* * * * *
Progress of the route. — The Author, whilst crossing a river, in the
stirrups of his horse’s saddle, is thrown from its back, and narrowly
escapes drowning. — Arrival at Khiama. — Eccentric conduct of the Prince
of that State. — Anecdote of his messenger. — Pasko’s thieving
propensities turned to account. — The Author enters Katunga, the capital
of Yariba. — His reception by Mansolah, its monarch. — Song of five
hundred of his wives. — Fetish-hut.
As I have before observed, it was on the morning of the 3d of September,
that, accompanied by a gaffle of merchants, I left Wow Wow. We crossed
the river Auli at noon, after much difficulty, and encamped on the south
bank, shortly after which I was visited by the mallam of the traders,
who gave me some information respecting Mr. Park, which is embodied in
my account of the death of that enterprising traveller (off the city of
Boussa) in a preceding part of this narrative. The merchants not being
ready to start as early as I could wish the next morning, we left them
behind, and, journeying at an easy rate, attained a convenient spot in
the heart of a solitary wood, where we pitched our tent. At this time I
lived like an eastern prince, generally subsisting on the best the
country afforded; and, towards evening, when I felt fatigued, Aboudah
used to bathe my temples with the juice of limes, and after washing my
feet, either sing or fan me to sleep!
On the 5th, one of the asses became so ill on the road, that we were
obliged, in a measure, to drag him to the town of Gorkie, our halting
place, where, much against my inclination, I left him to his fate. The
poor animal, looking up into my face, seemed to reproach me for my
cruelty, and, when he saw his companion going away without him, he
strove to raise himself on his legs; but, not having sufficient
strength, fell down again, and brayed loud and piteously, which was
returned by his long-eared associate in a strain of sympathy that made
Jowdie, who attended them, shed a whole flood of tears. On the morning
of the 6th, whilst crossing a river, apparently very shallow, my horse
unexpectedly sunk several feet into a kind of soft mud; and, his legs
becoming entangled in the roots of some trees lying at the bottom, the
beast fell on his side, and, plunging violently, threw me off the
saddle. My foot was unfortunately twisted in the leather stirrups, and I
was therefore unable to disengage it for several seconds, during which
time my head being under water, I was nearly suffocated. Freeing myself,
at length, from the stirrup, I reached the other side of the stream,
greatly exhausted, and, with the assistance of my servants, succeeded in
extricating the horse also from his no less unpleasant situation. I was
afterwards informed at Khiama, by a merchant, that I might think myself
eminently fortunate in having escaped so easily, as large crocodiles, in
great numbers, infested the river.
After sunset on the following day we arrived at Yarro, shortly after
which a thunder-storm visited the town with terrific violence,
overthrowing houses, tearing up large trees by the roots, &c. and
continued for three hours, when the tempest was suddenly appeased, and
the weather became awfully still and calm. The thunder had been
fearfully loud, shaking the earth on which our tent was fixed: and large
masses of fire, whirled across the heavens, added not a little of solemn
grandeur to this scene of devastation and terror. On the 8th we were
unable to proceed on account of the rain that fell; but next morning
struck our tent, and at noon entered the city of Khiama.
Immediately on my arrival I paid my respects to Yarro, the king; but as
soon as he saw me, his majesty asked how I dared to come into Khiama
without having previously informed him of my approach. I answered, that
I had despatched one of his own messengers three or four days before to
acquaint him of the fact, and thought nothing more was required on my
part to insure me a warm reception. “That is of no consequence,”
rejoined the monarch, “you should have sent another this morning. Get on
horseback instantly, and return an hour and half’s journey, the way you
came. On arriving there, despatch one of your own people to acquaint me
with the circumstance, and I will order a sufficient escort to conduct
you into the city in a manner suitable to your rank and respectability.”
I was in the act of complying with this singular request, when Yarro
bawled after me—“I forgive you this time, Christian; but never be so
remiss again.” The king had been informed, a day or two before, of the
decease of Capt. Clapperton, and appeared much affected on that account
in my presence, “but,” said he, abruptly,—“What business had you with
the Falatahs? They behaved roughly to you, I understand, but surely you
had no need to visit Soccatoo.” I replied, that we were at Kano, on our
way to Bornou, when Sultan Bello sent for us, and that we were obliged,
in consequence, to abandon our intentions, and proceed with the
messengers to their sovereign. Yarro then offered to conduct me safely
to Bornou, saying that he was tributary to the sheikh of that country;
but I replied that Bello having robbed me of all the presents intended
for that monarch, it would be useless for me to think of travelling so
far, with no gifts to offer on attaining the end of my journey; and,
therefore, it would be superfluous to put him to any trouble or expense
on my account. My present to the king consisted of a quantity of damask
and silk, a red cap, silk sword-sash, two pairs of scissors, and a
hundred needles. I likewise gave him my old tent, which had become full
of holes, and was quite useless to me.
Yarro is an eccentric and facetious character; but without exception the
finest and handsomest man I ever saw in Africa, or perhaps in any other
country. Bello, Sultan of the Falatahs, was certainly a noble looking
fellow, but not at all equal, either in regularity of features, elegance
of form, or impressive dignity of manner and appearance, to the sable
monarch of Khiama. We remained in the city five days, the conduct of the
queens, during the whole of the time, being as generous and kind as that
of their benevolent countrywomen, of whom I have so often spoken; they
supplied our wants daily, and our wishes were no sooner made known than
they were instantly complied with; so amiable and so praiseworthy are
the actions of African ladies. Yarro entertains the whimsical notion,
that as females came into the world naked, naked they ought to live in
it till their death, he does not, however, extend the same opinion to
his own sex. “Man,” said the king, “is the nobler animal, and wears
clothing in token of his superiority over the weaker part of the
creation;” and, in accordance with this singular doctrine, none of his
wives ever dare to approach his presence with any other dress than that
which nature has supplied them with. They steal, however, every
opportunity to break through the established rule, and are never happier
than when bedizened with ornaments, after the manner of their female
acquaintances.
The people of Borghoo are much more cleanly, both in their habits and
persons, than their neighbours of Yariba, and would, generally speaking,
be more handsome, if they had not the misfortune to have weak eyes,
which impairs considerably their personal appearance. That part, which
in the eyes of others is perfectly white, is in theirs a smoky yellow;
but whether this sickly-looking hue is occasioned by the manner of
living of the people of Borghoo, or whether they derive it from nature,
I had no opportunity of judging. When he addresses the king, a Borghoo
man stretches himself on the earth as flat as a flounder, in which
attitude he lies, kissing the dust, till his business with his sovereign
is at an end; when, covering his head with sand or dust, he rises and
goes his way. When equals meet, each dropping on the right knee, they
shake hands three distinct times, a pause sometimes of several seconds
intervening between the _acts_; and, arising at the same moment, they
pursue their customary avocations. The chiefs and head-men claim, from
the lower class of people, the observance of the same humiliating
ceremony, which is exacted by the sovereign; and this manner of
salutation does not vary from Badagry to Houssa.
Having paid my respects to the facetious Yarro on the 13th of September,
he said to me at parting,—“If your king wishes, at a future period, to
send any one to Bornou, I will conduct him to that country by a safe
route, without the necessity of his journeying even near to the Falatah
country.” He then made me a present of a strong pony; and on the
following day we left Khiama; and traversing a country laid almost under
water, halted in Subia at noon.
The chief of the town, on my arrival, made me a present of a fat goat
and some yams, with which we made an excellent supper; and on the 15th,
being unable to reach an inhabited place, made a large fire in the midst
of a wood, in the centre of which, having previously rolled myself up in
my tobe, I lay down and slept soundly till morning. Crossing a creek, we
arrived at Mossa, a town situated on the banks of a river of the same
name, dividing Borghoo from Yariba. The stream was overflowed, and the
current so strong and rapid, that not a single inhabitant of the town
had resolution enough to ferry us to the other side, in consequence of
which we were obliged to stay without food for the whole of the day and
night, not a single goat or bowl of tuah being to be had in the place.
I asked the king of Khiama’s messenger why he, in particular, was so
much afraid of crossing the water, observing, that I had myself passed
over many larger and more rapid rivers by swimming; and I mentioned,
amongst others, the Quorra. The man begged me, in great trepidation, as
I valued my life, not to mention the names of rivers in the hearing of
the Mossa, which was a _female_ stream, and had various rivals in the
affections of the Quorra, that river being her lawful husband! “The
Mossa,” continued the sagacious messenger, in the same solemn strain and
anxious manner, “has a jealous, capricious, cruel disposition, and if
you venture to place yourself in her power, she will certainly swallow
you up, for you have already spoken disrespectfully of her, and this sin
is unpardonable; pride being, next to cruelty, her most striking
quality. She is continually quarrelling with her husband, who is a
sober-minded stream, thinking him to be too familiar with other female
rivers; and where they meet they make the ‘devil’s own noise’ with their
angry disputes.”
Contrary to my usual custom, I absolutely roared with laughter as soon
as the man, with the most impenetrable gravity, had finished his recital
of the amours of the licentious Quorra, and was dragging me away from
his jealous wife, the high-minded Mossa; and I had a hard task to pacify
the irritated messenger, whose sable countenance was inflated with rage
and passion at this second breach of decency and respect on my part.
I went to the chief of the village of Mossa on the 17th, intreating him
to sell me a little food, and wishing to know whether it was his
intention to starve us, for this was the second day during which we had
tasted nothing; but although the great man, whose face shone with fat,
grew abundance of yams, he refused to part with any, affirming that he
had not sufficient wherewith to fill his own paunch. Suspecting the oily
old scoundrel’s assertion to be destitute of truth, and learning that he
had an extensive garden, I requested permission for Pasko to cut grass
in it for the use of the horses, which was sullenly granted. The
stratagem succeeded to my expectation, for Pasko, than whom a better
person for the purpose could not be found, succeeded in discovering an
immense heap of yams, concealed in a particular place in the garden; and
securing a few of them in a huge bundle of grass, he brought them to me.
If this had not been the case, I really believe we should have been
actually starved, or compelled to storm the inhospitable village. On the
following day I repeated my visit to the ill-natured chief, and demanded
a second time something to eat. He solemnly declared that he was himself
dying of hunger, and that, though he had caused a strict search to be
made the preceding evening, nothing could be found worth eating. I then
urged him to send his canoe to the opposite side of the Mossa for
provisions, which, after some murmuring, he consented to do, but first
of all made a charm, that the boat might not be damaged on its _long_
and _perilous_ voyage. For this purpose the chief killed a fetish-fowl
(reserved for religious occasions), and sprinkling its blood in the
river, placed some of the entrails in the bow of the canoe. He then put
a broken egg in its stern, and muttering an incantation over the whole,
the vessel was pushed off the shore, and reached the opposite side in
safety; but, in returning, with a cargo of poultry and yams, the
ferryman ran it foul of a tree which unluckily lay in the middle of the
stream, in consequence of which it was upset, and immediately sinking,
the whole of the cargo swam down the envious Mossa, or was rendered
unfit to be eaten.
The messenger of Khiama, who had so gravely acquainted me with the loves
of the river, although he was himself a sufferer from the accident, was
too much elated to contain his transports, but came to me, smiling, and
asked what I thought of his former allegations, and whether I was not
convinced it was a judgment upon me for speaking ill of the spouse of
the Quorra, that I was disappointed in my expectations.
I was too much concerned to pay great attention to the man’s
observations, which circumstance he mistaking for sorrow and penitence
for my crime, said, “Never mind, Christian, you have only to humble
yourself a little, in sight of the Mossa, and, I dare say she will
overlook your imprudence, because she must be aware you were a stranger
to her history, when you spoke so jeeringly of her power and influence.”
I acquiesced in the messenger’s reasoning; and, clapping his hands, he
left me immediately to acquaint his companions and fellow-countrymen
with the white man’s conversion and repentance.
The chief, in alluding to the accident, reproached me with being the
sole cause of it; and asserted that it would be dangerous to cross for
three or four days, during which time I might starve, if I would, for he
had nothing to give me. I did not think proper, however, to do so, and
despatching Pasko to the yam repository for the purpose of cutting
grass, the old fellow returned with a double portion of that grateful
vegetable, which served the whole of my domestics for three meals. Never
was Pasko so high in favour as at that period. For five successive days
his visits to the chief’s garden were regular; but he was obliged to use
all his cunning to avoid being detected by the owner of the yams, who
accompanied him on more than one occasion to the sacred inclosure.
Although at the distance of only a few feet, however, the husband of
Mattah contrived to deceive the chief; for, humming a Houssa song, with
one hand he gathered the cut grass into a heap, and with the other,
dragged out an enormous yam from the place of its concealment, and quick
as lightning hid it beneath the grass; then, binding the herbage in his
tobe, he quietly proceeded to our hut, without being suspected by the
chief of Mossa.
The agitation of the river having somewhat subsided on the 22nd, we got
into a canoe, and with innumerable significant glances from the timid
and superstitious messenger, were landed without accident on the
opposite bank; but our asses were borne a full quarter of a mile down
the stream, before they could effect the same object. A ride of two
hours brought us in sight of Wantàtah, the frontier town in the empire
of Yariba, where we slept; and on the next morning entered the
insignificant village of Hogie, in which we rested the remainder of that
day and the whole of the succeeding one. It rained unceasingly on the
25th, and the road was rendered almost impassable; nevertheless we
succeeded in entering Katunga, the capital of Yariba, about seven
o’clock in the evening, when we immediately bent our way towards the
dwelling which we had occupied on our journey to Soccatoo.
Mansolah would not let me visit his palace the morning after our
arrival, fearing it might _wet my feet!_ but condescended to expose his
own royal person to the like inconvenience by coming to see me at my
habitation. On this occasion he was attended by five hundred of his
wives (out of two thousand!) and made a sudden pause on approaching
within a few yards of me. Each of his half-dressed ladies held a light
spear in the left hand, with the right leg slightly bent; and, leaning
partially on their weapon, the end of which rested on the earth, with
unspeakable grace they began their song of welcome, and dirge for my
master’s death. The music of their voices was wild but sweet, and
reverberating from the hills, had a singularly saddening, although by no
means a disagreeable, effect; and these were the strains they sang:
SONG OF THE WIVES OF THE KING OF YARIBA.
Welcome, white stranger, to Mansolah’s land!
Appear, appear!
Com’st thou with presents or with empty hand,
Thou’rt welcome here.
Forget thy sorrows, feed thy grief no more;
Awake to glee:
And dance delighted, as thou didst before,
Around our tree.
Mansolah greets thee, with two thousand wives;
And small and great
Have urg’d the gods to save the white men’s lives
From Nyffé hate:
From Borghoo charms, and wild _feticherie_—
Falatahs’ spear;
From the dead venom of the kongkonie;[4]
And Arab lair.
Yet one hath fallen where no palm-trees grow,
Nor cocoas dwell:
Where savage bosoms feel not others’ woe,
There Bebbo[5] fell.
O Yaribeans! mourn his early death!
(Mansolah weeps,)
For the Falatah draws his infant breath,
Where white man sleeps.
Not one from earth into his grave was hurl’d,
Poor lonely thing!
No kind companion in the other world
Will comfort bring.[6]
Curse the Falatahs! curse them, O ye gods!
Their pride lay low!
Rise, Yaribeans! shake your trembling rods!
Bend, bend the bow!
Swift from your arrows as the bounding doe
The Moslems fly.
Crush them, ye mighty chiefs! o’erwhelm the foe!
Or nobly die.
The Christian’s blood is on them,[7] and the curse
Of God prevails.
Haste, minstrels, haste! in palaces rehearse
These wond’rous tales.
Tell ye the world that white-fac’d strangers will
A welcome have;
Or like the Boussans, they will fight until
They find a grave.
Whilst the young women were singing, many of the listening multitude
were greatly affected and shed tears, and all faintly joined in the
strains at intervals. The gesticulation and actions of the ladies
corresponded with their expressions: at one instant the spear was lifted
slowly from the ground, and handed lightly; and at another it was
flourished over their heads with inconceivable animation and rapidity.
At the conclusion of this singular ceremony the assembled thousands
quietly dispersed; and the singers returned, in the order they had come,
to the palace of their sovereign. Mansolah shortly afterwards came into
my dwelling, and, expressing in simple and natural terms his sorrow for
my master’s death, questioned me pretty closely as to the reasons for
our visiting Soccatoo. I returned him the same answer as the king of
Khiama received from me a short time before, which appeared to satisfy
him, and after a conference of two hours he left me. The monarch was
richly dressed in a scarlet damask tobe, ornamented with coral beads,
and short trousers of the same colour with a light blue stripe, made of
country cloth; his legs, as far as the knees, were stained red with
hennah, and on his feet he wore sandals of red leather. A cap of blue
damask, thickly studded with handsome coral beads, was on his head; and
his neck, arms, and legs, were decorated with large silver rings. Before
leaving me, I offered his sable majesty the horse I had purchased in
Kano, (a fine animal that had carried me nearly the whole of the way
from that city,) and regretted my inability to make him a more valuable
present, promising, however, that if he permitted two messengers to
accompany me from Katunga, I would, on my arrival at Badagry, send back
something more befitting his exalted station. Mansolah accepted the
beast with the usual demonstrations of gratitude; and in the evening
acknowledged the favour by despatching a slave to our house with a fine
fat goat and a quantity of yams.
The reason why Mansolah had so immense a number of wives is easily
accounted for by the fact that the husband of every female in his
dominions, who has a daughter unfortunate enough to be endowed with a
greater share of personal beauty than the generality of her sex, is
obliged, under the severest penalty, to present her to his sovereign.
Before the interview between the parties takes place, it is customary
for the father to procure a fatted sheep and a bowl of rice, which are
borne by the girl to his majesty’s dwelling as a marriage portion; and
if it should so happen that the man is too poor to obtain this present,
he must on no account fail to send his daughter, although she is taken
no notice of till that be received by the monarch. When this is the
case, the friends of the young woman subscribe amongst themselves a sum
of money sufficient to purchase the sheep and rice, on the receipt of
which she is instantly admitted into the royal favour and protection,
and the greatest familiarity from that hour prevails between the prince
and his newly-married bride.
After they have passed a _certain_ age, the king’s wives are set at
liberty, and permitted to trade up and down the country in the various
articles of native produce and manufacture; the profits of which are
uniformly given to the sovereign. The younger ladies employ their time
in the adornment of their bodies, and beautifying their teeth and hair,
in order to make themselves the more agreeable and fascinating in the
eyes of their imperious master,—to whom they sing, in a kind of
recitative, several times in the day, and whom they fan to sleep at
night.
The principal fetish-hut at Katunga is the largest and most fancifully
ornamented of any of a similar kind in the interior of Africa. It is a
perfect square building, each side of which is at least twenty yards in
length. Directly opposite the entrance is an immense figure of a giant
bearing a lion on its head, carved in wood, and beautifully executed.
About twenty-six or twenty-seven figures, in bas-relief, are placed on
each of the sides of the hut, but all in a kneeling posture, with their
faces turned towards the larger figure, to which they are apparently
paying their devotions. On the heads of the small figures are wooden
images of tigers, hyenas, snakes, crocodiles, &c. exquisitely carved;
and painted, or rather stained, with a variety of colours. These are the
gods of the Yaribeans; and the king, accompanied by his caboceers, and
other principal men, repairs to this hut, to offer up his adorations
before the idols, and make complaints if any mishap has attended their
warriors, &c. Whenever Mansolah enters the sacred temple, he immediately
uncovers his head, and prostrates himself on the floor, which is stained
crimson, and very highly polished; and his example is instantly followed
by his attendants. In this position they sometimes remain for an hour
together, either making loud lamentations, and imploring the assistance
of their wooden gods; or, after repeating their grievances to them in an
under tone, ask the reasoning of their ill success or misfortune, and
entreating the figures to be more propitious to their undertakings, and
deal more kindly with them.
None of the lower orders of people are admitted into this solemn
sanctuary, but prostrate themselves, and pray, without the walls. One
poor old woman alone is allowed to enter, whose business it is to keep
the interior of the hut perfectly clean, and even she dares not make her
appearance till after her sovereign has said his daily prayers, and left
the place.
There are fifty other fetish-huts at Katunga, on a smaller and less
magnificent scale than the one above alluded to; and public worship is
performed in all of them before sunrise every morning. If, however, any
thing particular takes place in the course of the day, the inhabitants
make it their business to repair to their temples, and, acquainting
their gods with the circumstance, make observations on it, and express
their gratitude or disappointment with considerable vehemence.
When an infant dies, the mother invariably wears, suspended from the
neck, and reaching to the bosom, a figure of a child, about six inches
in length, and of proportionable thickness, which is carved in wood, and
regarded by the people as a token of mourning. This is worn for an
indefinite length of time, according to the inclination or caprice of
the bereaved parent; and many women do not cast it aside until the
expiration of six, eight, and even twelvemonths, during which they chat
to and caress the wooden figure, as if it had been instinct with life
and motion, possessed of all the playfulness and endearing manners which
distinguished their offspring when alive, and capable of enjoying the
effects of maternal tenderness. This singular custom is confined
exclusively to Yariba.