Horse-racing at Wowow on the Mahometan Sabbath — Indignation of the King
of Wowow against the King of Kiáma — Religious Procession of Females —
Policy of the King of Wowow — Richard Lander taken ill — leaves his
brother at Wowow, and returns to Boossà — Narrative of John Lander — The
Blessing of the Priestess — Religious Sects — Their Creeds and Ideas of
a Future State — Funeral and Marriage Ceremonies — Park’s Books — the
States of Borgoo — The last of Park’s effects — Farewell to the King of
Wowow — Departure — Village — Apprehensions of the Natives — the
Travellers meet at Boossà.
_Friday, August 13th._—To-day is the Mahomedan Sabbath, which is
constantly kept as a holiday by the inhabitants for public recreations
and festivities. The king’s musicians were engaged in playing a very few
simple airs during the whole of the morning. For native music it was
certainly excellent; elsewhere we have heard nothing equal to it, not
even at Katunga, Kiàma, or Yàoorie. Boossà seems to have little music,
and few amusements of any kind—no city is so dull and lifeless as that.
In the evening, the weekly horse-racing commenced by a run of eight or
ten ponies, as handsome as they were swift, and the competition between
them was most spirited. It was not till after this contest had been
concluded, that the king made his appearance at the lower end of the
race-course; and from thence he rode slowly towards the starting-place,
preceded by singing and dancing women, who bawled and capered before
him. When he came up to it he was saluted with a report from a few guns
and pistols. The king was more appropriately attired, or rather his
clothes seemed to sit more easily and gracefully on his person, than
those of any other prince we have seen. His horse was gaily, if not
richly caparisoned; it was a noble beast, and both horse and rider
looked extremely well. As he passed us he neither turned his head aside
nor even honoured us with a single glance, from a desire to make an
impression on our minds by pomp and show, perhaps he thought it would
have been degrading to have given us a familiar look.
The weather was not so favourable as could have been wished; and to this
circumstance was owing the few horses, comparatively speaking, which had
been brought to the sport. The horses were rode chiefly by little boys,
one of whom was the king’s son: when they galloped past their sovereign,
they invariably doffed their caps as a mark of respect. This race was by
no means so well contested as the former, and indeed was unworthy of the
name; and as soon as it was over, the king returned to his residence,
and his example was presently followed by the prince and the other part
of his household. But all these were obliged to return by a different
path, because it is against the rules of etiquette for any one of the
natives to attend the footsteps of his sovereign on the celebration of
any public amusement. After their departure the music ceased, and
terminated the entertainments of the day.
The king’s head drummer, a little Nouffie man, came to see us this
afternoon; he informed us that he was one of the followers of prince
Ederesa, and had fled hither, with a host of fellow-fugitives, from the
resentment of the successful Magīa and his allies, the Falàtahs. The
other day, his emigrant companions divided themselves into two unequal
parties: the weaker left Wowow to join the standard of the Magīa, and
the stronger that of his brother Ederesa; the drummer however had
preferred to remain behind and serve the king in his present capacity.
He stated, in answer to our inquiries, that the _Tshadda_ (Shary) flows
into the Niger at Funda, and a regular intercourse is kept up with the
natives on its banks, for the purposes of trade, by means of very large
canoes. The sheikh, he said, resided very near the _Tshadda_, which, in
Bornou, spreads into a large body of water. He further informed us, that
canoes, capable of containing five hundred men in each, and having
‘thatched houses’ in them, are taken to _Binnie_ (Benin), with great
quantities of cotton cloths, &c., by his countrymen, who sell them to
the natives; and that Funda is very near the salt water; yet the drummer
appears to know nothing of _any_ river which runs to Bornou.
This morning, I carried the few things, which we had brought from Boossà
for that purpose, to the king. The monarch appeared well pleased and
cheerful, and expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the present,
though in a few minutes afterwards he despatched a messenger to inquire
if we had not brought any coral beads with us from England. The articles
forming the present consisted of two pair of silver bracelets, a piece
of coarse muslin, sufficient for a couple of turbans, a tobacco-pipe,
two razors, a new gilt button, two small and inferior looking-glasses, a
clasp knife, a pair of scissors, and two combs. In compliance with my
request, the king informed me, that he would sell us a canoe with the
greatest pleasure. He was convinced, he said, that we should return in
safety to our country by way of the Niger, which did not contain a
single rock from _Inguâzhilligee_ to Funda. He had heard of the refusal
of the prince of Kiàma to send us by the road of Wowow to his friend the
king of Boossà, and his recommending us a path through a dreary
wilderness, which had caused the destruction of all our horses, and in
which we ourselves had narrowly escaped with life. He had felt for us in
that situation, and his heart had been touched with grief at the recital
of our misfortunes. After the rains should be over, he was determined to
resent the affront which had been thus offered him by the ruler of
Kiàma, and make him repent his cruelty. It had been his intention, he
continued, to despatch a body of soldiers for the purpose of escorting
us to his city in a handsome and becoming manner, but he had been
deterred from his purpose by the information which he had received of
our having plenty of guns and ammunition with us, which he feared we
might have employed against the escort, under the mistaken opinion of
its being a band of robbers. He rejoiced, however, to see us, because it
would convince his neighbours that the white men neither disliked nor
despised him. ‘I am now infinitely happy,’ he concluded, ‘for surely I
could not have left the world in peace if you had departed from the
country without having visited the old king of Wowow.’ When this long
explanation was concluded, I was permitted to take my leave. Guns were
subsequently fired off in compliment of our arrival; and the king and
his wives, elated with joy, passed the day in dancing, laughing, and
singing.
In the evening, several of their daughters favoured us with a visit; and
after their departure the monarch’s brother and his friend came to pay
us the compliments of the day, and salute us in the country fashion. The
_avoikin sullikee_ (king’s friend) is a very important and influential
personage in Borgoo and other countries, and in point of rank is
considered the second man in the empire. He transacts all the public
business for the king when the latter is incapable of attending to it,
from indisposition or any other accidental cause.
_Saturday, August 14th._—Yesterday morning a messenger was despatched in
haste to Inguâzhilligee, which is a town and ferry on the banks of the
Niger, where the king’s boats are kept, to ascertain if a large canoe
can be appropriated to our use, without interfering with or interrupting
the business of the ferry. He returned at a late hour last night, so
that we had no opportunity of speaking to him; but this morning he
informed us, that we shall be able to have the best and most commodious
canoe in the place, because a new canoe had very recently been made for
the ferry, on account of the old one, which has since been recovered,
having drifted down the river. Another individual was sent by the king
this morning to settle the business about the purchase-money, but he is
not expected to return from Inguâzhilligee till to-morrow.
This day a long and gay procession, formed by the female followers of
the ancient religion of the country, passed through the town, walking
and dancing alternately, with large spreading branches of trees in their
hands. The priestess, at the time we saw her, had just swallowed fetīsh-
water, and was carried on the shoulders of one of the devotees, who was
assisted by two female companions, supporting the trembling hands and
arms of their mistress. Her body was convulsed all over, and her
features shockingly distorted, whilst she stared wildly and vacantly on
the troop of enthusiasts and other objects which surrounded her. The
priestess was then believed to be possessed with a demon; indeed, to us
they all appeared to be so, for not one of them seemed in their sober
senses, so indescribably fantastic were their actions, and so unseemly
did they deport themselves. A younger woman was likewise borne on the
shoulders of a friend, and carried along in the same manner as her
mistress but she was by no means so uncouth a figure, nor was her
agitation so great as that of the priestess, by whom she was preceded.
The whole of the women forming this strange procession might amount to
between ninety and a hundred; they were clad in their ‘holiday best:’
their motions were regulated at times by the sound of drums and fifes,
and to this music they joined their wild shrill voices. They were
arranged in couples, and with the branches of trees shaking in the air,
presented one of the most extraordinary and grotesque spectacles that
the human mind can conceive.
The king of Wowow is making new roads and repairing and widening the old
ones leading to and from the city. This is the only instance we have yet
seen wherein even the slightest attention has been paid by a chief to
the state of the public pathway, during the whole of the journey from
Badàgry to Yàoorie; and the reason urged by the ruler of this place for
undertaking the business is somewhat singular, though shrewd and just.
‘If,’ says he, ‘an enemy were to come towards my gates with a hostile
intention, and find the roads broken up or overgrown with weeds, would
they not say among themselves, “Oh, this king of Wowow is a careless,
slothful, cowardly governor; his town contains but few inhabitants, for
see, the path is green and untrodden by human feet; let us go and attack
it, for it will easily fall into our hands?” But,’ he continued, ‘should
they find it of convenient width, smooth, and free from grass, they
would immediately say,—“This road is trodden by the feet of many people;
the town must be populous, strong, and flourishing, and its monarch
watchful and brave; if we venture to make an assault, we foresee that we
shall be overpowered and slain; it is better for us all to turn back
while we are yet undiscovered and unharmed, lest some evil fall upon us
when it is too late to retreat.”’
Thus the talkative old king argues with his people, that they may throw
off that laziness which is natural to them, and be animated to industry
and labour in the common cause.
A greater quantity of yams is cultivated in the vicinity of Wowow than
is grown in all the other principalities of Borgoo put together. It is a
common question on the path when the natives meet a stranger, ‘What! are
you going to Wowow to eat yams?’ And the King of Boossà jocosely
observed to us in parting, ‘That after we had tasted of the yams of his
relative, he was apprehensive we should be inclined to remain a longer
period in Wowow than he had proposed, for that they were a powerful
inducement.’
Rice and corn are also cultivated to an unlimited extent here, and two
species of beans, so that the necessaries of life are very plentiful and
cheap. Reaping has commenced, and the wet season, it is said, is nearly
over. As in most other places, indigo and cotton are yearly produced at
Wowow in abundance.
_Sunday, August 15th._—Yesterday, and this morning, I was seized with
giddiness of the head and other symptoms, which are the usual precursors
of fever in this country. We had left our medicine-chest behind at
Boossà, and as I was apprehensive that I should be laid up in this city,
if I remained in it longer, my brother agreed with me in opinion that it
would be advisable for me to return without delay to Boossà, and leave
him here to settle the business respecting the canoe, &c. I therefore
got on horseback as soon as the vertigo had passed away, and without
stopping to bid adieu to the king, immediately departed on my journey
with two attendants. My brother furnished me afterwards with the
following account of the events which fell under his own observation,
during the time we were absent from each other.
‘A very few minutes after my brother had departed from Wowow, the prince
sent me a young bullock and a number of yams; and his brother likewise
presented me with a quantity of milk, rice, and a fatted goat.
‘About mid-day the female worshippers of the ancient gods, who have
already been alluded to, performed a second mystical ceremony, which is
enjoined by their religion, and afterwards paraded the streets in the
same order as on the former occasion. When it was over and the
procession had dispersed, without intimating their intention, several of
them paid me a visit, attended by musicians with drums, flutes, and
guitars, and a great number of little boys and girls. I was sitting in a
shed outside our hut at the time, with a sheet spread before me to keep
off the eyes of the curious; and when it was pulled up by the priestess
herself, who was fantastically dressed in man’s apparel, and when, with
her large rolling eyes, and phrenzied countenance and manner, she
performed her antics before me, uttering at the same time a piercing
yell, more dismal than a dog’s at midnight, I started and shuddered a
moment, for I was quite unprepared to witness such an object. But the
poor enthusiast had no evil intention, for she fell down on her knees,
gazed at me with tears in her eyes, and with a look of tenderness, held
out her hand as a token of friendship, blessed me, and then arose and
went out to make room for her principal attendants, who shrieked like
her, and offered their hand in the same manner. Our Boossà messenger,
and other individuals, who had come in before this most singular method
of salutation was ended, subsequently received the benediction of the
devotees, which was bestowed on them by the elder of the females. The
method of doing it was novel and peculiar: in the first place the man
was placed in a stooping position, the female then twisted his left arm,
and pulled it over the back with all her might; it was then let go, to
the great relief of the man; and she placed both her hands on his
shoulders, which she pressed down with great energy, muttering between
her teeth during the time the blessing which he had sought; but this was
so inaudible that it could not be understood. It was not the woman, said
the bystanders, but a spirit within her that spoke, and that influenced
her and her companions in all their actions. So the people went away
confirmed in this belief, and quite happy.
‘The religion which these enthusiasts profess, and which was not long
since the prevailing religion of the country, is still held in great
reverence here; so much so indeed, that the king’s daughters were early
initiated into its mysteries, and invariably attend the celebration of
all its superstitious rites and ordinances; in fact the priestess
herself is one of them. Their parent also is still favourable towards
the religion of his fathers, which is blended with Arab fables and
traditions (for the Mahomedan creed in its purity is unknown here), and
these form the foundation and superstructure of his faith.
‘The priestess and her followers believe in the existence of a God, and
a heaven wherein he resides; that this glorious and almighty Being
superintends the destinies of man in this life, and in a future one
rewards or punishes him according to his deserts. Yet of a hell or a
place of eternal torment they have no idea whatever. The souls of good
men, say they, are translated into a tranquil, happy, and beautiful
region, wherein but one monkey is permitted to reside, and where they
remain for ever; whereas the wicked, before they can be allowed to
participate in so much felicity and enjoyment, are forced to endure
sorrow, pain, and punishment:—a variety of tortures is in store for
them, such as scourging and beating, till it is considered sufficient
punishment has been inflicted for their misdeeds, when they are exalted
to a happier state of being.
‘Others, who waver between the Mahomedan religion and the ancient faith,
believe that at the end of the world a voice will sound from heaven to
invite all black men to the world of bliss, but that these will be too
much unconcerned and too lazy to embrace the offer—a second voice will
then proclaim the same invitation to white men, who will spring up with
alacrity and transport, and enter the celestial regions before them with
books in their hands. They profess to believe also that two men were
originally created, one black and the other white, from whom the whole
world is descended.
‘The professors of the ancient superstition sacrifice a bullock, a
sheep, or a black goat to their divinities, but they shudder at the very
idea of a human offering. Instead of agreeing with us that the world
will be destroyed by fire, they suppose that its Divine Maker will roll
it up like a parchment scroll, and put it aside for a future occasion.
‘It is somewhat remarkable that in Hàussa the people have a tradition
that the name of our great forefather was _Adam_ (pronounced exactly in
the same manner as we pronounce the word). _Da Adam_, in the same
language, signifies an object when observed indistinctly at a distance,
bearing the least resemblance to a man. The mother of the human race is
called _Ameenatoo_, in Hàussa.
‘_Monday, August 16th._—The more respectable classes of society in Wowow
and Boossà, after their decease, are buried in the yard of the house in
which they resided when alive; whilst the people in the common walks of
life are interred in a spot of ground selected for the purpose in a
thick wood, which is at some distance from the city, and answering to
our own places of burial. The friends of the former, as soon as they are
made acquainted with his dissolution, resort to his house, and make
lamentation for him for the space of seven days, wearing during that
period their very worst apparel. But the relatives of a poor man attend
his remains to the burying ground, and abide in the wood till their
grief is assuaged and the time of mourning expired.
‘Marriage among free people is exceedingly simple, and is attended with
little mirth or festive recreation of any kind. The intended husband is
allowed to have nothing to do in the affair, though it concerns him so
nearly, and the parents of the girl are equally out of the question.
When the parties become attached to each other, the female goes
immediately to acquaint her _grandmother_ of the circumstance, and
coaxes the old woman to give her consent for her to live henceforward
with her suitor, for she alone has the power of giving the maiden away.
If it happens, however, that she has no grandmother, the girl is at
liberty to act as she pleases. Several days are always allowed for the
old woman to reflect and ponder over the whole matter in her mind; and
this interval is generally embraced by the man in making her trifling
presents, and doing her other little acts of kindness, in the hope of
gaining her over to his interests. When a free man forms an affection
for a female who is a slave, and he has money sufficient for the
purpose, he goes to her master, whoever he may be, unbosoms his mind to
him, and informs him of his intention of taking the woman to wife, if he
will give him permission. Should the owner of the girl approve of the
connexion, the suitor pays him twenty thousand cowries for his consent
to the match, though a smaller sum is oftentimes offered and accepted;
and the object of his affections from that time becomes his spouse. Yet
the children which she may bear him cannot be retained by the father,
but are considered the exclusive property of the wife’s master, who lays
claim to them and takes them away as soon as they are able to run about.
Nor does the marriage ceremony break the bonds of the woman’s slavery,
for she is liable to be called upon whenever the master thinks proper,
when she is obliged to serve him in the same manner as if she had
remained in a single state. The union of slaves amongst each other
depends entirely upon the will and pleasure of their owners.
‘A man is at liberty to return his wife to her parents at any time, and
without adducing any reason for his dislike and dissatisfaction. When
this is his intention, he treats his spouse with disrespect and
unkindness, which she soon understands the meaning of, and of her own
accord she goes back to her friends, and tells them of what has
occurred. These subsequently repair in a body to the husband’s house,
and question him in a formal manner whether it is his desire that his
wife should continue to abide with them. If so, the connexion is
forthwith dissolved, and she is again considered in the light of an
unmarried woman. The children (if any) the mother is by no means
permitted to take along with her, but they are left behind with their
father, who delivers them over to the care of his other women.
‘The king of Wowow daily inquires after my health, and sends me a
quantity of yams, milk, and eggs, every morning. Although this old chief
has received a present infinitely smaller than we have given any other
ruler, yet his treatment of us has been more generous than that of all
of them together. His brother, also, and one or two other respectable
individuals, have been equally kind, and have endeavoured all in their
power to render our stay among them perfectly agreeable. They expect
nothing in return for their hospitality, for we have nothing but a few
needles to offer them, and we have told them so again and
again—nevertheless their attention and kindness do not diminish.
‘_Tuesday, August 17th._—I was taken extremely unwell this morning with
an indescribable and very unpleasant sensation in the head, which made
me so lifeless and stupid that I could scarcely keep my eyes open for
the remainder of the day, and obliged me to lie on my mat till evening,
where I dozed away the hours more uncomfortably than I can describe. It
is very remarkable that hitherto in the evening preceding the day on
which we have been taken ill we have ever been surprisingly brisk and
lively, with an unnatural flow of spirits; and we are so well aware of
this that we always anticipate what is sure to follow, when we find
ourselves in this merry mood, namely, an attack of illness on the
ensuing morning.
‘The messenger sent by the king to procure us a canoe is not yet
returned from Inguâzhilligee; another was despatched after him
yesterday, and this morning a third, it is said, has left the town on
the same errand; so at least people have informed us. The object of the
first of these men is not confined to his visiting the ferry; but if he
could not meet with a canoe to his satisfaction there, he has been
desired to proceed further down the Quorra until he should see one that
would answer our purpose. He is also to examine and report the
appearance of a _reef of rocks like that at Boossà, which runs across
the river below Inguâzhilligee_[2], and collect monies and duties owing
to his master. It is therefore not much to be wondered at that he is not
yet returned to Wowow. In the evening one of our men arrived from my
brother at Boossà; he informed me by letter of his convalescence, and of
his intention of returning to this city yesterday, which however had
been frustrated by desire of the king. The letter stated further that
the Midīki would settle with her brother, the prince of Wowow, for the
canoe which he has promised to sell us; and therefore that I was at
liberty to take my leave of him whenever I might think proper. Also in
the evening I received an intimation from the king to remain in the city
till his messenger, who is hourly expected, shall have returned from the
banks of the Niger. Indeed it is more than unlikely, if my present
indisposition continue, that I shall be able to undergo the fatigues of
a journey to Boossà, for a day or two at least; so that this restraint
of the King I shall scarcely feel.
‘_Wednesday, August 18th._—My curiosity has again been highly and
perhaps painfully excited by hearing to-day that a certain man in the
town was known to have had in his possession several books which he had
picked up from the Niger at the period of Mr. Park’s dissolution. As
soon as I had learnt this I instantly sent to the man’s house to
ascertain the truth or falsehood of the rumour, but he happened to be
from home, and it was not till night, after his return from the bush,
that I heard with disappointment and sorrow that the report was indeed
well founded, but that the books had all been recently destroyed. The
man said he had shown them to the Arabs who were in the habit of
visiting the town, but they could not understand the language in which
they were written, and merely conjectured that their contents related to
money matters, and were therefore of no kind of use whatever to any one.
Yet notwithstanding their uselessness the man is reported to have kept
the books carefully concealed in his house till the arrival of Captain
Clapperton at Wowow, but when he found that this officer made no
inquiries for such books, he neglected to pay any further attention to
them, and they were destroyed shortly after; or, to use his own words,
they “dropped or fell to pieces.” By the description which has been
given of one of the books alluded to, I am inclined to believe that it
must have been either Mr. Park’s journal, or a book of manuscripts of
some sort. Thus have all our inquiries for the recovery of the lost
papers of this traveller ended in disappointment: even when we had made
almost sure of them, and our feelings excited to their highest pitch on
more than one occasion, we have felt all the bitterness of hope suddenly
extinguished.
‘A number of visiters has called to see me to-day; but owing to my
indisposition I have been unable to remain in a sitting posture longer
than a very few minutes at a time, and therefore these visits have been
agreeably short.
‘_Thursday, August 19th._—I have learned with some surprise to-day, that
Boossà and Wowow are not considered as being in the empire of Borgoo,
but that they actually form a separate and distinct country, where a
different language is spoken, and different manners prevail. The
principality of Kiàma, however, is included by the natives in the former
country, but owing to the long-continued and unceasing intercourse which
has been maintained between it and Boossà, &c., the original Borgoo
language has given place to the Boossà and Wowow tongue; and the customs
and amusements of the people likewise bear at this time so great a
similarity to those of their neighbours, as not to be distinguished from
them. Yet a stranger can scarcely fail to remark a surprising difference
between the demeanour of the more respectable inhabitants of Kiàma, and
the behaviour of the same class of people at Boossà and Wowow. The
former are bold, haughty, fierce, and rapacious, the latter are mild,
humble, and sedate;—the former are held in no better light by merchants
and traders, than a band of robbers,—whereas the latter are respected
everywhere, and held in high reputation for honesty, integrity, and
honour. Kiàma, it is said, formerly paid a tax to the king of Niki, but
now it has sworn allegiance to the Falátahs.
‘The following is a statement of the names of the different states,
which form the extensive country called Borgoo. The monarch of Niki, as
a title of distinction and eminence, is styled “King or Sultan of
Borgoo,” viz.:—
1. Niki
2. Buoy
3. Kiáma
4. Sandero
5. Kingka
6. Korokoo
7. Loogoo
8. Pundi
‘These follow in the order of the importance in which they are held by
the people. Niki pays a small tribute to the king of Boossà as an
acknowledgment of his superiority; Wowow does the same, “because,” said
an intelligent man of that city, “in the beginning of the world the
Almighty appointed his ancestor monarch of the whole of western Africa.”
The present king of Boossà is, notwithstanding, too feeble to enforce
payment of this tribute: it was originally offered voluntarily, and it
has been continued by courtesy to the present time, though Niki and
Wowow begin to be indifferent about the matter.
‘The relative position of the five first states of Borgoo with respect
to each other, may be thus expressed: the letters N, W, S, E, indicating
the positions of the four cardinal points of the compass.
Buoy.
N.
Kingka W.—Niki—E. Kiama.
S.
Sandero.
‘_Niki_ is seven days’ journey nearly west of Wowow, and the four states
surrounding it as above, are each three days’ journey from it in the
direction in which they are placed.
‘_Korokoo_ is sixteen days’ journey west of Wowow.
‘_Loogoo_ twenty days’ journey south-west of Wowow.
‘_Pundi_ twenty days’ west of Wowow.
‘It is, however, hardly possible for a native of Wowow to give the exact
situation of a country remote from his own, when it is considered that
he has neither a compass, nor indeed any instrument whatever to assist
him in his observations, the sun alone being his guide in such cases. It
is therefore likely enough that the individuals who furnished me with
the preceding information might have erred, perhaps, as much as two or
three points of the compass; and consequently, it would be better,
instead of east, west, north, &c., to read _easterly, westerly,
northerly_, &c.
‘Niki is the largest and most powerful of the Borgoo states. Its
capital, which is extremely populous, is of the same name, and though
unwalled, it is of immense extent, and said to be of equal size to the
city of Yàoorie. Its monarch has a thousand horses, which are all his
private property, and he is, in other respects, wealthy and affluent.
His soldiers, who form a good part of the population of the capital, are
reputed to be brave, bold, and enterprising men; those on foot have one
side of the head shaved to distinguish them from their fellow-subjects.
These are like the “half-heads” of the king of Dahomey. Niki is almost
the only country in the west, against which the Falátahs have not yet
dared “to lift the spear.”
‘There is reported to be not less than _seventy_ considerable and
important towns dependent on the state of Niki, all of which have
several smaller towns and villages under their control and management.
The chiefs of each of these large towns present to their sovereign, once
in their lifetime, a young and pretty woman to be his wife, by which
means his seraglio is always kept full. Yet, if the girl fail to win the
affections of the king, and she be not liked, or if, after she becomes
his mistress, any fault is found with her, or any personal blemish or
defect, she is instantly dismissed, and the chief of the town from whom
she had been received, is obliged to supply her place by sending another
girl. This is an odd and singular kind of tribute, but it is slight, and
the inhabitants of the “seventy” pay no other. The next state in rank,
extent, and importance to Niki, and the great rival to that country, is
_Buoy_, which, like the former, has seventy towns of much consequence,
that acknowledge its supremacy, and pay a tax of ladies to the monarch
in something the same manner as their neighbours of Niki. There is great
plenty of horses in the state of _Buoy_, and in _Sandero_; but the
states of _Kingha_, _Loogoo_, and _Korokoo_, are destitute of a single
animal of this description. With the exception of Loogoo, these latter
states are said to be excessively poor, and their inhabitants to live in
a pitiable state of penury and wretchedness; but the people of Loogoo
have the necessaries of life in greater abundance, and they are enriched
by the thousands of merchants who trade to Gonja for the goora nut, &c.,
and who pass annually through their country. Their chief, or king, is
the most opulent ruler in the whole of Borgoo, having obtained by this
means more money than the monarch of Niki or Buoy ever had in his
possession. _Pundi_ was at one time a dependency of Niki, but the
natives have recently thrown off the yoke, and formed themselves into an
independent power; but with the acquisition of their liberty they soon
lost the little sense of right and wrong which they once had, and having
no leader for whom they cared, and no law which they obeyed, they threw
off all manner of restraint, and from robbing each other, they turned to
plundering the property of their neighbours, and waylaying every
unprotected stranger or traveller that had occasion to pass through
their country. The same unruly, outrageous, and turbulent spirit, and
desperate conduct prevail among the natives of Pundi to the present
time; and similar acts of rapacity and violence are consummated by them
every day, so that their country is dreaded and shunned by every one
acquainted with their character and habits. Even among their bad
neighbours, these people are regarded as the worst in the world; but
perhaps the fears of strangers and enemies cause them to misrepresent
and exaggerate the depraved manners of the people of Pundi.
‘This evening, the king’s _first_ messenger returned from
Inguâzhilligee, and has succeeded in obtaining a large new canoe for our
use, which it is understood will be sent up the river to Boossà as soon
as the queen shall have paid the purchase-money to her brother, the
chief of Wowow. We had much rather bargain for it ourselves, but the
desires of the meddling Midīki are imperious, and it would not be
prudent on our part to balk her wishes.—Very unwell all day.
‘_Friday, August 20th._—The widow Zuma has left a son at Wowow, who is
about thirty years of age, and is suffered to reside here only because
he is at variance with his captious mother, and disapproves and condemns
all her measures. This young man has been a constant daily visiter to
me, and brings me occasionally a dish of pounded yam and palm-oil, a few
goora nuts, or some such trifle. At our request he has busied himself
surprisingly in endeavouring to procure information respecting the
papers of Mr. Park. Though nearly blind, _Abba_ (for that is his name)
is a handsome and intelligent young man, of an equable temper, and of a
mild, modest, and amiable disposition, which has rendered him a great
favourite with us. From the information with which he has supplied us,
we learn that the late King of Wowow, who was father to the present
ruler, became possessed of much of Mr. Park’s property, amongst which
was a great quantity of guns and ammunition, particularly musket balls,
which we have seen. Before this monarch’s dissolution, he left them to
be divided amongst his sons. Abba ascertained yesterday that a large fat
woman, belonging to the king, had a great pillow which her deceased
husband had snatched, amongst other things, from the Niger, near Boossà,
and with which he had fled to Wowow, where he continued to reside till
his death. This pillow, as it is called, had perhaps been used for a
seat, for it was covered with bullock’s hide, and strengthened by ribs
of iron; but the covering having been worn into holes with age and use,
it was yesterday pulled to pieces by its owner, who found it to be
stuffed with rags and cloth cut into small bits. In the centre of the
pillow, however, to the woman’s surprise, she discovered a little bag of
striped satin, and feeling something like a book, as she says within it,
she was afraid to open it herself, but presently sent word to Abba of
the circumstance, who forthwith came and imparted it to me, bringing the
little bag along with him. On opening it I found a little iron frame,
round which had been wound, with much ingenuity and care, a great
quantity of cotton thread, which encompassed it perhaps not less than
ten thousand times; and in consequence of its entangled state, it was
provokingly troublesome to take off. Affixed to the little iron
instrument, which is said to be a child’s handcuff of foreign
manufacture, and underneath the cotton, was an old manuscript, which
according to Abba’s opinion is a native charm. But as I mistrusted his
knowledge of the Arabic language, and doubted his ability to give a
proper interpretation of the contents of the paper, in my own judgment,
I was induced to believe it to be neither more nor less than a charm of
some kind. Therefore, I purchased the manuscript, because it might be of
greater consequence than I imagined, and because the bag in which it had
been enveloped was of European satin, and the ink with which it had been
written very different from that which is used by the Arabs, resembling
our own so closely, that the difference in the colour of both cannot be
distinguished. We were advised by no means to intimate to the king the
nature of Abba’s inquiries, for the people are all afraid of him, and
declare that if he knew of any individual that had secreted ever so
trifling a part of Mr. Park’s property, he would be beheaded without
mercy.
‘I felt considerably better this morning, and therefore determined to
remain no longer in Wowow, but to leave as soon as my horse should be
got ready. Accordingly I went to the king to pay my respects and take my
farewell of him before my departure. I expressed my acknowledgments for
the good reception and generous hospitality my brother and I had
experienced from him and his subjects, and then requested permission to
take my leave. But the monarch was unwilling to part with me so easily,
and detained me in his company rather longer than I liked, conversing on
matters foreign to my purpose. I related to him, at his own request, an
account of the power, the riches, and the glory of England, and kept him
in an ecstasy and silent wonderment for some time. “Is all this true?”
said the old man to Paskoe, who was at my side. “It is true,” answered
Paskoe, “for I have seen it.” “Wonderful people!” said the king. We then
chatted for a long time about other things. The canoe, he observed,
which he had procured for us, was an excellent one; he much admired the
appearance of the horse he had often seen me ride, and said that, as
that animal could be of no service to us on the water, he had no
objection to exchange his excellent canoe for him; and if one should be
of greater value than the other, he would cheerfully give the difference
in cowries, provided we would consent to the same measure if the horse
was of less value. All this I told him was undoubtedly very fair, but as
the Midīki herself had agreed to take all the trouble of making the
bargain, it was useless on our parts to enter into any arrangements with
him; indeed he was candid enough to tell me so, yet he wished to beguile
the time away as well as he could, and he continued the conversation for
no other purpose; whereas I was weary of it, and impatient to be gone,
for the sun was already high, and the day promised to be oppressively
hot.
‘Before I was suffered to leave him, however, he endeavoured with energy
to impress upon my mind the high sense he entertained of Europeans, who
were so widely different, he said, from the Arabs; so much kinder, so
much better, so much superior in every way. He loved white men of the
west, because good fortune was always sure to attend their footsteps
wherever they went; all lands which they had visited had been blessed in
them; and he had no doubt that after our departure Wowow would be
similarly favoured. He would pray to God, therefore, to prosper us in
our undertaking, and he felt assured that we should reach our native
country, and he should see us at Wowow again before he died. Then
thanking the old king again for the various kindnesses he had shown us,
and likewise for his good wishes, which I returned fourfold, we shook
hands heartily, and having taken my farewell, I rode out of the city.
‘The journey was long and irksome, and the weather proved, as we had
prognosticated, inexpressibly warm; but at three o’clock in the
afternoon we entered and halted for awhile under a tree at a rural
little village embosomed in magnificent trees, which is peopled with
emigrants from Nouffie, and as I was exhausted by fatigue, and too
unwell to travel further, we agreed to tarry here for the night. The
poor harmless villagers, loving quiet and tranquillity rather than noise
and disturbance, fled some few years ago from the persecutions and
exactions of the Magīa, and from all the horrors of a civil war, which
was ravaging their country like a consuming fire, and desolating all the
most beautiful of her provinces, and sought refuge in this peaceful
village, which lies in one of the most sequestered vallies in the world.
They have now sons and daughters, who seem to enjoy with them the
delights of privacy and retirement which they had been so solicitous to
obtain; for here these simple blessings are in their fullest perfection.
They seldom see the face of a stranger, because their hamlet is situated
at a good distance from the road-side, and because the way to it from
thence is dark, difficult, and lonely; nevertheless a traveller
sometimes strays to their dwellings, and when that is the case they
receive him with hospitality, and endeavour to make him comfortable by
kindness. A river flows near the village, which is said to be full of
fish, and this is a source of employment to some of its inhabitants, and
of advantage to all. The men are not only skilful fishermen, but they
understand husbandry as well as their neighbours; they cultivate large
quantities of grain, and grow beans, indigo, and yams in abundance. They
likewise keep poultry, and have flocks of sheep and goats: so that
though their dress be poor and mean, yet they are rich as regards the
necessaries of life, and have the means of enjoying a few of what are
considered in this country as its luxuries.
‘In the evening, when the sun was going down, and when the birds,
recovering from the sultry heat of the day, had begun to warble in the
coolness of evening, the elders of the village assembled under the
spreading branches of a noble tree to spend an hour or two in familiar
chat, in pursuance of their common practice. To promote their
cheerfulness and assist their conversation, large calabashes of strong
home-brewed beer were placed by the side of them. Having swallowed two
or three large draughts, the old men drew close to each other, and the
venerable chronicler of the hamlet, in an under tone, started a
conversation respecting their guest, the fearful white man of the west;
and various and horrible were the conjectures of each on the cannibalism
of his countrymen; their mysterious supernatural powers, and their
partiality for the blood of black men in particular. Their conversation
became more serious as the beer begun to operate on the old men, and as
the dusk of evening came on, they drew still closer together; their
legs, which had before been stretched out carelessly and comfortably at
full length on the ground, were now gathered up under them; and every
now and then they ventured to look back over their shoulders to steal a
glance at me, for I was not far off, but this only seemed to inspire
them with greater fear than before. The younger natives were about this
time returning to the village from their usual occupations by the river
side, and in the fields, and they stopped to join the company of the old
men. The latter were almost naked, and the young men and girls were
perfectly so, as well as the children of both sexes, which had been
attracted to the party, and stood listening to the tales of horror which
were related. One of our men had been sitting all the while with them,
partaking of their beer, and had been silent till he conceived it almost
time to retire, when he endeavoured to undeceive them in regard to their
opinion of the unnatural propensities of white men, and to overthrow all
the visions of bloody adventures which they had imbibed in their
infancy, and cherished in their old age, and which had this evening been
strengthened almost to realities by my presence, assisted by the effects
of the beer they had drunk. But their love for the marvellous could not
so easily be eradicated from their minds, and they turned a deaf ear to
his remarks. The children shunned my hut as if it contained a serpent or
a scorpion, and one or two of them that met me by accident, started,
then looked anxiously, eagerly, and entreatingly at me for a moment, as
if overcome by terror, and then shrieked aloud and ran away.
‘The elderly men of the village perform no manner of work, but reserve
it for their children and grand-children, who labour for them without
reluctance. The former lounge away their existence chiefly under the
large tree above-mentioned, where they may be seen at all hours of a
fine day, sitting in a group, the very picture of indolence, ease,
peace, and comfort, and where they chat away the hours as thoughtlessly
as if they were to live in this world for ever. They have no troubles,
no difficulties, and no cares to interrupt their enjoyment. With what
tranquillity and happiness does their life pass away! How smoothly and
serenely do they go down to the grave!
‘_Saturday, August 21st._—We breakfasted early this morning on a cold
fowl and yam, which was last night sent me by a blacksmith; but we found
it impossible to leave the village as early as could have been wished,
owing to a heavy shower which was falling. As soon as the rain had
ceased, we set out on our journey. Four men, sent by the king of Wowow,
and three other individuals, amongst whom was his brother, accompanied
us to Boossâ for eye-water, which they had induced us to promise them by
their importunities and solicitations. Another man was in our train, who
was the bearer of a present from the king of Wowow to his sister, the
queen of Boossà. This present consisted of seven or eight yams, which
are just the value of double the number of kidney potatoes in England!
Thus attended we journeyed to the river side, which is only a short
distance from the village. A large quantity of fish had just been
inclosed, which was announced by loud drumming from the fishermen, as a
signal to their companions at the hamlet to come and assist in securing
them. The river happened to be rather shallow, but it was interspersed
with dark projecting rocks, that would render it impossible for any one
to proceed even in a canoe either up or down the stream; yet we crossed
it with little or no difficulty.
‘We found the road to be overgrown with rank grass and luxuriant
vegetation, and so intricate, that we were obliged to travel very
slowly, and my horse stumbled and fell with me repeatedly. In crossing
the next river, where there is a ferry, for the first time since we have
been in Africa, we saw a mother beating her child very unmercifully. The
woman was wild with passion, but we succeeded in reconciling her to the
object of her cruelty. Between eleven and twelve o’clock we came in
sight of the walls of Boossà; it was raining, and one of our men, who
had been sent by my brother for that purpose, met us on the road with a
change of apparel for myself. I was rejoiced to find my brother
perfectly recovered from his indisposition, and we felt as much pleasure
in the meeting as friends that had long parted. On my entrance he was
busily engaged in making preparations for our voyage down the Niger. The
king of Boossà’s messenger is expected here in a day or two, when we
hope and expect that everything will be settled to our satisfaction.’