Popoco. — Granite mountains. — We cross the Bâ-fing (the
principal tributary of the Senegal) near its source. — Great
cataract. — Fouta-Dhialon. — Langoué. — Couroufi. —
Schools. — Albinos. — Industry of the inhabitants. — The
traveller obliged to turn physician.
The 2nd of May was employed in procuring carriers for our luggage,
as those who had come with us from Kakondy would not proceed any
further. About three in the afternoon some of our fellow-travellers
left us, and amongst the number was my young interpreter. I confessed
that I was sorry to part with him, for his conversation sometimes
helped to while away the weariness of the journey. He talked of his
country, to which he appeared fondly attached. He was sorry, he said,
to see it desolated by the civil war which had existed since it had
had two sovereigns, each supported by a formidable party. I shall
treat of this subject more at length hereafter.
We escorted our companions out of the village. As we could not procure
porters, we were obliged to stay there the whole of the 3rd of May. The
inhabitants, having learned who I was from my guide, Ibrahim, thronged
to see me, and our hut was all day full of visiters. They overwhelmed
me with troublesome questions, and some of them made me little
presents. I sent to buy some cassava with glass beads; but the people
who sold it would not take payment. The news of the arrival of an Arab,
a countryman of the prophet’s, spread through all the neighbouring
villages. I was visited by several great marabouts, or priests, who
in that country receive the name of Tierno. The chief of Tiéléri,
a village two miles north of Popoco, sent me a present of some milk,
and a colat-nut, a mark of very high respect. The women in this country
have an unusual share of curiosity. They came to see me, and gave me
cassava. Some of them knelt down when they presented it to me.
Popoco is situated in a fertile plain. The soil is a kind of black
sand. The village is large, containing between one hundred and fifty
and two hundred slaves, who are employed in agriculture. I saw cassava,
yams, and pistachios, thriving well. The inhabitants also grow a
considerable quantity of rice and millet. At a little distance from
the village there are some orange-trees.
I learned here that the Fouta-Dhialon had been divided by two
parties since the death of the almamy Gadry, whose reign had been
tranquil. Tierno-Boubacar, and Tierno-Yayaye, each claimed the right
of succeeding him, and they were at war. Yayaye, whose party was
at first the stronger, withdrew for some time to wage war against
the infidels. This hazardous expedition proved very unfortunate for
him, as it afforded his adversary time to ingratiate himself with the
people. When Yayaye returned from his expedition, in which he sustained
some loss, circular letters were distributed throughout the country,
proclaiming the elevation of Boubacar to the dignity of chief of
the state. Yayaye retired, but without renouncing his pretensions,
and still retaining a very formidable party.
Damasisya is situated to the north. We proceeded four miles E.S.E. over
a gravelly soil, and at two in the afternoon halted at Dité, where
we changed our carriers. I met with a very kind reception in this
little village, where I found a negro who had seen me at Kakondy; he
eagerly related to the inhabitants the story which I had invented, and
which produced a good effect, and was of great advantage to me. Timbo,
the capital of the Fouta, is two days’ journey S.E. ¼ S. of this
village, which is surrounded by a quick-set hedge.
On the 5th of May, at five in the morning some new milk was brought
for my breakfast; I drank it, and was soon seized with a violent
retching and pains in my stomach, which continued during a great part
of the day. This illness obliged me to stop in the village with my
guide. I must confess, that I entertained some apprehension of having
been poisoned; but the conduct of the Foulahs, who came to inquire
after me, and who appeared greatly concerned for my illness, removed
this suspicion. One of them made me a present of a large fowl, which
was eaten by my guide and his slaves; for my part, I could not touch
food. The caravan set off, leaving me behind; but, about three in the
afternoon, finding myself better, we started with the intention of
overtaking it. Proceeding over a gravelly tract in a S.S.E. direction,
we passed Foucouba, a village containing a population of five or six
hundred. We next reached the village of Digui, containing three or
four hundred inhabitants. Here we halted a little before sun-set,
and went to visit a friend of my guide’s, who gave us a very kind
reception. The chief invited me and Ibrahim to his hut, and asked us
to partake of his supper of rice and sour milk. I ate a little of it;
but this sort of food was not calculated to restore my disordered
stomach. The chief proposed that I should go and see the almamy, who,
he said, would receive me well, and make me handsome presents. I
was not inclined to put his generosity to the test, being fearful
that he might detain me. My guide answered for me, and observed,
that when we should arrive at Kankan-Fodéa, his country, he would
conduct me to the chief of Timbo. Our host sent us a supper of rice
with roasted pistachio-nuts.
The morning of the 6th was rainy. I was visited by several women,
who brought me little presents of milk, rice, oranges, &c. A
shoemaker gave me a pair of sandals, which were very acceptable,
mine being out of repair. About nine o’clock, the rain having
ceased, we departed. Several of the inhabitants escorted us out of
the village. Our course was E.S.E. The rain had purified and refreshed
the air. We passed Courou, a village situated at the foot of a hill,
twenty-five or thirty fathoms high. We passed through a fertile and
picturesque plain, thickly bespangled with small white flowers. I saw
a number of slaves employed in preparing the ground for sowing rice
and various kinds of grain. After crossing a little stream, we arrived
near Bady, a village agreeably situated on the banks of a rivulet which
we forded, the water being nearly as high as our waists. This village
contains a population of three hundred and fifty, or four hundred;
it is situated in a plain, and overlooked by a hill. I saw in the
neighbourhood some good plantations of a small species of tobacco.
At five o’clock in the afternoon we arrived at Doudé, a village of
the same size as Bady, and about a mile and a half to the E.S.E. of
it. The chief came to receive us at the entrance of the palisade, by
which his grounds were surrounded. I remarked some cotton very badly
cultivated. They sow it broad-cast, as we do corn, so that it grows too
close, which prevents its thriving. I saw a young negress gathering
the cotton, which appeared to me to be of inferior quality. We were
lodged in a large and handsome hut with two doors, situated on the
left of our route. Our host felt highly honoured in having beneath
his roof a countryman of the prophet’s; for my guide had related
to him the pretended events of my youth. He came up close to me,
stroked my head with his hands, and then rubbed his own face, as if
this contact with a countryman of the prophet’s had in it something
holy or salutary. We performed our devotions together. The old man
had collected near an orange-tree a great number of small flints, on
which, in the spirit of penitence, he knelt to prayer. This greatly
annoyed me; for I was obliged to follow his example. He afterwards
presented to me a child of four or five years of age, who had sore
eyes, and begged me to cure him if I could. I was much embarrassed,
and told him that I had no remedy for the disorder; but my guide had
assured him of the contrary, and the old man, supposing there was a
want of inclination on my part, offered to pay me. I told him that my
baggage had been sent forward, and that I could not overtake it till
next day. He was silent, but appeared not to be best pleased with
my answer. In all my life I never saw such a disease as that under
which this child laboured. It suffered no pain, but it was almost
deprived of sight. I have since thought that it might be a kind of
cataract. The marabouts, who officiate as doctors in this country, had
ineffectually exhausted all their skill in grigris, or amulets, for
the patient. They could do nothing more, and the child was abandoned
to its fate. I advised the parents to wash its eyes with a decoction
of baobab leaves, which might serve as a substitute for mallows, and to
take the child to Sierra-Leone for medical assistance; but they shrunk
with horror from the idea of placing it in the hands of christians.
Our host gave us rice and sour milk for supper, which we ate seated
under an orange tree.
At seven o’clock in the morning of the 7th of May, we prepared
for departure. On going out I observed that the goats had been put
for the night into a loft, ten or twelve feet high. We set out in an
E.S.E. direction, and proceeded four miles down hill, by a very stony
road, which brought us to Couraco, a village situated near a hill,
at the foot of which flows a pretty stream. We seated ourselves
on the margin of this stream to take our breakfast of rice, which
we had saved from the preceding evening. Our repast being ended,
we proceeded gaily on our way, in the same direction, over a very
good sandy soil. We passed near Coulinco, a village containing
from five to six hundred inhabitants, and surrounded by a quick-set
hedge. Farther on we came to Cagnola, a fine village, situated near a
hill, below which runs a stream, that we had to cross. After we had
ascended the hill, the road was covered with ferruginous stones. We
found ourselves on an elevated plain, whence we could perceive a
chain of very high mountains, extending further than the eye could
reach, from N.E. ¼ E. to S.W. They appeared to be covered with fine
vegetation. The Bâ-fing has its source there; and there are likewise
numerous ponds of beautiful limpid water. These mountains give rise to
several large rivers and streams, which fertilize this fine country
and clothe it with a verdure, that is incessantly renewed. On the
slope there are to be seen many small slave villages, surrounded
with plantations of cotton and the fruits which are to be found in
our colonies. These charming and picturesque spots delight the eye
and help to relieve the monotony of the journey. Rice and many other
articles are cultivated here.
A violent storm came on from the east. We rapidly descended by
a declivity, covered with large blocks of black granite, and red
sand mixed with stones of the same colour. We proceeded three miles
E.S.E. over a stony road. I observed some ferruginous rocks, and
numerous springs issuing from among them. The storm approached, and we
were overtaken by the rain, which fell in torrents. I used my umbrella,
but it was of little service. On every side the rain water came
pouring down the hills, and swelled the streams. We hurried forward
to some huts, situated near a little hill, and there we halted. This
hamlet is called Bâfila, a name probably derived from its vicinity
to the Bâ-fing (black river). We entered the hut of an old woman,
who cheerfully afforded us hospitality. She gazed earnestly at me,
and told me that she had never till then seen a Moor. Her little
dwelling was surrounded with cassavas, caribbee cabbages, giraumons,
pistachios, and gombos. I likewise observed many kinds of herbs, with
which I was unacquainted. As soon as the rain ceased, I went out to
walk round the garden. The sun was not visible, and the clouds which
had gathered upon the tops of the mountains, rendered the atmosphere
gloomy and damp. I saw, at some distance in the plain, a stream
running over a bed of pebbles, and producing a soft murmur. I might
almost have fancied myself in some romantic region of fairy-land. I
returned to the humble habitation of the old woman: she was gathering
herbs for the supper of her little family, which consisted of two lads,
who, she told me, were working in the fields. I went back to our hut
and roasted in the ashes some pieces of cassava, which the old woman
had given me. Shortly afterwards the two young negroes entered. They
had no clothing except a small piece of cloth fastened round their
middle. As soon as they learned that a Moor proceeding to Mecca had
become their guest, they came to me, and asked me how I was, in a very
kind tone. They invited me to their hut, which was much larger than
ours; and they fetched a large mat to cover me. The rain, which had
begun again, continued all night, accompanied with dreadful claps of
thunder and flashes of lightning, in quick succession. When I entered
their hut, the kind negroes seated me near the fire upon a sheep-skin,
and offered me a little sour milk, which probably they had intended
for their own supper; but I should have offended them by refusing
it. The mother cooked a little foigné, which grows in abundance in
these mountains, for the family’s supper. She placed a small pot
on the fire, by the side of a large one, for boiling the herbs which
she had gathered that evening. I recognized among them the calabash,
the giraumon, allspice, brette, sesamum, and many others;—to these
she added a little gombo. The foigné, when cooked, was placed in
calabashes to be eaten. I now perceived two little girls, whom I had
not before remarked. They ate their supper apart, and the old woman
reserved her own portion in the pot. Ibrahim sent me my supper of rice
and milk which the negroes had given me. They would not partake of
it although I pressed them. They invited me to take some of theirs,
which I at first declined; but, as they urged me, I took a handful
and withdrew. I really wondered how the poor creatures could eat this
rice; for it was without either salt or butter. They did not like to
touch my supper because they were slaves. We said prayers together,
and lay down upon mats; but I was kept awake all night by the thunder.
On the 8th of May, at six in the morning, after eating a piece of
the cassava which was cooked the evening before we took leave of our
hostess; for the lads were already gone to the fields. We proceeded
eastward; then turning into the mountains, we were obliged to
climb from rock to rock. There is, however, some very good soil. We
arrived on the banks of the Bâ-fing (the black river) so called
because its bed consists of enormous rocks of black granite. Some
of these rocks are pointed and very sharp, so that they often cut
the feet of the negroes in crossing the river. The Bâ-fing is the
principal tributary of the Senegal: it runs from south to north among
the mountains. The masses of granite, of which its bed is composed,
form several islets. Its current is astonishingly rapid and white
with foam, which I supposed to be occasioned by some cataract. I
questioned the negroes on the subject and their answers verified my
conjecture. They told me they had seen the cataract in going to Timbo,
and assured me that it fell from a great height with a loud noise. We
were very near the source of the river, which in this part might be
about a hundred feet wide and a foot or eighteen inches deep; but
its depth varies. We crossed it not without some difficulty and with
the assistance of poles. I saw with some alarm a poor negro tottering
beneath his load; however, we all reached the left bank without any
serious accident. Several of our party had their feet cut by the
sharp rocks, and although I had nothing to carry I did not escape
unhurt. A great number of persons were assembled at the place where
we crossed. They took no notice of me, supposing me to be a Moor.
On the right bank of the river I observed some wretched huts occupied
by smiths. We continued our route to E.S.E. The soil consisted of
very good red mould covered with the finest vegetation. We arrived
at Langoué, a village containing between three and four hundred
inhabitants. It is situated on a somewhat elevated plain, whence high
mountains are to be seen in every direction. Here a storm overtook
us. The inhabitants gave us a hut and sheep-skins to sit on. We made
a good fire, for the atmosphere was damp. The Foulahs soon came to
visit us. Not having observed me enter the place, they were much
surprised to see me and took me at first for a white. They asked my
guide in the Mandingo language whither I has going, and what was the
object of my journey. Ibrahim very promptly informed them how I had
been taken by the Europeans. The Foulahs congratulated me on my zeal
and my attachment to my religion. They presented me with some rice,
milk, cassava, and a fowl. They urged me to go to Timbo, assuring me
that the almamy would be very happy to see me, and that he would most
willingly give me a horse and a guide to take me into my own country,
because, as they said, he held the countrymen of the prophet in high
estimation. They added that the almamy had at that moment gone to
make war against Firga, an idolatrous country, but that doubtless he
would soon return to Timbo.
Seated round the fire we made a cheerful breakfast on what the
Foulahs gave me. The storm having ceased, we left them, and about
nine o’clock proceeded to the S.E. The sun was obscured by clouds,
and the atmosphere gloomy and cool. The country, refreshed by the
morning’s rain, presented a most beautiful prospect. I perceived
in the distance some pretty hamlets, watered by a multitude of small
clear streams, flowing over beds of pebbles. They wind among the small
hillocks, and seem to quit those enchanting scenes with regret. The
hamlets are inhabited by agricultural slaves.
We entered the passes of the mountains, which are five or six hundred
feet high, and covered with large trees, among which I observed
the nédé and the caura, or plum-tree of this country. The soil is
composed of very rich grey sand, mixed with gravel. I remarked likewise
some blocks of white quartz. My attention was arrested alternately by
the cries of large red monkeys from two feet to two feet and a half in
height, and the warbling of a multitude of birds whose plumage exhibits
an endless variety of colours. We descended into a plain composed
of very productive black mould, watered by a little stream, which,
I was told, after many windings empties itself into the Senegal. The
natives call it the Telonco. It takes its rise in the neighbourhood
of a high mountain, which we had much trouble in ascending. Having
crossed it, we arrived at Bougnetery, a slave village where we rested
a short time, having proceeded four miles and a half to the S.E.
Continuing our journey, we turned a little mountain composed of
beautiful black granite, and destitute of any kind of vegetation. A
little to the E.S.E. we saw some villages in the distance: the
country was covered with pasturage, which being watered by small
streams grows luxuriantly. These streamlets flow on into the valleys
amongst blocks of beautiful black granite. We met a Moor, with whom
I conversed for a short time. He asked me some questions respecting
the whites, and congratulated me on my determination to return to the
religion of my fathers. We descended into a plain and proceeded three
miles to the E.S.E. The country still presented the same aspect. At
half past four in the afternoon, we arrived very much fatigued
at Foudédia. We passed the night at the village and there found
the people of our caravan who had gone on before. The chief gave
us a good hut and sent us a supper of rice and milk. Several men
belonging to the village, who had formed part of the expedition of
the almamy Yayaye against Firga, arrived. They said that the almamy
had received a check and had lost some of his troops in battle; and
that one of the inhabitants of Foudédia was among the number of the
slain. This intelligence occasioned great grief. The wives of the
deceased, accompanied by many of his relations and friends, paraded
the village, singing in a shrill tone and alternately clapping their
hands and striking their foreheads. Having continued this ceremony
some time, they returned to their huts, followed by a crowd of women
imitating their gestures. Their cries seemed to augment their grief:
they rolled on the ground striking their bodies and uttering dreadful
groans. The children shed sincere tears, but the women merely made
a noise; deep as their affliction seemed to be it lasted only half
an hour. They then appeared clothed in white; they had a calm and
resigned air, and immediately resumed their usual occupations. The
men were assembled round the mosque, and seated on the ground. They
appeared really afflicted at the death of their comrade, and loudly
censured the conduct of their sovereign.
On the 9th of May, at six o’clock in the morning, we pursued
our route in an E.S.E. direction. We went two miles, over a soil
at first rather stony but which afterwards changed to black sand
covered with gravel, till we came to some rocks of white quartz,
and crossed a little stream the waters of which reached up to our
knees. It flowed to the north over a sandy bed. Its banks were
thickly wooded. I observed many tamarind-trees. The soil continued
level and covered with gravel. We met many persons going to the
market of Labé, to sell calabashes and earthen pots manufactured
in the country. These pots appeared to be of good materials and
of much better workmanship than those made on the banks of the
Senegal. I even saw some that were very well glazed. We proceeded
three miles towards the east, crossing very deep ravines. Along all
the road I saw troops of monkeys, which leaped from tree to tree,
and barked after us like dogs. We arrived at Dimayara, the first
village of the Fouta-Dhialon, inhabited by Mandingoes. It contains a
population of from seven to eight hundred. It is situated at the foot
of a chain of mountains extending from N. to S.S.E. These mountains
are not very high. They are composed of granite, and are destitute
of vegetation. The village of Faramansa is a little to the left of
Dimayara. We proceeded for three miles to the east among the gorges of
the mountains. Near the village of Sela I saw many Mandingoes engaged
in tanning hides. Pursuing the same route, we arrived near an ourondé,
or slave-village, where I bought some pistachios. At the distance of
two miles and a half from Sela, we descended a hill covered with large
rocks of granite. We sat down for a moment, to wait for some of our
comrades who had lagged behind. We afterwards proceeded over a level
soil, composed of very hard sand. I passed near an enormous rock of
black granite, from a hundred to a hundred and twenty-five fathoms
in height, without any kind of vegetation, except upon the summit,
where I saw some slender bamboos. This rock rises in the midst of
a plain of very fertile grey sand, producing rice, maize, millet,
pistachios, yams, onions, and giraumons. We passed near Kouroufi,
which has its name from the rock that I have just described. It is a
large village, containing between five and six hundred inhabitants,
Foulahs and Mandingoes. This village forms part of Kankan-Fodéa,
a little province of Fouta-Dhialon. At five o’clock in the evening
we arrived at Sanguessa, a little village, five miles from the place
where I had bought the pistachios. We had constantly travelled over
a very level soil composed of grey sand, in a S.E. direction. Two of
our companions were natives of Sanguessa. They were moreover friends
of my guide’s, which procured us the advantage of becoming the
guests of the chief. He gave us a good hut, and ordered a number of
mats to be spread in his court-yard, on which we seated ourselves
to converse till supper time. The conversation turned chiefly on me,
and afterwards various questions were asked respecting the journey of
the Mandingoes to Kakondy. About ten at night, our two friends sent
us some supper, at which I played my part, for I had eaten nothing
all day, excepting some pistachios and a little of the fruit of the
nédé steeped in water. The chief also sent us a supper of rice and
sour milk, to which he added by way of luxury a little butter. During
the evening Mamadi, one of our companions, introduced me to his wife,
and brought all his little children to see me. The neighbours were also
admitted. They crowded round me and gazed at me with curiosity. Mamadi,
being acquainted with the story which I had invented, took pleasure in
relating it to them, and added that I was a _Souloca-tigui_ (a real
Arab.) He then showed me over his little habitation. In the garden
I observed some feet of ground planted with tobacco and gombo, which
his wife had cultivated in his absence. This little village contains
from three to four hundred inhabitants.
The whole of the morning of the 10th of May was occupied in paying
visits to the friends of my guide. About ten o’clock I was sent for
by the elders of the village: I was taken in front of the mosque,
where I saw a great assemblage of Mandingoes; they were seated on
the ground around two large calabashes, filled with little cakes, or
handfuls of bruised rice, moistened with water, and covered with red
and white colat-nuts. I seated myself on a sheep-skin which was offered
me. I thought, at first, that the generous Mandingoes intended to make
me a present; but I was egregiously mistaken. The conversation turned
on my residence among the christians, concerning whom they entertained
very erroneous ideas; they overwhelmed me with troublesome questions,
and wandered widely from their subject. At length a marabout pronounced
some prayers over the little cakes, which were thus converted into a
sort of holy bread; they were then distributed among all present, and
even the absent were not forgotten, their share being sent to them;
two pieces were given to me, which, however, I did not eat. I knew
not what was the occasion of this kind of treat, but conjectured that
it was to celebrate the safe arrival of the traders who belonged to
the place: on inquiry, I learned that it was in honour of two boys
whose heads had been shaved for the first time. After the ceremony,
a good breakfast was sent to us. About eleven in the forenoon we took
leave of our companions, who promised to come and see me at Cambaya,
where I intended to stop for some days. I was indebted for this mark
of attention to the promise which I had made to give them a pair of
scissors. We continued our route to the S.E., over the mountains of
granite, which extend in that direction, and amongst which there are
some very fine plains of sand. We arrived near the Tankisso, a large
stream which flows from W.S.W., and runs to the east, making a thousand
windings amongst the mountains. The Mandingo negroes, who had made many
journeys to Timbo, told me that this stream issued from the Bâ-fing,
a little below that capital; that it emptied itself into the Dhioliba;
and that Bouré, a country rich in gold, is situated on the left bank
of the Tankisso, about half or three-quarters of a day’s journey
from the Dhioliba. My companions bathed whilst waiting for Ibrahim,
who had stopped behind. Continuing our route, we descended a little
mountain of pale pink quartz, the strata of which are eighteen or
twenty inches thick. This road brought us into a beautiful extensive
plain of firm sand, completely surrounded by high mountains, apparently
of granite. In this plain was situated the village to which Ibrahim,
my guide, belonged. We proceeded three miles to the east. In some
places the soil consisted of grey clayey mould, mixed with small
gravel. The Tankisso, after flowing among the mountains, falls in
a cascade, and winds through the plain, which it fertilizes by its
inundations. We advanced slowly, waiting for night to make our entrance
into the village. We recrossed the Tankisso, the water of which was
up to our waists. A little after sun-set we stopped to offer up our
prayers; my companions then prepared to announce their arrival by a
discharge of musketry, which they fired as they entered the village,
about three miles eastward of our last station. When we entered the
court of my guide’s hut, we were greeted by a second discharge of
musketry. Joy was painted in every face; the negroes embraced their
children, taking them up in their arms, and inquiring after their
health and that of their friends. The women also appeared equally
pleased at the return of their husbands, but they did not give way
to that natural and sincere joy which would be manifested on similar
occasions in Europe: they approached their husbands with an air of
timidity, and lowered the knee to the earth, in token of salutation,
but without asking any questions. The neighbours ran in crowds to
congratulate their friends on the happy termination of their journey;
bullocks’ hides were spread in the court-yard, and we sat down upon
them in a circle, while the moon shone brightly above our heads. Much
conversation took place respecting the circumstances of the journey,
and the price of different commodities, especially salt. No notice
had as yet been taken of me, but, as soon as I was observed, every
one looked at me with astonishment, and the question, “Who is this
man?” was repeated from mouth to mouth. Ibrahim was glad of the
opportunity to relate my whole history, as I had told it to him; which
rendered me still more an object of curiosity: I was importuned with
questions, to which my guide had the kindness to reply for me. The
court-yard was filled the whole evening, and about nine o’clock,
a supper, consisting of rice and meat very well cooked, was brought
to us: two of our travelling companions added theirs, and our party
consisted of about twenty, for many of Ibrahim’s relations remained
without waiting for the ceremony of an invitation. All ate with great
avidity, and yet no one seemed satisfied. When the company had retired,
my guide sent for me to partake of some couscous, made of very good
cow’s milk, and then invited me to retire to rest on a bullock’s
hide, which he had ordered to be prepared for me in the hut of one
of his wives. Although the weather was very hot, a fire had been
lighted in the hut, and I found myself very much annoyed by the heat,
and particularly by the smoke, which had no vent but through the
straw-covered roof. My guide’s wife lay in the middle of the hut,
surrounded by her children.
On the 11th of May, at eight in the morning, Ibrahim came to pay his
respects to me, and asked me to go and see his father, the chief of
the village of Cambaya. He was an old blind man, and we found him
lying in his hut, on a kind of platform of earth, raised six inches
from the ground. It was three feet broad and six and a half or seven
feet long, and was covered with a mat. At one end of this couch, a
smooth plank was fixed, and above that was laid another piece of wood
six inches thick, intended to raise the head and serve the purpose of
a pillow. The old man appeared to be at least eighty years old. He
had been informed of my arrival on the preceding evening, and his
son introduced me, saying that I had come to salute him. He raised
himself with some difficulty from his couch, and stretched out his
hand to me, with the usual salutation, _Salam alekoum_. He passed his
hand over the whole of my person, saying _el-arab, el-arab acagnie_
(Arab, thou art good). He appeared to regret that he could not see
me, and asked me if I was quite determined to return to my country,
promising me a safe escort thither, and every now and then asking me
in a jocose manner to remain among the Mandingoes. He treated me with
great kindness, and made me a present of two colat-nuts which Ibrahim
ate, for they were too bitter for me. My guide introduced me to several
of his friends, who received me kindly. My hut was all day filled
with people who came to visit me out of curiosity, and who asked me
a thousand questions. Several of them informed me that they had been
at Sierra-Leone, where they had seen many whites; adding that I was
very like them, and that they did not believe I was an Arab. They said
to each other _Lo forto, forto_, (he is a European). Some said this
merely in jest; but others sincerely believed it. However, Ibrahim
manfully took my part, asserting that I was a _souloca-tigui, tigui_
(a real Arab) and that a christian would never perform the salam and
study the Koran.
In the course of the day Ibrahim desired one of his wives to prepare
a warm bath for me. He lodged me in company with an old marabout of
Bondou, who had come to this part of the country to officiate as a
school-master. He taught the children of the village the Koran. The
method of teaching adopted among all the Musulmans of the interior
of Africa is to write on small boards verses of the Koran, which
are chanted by the scholars as they sit round a large fire. The
lesson is written by the master himself, until the scholars are
sufficiently advanced to write it themselves. At Cambaya this sort
of public school is very well managed: the master maintains the most
rigid discipline. The school is attended by girls as well as boys;
but the education of females is much neglected. It is thought enough
if they know the first verses of the Koran: boys, on the other hand,
are required to learn it all by heart, after which a more able master
is found for them, and he explains to them the most difficult passages
of the sacred book. The scholars, are, in some respects, the servants
of their master. They fetch wood and water for him, clean his hut,
cultivate his field, and gather in his harvest. The parents of the
children make the tutor some little presents of cloth, tabacco, and
seed to sow in his garden. The schoolmaster of Cambaya had a high
reputation for piety. He was poor and took his meals at the house of
the chief, who also sent for me to partake of all their repasts. In
the hut of the Bondouké (man of Bondou) I slept on the ground, upon
which was spread a mat which Ibrahim had given me. The old marabout
every night kindled a fire in his hut, the smoke of which I found
exceedingly unpleasant. His religious zeal led him to rouse me every
morning at three o’clock, to go to the mosque and return thanks to
God; for the old man exercised the two-fold functions of priest and
schoolmaster. The Mandingoes were far from being so very devout. They
said their prayers in their huts at five or six o’clock. We were
often the only persons in the mosque, though the old man used every
endeavour to summon the faithful. He complained that the Mandingoes
were not sufficiently attentive to prayer. On returning to our hut,
I lay down on my mat to rest; but my companion, instead of following
my example, spent the rest of the morning at his prayers. The good old
man was very kind to me. Ibrahim was not the only person who invited
him to eat with him. Many others did the same, and thus, though
the old man was poor, he lived very well. I found myself extremely
comfortable in the village. The people had become accustomed to my
person, and my assiduity in fulfilling my religious duties, banished
every suspicion of me. There was, however, one man who persisted in
asserting that I was a white. He pretended to speak Arabic, of which
he only knew a few words, and those he pronounced so ill that it
was with difficulty I could understand him. This vexed me a little,
though nobody paid much attention to what he said.
On the 13th, I was sitting at the door of my hut, holding in my hand a
small board and some leaves of the Koran which I had brought with me. I
was going to write down a souriat, or charm, which I wished to learn
by heart, when I saw this Mandingo, who always seemed ill-disposed
towards me. I beckoned to him, and, having invited him to sit down
beside me, I asked him to write the souriat which I wished to learn. He
was flattered by this mark of my confidence, and immediately did what I
wished. From that time he became my best friend, and proclaimed through
the village that there was no doubt of my being an Arab. When about
to take my departure, I went to see him accompanied by my guide. He
gave me a grigri, which he said would preserve me from all danger. I
accepted the precious talisman with warm expressions of gratitude.
A white infant, the offspring of a negro and negress, was brought to
me. The child was about eighteen or twenty months old. Its mother
placed it in my arms and I examined it attentively. Its hair was
curly and white, and its eye-lashes and eye-brows of a light flaxen
colour. The forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin, were slightly tinged
with red, and the rest of the skin was white. The eyes were light
blue; but the pupil was of a red flame colour. The lips were of a
rather dark red. I remarked that the child had very defective sight. I
endeavoured to make it look up by drawing its attention to my beads;
but it appeared to suffer pain, cried, and held down its head. It
was just beginning to cut its teeth. Its lips were rather thick,
and, indeed, it had altogether the Mandingo physiognomy. The infant
appeared to be in good health. The negroes have no dislike to a white
skin; they merely consider it as a disease. I was informed that the
children of parents of this kind, that is to say, Albinos, are black.
On the night of the 13th, a gale, blowing from the east, brought us
rather a violent storm. We had no rain, but a great deal of thunder
and lightning. Next day the sister of the almamy Yayaye came to see
Ibrahim’s wife. She informed me that a French christian, named
Lesno, had come to Timbo, whither he had been sent by the chief of
the Senegal. She spoke highly of the generosity of the stranger, and
told me that he had solicited the almamy’s permission to visit the
sources of the Dhioliba. This permission, however, was not granted,
and, indeed, he was not allowed to go further than Timbo, and had,
in consequence, returned to the Senegal. This was said to have
happened about a month before I heard of it;—no doubt the name had
been corrupted, but I have not yet ascertained who was the traveller
alluded to.
On the morning of the 14th of May, Ibrahim fired several musket-shots,
as a signal for his friends to come and receive some little presents
of tobacco which he destined for them. The court was soon crowded with
old men, and as the portions had been made up on the preceding day,
there was nothing to do but to distribute them; he also gave some blue
Guinea cloth to each of his three wives for their dresses. After this
distribution, Ibrahim was overwhelmed with benedictions. The women
danced, and sang his praises, and the men offered up prayers for his
prosperity. The good old schoolmaster was not forgotten. After our
breakfast, which was always equally frugal, Ibrahim and I walked to
the ourondé to see the slaves employed in preparing the ground for
sowing. The poor slaves work entirely naked, exposed to the heat of
a burning sun. The presence of their master intimidates them, and
the fear of punishment expedites the work; but they make themselves
amends in his absence. The women, who had very little clothing, had
their children tied to their backs. They were employed in collecting
the dry grass, which, being burnt, forms a kind of manure, indeed,
the only kind they use.
Ibrahim assured me that rice in these fields grows to the height
of four feet. The soil, which is composed of a very hard grey sand,
is fertilized by the inundations of the Tankisso. The uplands, which
the inundations do not reach, are planted with yams, cassava, maize,
small millet, and foigné, which is much cultivated here. The foigné
is sown in the course of May, and gathered in the month of July, at
which time the rice is no more than four inches above the ground. Two
harvests of foigné may be gathered during the year. But for the
foigné, which grows very rapidly, this country would frequently be
subject to famine, for the people are accustomed to sow no more rice
than what they absolutely need, and very often less; in which latter
case they have recourse to the foigné. I sat down for a moment under
the shade of a tree, to watch the slaves work. They appeared to perform
their tasks much better than the negroes employed by the Europeans on
the western coast. They use but one agricultural implement, which is
a hoe, made in the country, six inches long by four broad; the handle
from eighteen to twenty inches long, is very much bent. Previously
to sowing their rice the ground is broken up to the depth of about a
foot, but the same preparation is not made for sowing the foigné. They
merely cut the grass, and sow the seed broad-cast, before the ground
is properly prepared, then draw the grass over the seed, which thus
becomes covered. It is the business of the women to perform this simple
operation. When the foigné rises above the ground, no pains are taken
to remove the weeds which impede its growth. Greater attention however,
is bestowed on the rice; the ground in which it grows is carefully
cleared of noxious weeds. In the Fouta, I observed that the Foulahs
spread burnt dung over the ground which they intend to sow: they also
burn all kinds of roots and grass for the same purpose. I approached
the Tankisso, the banks of which are well covered with trees: indeed,
I saw the branches of several extend across the river, the navigation
of which could only be attempted in the rainy season. I bathed, and
found the water up to my arm-pits. The banks of the river, I observed,
are composed of grey argillaceous earth, mixed with fine sand.
I rejoined Ibrahim, and we went together to see the huts of the
slaves. An old woman was employed in preparing the dinner of the
husbandmen, who provide their own food. Behind their huts there are
small plantations of caribbee cabbage, which the women cultivate. As
we were sitting near the labourers, the old woman gave her master
a portion of the dinner, which she had just prepared; consisting
of a calabash of foigné boiled without salt, with the addition of
a sauce of different herbs and gombo, which the want of butter and
salt rendered very unpalatable. I ate about a handful of it; but my
guide, a little more dainty than I, refused to take any; the poor
slaves, however, seemed to relish it. I was informed that, in the
Fouta-Dhialon, the negroes are allowed two days in the week to work
in their own fields, that is to say, the ground which furnishes their
subsistence. One of Ibrahim’s women brought for our dinner a calabash
full of rice and milk, which she had carried on her head. We did not
return to the village until a short time before day-break. My guide
behaved very kindly to me, and in the evening, sitting with him in his
court-yard, I amused myself by playing with his children. However,
at my departure, I thought to penetrate to the east, and learned,
with regret, that Ibrahim would not accompany me to Bouré, according
to his promise. He alleged that he was prevented from going with me
by the necessity of attending to his plantations; but that if I would
wait for him, he would fulfil his promise. This proposition was far
from being satisfactory to me, for I was very anxious to see myself
to the east of the Fouta. I was afraid of being discovered by the
Foulahs, and wished to reach Kankan before the rains, which already
began to be very frequent, should have fairly set in.
On the 17th of May, I went with Ibrahim to the village, to see a drum
made, which is used by these people in time of war. There were twenty
Mandingoes employed in making it. The drum consisted of a large bowl,
formed of the trunk of a tree, three or four feet in circumference,
and from six to eight inches deep, covered with a piece of untanned
bullock’s hide. At the bottom of the drum were pasted a great many
bits of paper, inscribed with Arabic characters. These were amulets,
to preserve them from their enemies. They were employed a whole day
at this work, which they regarded as an amusement.
The day was hot and stormy, and the sun was several times obscured
by dark and thick clouds. In the evening a violent south wind rose,
followed by thunder and lightning. Thick black clouds gathered on
the summit of the mountains, surrounding the beautiful plain of
Kankan-Fodéa. About eight in the evening, a heavy rain set in,
and lasted all night. I could not sleep, and passed the time in
reflecting on the difficulties which I should have to surmount, in
crossing a country intersected by rivers and large streams, which
in this season overflow their banks. I travelled on foot, for the
appearance of humility which I had imposed upon myself during this
journey did not allow me to purchase an animal to ride on, which would
have awakened the cupidity of the various tribes that I had to visit;
thoroughly persuaded that the success of my undertaking depended on
this appearance of poverty.
The old schoolmaster fell ill, and I became his physician. He had
a fever, and I gave him some doses of sulphate of quinine, and,
afterwards, a dose of salts as a purgative; I then advised him to buy a
fowl to make broth, seasoned with brettes, a sort of herb which grows
in that country, but the poor old man had not the means of buying a
fowl. I begged Ibrahim to make him a present of one, but he replied
coldly that he had none, though I saw twenty running about in his
yard. I gave the old man five tobacco leaves, to purchase a fowl, which
Ibrahim found for that price; he gave it to one of his women to cook,
and the schoolmaster speedily recovered. I had given Ibrahim some doses
of jalap, which he had asked me for, and though nothing ailed him,
he took a dose of it, with the view of having a claim on some of the
broth, which he saw preparing for my patient. It was rumoured among
the inhabitants that I possessed medicines for all sorts of disorders,
and I was much importuned and harassed for them. Some had ulcers on the
arms or legs, others, fever and bowel complaint; I was teazed all day
long by demands for medicine. To cure the ulcers, I washed them with a
caustic, and then dressed them with lint; and to those suffering from
fever I administered a few doses of quinine, and directed a regimen,
which did not always please my patients. To act up to the character
of doctor, I sometimes grew angry, and threatened to abandon to their
fate those who did not follow my directions. The only medicines I had
were those few with which the English doctors of Sierra-Leone had been
kind enough to furnish me, and I was anxious to keep them for myself,
presuming that I might need them; but the Mandingoes imagined that my
stock was inexhaustible, and that it might be beneficially employed in
all kinds of distempers. They were continually asking me for physic,
and though I was obliged to refuse them, yet they continually renewed
their applications, observing that they were Musulmans as well as
I, and that no Musulman ought to withhold a service which he can
perform. Wearied by their importunity, I sometimes left them in an
ill humour, and went to lie down. They then cried out “He is a
christian! See how he behaves to us! He has medicine, and will not
give any to us Musulmans.” In these dilemmas, I was always much
indebted to Ibrahim, who told his countrymen that I had been brought up
among christians, and had learned their manners. But they constantly
renewed their entreaties, and, in the end, succeeded in getting what
they wanted. During the whole period of my residence at Cambaya,
I was teazed in this way by the inhabitants, who were not satisfied
with obtaining my medicines for nothing, but also expected tobacco,
scissors, and Guinea cloth, to make coussabes. Several children used
to come into the yard and ask me to dress their sores. At length,
after innumerable importunities of this kind, which I omit to mention,
these Mandingoes, more selfish and ignorant than deliberately wicked,
began to accommodate themselves to my character, and ceased to regard
me as a white. In fact, they never could conceive it possible that
a European should undertake so long a journey on foot, and alone,
merely from philanthropic motives. As they live in a state of ignorance
and simplicity, similar to that of our first parents, unacquainted
with wealth and luxury, the existence of learned societies in Europe,
formed for the purpose of meliorating their condition and extending to
them the advantages of knowledge and all the benefits of civilization,
is to them a thing quite incomprehensible.
Ibrahim was not more sagacious than the other negroes. He did
not solicit me directly, but pretended that he wished to purchase
every thing; he coveted in particular, my baggage. He had brought a
quantity of Guinea cloth and tobacco from Kakondy, but that did not
prevent him from continually proposing to buy what I had. He alleged
that my Guinea cloth was finer than his, and that the flavour of my
tobacco was superior, though they were both of precisely the same
quality. Sometimes he hinted to me that he was without trowsers, or
that his coussabe was quite worn out; and in this way he suggested
the necessity of purchasing what he wanted from me, in the hope
that I should make him a present of it. While we were at Popoco,
he took a fancy to a fine piece of muslin, which served me for a
turban. He begged that I would sell it to him when we arrived at his
village. I made him a present of it, and in return, he overwhelmed
me with endless thanks.
I shall here relate an anecdote relative to my character of physician,
which the Mandingoes made me assume in spite of myself.
On the 17th, I gave to a man, who had long solicited me, a dose of
jalap for his wife, who he said, had the colic. He begged me to call
and see her; I visited her and found her really in great pain. I
made the husband promise to kill a fowl and make a refreshing broth
of it, which she was to take after the jalap had operated. He came
to me next day and told me that the medicine had operated very well,
but that his wife still suffered from swelling of the abdomen, and
begged me to give her a second dose. I supposed that this distension
of the abdomen was the effect of irritation, in consequence of the
jalap having been given in too great a quantity, and I told him that
a second dose would probably do her a great deal of harm, and that
it was necessary to let the patient have rest, and to give her the
broth as I had directed. But I could not convince him. He alleged
that there was a want of good-will on my part, and reiterated his
request so earnestly that, for the sake of peace, I was obliged to
substitute for the jalap a dose of cream of tartar, which I knew could
do no harm; but the Mandingo perceived the difference, and would have
jalap, insisting that it was better. Being unable to convince him,
I again visited my patient. I was uneasy about the consequences of my
jalap. However I diluted the cream of tartar, which she drank, and I
ordered a mess of gruel to be made for her. Thus I became a physician,
without having had for a moment the idea of assuming that character.
I was extremely desirous to set out as soon as possible for the
country of Kankan, as I feared that I should be obliged to go to
Timbo, to visit the almamy, and that I might there be discovered
and arrested. It is true my skin had became so swarthy, by exposure
to the sun, that I might very easily have passed for a Moor; I was
nevertheless not disposed to incur the risk. My guide was employed
in his husbandry labours, which were likely to detain him a month or
two, and I by no means wished to wait for him so long. I therefore
resolved to take advantage of the first opportunity which might occur
for crossing the country which separates Fouta-Dhialon from the Kankan.