CHAPTER XII.

Scandal of the Natives — Treaty for a Canoe — Defeats of the Falátahs at

Catsheenah and Zaria — Measures of the King of Boossà for the future

safety of the Travellers — Artifices for obtaining Presents from them —

Preparations for Celebrating the Mahomedan Festival — The King’s Drummer

— The Horse Race, and the King’s Speech — A troublesome Servant —

Festivities at Boossà — The Eclipse — Version of it by the Arab Priests

— Effects on the People — Messengers from Borgoo — Caffas — Mode of

Preparing them — Arrival of a Fatakie — The Ashantees’ method of killing

Elephants — Married Slaves — Their Treatment — Permission for Departure

requested — El Kanemee the Arab — The King assents to the Travellers

leaving Boossà — The Messenger from Rabba with the King’s Son — Joy of

the King of Boossà at his arrival — Opinion of his general conduct

towards the Travellers.

_Monday, August 23rd._—It was the earnest and oft-repeated desire of the

chief of Wowow, while we resided in his town, that we should return from

Boossà and spend the approaching holiday with him, to which we thought

proper to accede; indeed the old man had behaved so well to us, that we

did not like to make him an ungrateful return. But his sister, the

Midīki, is already jealous of her brother, because, perhaps, we have

given him so good a character, and she says that she is apprehensive he

may procure from us more than she is willing that he should have; and so

she has not only set her husband’s mind against the measure, but she has

slandered and defamed the character of her brother to us most

shamefully.

This is positively the worst trait in the character of the queen, for in

other respects she is an amiable good kind of woman enough. In more

civilized, or rather more polished countries, among the reasonable part

of mankind, a mutual interchange of benevolent intentions produces a

reciprocity of kind feeling, and we would hope that the present of yams

from her brother would excite the Midīki’s more generous and

affectionate sentiments for him. Yet this despicable vice of slander is

universal in Africa; the people all speak ill of each other, from the

monarch to the slave. We shall now be compelled to remain in Boossà,

till the period arrives for our final departure from the country.

This afternoon the expected messenger arrived from Wowow, with full

power to treat with the Midīki for the purchase of our canoe; and though

we are the parties most concerned in this business, we are allowed to

say nothing at all about it. We have just learnt that the bargain has

been concluded; we are to give both our horses for the canoe; and if the

king of Wowow should fancy the animals to be more than equivalent to the

value of the boat, he has promised to send us the balance in money

(cowries). This is infinitely better than we could have done ourselves;

we should not have contrived matters half so well, for the youngest of

the horses we had previously made a present of to the king of Boossà,

but most likely, owing to Paskoe’s misrepresentation, or

misinterpretation, the monarch was not made sensible of the

circumstance. The canoe will be sent here in a day or two, when we shall

begin to prepare her for the water without delay. Our men have made an

attempt to drive the bullock, which was given us by the king of Wowow,

from that city to Boossà, no less than four different times, but each

time the ungovernable and furious animal has broken its ropes, gored the

people and returned to Wowow. As we have no means of preserving its

flesh, should we slaughter the bullock before we leave, we intend to

sell it here, if by any means it can be brought into the town.

_Tuesday, August 24th._—Accounts have reached Boossà of the total

discomfiture of the Falátahs in the kingdom of _Catsheenah_, where, it

is said, there has lately been much fighting; and that every Falátah has

been expelled from the city of Catsheenah, which had been occupied by

that singular people, ever since the first successes of their prophet

and general, Danfodio. Doncassà, who is the true and legitimate king of

Hàussa, has been solicited to quit _Màradie_, wherein he has resided for

many years, and invited to return to his ancient capital.

The reverses of the Falátahs have not ended here, for the people of the

little but fertile kingdom of Zaria, of which Zeg Zeg is the capital,

have also, with the assistance of the Bornouese, risen against their

conquerors, defeated them in two or three engagements, driven out the

Falátahs, and returned to the allegiance of their own native Prince, who

was formerly, and will be again, tributary to the sheikh of Bornou.

Zaria is not in Hàussa, but adjoins that country; the natives also have

a different language from the people of Hàussa. It appears that the

faith and confidence which the Falátahs had in the prophetic mission of

Danfodio, and which infused in them a degree of boldness, courage, and

impetuosity, which is not natural to their dispositions, has not been

extended to Bello, his son and successor, and to this is attributed the

serious reverses and defeats which they have lately experienced; for

though they considered themselves invincible, they are constitutionally

as spiritless and cowardly in war, and as indolent in peace, as the

original inhabitants.

The sheikh of Bornou has recently issued a proclamation, that no slaves

from the interior countries are to be sent for sale farther west than

Wowow, so that none will be sent in future from thence to the sea-side.

The greatest and most profitable market for slaves is said to be at

Timbuctoo, whither their owners at present transport them to sell to the

Arabs, who take them over the deserts of Zahara and Libya, to resell in

the Barbary states. An Arab has informed us that many of his countrymen

trade as far as Turkey in Europe, with their slaves, where they dispose

of them for two hundred and fifty dollars each.

_Wednesday, Aug. 25th._—We despatched one of our men, named Ibrahim,

this morning, to Coulfò, with our ass, and a quantity of needles to

sell. With him the king has sent a messenger, who has been commissioned

to visit all the towns and villages on the Nouffie side of the Quorra,

as far as the Falátah town of _Rabba_, and to request their chiefs and

governors, in the name of the king of Boossà, to suffer us to pass down

the river without inquiry or molestation.

Rabba is reported to be four days’ journey from hence by water, and

seven by land. It is said to be a fine handsome town, whose inhabitants

are rich, numerous, and powerful, and that it is embellished all round

with a vast quantity of graceful palm-trees. Indeed, all the palm-oil

which is used in this country is brought from thence; and European salt

is brought from towns a little farther down the Niger, so that Rabba

cannot be a great way from the sea. The old Prince of Wowow intends

following the example of the king of this place, by despatching a

messenger as far down the Yarriba side of the river as he is acquainted

with. Should any of the chiefs be averse to our travelling by water

through their territories, they may have it in their power to annoy us

and impede our progress, but if the measure should please them, they

will be able to render us the most essential service. The Falátahs will

be the most difficult people to deal with; they never approve of a

foreigner or stranger of consequence coming into their dominions, unless

he consent to visit their monarch at Soccatoo. We intended passing Rabba

by night and so avoid meeting with any of its inhabitants; but now, as

they will receive intelligence of the exact period of our departure from

Boossà, and our consequent approach to their town, it is useless to

think of shunning them. We never dreamt of requesting such a thing from

the king; in fact it met with our decided disapprobation; but he would

not listen to our objections, and observed that no exertion should be

spared on his part to ensure our safety and promote our intentions,

which he could not promise before he had officially acquainted the

different chiefs on the banks of the river that the white men were under

his protection, and had set out under his auspices, and therefore he

hoped and believed, that our persons would be respected, and our

property and people held sacred by them all. The messenger is not

expected to return for a fortnight, for the journey is long and

disagreeable; but whether we shall be obliged to wait till he comes

back, we have not yet ascertained.

_Friday, August 27th._—This forenoon we sent Paskoe’s wife to the king

for the favour of a little unadulterated salt, because there is such a

great quantity of ashes and other spurious ingredients mixed up with

that which is publicly sold in the market, that we could never eat it

with pleasure. Both king and queen embraced the opportunity of admiring

the shape and beauty of the salt-box, and spoke in rapturous terms of

the lustre of its appearance, and the ingenuity of its contrivance.

‘Alla, how wonderful!’ said they; ‘even the most trifling articles

belonging to the white men are fit for the use of the mightiest kings.

Alas! Alla has given them all the glory and riches of the world, and its

knowledge, and left none whatever for black men!’

The king was affected! He thrust the vessel into the pocket of his tobe,

smoothed it down with his hand, looked melancholy, and said: ‘How nicely

it fits! what a beautiful thing! how convenient it would be in

travelling.’ He then took it out again, turned it round and round,

opened and shut it repeatedly, and then bestowing on it a last

commendation, as outrageously as any of the former, it was returned to

us filled with genuine salt. Who could not understand the meaning of all

this? Now this handsome salt-cellar is of latten, and was formerly a

common round tinder-box; and because we had nothing better for the

purpose, we deprived it of the candlestick on its cover a short time

ago, and converted it to its present use. The tin, moreover, has been

burnt off from many parts of it, and Paskoe’s wife not being an admirer

of cleanliness, it has lost much of its original brightness. The king’s

encomiums were therefore nothing more than an indirect and ingenious

solicitation of the article for his own use, which was further apparent

by desiring the woman to relate to us no part of the conversation that

had passed between them, or in other words, that she should tell us

every syllable. We could not help admiring the delicacy of the king, and

sent back the tinder-box to him immediately. The bearer was rewarded

handsomely for her trouble, and we received as many thanks as when he

accepted the silver medal and chain which we had offered him.

It is by such means as this that the chiefs and rulers of this country,

ashamed of making a direct application for anything in our possession to

which they may have taken a fancy, endeavour to obtain it. If, however,

the hint does not succeed in making a visible impression, less delicate

measures are presently resorted to; and, when every other expedient

fails, they cast aside the reserve and bashfulness which had influenced

them at first, and express their meaning in language which cannot be

misunderstood. In this respect the chiefs and governors are all alike

from Badagry to the metropolis of Yàoorie.

_Tuesday, August 31st._—A messenger with a canoe arrived to-day from the

king of Wowow, but it is so very small that it is wholly inadequate for

our purpose. This is a most provoking circumstance, because a larger

canoe must be procured, and this will occasion much loss of time.

Between the chief of Wowow and his sister, the Midīki, we have been

completely taken in. Boats of a considerable size, are kept, it is said,

at a small town on the banks of the Niger, called _Lever_, and thither

we have resolved to proceed as soon as the Boossà messenger shall have

returned from Rabba, and get a canoe prepared with as much expedition as

possible. The horses given in exchange to the prince of Wowow are large,

handsome, and superior animals, worth in England at least sixty pounds,

and their value here is little less; yet this canoe, which has been sent

us is scarcely worth as many pence. There is infinitely more difficulty,

and greater bustle and discussion in simply purchasing a canoe here,

than there would be in Europe in drawing up a treaty of peace, or in

determining the boundaries of an empire, such vast importance do the

people attach to the most trifling matters in the world.

A man also arrived in this city to-day from a town near Jenna, in

Yarriba, whither the king had sent him some time since. He reports that

a vessel has lately arrived at Badágry, and by the man’s account, she is

in all probability a slaver either from the Havana, or from the Brazils.

This is the eve of the much talked of Mahomedan festival, and the

inhabitants of the neighbouring towns and villages, resolving to enjoy

themselves in the holidays, are already resorting here in great numbers.

The disposition of every one appears to be softened into good nature, by

the bare anticipation of the festival, and joy beams from their

countenances. The very dogs, which at other times receive unkind

treatment, and are always badly used, now run about wagging their tails

with an air of cheerfulness and courage which they assume only on such

important occasions as these, for they are days of grace and respite to

them, poor brutes. Men and women, elated with the thoughts of the

pleasure which awaits them to-morrow, are enjoying themselves in singing

and dancing, and are seen talking and laughing in every corner; while

the younger children, quite naked, are as frolicsome as their

grandmothers, and are either rolling on the ground or skipping along the

turf like ‘little playful fawns.’ On this extraordinary and momentous

occasion, a bullock nearly half grown has been slaughtered by the

Midīki, to supply the wants of the good people of Boossà, and those of a

great influx of strangers and visiters, so that every one who can afford

it may buy and eat. There has been also in the market a more than usual

quantity of corn and rice,—indeed nothing is wanting to please the

taste, and satisfy the appetite of all, and to render the festivities

and rejoicings complete.

A circumstance, however, occurred this morning, which threw a damp and

chill on the spirits of the king, and threatened to turn a day of gaiety

and enjoyment into one of mourning and sorrow. It appears that a few

weeks since, our _quondam_ host, the drummer, was guilty of criminal

conversation with the wife of the king’s eldest son, who is governor of

a town a few miles from Boossà, and since the affair happened, he has

not visited the city till to-day. Nothing would either have been said or

done to the drummer by way of censure or punishment, if he had not, like

rakes of whiter faces, boasted of his gallantry, and spoken in

disrespectful terms of his paramour. When this had reached the ears of

the elderly females of the town, in order to vindicate the honour of

their sex, and chastise the calumniator, they arose in a body, waylaid

the unfortunate musician, and applied their hands and fists so

vigorously to his face and person, that he will remember the drubbing as

long as he lives. On the arrival of the prince to-day, he sought the

drummer to slay him, for he felt his character injured and his honour

tarnished; and therefore commanded his attendants to lay violent hands

upon him the moment they could find him. Now the drummer had recovered

from the effects of the women’s punishment, and was exercising his

profession outside the king’s house, totally absorbed in the inspiring

music of his instrument, when by the sudden appearance of the prince

before him, he started as though he had been in the folds of a serpent.

He was self-convicted, and trembled with fear; he knew and felt that no

time was to be lost, so uttering a faint cry, he sprang from the spot,

fled from the presence of his enemy, drum and all, and ran with

astonishing celerity towards a corn-field, where he endeavoured to elude

the vigilance of his pursuers. But his instrument was large and clumsy,

and becoming entangled in the corn-stocks, he was confused and

perplexed, and lost much time in casting it from him. Meantime he was

chased by the prince’s servants, who were all armed with large heavy

bludgeons, and by them he was soon overtaken. These applied their

weapons with such good heart, and so effectually, on the person of the

licentious, sinful drummer, that his head was broken, his countenance

disfigured, his hands and arms rendered powerless, and the other parts

of his body almost pommelled to a mummy. When they were tired of their

task, the men desisted from further punishment; and the drummer, covered

with blood, by the assistance of people that were passing near at the

time, dragged his limbs after him to the king’s house. Here he made a

long and grievous complaint to his master, who compassionated the

musician, and was so infuriated against his son, that he commanded his

servants to behead him instantly. The monarch, however, was restrained

from repeating this sanguinary mandate by the supplications of his

principal people, who had sided with the prince, and now attempted to

justify his conduct, and together with every woman in the place, more

especially his own wife, declared that the drummer richly deserved the

chastisement which he had received. The wounded man refused at first to

be comforted, but he was at length appeased by the condolence and

encouraging words of the king, who has made him a present of a handsome

tobe; and thus the affair was compromised, and joy again reigned in

Boossà.

_Wednesday, September 1st._—Day was drawing to a close, and evening fast

approaching, when the king came out of his residence to show himself to

his people. He was attended by a number of his head men, with whom he

perambulated the town; and afterwards proceeded outside the gates to

offer up a short prayer with them to the gods of his religion, for he is

still a pagan, as all his fathers were, though he employs Mahomedan

priests to pray for his welfare, and intercede with their prophet in his

behalf, agreeably to their form of worship. Several musicians were in

attendance with drums, fifes, and long Arab trumpets of brass; these men

preceded their sovereign, and played lustily on their instruments all

the while he was returning to his house. He shortly came out again, and

rode slowly up the race-course, attended by people of both sexes most

uncouthly dressed, singing and dancing before him, and followed by a

party of well-dressed men mounted on mettlesome horses, and equipped as

if for war. On our saluting him, the monarch stopped and sent us a

goora-nut, which, on such an occasion as this, is considered as a mark

of great condescension, and a sign of peculiar favour; and he stayed

opposite us at least ten minutes, to give us a fair opportunity of

admiring his grandeur, and diverting ourselves by the frolicsome gambols

of his attendants. Smiling at our wonderment, and gratified with the

respect we paid him by discharging our pistols close to his person, he

nodded and passed on. The king was mounted on a fine handsome grey

horse, sumptuously caparisoned; while he himself is a noble and

commanding figure on horseback, and was dressed extremely well, in a red

cap and large turban of the same colour, a silk damask tobe of green and

crimson, made full and flowing, red cloth trousers and Arab boots.

Groups of well-dressed individuals were scaled under every tree with

spears, quivers of arrows, long bows, and ornamented cows’ tails. These

latter were flourished about as the people sang; their owners threw them

high into the air, and danced at the same time in the most extraordinary

manner, and flung their limbs about as though they had been actuated by

a supernatural power. Every one was exhilarated and in motion,—both

horseman and footman, woman and child. The musicians also, not satisfied

by making the whole of Boossà echo with the most grating and outrageous

sounds conceivable, both sung, or rather screamed and danced, twisting

their mouths, with their exertions, into all manner of wry and comical

shapes. The spectacle altogether was odd and grotesque beyond

description, and such an one could never enter into the dreams or waking

visions of an European. Guns were fired by the king’s followers, and

other obstreperous and astounding noises were made by the people. Never

did we see the king in a happier mood; his satisfaction seemed to be

quite complete. He smiled graciously on all around him; and bestowed

many an arch and significant look upon us, as if he would have said,

‘Can _your_ sovereign boast so splendid a retinue as mine, or display so

much regal splendour?’

The ceremony was long and fatiguing; and though the king was screened

from the sun’s rays by two large ponderous umbrellas, and though two men

were standing by, constantly fanning him, yet perspiration stood in

large drops upon his forehead, and he appeared nearly exhausted. After

our curiosity had been amply gratified, the king rode away, preceded by

his singing and dancing women, his musicians, his bowmen, and his

spearmen, with all their noise and clamour, and instantly began to make

preparations for a horse-race. The course was short, rough, and uneven,

and the competition between the riders by no means animated. Indeed the

race was of short duration, and very inferior to the horse-racing of

either Kiáma or Wowow. The king is a graceful rider, and displayed his

horsemanship to much advantage by galloping up and down the course; and,

owing to his advantageous stature, his appearance was very becoming. The

sun was then setting, and as soon as he had disappeared, the amusements

ceased. The people, both strangers and inhabitants, were then collected

together before the king’s house, for the purpose of hearing an oration

from their monarch; for, in pursuance of an ancient and established

practice, the king of Boossà annually harangues his people on the

celebration of this festival. The sovereign is at least a head taller

than any of his subjects, so that he was a remarkable and conspicuous

object to every one of his audience. If such a comparison may be

ventured on, the commencement of his speech was in its nature not much

unlike that delivered on the opening of parliament by his Majesty of

England. The king of Boossà began by assuring his people of the internal

tranquillity of the empire, and of the friendly disposition of foreign

powers towards him. He then exhorted his hearers to attend to the

cultivation of the soil, to work diligently, and live temperately; and

concluded with an injunction for them all to be abstemious in the use of

beer. He declared that too much indulgence in it was the source of much

evil and wretchedness, and the cause of most of the quarrels and

disturbances that had taken place in the city. ‘Go; retire to rest

soberly and cheerfully,’ said the king, ‘and do as I have requested you,

when you will be an example to your neighbours, and win the good opinion

and applause of mankind.’ The king’s speech lasted for three-quarters of

an hour. He spoke vehemently and with much eloquence; his language was

forcible and impressive, and his action appropriate and commanding; and

he dismissed the assembly with a graceful and noble air. Instead of a

sceptre the monarch flourished the tuft of a lion’s tail.

While the king was haranguing his subjects, and while all of them were

listening with respect and attention to the precepts of morality and

virtue which he recommended, two of our own men, one of whom was

intoxicated, were fighting and blustering, and making a great uproar

among the people: my brother endeavoured to separate them, but all his

efforts were unavailing and abortive, and he only received severe blows

on the breast for his pains. The fight was observed by the king, who

seemed distressed and angry, and rode up to the men three different

times, and commanded them to forbear and be quiet, but his interference

was regarded with no more respect than my brother’s. My brother and I,

perceiving that the principal of the fellows would not be pacified by

any other means, gave directions that he might immediately be secured.

But the people of Boossà are gentle and compassionate in their

disposition, and they not only regretted that the man was to receive

punishment, but were actually afraid to come near him, for he was wild

as a maniac, and our own men were obliged to lay hold of him, and

attempted to bind him with ropes. This was no easy matter, for he

struggled hard with them; but after an hour’s desperate resistance, they

succeeded in securing him, and he was subsequently confined in irons for

the night, much against the wishes of the king and his people. This

individual, whose name I forbear to mention, is a mulatto, and was born

in the British colony of Nova Scotia, from whence he was removed in his

childhood, with his parents, to Sierra Leone. While yet a boy, he was

sent to sea; and before he had attained to maturity, he had filled the

different characters of a slave, a seaman, a pirate, and the master of a

vessel. He afterwards volunteered into the British navy, and became a

man-of-war’s man; but for a serious misdemeanour, he was flogged through

the fleet in the Mediterranean, and deserted in consequence. We found

him at Badágry, where he had suffered a fortnight’s imprisonment, by

order of Adooley, for theft. When we first saw him, he told us a long

and pitiful story, of his having been born a British subject, but

falling sick on board of a merchant vessel, which was trading on the

coast, he was set on shore about five years ago by orders of his

captain, and from that time up to the period of his joining our party at

Badágry, he had been a slave to Adooley, for the captain had left him to

his fate. As we knew the man would be extremely useful in a canoe, to

the management of which he has been accustomed from his infancy, and

that he also understood the cleaning and repairing of guns, besides

other useful matters, and as we likewise believed his artful tale, we

obtained the consent of the Badágrian chief, whose slave he was, to part

with him, provided we would pledge ourselves to bring him back with us

in safety. In Yarriba, we could by no means complain of his general

conduct; he was always willing to do everything we required of him, and

was by far the most diligent and useful man of the party. At Boossà and

at Yàoorie, however, his evil propensities and bad conduct began to

display themselves: he became idle, drunken, and careless, and purloined

several little articles, which, intrinsically, were of no value; but in

the reduced state of our finances, they were of great consequence to us.

Besides which, he is one of the most abandoned creatures in the world;

and it was a common practice with him to absent himself from our party

several days together, so that we saw nothing of him, and when he

returned, was accompanied by complaints from the native women. This

man’s conduct has given us both much uneasiness, anxiety, and

apprehension; we scarcely know what to do with him, he is so profligate

and vicious: we thought of sending him back to Yarriba by a party of men

who will leave hence for Keeshee in a day or two, but they dread the

thoughts of his company, and refuse to take him along with them for any

consideration. He has already threatened the lives of more than one of

our men, and they begin to tremble with apprehension for their personal

safety. In his sober moments he is quiet, orderly, and good-natured; and

it is only when his furious passions are excited by drinking, that he

becomes altogether ungovernable, and displays all his fiend-like

disposition, to the danger of our lives. We are likewise apprehensive

that the natives of the country will entertain but a despicable opinion

of us, when they reflect upon the outrageous conduct of this man, for

his features are cast in the European mould; he dresses in the English

costume, like ourselves; he speaks our language with readiness, and

writes it with facility.

_Thursday, September 2nd._—Yesterday was considered as a day of

amusement and recreation for men on horseback only; but this has been

devoted almost exclusively to dancing and singing, and other trifling

diversions, which are more generally relished by people of all ranks,

and of both sexes. At an early hour in the morning, the people of the

city, with musicians in their train, assembled in large groups, and

continued parading the streets all day, and singing and dancing were

kept up without intermission till four o’clock in the afternoon. Nothing

could surpass the hilarity and general good humour which prevailed among

the people during the day. The features of every one were animated with

joy. Theirs was no ordinary mirth; for being naturally of a warm-

hearted, sanguine disposition, they entered into the sports of the day

with a fervency which displayed itself in all manner of extraordinary

tricks, gestures, and movements. This was a holiday for all, from the

king to the meanest of his subjects. The old seemed to have forgotten

their weight of years, the young knew no restraint, and those who before

had talked of love in secret, now openly exchanged with each other

‘Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles,

Nods and becks, and wreathed smiles.’

A short relaxation from this tumultuous pastime was now obtained by some

in making preparations for joining the king’s party, which was fast

collecting at his house. Such diversions as theirs, so highly exciting

and gratifying, are nevertheless wearisome to the strongest frame, and

in this sultry climate must be particularly so to them. When they had

all assembled, they presented a singular, grotesque, and striking

appearance. A cluster of between sixty and seventy Falátahs, men, women,

and children, were some standing and some sitting in front of the door-

way, leading to the interior apartments. Their dresses were remarkably

clean, neat, varied, and becoming; the long black hair of the women was

ingeniously and prettily braided, and confined in nets and caps; and

their flowing garments of striped cotton swept along the ground: the men

wore red caps, loose white tobes, and full trousers; and their little

children were pleasingly clad and decorated with all the finery and

ornaments which their parents had been able to bestow on them. These

well-looking Falátahs formed the most interesting and agreeable

assemblage of the whole; they had likewise more vivacity in their looks,

and more quickness of action than any of their companions. To the right

of them, in an enclosure of mud, was seated the Queen of Boossà, dressed

loosely, though not inelegantly, in rich English silks, as spectatress

of the amusements; behind her were the king’s other wives, and her own

female slaves, who were pretty numerous. They formed also a cleanly,

decent group, inferior only to the former. On each side of the Falátahs,

and behind them, was a great number of other spectators, of all ranks,

many of whom were standing, and many sitting on the turf and reclining

against the trunks of trees. Most of the men were clad in the Mahomedan

costume, with cap, tobe, and trousers; and the majority of the women

were dressed in neat and durable country-cloths, which were carelessly

thrown over the left shoulder, and reached to the ground, leaving the

right arm and shoulder, and part of the right leg, uncovered. A few

among them, however, wore common Manchester cottons, of a large, showy,

and vulgar pattern, which were infinitely surpassed by their own country

cloth.

Although the king had not made his appearance, the amusements were

carried on with much animation; and the dancers, far from being tired,

seemed to imbibe fresh vigour and renewed activity; whilst the drummers,

eight in number, with a fifer as an assistant, continued playing to

them. A man first started from the crowd with a bundle of rushes in his

hand, like a German broom, which he flourished over his head with

inconceivable dexterity. After dancing awhile, he was joined by two

Falátah women, who imitated his actions, and partook of his glee. One of

them held a little girl by the hand; and the whole four individuals,

man, women, and child, continued the dancing till they were completely

fatigued, when they were succeeded by another party of three or four,

and then another in like manner, so that there was not a moment’s pause

in the dance at any time. They kept good time with the music and

singing. But instead of the quick, lively motion which is generally

observed on similar occasions, the dancers moved with a slow and

measured step, in which there was nothing unbecoming or improper, and

all seemed consistent with the rules of delicacy. For want of a proper

fan, the females used neat round mats of various colours; and it

afforded us no little entertainment to see them placed before the mouth

whenever they wished to hide their faces, or attempt to conceal their

laughter.

Meanwhile, the king was expected by every one with much anxiety and

impatience, for as yet he had not been present to witness the diversions

of his people; and it was not till past four in the afternoon that he

showed himself from one of his huts. His arrival was welcomed by a

spirited rally upon the drums, while he took his seat on a stool between

the queen’s station and the group of Falátahs, and perceiving us among

the crowd, he invited us to place ourselves near his person. Several

attendants who had followed their master stood on each side of him,

forming, if it may so be called, a ‘guard of honour.’ One of these men

held two large bundles of spears, whose points or barbs were confined in

caps of burnished brass, on which he rested his head with much

solemnity, and with a slight inclination of the body; while from his

temples was suspended a huge and enormous hat, made either of grass or

rushes, which reached to the ground, and covered him like a shield.

Others held loose bundles of spears, fans, and arrows, with the two

prodigious Arab trumpets which have before been casually alluded to.

Thus attended, the king entered into the spirit of the performances with

a merry heart, and a determination to be pleased with them. He appeared

to be by far the most delighted spectator of the whole, and signified

his approbation by encouraging words and glances to those who danced or

sung to his satisfaction. A cheerful smile animated his countenance

during the whole time, and caused his features to assume an expression

of good humour which it is a particular custom in him never to display

so fully except on occasions of public festivity and enjoyment, though

he is one of the pleasantest and best-tempered men that we have met with

in Africa.

There was an elderly female who danced alone before the king, and by the

peculiarity of her looks, and her ludicrous and uncommon gestures,

afforded us very great amusement. This woman is a tall, awkward,

masculine, and uncomely figure; yet she endeavoured to look so serious

at the same time with so arch a countenance, and with a half-averted

glance smiled with so much artfulness and loving-kindness on her

sovereign and his attendants, dancing at the same time with such an

extraordinary motion of her person, that she obtained universal

applause. This was a fair challenge to the king; and as soon as she had

finished, the monarch himself arose and stepped into the ring to display

his acquirements in the art. Every one stood on his legs, out of respect

to their sovereign, as well to applaud his dancing, as to obtain a

fairer opportunity of beholding his person; and a great press was made

by the crowd in consequence, that they might gain a better view of him.

The king moved with much stiffness and stateliness, which is at all

times unbecoming in a dance; but the populace expressed their admiration

of his abilities in shouts of joy, and certainly his attempts to please

and amuse them deserved the full extent of applause. To us, however, it

does not appear that Nature, which has been so bountiful to this beloved

monarch in other respects, has fitted him for so active an amusement as

this; for though his size approaches to the majestic, though he walks

and rides with equal ease, and though the exercise by no means requires

the greatest flexibility of body, his dance to us at least was a

complete failure; for he has a foot which may be compared to that of a

dromedary in point of size, and his toe is anything but ‘light and

fantastic.’ When his first dance, which was much the same as that

performed by his people, was concluded, the king began a second by

imitating the canter of a native horse when going to war. This, as may

be supposed, was an inexpressibly odd and whimsical experiment, but it

lasted a short time only; for in a very few minutes he disappeared from

the spectators by cantering into one of his huts, followed by the cheers

of admiration and the acclamations of every one present.

The sun had now set, and with the departure of the prince the singing

and dancing ceased for the evening; nevertheless all the people

patiently awaited his return to the spot. Now, of all the celebrated

dancers in the country, none can excel or equal the king of Wowow in

grace, elegance, and vivacity; and the fame of his skill in this

amusement, which is thought so much of in this country, is gone abroad

into all lands: every one, even his enemies, acknowledge his superiority

in this polite accomplishment; and the envious and malicious are

compelled to own that he is without a rival from Bornou to the sea. Yet,

notwithstanding his renown as a dancer, the chief is a very aged man,

having a most solemn and forbidding aspect; and though he has evidently,

to use a common expression, one foot in the grave, he is as active as a

boy, and indulges largely in this his favourite amusement every Friday.

It was in order for us to witness his elegant dancing, we have been

told, that he pressed us with so much earnestness and importunity to

spend the holidays at Wowow, which we should certainly have consented

to, but for the discouragement our project received from the king of

Boossà, who was envious of his celebrity, and therefore compelled,

rather than enticed us to remain here, that we might see his personal

accomplishments to advantage, witness the public gaiety and festivities

of his people, and in his imagination be struck with astonishment and

admiration at his own perfection in the art of dancing.

The Boossà people did not wait long for the reappearance of their

monarch, for shortly after he came out to them, followed by a boy with

two calabashes full of cowries, which were to be distributed among the

multitude. But first of all the king took up a handful, and gave to each

of the singers, dancers, and musicians, that had contributed so

essentially to his entertainment; nor was the tall old woman forgotten,

who had danced alone before him, for she received a double allowance. We

were rather pleased at this, for she is our next-door neighbour, a poor

old woman, who is very chatty and flippant, and has fallen in love with

one of our young men, named Antonio. This having been done to the

apparent satisfaction of all parties, the remainder of the cowries were

scattered by the king’s own hand among the crowd to be scrambled for,

which occasioned the most animating and amusing sight that can be

conceived. Parents and children, brothers and sisters, strangers and

friends, were scrambling and tumbling over each other, some on their

faces and some on their knees, both giving and receiving cuffs and kicks

in the scuffle to get at the money. This scramble lasted about ten

minutes, when the party before the king’s house broke up; but the good-

natured monarch, to show his affection for his subjects, whom he indeed

regards with as much tenderness as if they were his children, was

unwilling to send them to their homes without giving them another last

treat, so he danced sideways half way up the race-course and back again

to his residence with much stateliness. This was indeed a royal attempt;

the midīki smiled with delight that she had _such_ a spouse; the people

were louder than ever in their shouts of approbation; all was noise,

tumult, and confusion; their sovereign was more beloved than ever he had

been; and as the evening closed in, silence was gradually restored, and

the people retired to their homes. This was the last of the holidays,

and the proceedings of this day have concluded their festivities.

About ten o’clock at night, when we were sleeping on our mats, we were

suddenly awoke by a great cry of distress from innumerable voices,

attended by a horrid clashing and clattering noise, which the hour of

the night tended to make more terrific. Before we had time to recover

from our surprise, old Pascoe rushed breathless into our hut, and

informed us with a trembling voice that ‘the sun was dragging the moon

across the heavens.’ Wondering what could be the meaning of so strange

and ridiculous a story, we ran out of the hut half dressed, and we

discovered that the moon was totally eclipsed. A number of people were

gathered together in our yard, in dreadful apprehension that the world

was at an end, and that this was but the ‘beginning of sorrows.’ We

learnt from them that the Mahomedan priests residing in the city, having

personified the sun and moon, had told the king and the people that the

eclipse was occasioned through the obstinacy and disobedience of the

latter luminary. They said that for a long time previously the moon had

been displeased with the path she had been compelled to take through the

heavens, because it was filled with thorns and briers, and obstructed

with a thousand other difficulties; and therefore that, having watched

for a favourable opportunity, she had this evening deserted her usual

track, and entered into that of the sun. She had not, however, travelled

far up the sky, on the forbidden road, before the circumstance was

discovered by the sun, who immediately hastened to her in his anger, and

punished her dereliction by clothing her in darkness, forcing her back

to her own territories, and forbidding her to shed her light upon the

earth. This story, whimsical as it may seem, was received with implicit

confidence in its truth by the king and queen, and most of the people of

Boossà; and the cause of the noises which we had heard, and which were

still continuing with renewed vehemence, was explained to us by the fact

that they were all ‘assembled together in the hope of being able to

frighten away the sun to his proper sphere, and leave the moon to

enlighten the world as at other times.’ This is much after the manner of

many savage nations.

While our informant was yet speaking to us, a messenger arrived at our

yard from the king, to tell us the above tale, and with an invitation to

come to see him immediately. Therefore, slipping on the remainder of our

clothes, we followed the man to the residence of his sovereign, from

outside of which the cries proceeded, and here we found the king and his

timid partner sitting on the ground. Their usual good spirits and

cheerful behaviour had forsaken them entirely; both appeared overwhelmed

with apprehension, and trembled at every joint. Like all their subjects,

in the hurry of fear and the suddenness of the alarm, they had come out

of their dwellings half dressed, the head and legs, and the upper part

of their persons, being entirely exposed. We soon succeeded in quelling

their fears, or at least in diminishing their apprehension. The king

then observed, that neither himself nor the oldest of his subjects

recollected seeing but one eclipse of the moon besides the one he was

gazing at; that it had occurred exactly when the Falátahs began to be

formidable in the country, and that it had forewarned them of all the

wars, disasters, and calamities, which subsequently took place.

We had seated ourselves opposite to the king and queen, and within two

or three feet of them, where we could readily observe the moon and the

people without inconvenience, and carry on the conversation at the same

time. If the royal couple shuddered with terror on beholding the

darkened moon, we were scarcely less affected by the savage gestures of

those within a few yards of us, and by their repeated cries, so wild, so

loud, and so piercing, that an indescribable sensation of horror stole

over us, and rendered us almost as nervous as those whom we had come to

comfort. The earlier part of the evening had been mild, serene, and

remarkably pleasant; the moon had arisen with uncommon lustre, and being

at the full, her appearance was extremely delightful. It was the

conclusion of the holidays, and many of the people were enjoying the

delicious coolness of a serene night, and resting from the laborious

exertions of the day; but when the moon became gradually obscured, fear

overcame every one. As the eclipse increased, they became more

terrified. All ran in great distress to inform their sovereign of the

circumstance, for there was not a single cloud to cause so deep a

shadow, and they could not comprehend the nature or meaning of an

eclipse. The king was as easily frightened as his people, being equally

simple and ignorant; he would not therefore suffer them to depart.

Numbers sometimes beget courage and confidence, he thought; so he

commanded them to remain near his person, and to do all in their power

to restore the lost glory of the moon.

In front of the king’s house, and almost close to it, are a few

magnificent cotton-trees, round which the soil had been freed from

grass, &c., for the celebration of the games. On this spot were the

terrified people assembled, with every instrument capable of making a

noise which could be procured in the whole town. They had formed

themselves into a large treble circle, and continued running round with

amazing velocity, crying, shouting, and groaning with all their might.

They tossed and flung their heads about, twisted their bodies into all

manner of contortions, jumped into the air, stamped with their feet on

the ground, and flourished their hands above their heads. No scene in

the romance of Robinson Crusoe was so wild and savage as this; and a

large wood fire, with a few men spitted and roasting before it, was

alone wanting to render it complete! Little boys and girls were outside

the ring, running to and fro, clashing empty calabashes against each

other, and crying bitterly; groups of men were blowing on trumpets,

which produced a harsh and discordant sound; some were employed in

beating old drums; others again were blowing on bullock’s horns; and in

the short intervals between the rapid succession of all these fiend-like

noises, was heard one more dismal than the rest, proceeding from an iron

tube, accompanied by the clinking of chains. Indeed, everything that

_could_ increase the uproar was put in requisition on this memorable

occasion; nor did it cease till midnight, when the eclipse had passed

away. Never have we witnessed so extraordinary a scene as this. The

diminished light, when the eclipse was complete, was just sufficient to

enable us to distinguish the various groups of people, and contributed

in no small degree to render the scene still more imposing. If an

European, a stranger to Africa, were to be placed on a sudden in the

midst of the terror-struck people, he would imagine himself to be among

a legion of demons, holding a revel over a fallen spirit; so peculiarly

unearthly, wild, and horrifying was the appearance of the dancing group,

and the clamour which they made. It was perhaps fortunate for us that we

had an almanac with us, which foretold the eclipse; for although we

neglected to inform the king of this circumstance, we were yet enabled

to tell him and his people the exact time of its disappearance. This

succeeded in some measure in suppressing their fears, for they would

believe anything we might tell them; and perhaps, also, it has procured

for us a lasting reputation ‘and a name.’ ‘Oh,’ said the king, ‘there

will be sorrow and crying this night from Wowow to Yàoorie. The people

will have no one to comfort or condole with them; they will fancy this

eclipse to be the harbinger of something very dreadful; and they will be

in distress and trouble till the moon shall have regained her

brightness.’ It was nearly one o’clock when we left the king and queen,

to return to our hut; everything was then calm and silent, and we lay

down to rest in peace.

_Friday, September 3d._—The king’s messenger came to us this morning

with the intelligence that his master had caught cold by exposing

himself the preceding night, and was confined to his apartment with

severe pains in the bowels. We have also to complain of a similar

indisposition. One of our men, who offended so grossly at the horse-

racing two days ago, has been liberated, and appears ashamed of himself

and truly penitent. He promises to abstain from drink in future, to

deport himself soberly and orderly, to lay aside all thoughts of

revenge, and to be ready and willing at all times to do anything which

may be required of him. Notwithstanding his protestations, however, we

are resolved to place our guns and ammunition beyond his reach, together

with all edged instruments whatsoever; for heretofore his temper has

been known to be sullen, furious, and unforgiving, which may yet lead to

disastrous consequences, and may involve us in difficulties.

_Monday, September 6th._—The man we sent to Coulfò, a fortnight since,

to sell our ass, needles, &c., is not yet returned to Boossà, though he

has exceeded the period we had specified for his absence by three or

four days. Fearing that something unpleasant may have happened to him,

we this day despatched one of the king’s people to Coulfò, in order to

ascertain the cause of his delay; and if nothing detains him more than a

want of sale for his goods, he is to return instantly with this

messenger, rather than put us to inconvenience by a longer stay in that

city.

The Niger is now completely full, and in many places its banks are

already overflowed, so that it is extremely favourable for our

proceeding down the river. With the change in the moon, however, we have

had a constant succession of heavy showers, which have compelled us all

day long to remain within doors, in a close, black, and smoky hut;

having the disadvantage of damp, dirty walls, and of being pestered with

myriads of black and white ants; and so long as the rains continue, we

shall be able to take no other kind of exercise than that of moving

round this miserable abode, like prisoners in a condemned cell. It is

perhaps fortunate, after all, that our canoe has not been got ready so

soon as we had anticipated, for constant exposure to the rains upon the

water, in an open boat, would be extremely unpleasant. Yet it is time

that we should leave Boossà, for in spite of the friendship of the king

and queen, more especially of the latter, which is declining very fast

indeed, their benevolent feelings are growing colder every day; our

resources at the same time are diminishing rapidly, and when they are

gone, we know not what we shall do. We now receive only a calabash of

_caffas_ (a kind of dough or paste) from the king once in three days, so

that we are compelled to eat them, at times, either in a state of

putridity, or go without; and our men are half-famished, from the

careless inattention, or perhaps from the wilful negligence of the

midīki; we cannot, like the camelion, live upon air, and we have not a

single cowrie to spare to purchase provisions. Our powder is reduced to

a very small quantity, and in all probability we have not half so much

as we shall require on the Niger; so that for some time past we have

relinquished our sporting excursions altogether, though these once

afforded us an ample supply of game for the consumption of our whole

party.

Caffas are little cakes made of meal and water boiled together. There

are several different kinds of corn at Boossà, all of which are also

made into caffas. The method of separating the grain from the husk, is

by cutting the ears from the stalk and placing them in a kind of wooden

mortar, in which they are subjected to pressure from a heavy piece of

wood. The whole is then exposed to the wind on an elevated situation, by

which the husk is blown away. The process of grinding the corn is

performed on a large stone slab, with another heavy stone which is

worked by the hand. The slab is placed for the sake of convenience in an

inclined position, and is sufficiently large only for the person to

perform the operation on his knees, and it is one which requires no

little exertion. Their only method of cooking the meal when thus

prepared, is by boiling it with water to the consistency of thick paste,

in which state it is poured out in small portions on leaves, and laid by

for use.

_Wednesday, Sept. 8th._—Messengers from the king of Borgoo arrived this

morning in the city from the metropolis of Niki, accompanied by a few of

the principal merchants of a large _fatàkie_, which is now resting at

Zalee, a small town about two hours’ walk to the westward of Boossà, and

which we passed through on our journey. These men are on their way to

the more easterly parts of the continent. They say here, that about

twelve months since, a fatàkie consisting of an extraordinary number of

traders, with horses and other beasts of burden, laden with merchandise,

were travelling through Borgoo, on their route to Gonja, whither they

were going to purchase the goora or kola nut. They were attacked,

however, and plundered by the soldiers of Niki and Kiàma, who had laid

in ambush for them; and rumour says, that the princes of those countries

shared the booty between them. It happened that in the train of these

merchants, and who in fact formed part of the fatàkie, were six men from

Boossà; and when the news of their disaster and enslavement was

communicated to their king, he is said to have been irritated in the

highest degree, insomuch that he instantly despatched men with a

peremptory message to the sultan of Borgoo, to liberate his captured

subjects, and restore to them their horses and property, or prepare for

the consequences of his resentment in case of a refusal. This message

was treated with contemptuous indifference by the Niki sovereign, and he

returned to the monarch of Boossà a haughty and disdainful answer. But

as soon as the latter heard it, he assembled the priests of the ancient

religion of the country of which he is the head, and by their joint

assistance, it is said, he made a powerful enchantment, by which the

legs and arms of his enemy became entirely useless. The king of Borgoo

finding himself in this helpless state, and his conscience reproaching

him with the cause of it, he immediately liberated the Boossà merchants,

restored to them their horses and property, and forwarded the messengers

we have already spoken of as having arrived to-day from Niki, to solicit

forgiveness of the king of Boossà, for the crime which he had

perpetrated, and implore that the spell which bound and was consuming

him might be dissolved forthwith. The men came loaded with presents of

goora-nuts, &c., and they have been joyfully received. Perhaps the

Borgoo monarch hastened to make restitution for his offence, not on

account of his enchantment, as these people imagine, but rather from

public and political considerations; for, in consequence of the above

quarrel, several of his towns had been taken possession of by the king

of Boossà, which will now be abandoned, if the differences be amicably

adjusted between the parties, that their inhabitants may be permitted to

return to their former allegiance. The king of Boossà was restrained

from making further conquests in Borgoo, only by the interference of the

king of Wowow, who represented to him that the revenge he had already

taken was more than proportionate to the offence that had been committed

against him, and that he ought to rest satisfied therewith. The Niki

messengers have been treated with the greatest respect, and the most

generous hospitality.

Like all earthly things, the pleasure and satisfaction excited by the

novelty of our persons have passed away, and we are no longer either the

objects of care and attention from the king and his midīki, or of

curiosity among the natives. If we stay here much longer, this neglect

on the part of the former will become alarming. No provisions have been

sent us to-day, and our wants have been entirely lost sight of in the

important arrival of these messengers from Borgoo. All has been joy in

consequence; music and its usual accompaniments of discordant sounds

have been going forward since; and bustle and confusion prevail

throughout the city. Our people alone are sad, for they have nothing to

eat.

_Thursday, Sept. 9th._—The fatàkie mentioned yesterday as being at Zalee

on the road to this city, arrived here this forenoon, preceded by a

drummer on horseback, as usual, to animate the party by the sound of his

instrument. They entered Boossà one by one, which is their usual method

of travelling, and formed a very long train, the chief merchant of the

whole bringing up the rear. This company consists of about four hundred

individuals; and they have a great number of fine horses, a few mules,

and two hundred asses, to carry their luggage. Their chief, and in fact

their only merchandise, is the goora-nut, for which they have been to

Gonja, a place only a few days’ journey from Accra.

Gonja was till very recently a province of Ashantee, and inhabited by a

people between whom and the Ashantees there is no manner of difference

whatever, the manners, language, religion, and pursuits of both being

precisely the same. But these goora merchants report that it has lately

been separated from that empire, and is now an independent state. They

say, that preceding the commencement of hostilities between the

Ashantees and the British at Cape Coast Castle, &c., and their allies

the Fantees, the former power requested the assistance of the people of

Gonja in a premeditated attack against their enemies, which was objected

to on the ground that the British had not offended them, and therefore

they disliked coming to an open rupture with our countrymen. Nothing was

said at the time by the King of Ashantee concerning the refusal of the

men of Gonja to assist him in the war; and when his subjects returned to

Coomassie in triumph, after having defeated and slain Sir C. Macarthy,

he seemed to have forgotten it altogether. For some time after his total

defeat by the British at Cape Coast Castle, he was still silent. But

when he had recovered from the wounds he had received at this sanguinary

battle, and the harmony of his subjects had been completely restored, he

considered that then was the most proper time for punishing Gonja for

its disobedience. For this purpose, say the merchants, he assembled a

body of ten thousand men, most of whom were armed with muskets, and sent

them, under the command of chosen captains, against the devoted

province. But in the mean time the people of Gonja had been by no means

inactive, for having heard of the great preparations that were making at

Coomassie, and being convinced that those preparations were designed

against their own lives and liberties, they formed a plan of attacking

their invaders and defeating their project, which succeeded to the

utmost of their wishes, and even beyond their expectations. When they

had learnt from a swift-footed messenger of the departure of the

Ashantee army from Coomassie, and the road which they had taken, they

stationed large bodies of stout, well-armed men in ambuscade at various

places in the bush, close to the pathway, and awaited the coming of the

foe. While the latter was drawing near to Gonja, not suspecting danger

of any kind, and straggling about in imagined security, the men in

ambush rushed out upon them, made a sudden and desperate attack on their

whole force at the same moment, which threw the Ashantees into

confusion, and the latter, dropping their arms, fled into the woods. The

carnage is reported to have been dreadful. The conquerors gathered up

the arms of their enemies, sung a song of victory, and returned in

triumph to the city of Gonja.

The king of Ashantee, according to the accounts of the merchants, on

being informed of this disastrous and unlooked for event, was more

exasperated than ever against the successful party, and vowed revenge

against them, their city, and their country. He therefore, very shortly

after the failure of the first expedition, sent another army, stronger

than the former, with a command to destroy the rebellious city, and

annihilate its inhabitants entirely. This news spread consternation

among all classes of people in Gonja, and alarmed the strangers that had

located in the country, insomuch that, on the advance of this second

formidable army, they could not command sufficient resolution to go out

against it, but deserted their dwellings and dispersed themselves

through all parts of the adjacent countries, till such time as their

enemies should think proper to return to Coomassie. It is almost

unnecessary to add, that the city of Gonja was set on fire by the

Ashantee soldiers, in pursuance of their commands, and every house in it

burnt to ashes. The people, however, fancying the king’s wrath to be

sufficiently appeased, were beginning to return again from the places of

their concealment, on the departure of the fatakie, and were busily

engaged in reconstructing their habitations.

We do not place entire confidence in this tale, for almost every African

is guilty of gross exaggeration in his statements, and too many of them

are confirmed liars; so that, after all, the above story may only be

_founded_ on fact.

_Friday, Sept. 10th._—Ever since the arrival of the Borgoo messengers,

nothing else is heard in the city but music, which is continued from

sunrise to sunset; and the long Arab trumpets are likewise sounded

constantly in the middle of the night, the king taking this whimsical

method of displaying his consequence and grandeur to the foreigners,

which has amused us not a little. The dress of these Borgoo men differs

but slightly from that which is worn by the people of Boossà and the

neighbouring nations. We were favoured with a visit from them to-day,

and their behaviour was remarkably decorous, though at first somewhat

reserved. In their address they are extremely humble; and when they

accost a superior, they prostrate themselves on the ground in the most

abject and humiliating manner. Their chief is an elderly, quiet,

respectable man, and professes the Mahomedan religion. On his entrance

into our hut, this forenoon, he had so little confidence in himself, and

was so timorous, that he could not speak; he shook like a leaf, and his

lips also quivered from fear; indeed, the poor man was distressingly

agitated,—perhaps he thought that we were going to devour him: but he

regained his assurance when he found that such was not our intention,

and in a very few minutes he became chatty, agreeable, and

communicative.

We have received two messes from the king lately, one consisting of a

dish of stewed elephant’s flesh, and the other of the flesh of an

hippopotamus, which had been caught in the Niger a short time before.

The latter was rank and fat, and bore a greater resemblance to pork than

to any other meat with which we are acquainted, yet it is considered

delicate and delicious eating.

The method adopted by the natives of destroying the elephant is very

simple. A large harpoon is thrust into the ground, in the middle of a

path which they are known to frequent in their nightly excursions to the

river for water, leaving the ragged points of the instrument above the

ground in an inclined position, and concealing them with straw or

stubble. The heavy beast, unsuspicious of danger, pursues the usual

track with his companions; he comes in contact with the harpoon, which

enters his breast or belly, and having no sagacity to draw back, the

elephant, smarting with pain, forces himself forwards with all his

might, which causes the weapon to penetrate still more deeply into his

body, and he thus becomes a prey to his destroyers. Considering the vast

number of elephants which inhabit the woods on the banks of the Niger

hereabouts, it is singular that so few of them are annually destroyed by

the natives. Perhaps one reason is the little encouragement they receive

for their trouble; for the flesh of these beasts, except when very

young, is almost unsaleable, by reason of its toughness and rancid

nature; their teeth also are valueless here, no use whatever being made

of them.

_Saturday, September 11th._—Our ears were saluted just after day-break

this morning, by a dreadful noise between a man and his wife, who were

squabbling about some money matters, and, as is usual in such cases,

they were surrounded by all their female neighbours, whose clatter

exceeded, if possible, their own. They are slaves of the midīki, and

reside in our yard, within a door or two of our hut. The quarrel

terminated in blows and tears, which was instantly made known to the

queen, who commanded the delinquents to appear before her, and having

entered into all the circumstances of the case, the differences between

them were adjusted on the spot. The woman accused her husband of having

stolen from the place where she had concealed them, no less than four

hundred cowries, which was the original cause of the dispute. The

accusation could not be denied; and the man endeavoured to soothe his

wife by gentle words, and bring her into good humour by flattery, and

expressed contrition for his offence; but this aroused the anger of the

furious woman, who abused her husband with all the reproachful epithets

she could make use of; and though she was blubbering all the while, she

would have gone a still greater length, if he had not stopped her mouth

by a severe beating. So little tenderness or sociability exists between

a married couple, particularly if they should happen to be slaves, that

they have nothing in common; and though they eat and sleep in the same

hut, they seek a separate livelihood.

Perhaps it would be speaking within compass to say, that four-fifths of

the whole population, not only in this country, but likewise every other

hereabouts, are slaves. Many of them are permitted to roam at large,

provided they attend upon their masters when called upon; these procure

their own subsistence, and devote part of their time to the service of

their owners: others reside in the houses of their masters as domestic

servants, and are likewise expected to contribute towards their own

support. The Queen of Boossà has a great number of Falátah slaves; the

men are constantly employed in taking care of her herds, and milking the

cows, and the females dispose of the milk; half of the money obtained by

this means, the Falátahs keep to maintain themselves. Thus are the

slaves treated in their native country—they enjoy much freedom; are

never overworked; have plenty of leisure time, and are rarely punished,

and even then but slightly. If a slave run away from his master, and is

afterwards taken and brought back, he is simply confined in irons a day

or two for his offence; but he is sold to another the first opportunity.

The natives have a strong antipathy to flogging, or severe chastisement

of any kind, and very seldom have recourse to the means of punishment

which they have in their power to inflict.

_Sunday, September 12th._—Our man, who has been expected with some

anxiety and apprehension for his safety, arrived this afternoon from the

city of Coulfò, but with very little money indeed, having disposed of

the ass for less than half its value, and sold, comparatively speaking,

a very small quantity of needles. The remainder, which were valued at

thirty thousand cowries, were stolen from him, he asserts, a few days

before his departure; but we strongly suspect that this is a falsehood,

and that the fellow has converted them to his own use. Since the

messenger to Rabba left Boossà on his errand, we have heard no

intelligence whatever concerning him; and as every thing is now ripe for

our enterprise, we begin to feel impatient and uneasy at our long, and

to us, unnecessary detention in this place, and the irksomeness of our

present dependent situation; for we are often troubled with painful

apprehensions and surmises, that something unpleasant may yet intervene

to frustrate our intentions, embarrass us with difficulties, and

extinguish all our anticipations of success.

The king had not visited us for a fortnight, and therefore we sent a

message to him this forenoon, intimating the great anxiety we felt to

proceed on our journey, and our earnest hope that he would permit us to

do so immediately, even before the return of his messenger from Nouffie.

We complained that we were destitute of almost everything; that we were

wearied out with repeated disappointments, and with having nothing to do

for so long a time; that our health was fast declining, and our life

wasting away; and concluded by assuring him, that if we did not quickly

return to our country, the worst consequences might ensue, and then what

would become of his good name? To this the king made answer, that it was

our future welfare alone, which had induced him to take those measures

and precautions which he perceived with sorrow we disapproved of and

disliked so much; that we did not display our wisdom by our impatience;

and that to attempt proceeding down the river before the return of his

ambassador, would, in his opinion, be not only presumptuous and

improper, but would likewise be highly injurious to our interests.

The king promised to come and see us in the evening, and talk over the

matter with us himself. According to his promise, therefore, he paid us

a visit at the time appointed, and recapitulated that which he had

before told Paskoe, but added that it would be absolutely necessary for

us to make a good present to the King of Nouffie, and another to the

Falátah chief of Rabba. He then gave broad hints for one of our pistols,

which he admired in the usual way; but as we were not _obliged_ to

comprehend his enigmas, and as we could ill spare the pistol, we

appeared very stupid, and would not understand his meaning. The king

shortly afterwards took his leave, yet he was by no means angry at the

failure of his ingenious device. In respect to his recommendation that

we should endeavour all in our power to make friends of the King of

Nouffie and the Chief of Rabba, we have nothing left worthy of their

acceptance, and shall therefore attempt to shun one of these rulers at

least.

_Monday, September 13th._—It is reported here, that _El Kanemee_, the

celebrated Arab so often spoken of in Major Denham’s Journal, has fallen

into disgrace with the Sultan of Bornou, who has had him imprisoned, and

would have punished him with death, but for the interposition and

remonstrances of the Mahomedan priests in the capital, who diverted him

from his purpose by a solemn declaration, that if he should carry his

resentment to such an extremity, there would be no rain in the country

for seven years, for so their book, the Alcoran, had predicted; but that

if the Sultan would be merciful, and resort to a milder punishment by

liberating the Arab after a short confinement, these prophetic priests

promised him that ‘his horse should certainly drink of the waters of the

Quorra,’ that is, he should vanquish all his enemies that were at that

time between Bornou and the Niger, at the end of three years. The

superstitious prince hearkened to these sayings of the crafty priests,

and set his minister at liberty after a short imprisonment. The Arab was

accused by the sultan of treasonable practices, and of having in

particular made various attempts to obtain the affection of the people,

by caresses and flattery, and of enticing them to revolt, so that he

might at a future day usurp the rights of his sovereign, and cause

himself to be proclaimed sultan in his stead.

_Tuesday, September 14th._—The same superstitious notions and prejudices

respecting witches, wizards, and ill-wishers, and the same belief in

necromancy, prevail here at this day, as were current in enlightened

Europe as recently as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The king

sent a messenger this morning to request the favour of a couple of

charges of powder, stating that two women had absconded to _Foco_, which

is a town on the banks of the Niger, a little way below Inguâzhilligee,

and that if it should be found necessary, the powder might be used to

frighten the runagates into a compliance with the wishes of their

pursuers. In the evening the women, who had surrendered themselves at

Foco, landed here from a canoe, and were immediately put in confinement.

We are told that these two poor old creatures resided on an island a

little way up the Niger, and were lately accused by their town’s people

of the crime of witchcraft, and with two old wizards, their neighbours

and friends, of ‘_having eaten the spirits of five individuals_,’ who

all are said to have died by this means. The men, aware of the

persecution and the fate that awaited them should they be taken,

succeeded in making their escape as soon as this crime was laid to their

charge; but the females were not quite so fortunate, for the place of

their concealment was made known to the king, and he caused them to be

apprehended, as above mentioned. One of the reputed witches is a very

aged woman, but her companion is not quite so old. The punishment that

awaits them is perpetual slavery, whereas if the men had been caught,

they would have been bound hand and foot, and flung into the Niger, and

there left to perish. All witches, wizards, and ill-wishers, are treated

in the same manner; the punishment of witches not being so rigorous as

that of their male associates in the black art, in consideration of

their sex. The belief in their power is very general, and instances of

people fancying themselves bewitched, and suffering from their malignant

incantations, are by no means uncommon.

_Saturday, September 18th._—During the last fourteen days my brother had

been extremely indisposed from a slight attack of bilious fever, which

has brought him to a very low and languid state, insomuch that I urged

the king on Wednesday to send us away, to try if change of air and scene

would not produce a beneficial effect on his health. The monarch, after

many scruples and much hesitation, at length appointed the second day of

the moon, that being, he pronounced, the happiest and luckiest of all

days. He could not, however, forbear expressing his deep regret at our

determination of leaving Boossà before the return of his messenger from

Nouffie; it might be detrimental to our personal interests, and his own

reputation also would suffer if any thing should befall us on the river,

but he had already given his word for our departure, and from this

promise he could not swerve. To-day is the second of the moon, but the

Africans calculate upon it as the first only, because they never see

that orb plainly till the second time of her appearance. This afternoon

we wished to pay our respects to the king, previous to our departure,

which we understood was to take place to-morrow morning, but to our

surprise he asserted that the moon would not be discernible that

evening, and therefore that Monday next will be the day which was

specified. The moon, however, _did_ shine fairly in sight of all the

people; nevertheless we have made no further remark to the prince on the

subject, thinking it might confuse and irritate him.

_Sunday, September 19th._—This morning we were so unlucky as to upset a

large bowl of milk, one of which we are daily supplied with from the

king’s house. We sent to have it replenished, because in our present

circumstances we could ill afford to lose so great a luxury. Instead of

gratifying us in this particular, however, he expressed himself quite

overjoyed at the circumstance, and asserted that it was the most happy

omen in the world, and that we ought to consider ourselves as peculiarly

favoured and fortunate. So we were obliged to content ourselves without

breakfast, of which the accident had deprived us, because of the

superstitious nonsense of the monarch.

Everything is now got ready for starting. As it is not our present

intention to call at many inhabited places on the banks of the Niger, we

have provided ourselves with a great quantity of provisions, which

consists chiefly of three large bags of corn and one of beans. We have

likewise a couple of fowls and two sheep, so that we are of opinion we

shall have food enough for all hands for three weeks or a month at

least. To add to our stock, the king and midīki between them have given

us a considerable quantity of rice, honey, corn, and onions; and two

large pots of vegetable butter, which weigh not less than a hundred

pounds.

This afternoon, to our unspeakable joy, the long-expected and wished-for

messenger arrived in this city from Rabba, accompanied by two messengers

from the king of Nouffie, one of whom, a modest-looking, respectable

young man, is his own son. These men are to be our guides as far as

Rabba, after we have passed which city, all the Nouffie territory to the

southward is under the _surveillance_ of Ederesa and his partisans. ‘The

Magīa,’ says the Boossà ambassador, ‘was delighted with the intelligence

that white men were to honour his dominions with their presence; he

showed me the presents made him by Captain Clapperton three years ago,

and said a great deal in his favour and commendation. And as a proof,’

continued the man, ‘of his friendly disposition towards you, and his

interest in your welfare, he has not only sent his son as your companion

and guide, but he has likewise despatched a messenger to every town on

the banks of the Niger, either considerable or unimportant, even as far

as Funda, which is beyond the limits of the empire; and he is

commissioned to acquaint their inhabitants of the fact of your intention

of proceeding down the river, and to desire them to assist you with

their encouragement and support, so far as it lies in their power to

do.’

After some little consideration, we knew not whether we ought to feel

pleasure or regret, thankfulness or indifference, at the arrival of

these men, and the occasion which brought them hither: at present we can

only foresee that they will be a heavy burden on our funds; and as it

happens that we have the utmost difficulty in the world in supporting

ourselves, it will cause us additional trouble, expense, and uneasiness,

in providing them with the bare necessaries of life. The king, however,

had but one feeling on the subject, and that was unbounded delight; he

capered around his hut with transport, when he saw our guides and heard

their message; and after a burst of joy, he began to cry like a child,

his heart was so full. ‘Now,’ said he, when he had become more composed,

‘whatever may happen to the white men, my neighbours cannot but

acknowledge that I have taken every care of them, treated them as became

a king, and done my best to promote their happiness and interests. They

will not be able,’ continued the monarch with exultation, ‘they dare not

have the effrontery to cast at me a reproach like that which they

bestowed upon my ancestor. I can now safely entrust the white men to the

care, protection, and hospitality of a neighbouring monarch, who, I am

convinced, if not for my sake, at least for his own, will receive and

entertain them with every mark of distinction and kindness. I know and

feel that towards them I have done my duty, and let my neighbours see to

it that they do theirs.’ And so he has, for though we have been his

guests for so long a time, and been occasionally not a little

troublesome to him with our importunity, yet we have observed nothing

either in his manners or character to condemn, but much, very much, to

approve of and admire. His disposition is open and ingenuous, and his

sentiments candid and sincere; no child is more simple, innocent, and

unsuspicious than he. The little we have had to complain of is owing to

our detention here longer than we wished; but then, perhaps, we have

been a little too hasty and petulant, and it must likewise be remembered

that in regard to us the king’s reputation and honour were at stake, and

after all he may be perfectly right in his opinions and conjectures.

This evening an old Mahomedan priest, whose countenance seemed to

radiate with meekness, simplicity, loving-kindness, and good-nature,

entered our dwelling, and entreated us with earnest importunity to give

him before our departure a quantity of deadly poison, a very small

portion of which he wished might destroy life in a few moments after it

should be taken. The hoary old villain did not hesitate to confess, in

confidence, that his motive for making this strange request arose from

the desire he felt to administer the poisonous drug to a neighbour, whom

he longed to put out of the world, because he had done him some slight

imaginary wrong. Of course we execrated the horrid intention of the man,

who, rather than listen longer to our reproaches, turned his face and

walked away. In the night Boossà was visited by a thunder-storm. During

the time we have been at Boossà, the thermometer has ranged between 76°

and 93°, but it has most generally been between 80° and 90°, and the

weather very oppressive.