I learnt, with some degree of surprise, that it was
actually made from corn which had been previously malted, much in the
same manner as barley is malted in Great Britain. A root yielding a
grateful bitter was used in lieu of hops, the name of which I have
forgotten; but the corn which yields the wort is the _holcus spicatus_ of
botanists.
Early in the morning (the 12th) I found that one of the elephant-hunters
had absconded with the money he had received from me in part of wages;
and in order to prevent the other two from following his example, I made
them instantly fill their calabashes (or gourds) with water; and as the
sun rose, I entered the wilderness that separates the kingdoms of Woolli
and Bondou.
We continued our journey without stopping any more until noon, when we
came to a large tree, called by the natives _neema taba_. It had a very
singular appearance, being decorated with innumerable rags or scraps of
cloth, which persons travelling across the wilderness had at different
times tied to the branches, probably at first to inform the traveller
that water was to be found near it; but the custom has been so greatly
sanctioned by time, that nobody now presumes to pass without hanging up
something. I followed the example, and suspended a handsome piece of
cloth on one of the boughs; and being told that either a well, or pool of
water, was at no great distance, I ordered the negroes to unload the
asses, that we might give them corn, and regale ourselves with the
provisions we had brought. In the meantime, I sent one of the
elephant-hunters to look for the well, intending, if water was to be
obtained, to rest here for the night. A pool was found, but the water
was thick and muddy, and the negro discovered near it the remains of a
fire recently extinguished, and the fragments of provisions, which
afforded a proof that it had been lately visited, either by travellers or
banditti. The fears of my attendants supposed the latter; and believing
that robbers lurked near us, I was persuaded to change my resolution of
resting here all night, and proceed to another watering-place, which I
was assured we might reach early in the evening.
We departed accordingly, but it was eight o’clock at night before we came
to the watering-place; and being now sufficiently fatigued with so long a
day’s journey, we kindled a large fire and lay down, surrounded by our
cattle, on the bare ground, more than a gunshot from any bush, the
negroes agreeing to keep watch by turns to prevent surprise.
I know not, indeed, that any danger was justly to be dreaded, but the
negroes were unaccountably apprehensive of banditti during the whole of
the journey. As soon, therefore, as daylight appeared, we filled our
_soofroos_ (skins) and calabashes at the pool, and set out for Tallika,
the first town in Bondou, which we reached about eleven o’clock in the
forenoon (the 13th of December).