Disappointments experienced at St. Louis. — The author takes
up various occupations. — He departs once more. — Particulars
respecting the environs of Kakondy. — The Nalous, Landamas, or
Lantimas, and Bagos.
When I reached St. Louis, I heard, to my great mortification, that
Baron Roger had returned to France; I requested, nevertheless, an
interview with the governor; which was not granted till several days
afterwards. In the mean time, I was indebted to the hospitality of one
of my friends; for although I had made known my forlorn condition,
the administration of St. Louis did not offer me any assistance. I
could not but be much hurt by this insulting reception. Was I then
estranged from my country by the pains I had taken to serve it? Could
I be suspected of being a mere adventurer? And had I not eight months
before received instructions from Baron Roger, who promised me the
protection of the government?
I still hoped, however, that the governor, when he had read my journal,
would do me justice and appreciate my zeal. When I delivered it to him,
I apprized him of my plans for the future; it was not long before I
discovered how much I had lost by the departure of my true patron; not
that his successor was deficient in talents, or in the love of science,
but he did not enter into his views; in short, it was not he who had
sent me amongst the Braknas. The substance of my plan was as follows:
I asked of government the moderate sum of six thousand francs, (£250)
with which I intended to buy a flock and two slaves, and take them
with me to the Braknas. Here I proposed to establish myself for some
time, and to continue my studies; and I reckoned upon dispelling,
by these means, the suspicions which had been excited about me,
and which were no doubt known to my marabout. Returning to them in
this way, with means of subsistence analogous to their own, I could
easily have obtained leave to accompany them on their commercial
expeditions. I intended to visit Adrar this year, to penetrate as
far as possible towards the northern part of the desert, and, when
I had a favourable opportunity, to direct my course to the east,
under pretence of a pilgrimage to Mecca, passing through the towns
of Wâlet and Timbuctoo. I hoped to traverse this immense tract of
desert, in more senses than one, to collect all the information I
could of a commercial or geographical nature, and to return to Europe
through Egypt.
I know not whether this project appeared too vast, or whether the
governor suspected me of imposition, but the scheme which I had adopted
of pretending to be converted to Islamism insured the success of a
journey which would have been impracticable to a christian. Whatever
might be the reason, I obtained neither money nor the countenance of
government; but M. Hugon apologised speciously enough for his refusal.
“My strength,” he told me, “was inadequate to such an
undertaking;” besides, government had not authorised him to
dispose of so large a sum for such a purpose; moreover, M. Beaufort
had already received twenty thousand francs to enable him to carry
into execution a similar project. “Would it not be unfair,” he
added, “to commission another person to undertake the same journey
as that officer, and to furnish him with the means of outstripping
him? M. Beaufort is at Bakel; he has almost attained the goal; let
him follow his fate, and if he should unfortunately fail, we will
then see what government can do to facilitate your design.”
This reply, prudent and proper as it might be, cast me down to the
ground. My situation became critical: I had come to St. Louis with
several Moors, particularly a marabout who was to have accompanied me
to Mecca; I was now compelled to dismiss him, and, more than that,
I was forced to hide myself for many days, because the Braknas, who
had brought me to St. Louis, having heard of my secret intentions, and
enraged at being imposed upon by my feigned zeal for their religion,
determined to do me a mischief.
I should have deemed myself fortunate if the vengeance of the Moors
had been all I had to fear; but every thing concurred to overwhelm
me. The coldness of my patrons, the ridicule of all kinds to which I
was exposed: nay, some went so far as to assert that I had undergone
the initiatory operation of Islamism.
One of my friends, seeing me reduced to the allowance of a common
soldier, which had been granted to me out of compassion, warmly
exhorted me to give up my plan, to relinquish my costume, and to return
to business; but he was not aware of my persevering disposition,
and doubted my courage. The taunts of Europeans only rendered my
African costume more dear to me; I was proud of wearing it; I braved
raillery and despised calumny, and, slighting the advantages which
trade would have afforded me, I persisted in my projects. Besides,
I knew that Baron Roger was to return, and I calculated upon the
support of that excellent governor; with his aid I had no doubt that
I should at last reach Timbuctoo.
In the mean time, however, it was needful that I should be kept
alive. In spite of my repugnance, I so far conquered my pride, as to
apply to the governor _ad interim_, requesting him to pay for my board
at the inn. My petition was granted more speedily than I expected,
and I was offered a salary of fifty francs a month, as overseer of
the negro workmen at one of our settlements on the river.
This favour vexed me exceedingly, by postponing the possibility of
undertaking my journey. I felt that I possessed energy enough for
something better than a negro driver and in my despair, instead of
going to Richard Tol[38], according to my instructions, I set off for
N’pâl, a village near St. Louis, without any other design than that
of catching and stuffing birds for my livelihood. One of the grandees
of the colony, from whom I had sent to beg the necessary instruments,
replied to my messenger: “By all means; and then he will be of
some use.” This reply, which was repeated to me, put me in a rage,
and in the utmost indignation I left N’pâl to go to Richard Tol.
On my arrival at this settlement, I was consoled by the kindness of
M. Lelièvre, the gardener, who had the kindness to add some other
provisions to the regular soldier’s allowance, which was all I
could claim as overseer.
Whilst I was discharging this office, with all the mortification of
a man who feels that his business is beneath him I learnt the arrival
of Baron Roger. At this intelligence I was transported with joy; I ran
about in all directions in search of a vessel to take me to St. Louis,
and if I could I would have swum thither. On landing, I hastened to
present myself to our former governor; I delivered into his hands,
the same day, the notes which I had taken during my stay with the
Braknas; I accompanied them with a fresh application for assistance,
or for an appointment, to enable me to perform my great journey—it
was not granted!
To any other person this would have been a thunderclap; but my
resolution struck deeper and deeper root every day, and I had the
courage to return to the charge. Then indeed, I was kindly promised
a sum of money on my return from Timbuctoo.—On my return from
Timbuctoo! And what if I died on the way? this idea so dreadful to
a man, who in case of this misfortune would leave a sister whom he
adored in a state of want, suggested my answer. I refused to make
any arrangement; and I determined that, were I destined to die,
I would at least leave an incontestable legacy to the friend of my
childhood—the merit of having done all without help. I changed my
plan, and asked for nothing but the hundred francs that were due to
me as overseer. I had disdained to receive them before, but my poverty
and the way in which I was abandoned rendered them indispensable.
Attired as I was in my Arab costume, I did not care to ask for letters
of introduction to Albreda,[39] whither I resolved to go, knowing that
I should have been refused because I was not dressed in the French
fashion. As if my heart had ever ceased to beat for my country!—as
if I had been more guilty than Aly-Bey, whom government had so warmly
patronized! I set off then without passport and without letters of
recommendation. I crossed over to the main-land in a canoe, and then
pursued my way alone, and with no resource but my hundred francs,
towards Goree. Eight years before, I had followed the same route,
poor, dejected, and ready to renounce the scheme which might then
perhaps have met with encouragement; I was no richer the second time,
but I had all the ardour and energy of riper age, and I was resolved,
were it only out of pride, to undertake what I had been supposed
incapable of accomplishing.
On landing at Goree, I called to see nobody, for I was afraid of
being subjected, in this insular dependency of St. Louis, to the
same insults with which I had been loaded at the capital of our
settlements. I took my passage in a French brig, which was about to
sail for Albreda; and thence I proceeded to Sierra-Leone. General
Turner, governor of this English establishment, received me with
kindness, and, in order to keep me in the colony, he offered me the
superintendence of an indigo-factory, and attached to the situation
(which he created for me,) a salary of 3600 francs, (£150).
This governor had no notion of the passion for activity which
stimulated me, and he fancied he could gratify me with money—a
generous mistake, for which I was grateful to him. Shortly after,
in 1826, he was succeeded by Sir Neil Campbell, to whom I applied
for 6000 francs to enable me to undertake my journey; I met with the
refusal which the meanness of my appearance, and what was called the
extravagance of my scheme, had already procured me. Sir Neil Campbell
did not mention M. Beaufort, but he spoke of Major Laing, from whom
he said it would be unfair to attempt to snatch the glory of first
arriving at Timbuctoo, and on this ground he rejected my proposal.
The refusal of the French governors had distressed me, but that of the
English governor did not affect me at all; I felt myself the more free:
I thanked heaven that I was now able to break off my engagement with
foreigners, to whom I was indebted for their generous hospitality,
but who might perhaps in return have laid claim to the glory of
a discovery, with which I hoped to do honour to France. I gave in
my resignation, therefore, with as much eagerness as I had felt in
giving up my little allowance of fifty francs a month. The sacrifice
was so much the easier as I had saved nearly two thousand francs, and
this treasure seemed to me to be sufficient to carry me all over the
world. Lastly, there was a hope which tranquillised my mind as to the
fate of my poor sister; I had just heard of the premium offered by the
Geographical Society of Paris to the first European who should reach
Timbuctoo, and I said to myself: “Dead or alive, it shall be mine,
and my sister shall receive it.”
These hopes, these visions of glory, of patriotism, and of fraternal
affection, left me no rest; and I had nothing like peace till the
evening before I left Sierra-Leone. Not having been able any where
to obtain the necessary assistance for a journey to Timbuctoo,
I determined to undertake it entirely at my own expense. I hoped
also that when I returned, the French government, ever just in its
appreciation of courageous exertion, would reward the service which
I should have rendered to geographical science, by making known the
new countries which I intended to visit.
Encouraged by these hopes, I gave in my resignation without regret;
I was afterwards actively engaged in procuring the goods I was likely
to want, and laid out my savings in the purchase of paper, glass,
and other articles.
During my residence at Freetown, the capital of the colony of Sierra
Leone, I became acquainted with some Mandingoes and seracolets.[40]
I won their confidence, and availed myself of it to gain information
about the countries which I intended to visit. At last, to make sure
of their friendship, I gave them a few trifles; and then I told them
one day, with a very mysterious air, and a charge of secrecy, that
I was born in Egypt, of Arabian parents, and that I had been carried
into France, in my infancy, by some soldiers of the French army which
had invaded Egypt; that I had afterwards been brought to the Senegal
by my master, who in consideration of my services had given me my
liberty. I added that, as I was now free, I felt a natural inclination
to return to Egypt, to seek my relations, and to adopt the Mahometan
religion. At first the Mandingoes did not seem to credit my account,
and especially what I said of my zeal for their religion; but their
doubts were removed when they heard me repeat many passages of the
Koran, and saw me join with them in performing the salam; at last
they said to one another that I was really a good Musulman. Need I
say that in secret I addressed my fervent prayers to the God of the
christians to favour my undertaking?
The Mandingoes, deceived by my apparent anxiety to observe all the
ceremonies of their religion, confided in me entirely. Our acquaintance
ripened into intimacy, and they seemed as if they could never be
happy without me; every day I was invited, to my great annoyance,
to dine with them upon boiled rice and palm-oil. It will be seen by
what follows how far these effusions of friendship were to be trusted.
One day, when I was going home, I was accosted in the street by
one of my new friends, the Mandingoes, who asked me if I had not
taken a silver toothpick which he had lost; the rogue added, aside,
“Do not make a noise; give me back my toothpick, and I will say
nothing about it.” Imagine my surprise and indignation! I had
no difficulty in understanding what the fellow meant; I reproached
him for this shameful behaviour to a brother, without protection,
in a foreign country; then, transported with anger, I followed him
home and appealed to the merchants who were assembled there; but
they all refused to interfere in the business. I then went to fetch
a negro who spoke English and Mandingo, that we might the better
understand one another. When my accuser saw the interpreter, he was
alarmed, and said I had mistaken his meaning, and that he only came to
inquire whether by chance I had found the article which he had lost,
adding, that he should be miserable to have any dispute with me. I
was satisfied with this explanation; but I left my former companions
with looks of scorn, and told them that they had taken the wrong way
to gain any thing from me. Recollecting very soon that I might meet
some of these Mandingoes on my journey, I thought it best to appear
to forget the offence, and I made a few presents to their chief,
after which we were as good friends again as ever.
This little incident served as a lesson to me. I found that I must use
greater caution, and that above all I must pretend to be very poor,
that I might not excite rapacity.
Notwithstanding my reconciliation with the Mandingo merchants, I
did not think it prudent to set out with them, and I sought a better
opportunity of travelling through the Fouta-Dhialon. I thought that
I had found one when I made acquaintance with a Mandingo, a very
devout man, according to his own account, who was honoured with the
title of sherif. I did not hesitate to ask leave to accompany him
to Tembo, the capital of Fouta-Dhialon: he consented very readily,
and, when I offered him a reward he replied, with downcast eyes,
that whatever he did would be for the love of God and the prophet,
and that there was only one thing which he should beg of me, and
that was to obtain a passport from the governor of Sierra-Leone. In
spite of my entreaties and all I could do, the governor had given
me no answer on the day before that which we had fixed for our
departure. I went to inform Ibrahim (for that was my guide’s name)
of this unlucky circumstance, and he did not chuse to wait any longer
for me. He hastened his journey, and took with him an Arabian dress
that I had had made and left with him the evening before. As soon
as I recollected this, I ran after the devout sherif and asked for
my bundle: he pretended to be greatly surprised at first, and then,
rubbing his forehead, exclaimed, with the air of a man who is vexed:
“O, good God! those rogues of slaves have gone on before, and taken
your clothes along with them; but be not uneasy, I will send them back
to you.” The safest way would have been to have detained the thief
by way of hostage; but it was dangerous for me to make enemies, and
I allowed him to continue his journey, reflecting sorrowfully, as I
returned home, upon the knavish disposition of my new African friends.
Since I had been at Freetown I had resumed the French costume. Perhaps,
said I, these Moors have found out my imposture; I give myself out
for an Arabian and a Musulman, without forsaking my European dress
and habits; I cannot act my part completely unless I renounce them. I
could not well effect this change at Sierra-Leone; for the white
inhabitants, who were all acquainted with my person, would not have
been more indulgent to me than those of St. Louis. I thought therefore
of leaving Freetown, and proposed to go to a place where I might
land in my Arabian dress without inconvenience. I fixed upon Kakondy,
a village situated on the Rio Nuñez, fifty leagues to the north of
Sierra-Leone, where I knew that there was no European establishment.
Before I set out for Kakondy, I converted my two thousand francs partly
into specie and partly into merchandise. This was my whole fortune,
but I meant to devote it all to the accomplishment of my project. I
expended seventeen hundred francs in the purchase of gunpowder, paper,
sundry glass wares, tobacco, amber, coral, silk handkerchiefs, knives,
scissors, looking-glasses, cloves, three pieces of Guinea stuff,
and an umbrella. All these goods formed a bundle of no great bulk;
they did not weigh one hundred pounds, for I had bought but a small
quantity of each article; the price of European goods being then high
in all the colonies. I put into my girdle the rest of my two thousand
francs, half in silver and half in gold. Thanks to the kindness of my
friends at Sierra-Leone, I had no need to buy medicines; they furnished
me with cream of tartar, jalap, calomel, and different kinds of salts,
sulphate of quinine, diachylon plaister, and nitrate of silver.
Provided with all these useful things, and with two pocket compasses
to direct me, and dressed in my Arabian costume, with my pockets
filled with leaves torn out of the Koran, I embarked at Sierra-Leone
on the 22nd of March, 1827, for Rio Nuñez, on board the schooner
Thomas. The wind being foul we did not arrive at the mouth of the
Rio Nuñez till the thirty-first of the month. I had here the good
fortune to meet with a Frenchman of the name of Castagnet, who, though
not acquainted with me, took me home with him, and promised that he
would do all he could to forward my undertaking. He was then going
to Rio Pongo, and as he was to be absent a fortnight, he begged me
to defer my journey till he came back. I was glad to accede to this
obliging request, for I was told that M. Castagnet owned one of the
principal factories at Kakondy, where caravans from the interior were
arriving daily, and particularly from Kankan, a part of the country
which I was particularly anxious to visit. I must confess that this
meeting with M. Castagnet was a most fortunate circumstance for me,
and that the generous hospitality which I enjoyed in his house during
my stay at Kakondy merits my everlasting gratitude.
On the 5th of April, I was conducted to Rebeca by Mr. Bethman,
an English merchant, the proprietor of an establishment near
M. Castagnet’s residence, and who had the kindness to introduce me
to the presumptive heir of the Landamas, whose name is Macandé. The
king had been dead for some months, and they were waiting for the
rainy season to chuse a successor.
Mr. Tudsberry, who possesses a noble factory at the foot of the
mountain, was so good as to accompany us to see the prince, who
received us without ceremony in the corridor belonging to his
house. This corridor is supported by pillars, and goes all round
the premises.
The prince was informed in the Landamas language of the object of
my journey, and my wish to visit the almamy of Fouta-Dhialon. The
prince of the Landamas is not a Musulman; he drinks spirits, and so
do his subjects. My visit did not appear to interest him much; he
told me jokingly that he thought I was a christian; but they assured
him of the contrary, and added, that I was a real Arab. He did not
speak to me, but he could not take his eyes off my Arabian costume,
which seemed to surprise him.
The news of my arrival, soon spread in the neighbourhood, and some
of the inhabitants, attracted by curiosity, came to visit me. They
all shook hands with me in token of peace. Amongst the crowd was
a Mandingo, who had been settled for some time in that country; he
had travelled amongst the Moors of the Senegal, and acquired some
knowledge of the language, in which he asked me several questions. I
answered them, and begged him to tell the prince that I had been
taken prisoner by the christians when very young; that I had been long
away from my native land; and that, being now free, I was returning
to my relations. This Mandingo interpreted my words very faithfully,
and told the prince and his ministers that they were very fortunate,
and ought to thank God for having sent to them an Arab from the
prophet’s own country, to open to them the gates of heaven; and
lastly, that they had that day seen what their ancestors had never
beheld. After this short conversation we took leave of the prince
and returned to Mr. Tudsberry’s.
A few days before this time a caravan had arrived at Rebeca from
Kankan, with a large quantity of gold. I soon made acquaintance
with the chiefs; they were not a little surprised when they heard
the object of my journey, and congratulated me on my attachment to
Islamism, assuring me that the chief of Tembo would be happy to see me,
and anxious to forward my plans. I said prayers with my new friends,
after which they received me as a true Musulman, and gave me part of
their supper, which consisted of boiled rice.
As it was then the time of the Ramadan, I pretended not to eat before
sun-set. I did not sit down to table till towards night, and took
nothing but some dried beef, which a Mandingo brought to me. As it
was late, I spent the rest of the night at Mr. Tudsberry’s, who
was extremely polite, and promised to do all in his power to assist
me in penetrating into the interior.
On the 6th, we went to see Mr. Bethman’s factory, situate at the
foot of a mountain, not far from Mr. Tudsberry’s. Here are deposited
the remains of Major Peddie and four of his companions, victims, as
I have already mentioned, to the unwholesome burning climate. Their
graves, which are on a little terrace near the house, are shaded
by two superb orange-trees. A little to the east is a rivulet,
the clear waters of which form a cascade, and keep up the freshness
of the vegetation around them. The grounds, which are delightful,
are planted with orange-trees, citrons, banians, and fine bombaces,
which afford an agreeable shade. From the top of the mountain a great
extent of country is visible; with the windings of the Rio Nuñez,
the picturesque banks of which heighten the effect of the landscape.
After this little excursion, I returned to the Mandingoes. The
kindness which these worthy people had shewn me made me forget the
vexations I had endured at Sierra-Leone, and inspired me with the
hope of travelling in safety, and accomplishing my object without
any serious obstacles.
The Ramadan obliged me to wait a few days for the great caravans which
were to arrive after the fast, and with which I hoped to penetrate more
easily into the interior. To make the best of my time, I endeavoured
to gain information about the manners and habits of the Bagos, a
small tribe who inhabit the isles at the mouth of the river, and of
whom I had heard some very curious particulars; but before I give any
account of them, I must take some notice of the Landamas and Nalous,
who live in the neighbourhood of Rio Nuñez.
These tribes are entirely idolaters, or worshippers of fetishes. The
Foulahs of Fouta-Dhialon have subjected them to their dominion,
but they have chosen rather to become tributaries to the almamy,[41]
than to renounce their ancient superstition and adopt Mahometanism.
The tribute is received by the chief of Labé, who forwards it to
Tembo. The chief of the Landamas receives himself the tribute which
his subjects destine for the almamy, every one contributing according
to his means. The sovereignty remains always in the same family,
but the son never succeeds his father; they choose, in preference,
a son of the king’s sister, conceiving that by this method, the
sovereign power is more sure to be transmitted to one of the blood
royal; a precaution which shows how little faith is put in the virtue
of the women of this country.
Amongst the tribes on the banks of the Rio Nuñez there is a secret
society, not unlike that of the freemasons. It has a head, who is
called the Simo; he makes laws, and they are executed under his
authority. This Simo lives in the woods, and is never seen by the
uninitiated; he is attended by pupils who are partly initiated in
the mysteries. Sometimes he assumes the form of a pelican, sometimes
he is wrapped up in the skins of wild beasts, and sometimes covered
from head to foot with leaves, which conceal his real shape.
Novices may be initiated at several different times of the year. The
families in several different villages, who wish to have their
children admitted, collect all the boys between the ages of twelve and
fourteen, and send for the Simo. He comes to the place in disguise,
to circumcise the children, none but candidates being present at
the operation; the ceremony is accompanied by a great feast, at the
expense of the parents, who contribute according to their respective
means. The feast lasts sometimes for several days; after it is over,
the Simo withdraws to the woods, and takes with him the boys who
have been initiated; from this time forward, they have no further
communication with their relatives. They lead a pleasant idle life;
provisions are bestowed upon them in abundance, and they dwell in huts
made of the branches of trees, with no other clothing than a few palm
leaves skilfully arranged, from the loins half way down the thighs,
the head and the rest of the body being quite naked.
I have often seen them go by with two calabashes of palm-wine slung at
the two ends of a stick, which they carried on their shoulder. They
walk at a prodigious rate, and seem afraid of being seen. When the
Simo or his disciples meet a stranger in the wood, they ask him for
the watchword of the order; if the answer is correct, the stranger is
admitted amongst them; if not, the master and his pupils, all armed
with sticks and rods, attack him, and, after beating him severely,
exact a high ransom. If an uncircumcised boy falls into their hands,
they circumcise him and keep him, for the purpose of initiating
him. They have no mercy upon women, whom they beat most cruelly, and,
as I have been told, they are sometimes barbarous enough to kill them.
The young persons thus initiated lead this idle and vagabond life for
seven or eight years; this period, it is said, is necessary for their
instruction. When the parents are desirous of getting them back from
the woods, they collect all the pagnes they can, and make with them
a fine girdle, which they adorn with copper bells, and send it to
their children with a present of tobacco and rum for the master. It
is only at such times that the son shows himself in public.
The eve of this festival is celebrated in the woods, near the spot
where he is to make his appearance, and he gives notice by his loud
shouts that he means to be visible. Without this notice no person
excepting the uninitiated durst look at him, for they are foolish
enough to think it unlucky, and if they were to feel ill after it,
they would not fail to ascribe it to the unfortunate glance.
On the festival day, the Simo again announces his approach by frightful
howlings, which are imitated by his pupils with cows’ horns. They
are all armed with whips, in token of their authority. Those who have
been formerly initiated, and reside in the neighbouring villages,
collect and join in the rejoicings. They dress themselves in their
best apparel, and, preceded by the music of the country, march at the
head of the troop. After having complimented the Simo, they make him
a little present, and conduct him in triumph to the village, with the
sound of the tomtom. Those who are present accompany the music with
their monotonous singing and fire off guns. The women also assemble,
singing, and bearing each a calabash of rice, which they fling at
the Simo, by way of offering, amid dances and shouts of joy.
These festivals are usually very gay: much palm-wine and rum are
drunk, sheep and oxen are killed, and there is great feasting, which
lasts several days. When all this rejoicing is over, the children
whose parents cannot afford to make presents to the Simo return with
him into the woods, and continue the same course of life for seven
or eight years longer. When they are old enough to be serviceable,
however, they are allowed to help their parents, at the approach of
the rainy season, to work in the fields; after which they return to
the woods and the master employs them in cultivating his land.
When the initiated return to their families, they set up before their
doors a tree, or merely a stake, at the end of which is suspended
a small piece of stuff, most commonly white. The tree or stake,
whichever it may happen to be, is a gift from the master, in return
for the handsome present which he has received.
They give the name of Simo to this tree or stake, and it becomes their
tutelar deity; they respect and fear it so much, that, to prevent any
one from going to a particular spot, it is only necessary to set up a
Simo before it. They also swear by it, and believe that a false oath
would draw upon them the vengeance of this mysterious demon; they
are even afraid of lying lest they should provoke its interference.
If any thing is owing to them, or if any one has taken from them
some article which they cannot recover, they piously address their
prayers to this bit of wood, and offer it a sacrifice of rice, honey,
or palm-wine, firing off a gun at its foot. This is a species of
complaint which they make to the Simo, to petition for redress. From
this time, if any of the debtor’s family should fall sick, it is
ascribed to the agency of the Simo; the relations in a fright hasten
to discharge the debt, to return what has been stolen, or to make
reparation if any insult has been offered.
They believe in sorcery and witchcraft; whoever is suspected of
sorcery is forthwith delivered to the Simo, who acts as chief
magistrate. The accused is questioned, and if he confesses, he is
condemned to pay a fine; if, on the other hand, he maintains his
innocence, he is compelled to drink a liquor made with the bark of a
tree which gives to water a beautiful red colour. The accused and the
accuser are obliged to swallow the same medicine, or rather poison;
they must drink it fasting and entirely naked, except that the accused
is allowed a white pagne, which he wraps round his loins. The liquor
is poured into a small calabash, and the accuser and accused are
forced to take an equal quantity, until, unable to swallow more,
they expel it or die. If the poison is expelled by vomiting, the
accused is innocent, and then he has a right to reparation; if it
passes downwards, he is deemed not absolutely innocent; and if it
should not pass at all at the time, he is judged to be guilty.
I have been assured that few of these wretched creatures survive this
ordeal; they are compelled to drink so large a dose of the poison,
that they die almost immediately. If however, the family of the
accused consent to pay an indemnity, the unhappy patient is excused
from drinking any more liquor; he is then put into a bath of tepid
water, and by the application of both feet to the abdomen they make
him cast up the poison which he has swallowed.
This cruel ordeal is employed for all sorts of crimes. The consequence
is, that though it may sometimes lead to the confession of crimes,
it also induces the innocent to acknowledge themselves guilty, rather
than submit to it.
It is not lawful either to quarrel or fight near the places which
are inhabited by the mystical magistrate. When war is to be carried
on in the neighbourhood, notice is given to the Simo and his retinue
to retire. If two adversaries were to fight while he was near, they
would be forced immediately to take him a present as a reparation
for having disturbed him; if they were to omit this, they would fancy
that some great calamity was continually impending over them.
When they carry their gift to the Simo, they are obliged to turn
their backs to him, and put their hands over their eyes; he receives
the offering, pronounces a long prayer, and picks up a little earth,
which he throws at them in token of absolution. After this ridiculous
ceremony, the disturbers of the Simo’s peace returned perfectly
satisfied. During the few days that I was at Kakondy, I heard the
Simo and his attendants howling horribly while dancing.
Polygamy is practised amongst the Landamas and Nalous, who may be
said to inhabit the same country; the husbands have not only many
lawful wives, but as many concubines as they can afford to keep. I
have been told that the rich have sometimes so many as two hundred
which I should think is a great exaggeration. This custom among these
idolatrous nations proceeds no doubt from this, that the mothers do
not suffer their husbands to approach them till their children are
able to walk. It is very remarkable, that good order and perfect
harmony prevail among all these women who are called to share the
same conjugal couch.
They are not all faithful to their husbands; but when a man suspects
that one of his wives is false he compels her by the fear of the Simo
to confess who has been the partner of her guilt. The woman seldom
holds out long against his questions and threats; the fear of being
subjected to the ordeal of the magistrate of the woods forces her to
confess her fault and to discover her paramour. From that moment the
latter becomes the slave of the husband, who sells him without pity
to the negro merchants, or to any other negroes of the country.
A young man has no need of the consent of the female whom he loves
to obtain her hand; he takes care to gain over to his interest an
old woman and an old man, whom he employs to convey a present to
the parents of the girl, in order to incline them to give a favorable
reception to his proposals. Should this offer be accepted, he continues
to pay his court to the relations of his intended by these means,
until, having obtained their consent, he sends a final present of rum,
tobacco, stuffs, and colat-nuts,[42] which are very common on the banks
of the Rio Nuñez, and which must always be of different colours. The
father of the girl takes two of the colat-nuts, one white, the other
red; he cuts them in two and throws the half of each into the air,
to draw thence a favourable omen. After having examined the manner in
which they have fallen, and being satisfied upon this point, he calls
his daughter, who is not yet informed of the steps, taken to obtain
her, and indeed very often does not know the lover who has applied for
her. He makes her eat a little of each of the colat-nuts from which the
omen has been drawn, and informs her, before the persons present, that
she is to become the wife of him who has sent the presents; and the
same day, without consulting her inclination the unfortunate creature
is led to the home of a husband whom she will, perhaps, never love.
She is conducted thither by the old people who were charged with the
preliminary negociations, and followed by a crowd of her young friends,
who rejoice and sing her praises. The old woman is appointed to prepare
the hut in which the new-married couple are to dwell. After taking
away every thing belonging to the master of the cabin, she puts upon
the bed a pair of very white pagnes to receive the happy pair the
first night of their marriage; next day these pagnes are presented
to the bridal party, who pass them from hand to hand, singing and
dancing in honour of the chastity of the young bride. This ceremony
always takes place to the sound of rustic music and lively songs which
render the spectacle more animated. These festivities generally last
two or three days. The parents of the new couple never attend them;
they do not visit their children till a week after the marriage.
On the seventh day after the birth of a child there are great
rejoicings; it is not till then that the mother begins to go out of
the house. During this interval she remains shut up to bestow all
her attentions on the new-born babe. That period being elapsed, the
parents sacrifice an ox, and both night and day are passed in dancing.
Amongst the Landamas and Nalous, death also claims its sacrifices. On
the day of interment, the relations kill a sheep and sprinkle the grave
with its blood. This ceremony is proceeded by several discharges of
musquetry at the grave; the sheep is afterwards divided amongst the
neighbours. A month after the decease a second funeral ceremony is
celebrated; such of the relations as are rich in herds kill several
oxen, and all the inhabitants of the village are admitted to the feast,
which often lasts several days.
These festivals are enlivened alternately by the wild music and the
simple dances of the natives, and also by the fumes of palm-wine. The
Landamas and Nalous take great pleasure in these amusements, and they
will even deprive themselves of the necessaries of life to support
the expense of their sacrifices.
The food of these uncivilized tribes consists chiefly of rice boiled
in water, to which they sometimes add the fruit of the palm-tree,
from which they are too idle to express the oil. They seldom eat fish,
for they have not skill to catch it; but they rear poultry, sheep,
and goats. They have few cattle, and still fewer horses; I saw only
a single ass whilst I was at Kakondy.
These tribes carry on very little trade, for they sell nothing but
salt, which they buy of the Bagos. For the rest, they are extremely
indolent, and consequently work very little. Most of them do nothing
but clear the ground for the purpose of sowing rice, or planting
cassava, and they do not even take the trouble to break it up, though
it would be more productive, if they would bestow a little labour
upon it.
As they are not disciples of Mahomet, they drink a great quantity
of spirits; and the palm-trees which abound in their country supply
them with abundance of a very sweet wine. The fruit which they call
_caura_ also affords an agreeable beverage, when bruised and fermented
with water; it is intoxicating, and I have been told that it very
much resembles cyder. They sometimes eat the pulp of this fruit;
for the idle (and these form the majority of them) have no other
resource for satisfying their appetite. They have another liquor,
called _jin-jin-di_, made with the root of a plant of the same name;
this they burn, and then mix with the bark of a tree (which I could
never get any body to shew me); the whole being pounded together,
they pour water upon it and stir it briskly for a couple of hours:
after having left it to ferment for two or three days, they draw
it off into another vessel; it thus acquires a sweet and agreeable
flavour. It is always drunk at feasts and entertainments, because
it promotes digestion. The root jin-jin-di is also used, without any
admixture, as an excellent aperient medicine.
The Landamas and the Nalous inhabit straw huts, like those of
other negroes in the interior of Africa; these huts are small and
dirty. Their costume varies much. I have seen numbers of them in
the neighbourhood of Kakondy with breeches like Europeans, a pagne
over their shoulders, and a hat on their head; others again without
breeches, with a vest and a coussabe. The women wear pagnes.
The soil near the banks of the Rio Nuñez is fertile; all the
trees which flourish in the colonies would grow there if they were
cultivated. The natives, accustomed to live in idleness, in their
hot and even scorching climate, do not trouble themselves with any
thing of the kind; the Europeans alone have gardens.
Bees are very common in this part of the country, and the inhabitants
are fond of honey, which they obtain by placing hives in the trees. To
get at the honey without accident, they let down the hive, by means
of a rope, to a certain distance from the ground, and light under it
a great fire of damp herbs; the smoke drives away the bees, and the
negroes are left masters of the hive. The wax which they make is sold
to the Europeans.
Bees are so numerous, that it is not uncommon for them to swarm
into the huts and drive out the inhabitants; recourse is then had to
smoke to dislodge them. The short time that I passed at Kakondy not
permitting me to visit the Bagos, I shall just relate what I was told
of those people.
These negroes are idolaters, and they have hitherto preserved
their independence. Their vicinity to the islands off the coast,
and the facility with which they can transport themselves thither,
may have prevented the almamy of Fouta-Dhialon from disturbing
their tranquillity. They dwell near the mouth of the river; and
this country, which is flat and fertile, affords abundance of rich
pasturage for their numerous cattle. It is singular that this tribe,
who are in many respects stupid enough, have never found out the great
advantage there would be in milking their cows and ewes; their cattle
however prosper, and they do not lose as many as the negroes who are
accustomed to milk them.
The Bagos are very different in their manners from the Landamas
their neighbours. They are more industrious, and consequently more
prosperous; they inhabit a fertile country, which they cultivate with
care; their principal produce is rice. They contrive to plough their
fields in the European manner; and the instrument which they use for
this purpose is a kind of wooden coulter two feet long, with a handle
of six or seven feet.
As the country is flat, they take care to form channels to drain off
the water. When the inundation is very great, they take advantage
of it to fill their little reservoirs, that they may provide against
the drought and supply the rice with the moisture which it requires.
They are also accustomed to sow the rice close to their villages,
and then transplant it into their fields when it has risen to the
height of six inches. This is the business of the women, who also weed
it. The men get in the harvest which is very abundant. In this lovely
country, so rich in natural advantages, the women are in the habit
of going naked all their lives; young and old, without distinction,
have no other dress than a single strip of calico, seven or eight
feet long, and five inches wide, which they wind round their waist,
and pass between the thighs. These poor creatures perform all the work
of the house; they cook, and labour in the fields and at the salt-pits.
The Bagos buy salt, and sell it with a profit to the Europeans who
trade with Kakondy, receiving in exchange piece-goods, tobacco, rum,
glass-ware, and other trifles.
The women who are employed at the salt-works collect, at the ebb
tide, the earth which is most impregnated with salt, and make heaps
of it. After this first operation, they make large vessels or jars,
of the earth mixed with straw, and pour into them water, which, in
filtering through the earth, carries off all the saline particles. This
water is afterwards poured into large coppers, in which it is boiled
till nothing remains but the salt. Being collected into heaps, it is
then sold to the inhabitants of Kakondy, who have a great market for
it in the Fouta.
The rain, which falls in torrents in the wet season, does not prevent
the Bagos from attending to their affairs. Both men and women have a
little mat, two feet and a half long and one foot wide, through which
they pass a string which they tie round their heads, and this serves
as a protection from the rain: this species of umbrella also skreens
them from the sun. The women use it also to shelter their children,
whom they carry constantly on their backs, from the burning heat of
the sun. They take part of the strip of cotton which covers their
loins to tie the child to their bodies: and this troublesome burden
does not prevent them from working. Whilst they are young they shave
their heads entirely. When they are taken in labour, they lie down on
the ground even before a stranger, and bring forth without a groan. As
soon as the child is born, they go and wash it in the river, and then
resume their usual occupations, as if nothing had happened.
The Bagos are accustomed to marry their children at a very early
age; they are sometimes contracted at seven or eight years old. From
the moment when a marriage is agreed upon, the father of the boy is
obliged, if he has a daughter of his own, to exchange her for the
girl who is promised to his son; if he has none, application is made
to the lad’s relations, who never refuse to comply with the demand.
When the young people are once engaged in the manner I have mentioned,
they live in the same house, and are brought up together, with the
knowledge that they are designed for one another; from that time
the lad brings his intended every morning a large calabash full of
palm-wine, with which his parents supply him till he is capable of
making the wine himself.
The children naturally live very happily together, and the marriage
is not celebrated till the girl is eleven or twelve years old. Great
rejoicings are made on the occasion, and an ox is killed to regale
the guests, who are always very numerous.
From the time that the children come together to the celebration of
the marriage, the lad furnishes the relations of his future wife with
two calabashes of palm-wine every day, one in the morning, the other
at night.
The girl, who on such occasions is given in exchange to be useful to
the parents who have lost their daughter, leaves them when she is to
be betrothed to go and live with her future husband; the adoption is,
in fact, only as a compensation for services. Men are not obliged to
find substitutes: like the Landamas, they have many wives; but they
marry them after considerable intervals.
The Bagos also offer sacrifices at the birth of a child and at the
death of a relation. When the head of a family dies, it is very
common to burn every thing that is in the house. The goods are
packed in boxes, and, before they are thrown into the fire, the
virtues of the deceased are enumerated, with some such addition as
the following: “See how industrious he has been; how well he has
managed his affairs! try to imitate him, that you may be as fortunate
as he was.” The riches, all the while, may probably consist of a
European hat, trowsers, shirts, and a few other articles of the kind,
which he never wore in his life. The bed of the deceased is held in
great reverence, and at the foot of this wretched pallet a hole is
dug, six feet deep, in which the corpse is buried upright; a fire is
kindled over his head every night, and his relations come and talk
to him under the idea that he hears what they say.
The family of the deceased, who are ruined by this act of superstition,
are supported till the next harvest by the inhabitants of the village;
for even their rice is not saved from the flames.
This beautiful and fertile country produces abundance of palms, from
which they obtain a great quantity of oil: this they are very fond of,
and use in their cookery. It is with this oil also that they anoint
their bodies and heads; they even besmear their clothes with it:
they are, consequently, very filthy, and smell of palm-oil to a
great distance.
They wear nothing but a pagne round their loins; and though they have
all the materials for clothing at hand, they will not take the trouble
to use them. They wear a copper ring suspended from the cartilage
of the nose, and ornament their ears with several rings of the same
kind. The women have no other ornament than a few beads.
These people are considered thieves by their neighbours; and yet they
are very hospitable, which seems scarcely compatible with the vice of
which they are accused. They never see a stranger without inviting him
to share their repast, and it would be almost an insult to refuse them;
they consider it as a kind of contempt, and are much hurt at it. They
are warlike, and are often at war among themselves. Whole families
sometimes fight to settle their own quarrels, or even those of their
ancestors. They are armed with poniards, and defend themselves very
skilfully against the blows of their adversaries with large shields
made of elephant’s hide. I have been assured that they are not
accustomed to make slaves, but kill their prisoners without mercy.
The Bagos have no king; each village is governed by the oldest of
the inhabitants, who settles their disputes, though they have, like
the Landamas, a Simo, who performs the functions of chief magistrate
upon important occasions.
They are a jovial people, and fond of drinking; persons of both sexes
often assemble round a large calabash of palm-wine, and do not leave
it till it is empty. They are great eaters, and their diet principally
consists of dried fish, swimming in palm-oil, which renders it so
disgusting, that a European could not touch it. When they kill a sheep,
they mix the skin and entrails, unwashed, with the stews which they
make: they also eat snakes, lizards, and the monkeys which they catch.
The Bagos never visit their neighbours, neither have they occasion
to do so, for their own country produces abundance of every thing
requisite for the subsistence of any really temperate man. They cannot
imagine that any nation is better off, and believe themselves superior
in every respect to all others. I could not gain any information as
to their ideas of the Deity; that they have some idea of a Supreme
Being, however, is certain; for when they hear thunder they dance
and sing, to a drum, and say that God is rejoicing, and that they
rejoice with him.[43]
Their houses are large and convenient; many families live together,
and the members of each sleep upon the same bed; with the exception,
however, of the head of the family, who has a bed to himself. The women
never eat with the men; each has her own dish and eats in private;
the boys also eat by themselves. The men are very good swimmers,
and they have canoes made out of a single tree, which serve them for
crossing from one island to another.
The Bagos are quite black, with curly hair; they shave the front of the
head, and let the hair grow at the back; anointing it with palm-oil,
which makes it look very much like sheep’s wool. When the men go to
Kakondy on business, they put on trowsers and a European hat; but, as
soon as they return, they lay this costume aside, and resume the pagne.