The King and Midīki take leave of the Travellers — They embark on the
River and depart from Boossà — Island Melálie — Inguâzhilligee — Island
Patáshie — The Chief of Teàh — Messengers from the King of Wowow —
Perplexity of the Travellers respecting their Route — Terror of the
Natives at their Appearance — An Invalid — Diseases of the Natives —
Their Medicines — Richard Lander goes to Wowow — Superstition of the
Natives — Charms — Return of Richard Lander to Patáshie — His Interview
with the King of Wowow — House of Correction at Patáshie — Native Pagan
Priest — Departure from Patáshie — Ráah — Arrive at Lever — An officious
Friend in the Priest Ducoo — Disappointment of the Travellers.
_Monday, September 20th._—As may be supposed, our hearts beat high this
morning with the anticipation of at length leaving Boossà, and of
proceeding on our journey; and we were all on the _qui vive_ at a very
early hour, ransacking our lumber, packing it up, and turning it all out
into the yard, from whence it was conveyed to the water-side. About
breakfast-time the king and queen arrived at our hut, to pay us a
farewell visit, and bestow upon us their last blessing. They brought
with them two pots of honey and a large quantity of goora nuts, strongly
recommending us to present the latter to the Rabba chieftain, for that
nothing we might have in our possession could so effectually conciliate
his favour, procure us his friendship, and command his confidence. When
mutual compliments were passed, we expressed our acknowledgments to both
of them with sincerity and earnestness, for the benevolence,
hospitality, and attention, with which they had uniformly treated us;
for their kindness to us; for their zeal in everything that regarded our
welfare; and for the protection they had afforded us during a period
little short of two months, in which we had enjoyed the utmost security,
and as much of happiness and gaiety, as it had been in their power to
bestow. And we assured them, that should we be so fortunate as to return
to England, it would be our first care to acquaint our countrymen of all
their kindness to us, which we would remember as long as we lived. We
then shook hands heartily, and concluded by wishing them a continuation
of the simple blessings and the felicity they enjoyed; that they might
ever be loved by their subjects, and feared and honoured by the
neighbouring nations; that they might live to a good old age and die in
peace with all mankind. They were both touched with sorrow at our words,
for they were the last which they would hear us utter; tears were
glistening in the eyes of each as they were making an affecting and
suitable answer; and the good couple walked out of our hut with heavy
and mournful countenances, and immediately repaired to their own abode
in order to make a powerful spell for our preservation and success.
When we ourselves quitted the hut, which was shortly after their
departure, we found our yard filled with neighbours, friends, and
acquaintances, who all fell down on their knees to bid us good bye. They
blessed us earnestly with uplifted hands, and those among them that were
of the Mahomedan religion, fervently implored for us the favour and
protection of Allah and their Prophet. The eyes of many of them were
streaming with tears, and all were more or less affected. As we passed
by these poor creatures, we spoke to them all, and thanked them again
and again for their good wishes. Our hearts must have been of marble if
we could have beheld such a scene without some slight emotion. On our
way towards the river, also, the path was lined with people, some of
whom saluted us on one knee, and some on both, and we received their
benedictions as we walked along.
It was exactly half past nine in the morning when we arrived at the
river side, where we found two canoes lying to receive our goods, which
we quickly loaded. But with that indolence and indifference which
distinguish all ranks of people here, the canoemen did not make their
appearance till nearly two hours after, though we had sent messengers
repeatedly to them to hasten their coming; the head of them is the
‘Sullikin Zhilligee’ (king of the canoe) that conveyed us from Kagogie
to Yàoorie. When our people were all embarked on the Niger, and
ourselves, we humbly thanked the Almighty for past deliverances, and
fervently prayed that He would always be with us, and crown our
enterprise with success.
We had been but a short time on the water, when we discovered that the
smaller canoe, in which were six individuals and a number of sheep
belonging to the Nouffie messengers, was overladen and in danger of
sinking, and that both were very leaky, insomuch that it required three
men to be constantly employed in baling out the water to keep them
afloat. To lighten the smaller canoe, we took a man from her into our
own, and afterwards we proceeded more safely and with less apprehension;
yet, at one o’clock in the afternoon, we were obliged to put into a
small island called _Melàlie_, to get it repaired, for we were afraid to
proceed any further with the small canoe on account of the rocks and the
velocity of the current.
The chief of the village, a decent-looking, elderly man, came down to
salute us at the water-side; and would not suffer us to depart till he
had prevailed on us to drink beer with him and fire off our guns, when
he compelled us to accept of a fine kid, which we were too polite to
reject. He was dressed in a tobe made of a mixture of country cloth and
Manchester cotton, &c. After we had remained on the island about half an
hour, which was occupied in making the necessary repairs to the canoe,
we launched her out into the water, expressed our thanks to the chief,
and took our leave. Melàlie is tolerably cultivated, and is inhabited
solely by Borgoo men. It lies on the western side of the river. Between
this island and Boossà, the river is full of small islands, with
channels of deep water between them. The banks on both sides are very
fertile, as well as the islands themselves, which are mostly inhabited
and well cultivated.
The current, according to our estimation, was here running at the rate
of five or six miles in an hour; and the bed of the river was full of
rocks, some of which were only a few inches below the surface of the
water, which occasioned it to make a loud rushing noise, and forewarn
the canoeman of his danger. Owing to the skilfulness of ours, we
succeeded in crossing one or two sunken reefs, which, in the dry season
more especially, must be extremely dangerous; even as it was, we
experienced considerable difficulty in getting over them. At two o’clock
we passed the boundaries of Boossà, on the eastern side of the river,
and entered the dominions of the King of Nouffie. A town belonging to
the former power, on the eastern bank of the river, marks the spot; but
we were unable to ascertain its name. We then travelled along by the
side of an island, very woody, called ‘Any Man’s Land,’ which, though
fertile, is uninhabited, in consequence of the vast number of wild
horses which it is said to contain.
At five P.M., we came to Inguâzhilligee, having passed, just before, a
very large and pleasant, but straggling town, called _Congie_[3].
Inguâzhilligee[4] is the first town on the Wowow ground, all above, on
the western bank of the Niger, belonging to Boossà. Journeying along for
a quarter of an hour without stopping here, we put into a market town,
on a large and beautiful island called _Patàshie_, just in time to save
ourselves from a heavy shower; and here we shall be obliged to remain
till the return of a messenger who we landed in the middle of the day,
and sent to Wowow for the purpose of informing the king of our departure
from Boossà, and of our intention to abide at Patàshie till he chooses
to send us the large canoe that we have purchased of him. We are now out
of the protection of the friendly monarch of Boossà, who will have
nothing further to do with us.
About twenty or thirty paces from the river’s side, we discovered a
great quantity of huge bones and skulls of hippopotami, piled up on a
high platform which has been erected for the purpose. These, we
understand, are preserved as trophies by the natives, on much the same
principle as foxes’ tails are kept by many country gentlemen in England.
From the decayed appearance of some of the skulls, we are inclined to
believe that most of the animals must have been destroyed very many
years ago. We were speedily introduced to the chief, who gave us a
hearty welcome, and who we found to be a little round, fat, jolly-
looking old man; and as soon as was convenient, we were conducted to an
excellent hut, received a quantity of provisions from the chief, and
then lay down to rest. Thermometer 76°, 86°, 88° during the day.
_Tuesday, September 21st._—Patàshie, as we have said, is a large, rich
island, unspeakably beautiful, and is embellished with various groves of
palm, and other noble trees. Its distance from Boossà, as nearly as we
can guess, may be between forty and fifty miles. It abounds with horses,
asses, bullocks, sheep, goats, poultry, &c., and produces abundance of
corn and yams; in fact the soil is so exceedingly fertile, and its
inhabitants so industrious, that not an acre of ground in the whole
island, it is said, is left without cultivation. Patàshie is tributary
to Wowow, though it is inhabited solely by Nouffie people, who are
considered honest, active, laborious, and wealthy. We find the river
very much swollen, the banks are of a shelving nature, and the water is
now nearly on a level with the highest part of them. We observed several
small villages on the Nouffie side.
Our hut has this day exhibited a scene of revelry and mirth more
becoming a native inn than a private dwelling.
The chief of the island, accompanied by our four messengers from Boossà
and Nouffie, our canoemen, and several of his own people, all dressed
‘in their holyday best,’ paid us a visit in the earlier part of the
morning, and out of compliment, I fancy, remained with us till evening,
with the exception of a short absence in the middle of the day, during
all which time they were employed in swallowing palm-wine, which is
procured in the island in great plenty, and in telling nonsensical
stories. We were glad when they said it was time to depart, and having
shaken hands with the ardour of drunkards, they took their leave,
staggered out of the hut, and all went laughing away.
It is rather singular that though the chief is a sooty black, he has
bright blue eyes. We received from him about noon a fine goat, and
messes of pounded yam and meat, stewed in palm-oil. These were brought
in well-carved wooden dishes, of huge dimensions; and we subsequently
received an ewe sheep, and similar dressed dishes, from the chief of an
island belonging to Nouffie, which lies abreast of this, and whom we
have not yet seen.
The magīa’s son (whose name is Mohammed), and whom we find to be a very
intelligent youth, informs us, that if the prince of Wowow be unable to
furnish us with a canoe sufficiently large for our purpose, it would be
well to demand the restoration of our horses, which we could dispose of
advantageously in Nouffie, and purchase a quantity of beads, and other
trifles, with the money, as presents to the various chiefs along the
banks of the river. Instead of purchasing a canoe ourselves, which would
be very expensive, the young man promised, in the name of his father, to
obtain one of commodious size, which should answer all purposes, and
take us to _Tagra_, with men whom it should be his business likewise to
get. Tagra, we believe, is very near Benin. In our own opinion, this
would certainly be the safest and best means of journeying down the
Niger, as the protection of all the chiefs would thereby be insured to
us. But we are apprehensive that we have gone too far towards adopting a
different scheme, and we see very little likelihood, indeed, that we
shall be able to embrace the plan suggested, and so strongly recommended
by Mohammed, unless the Wowow ruler be not in a condition to perform his
engagement, and is willing to return our horses, which does not appear
to us at all probable, under existing circumstances. The messenger we
sent to him is not yet returned. Thermometer 74°, 83°, 85°, during the
day.
_Wednesday, Sept. 22d._—This morning we were visited by the revellers of
yesterday, who brought with them several gallons of palm-wine, which
they swallowed in a very short time, and to every appearance we were
threatened with a renewal of yesterday’s debauch; but luckily for us
they went out for a few minutes to procure more liquor, when we embraced
the opportunity of closing the door of our hut against them, and thus
prevented their re-entering it.
In the morning we were favoured with a visit from the chief of Teàh, the
Nouffie island alluded to yesterday. He is a venerable-looking old man,
of advantageous stature, and exceedingly corpulent. He expressed the
utmost delight and satisfaction on seeing white men before he died, and
declared it was a pleasure, which neither his father, mother, nor uncle,
had ever enjoyed, and a gratification which his ancestors had never
hoped for; he should therefore cherish the remembrance of it as long as
he lived. We have with us a quarto edition of natural history, with
plates; these, though incomprehensible to the natives of Yarriba, appear
to be extremely well understood here, and have excited in the minds of
those that have seen them the highest degree of admiration, rapture, and
wonderment. The old chief of Teàh gazed upon them in silent
astonishment; but when we took out a watch and mariner’s compass for his
inspection, and their uses were explained to him, he became at first
very uneasy, and afterwards perfectly wild with amazement. No one in the
world could express more naturally or forcibly the emotion of wonder, or
the passion of fear, which the countenance of this old man displayed as
he looked at the watch; nor could he be persuaded for a long time but
that it was in possession of life and being, and had the power of
moving. After a long and friendly chat the good old chief saluted us,
and took his leave.
Teàh lies very near the island of Patàshie, from which it is divided
only by a very narrow channel. Of the two, Teàh is said to be the larger
and more populous; but with regard to agreeableness of appearance,
amazing fecundity of soil, and natural productions, they are pretty much
alike, both being beyond description fertile and beautiful. In both
provisions are reasonable, and in the greatest plenty; they are both
inhabited by individuals of the same nation, who enrich the islands by
their industry and labour; and both have been equally exempt from those
intestine broils and commotions which have for so long a time agitated
and impoverished the natives of the main land.
In the evening a messenger arrived from the king of Wowow, with news not
at all to our liking. He informs us that we were anxiously expected in
that city from Boossà at the time of the holydays; and because we did
not come agreeably to our promise, the prince could not conceal his
chagrin, and was exceedingly angry not only with the king of Boossà, who
was the cause of our absence, but with us likewise. The messenger
continued, that his sovereign had most certainly procured for us a
canoe, which is laid up at _Lever_; but that if we wished, or rather if
we were determined to have our horses back again, the king would send
them to us in compliance with our wishes, ‘for who,’ said he, with much
emphasis, ‘would presume to assert that the monarch of Wowow would keep
the property of others?’ ‘It would not be paying him that respect,’ he
continued, ‘which his rank and situation demanded, were the white men to
leave his dominions and the country altogether, without first coming to
pay him their respects, and he would therefore entreat us to pay a visit
to Wowow immediately for that purpose, or if both of us could not leave
Patàshie, he requested that I would come and bid him adieu, because I
had not done so when my illness compelled me to leave his city.
The man finished his message by complaining bitterly of the conduct of
the king of Boossà, who, he said, had acted towards his sovereign
deceitfully, unhandsomely, and inconsistently, throughout all the
transactions in which we have been principally concerned. We ourselves
are confident that the king of Wowow will strongly object to the
arrangement of his relative, regarding our being sent either to the
magīa or to the chief of the Falátahs at Rabba, if not endeavour to
frustrate it, because he is at enmity with the one, and both fears and
hates the other. But how he can positively prevent this scheme from
being carried into effect, seeing we shall have the magīa’s son and a
Nouffie messenger in the same canoe with us, we cannot imagine.
The monarchs of Boossà and Wowow seem to have very opposite opinions
regarding our journey. The former insists on the necessity of our
proceeding down the Niger on the eastern or Nouffie side, which would
certainly be the most interesting and desirable; whereas the other makes
use of strong language to persuade us that the Yarriba side of the river
would be the most convenient, the most agreeable, and the safest; and
that if we would make up our minds not to attend to the king of Boossà’s
advice, he would send a messenger with us, who should protect us even to
the sea. This difference of opinion, we are apprehensive, will involve
us in a thousand perplexities; yet we must be guided in our choice
entirely by circumstances. Interest, present or remote, and prejudice
and passion, seem to sway the minds of both these rulers, though each of
them avows his disinterestedness. The king of Boossà, a good man, but of
an humble, yielding, peaceful, enduring temper, and of a timorous,
wavering disposition, requests us earnestly to visit the Magīa and the
Falátahs, because he knows it would gratify their vanity, and make them
his friends for ever;—the king of Wowow, of a firm, sagacious, and
unbending mind, scorns the friendship and defies the power of either,
and is inveterate in his dislike both of the very name of Falátah, and
that of the brother of Ederesa; he is aware that our visiting their
territories in person, would not only be paying them a very high
compliment, but would likewise, in some measure, be advantageous to
them, and is guided by this decided partiality in doing all in his power
to bring us over to his own views and sentiments. From the treatment I
experienced at Soccatoo, I must say that I entertain a very great
aversion to the whole Falátah nation; and am of opinion, that if we put
into Rabba, according to the suggestions of the king of Boossà, we shall
be detained there till Bello be informed of the fact, and his intentions
with regard to us be communicated to the chief. I am therefore inclined
to adopt the advice of the king of Wowow, rather than to comply with the
wishes of his august relative, though there is no just or reasonable
ground to fear either ill-treatment or detention at the hands of the
Falátahs, more especially since we have received ample and satisfactory
assurances from the powerful chief of Rabba himself of their favourable
disposition towards us, that we shall be received as friends, and meet
with every encouragement and support as far as their power and interests
extend, and as far as their name is known and respected. Yet we cannot
follow the bent of our own inclinations; we are involved in difficulty;
and though everything appears propitious to our enterprise, yet we are
not masters of our own actions; we must follow where others lead, and we
are still in doubt as to what we shall do. At all events, we shall be
guided in our choice entirely by circumstances; ‘we shall trust our
fortune to the powers above,’ and can only pray that an indulgent
Providence will succour, befriend, and protect us in all circumstances,
as it has heretofore done.
The Wowow ambassador will rest with us to-morrow; and, on the day
following, I intend accompanying him to that city, not only to pay my
respects to the sovereign, but likewise to have a final and decisive
answer from him regarding the canoe, without further subterfuge or
procrastination. Thermometer 76°, 87°, 89°, during the day.
_Thursday, Sept. 23d._—At Boossà, latterly, we had the greatest
difficulty and trouble in procuring the bare necessaries of life; but
here, in this flourishing Patàshie, provisions have been sent us from
the chiefs of the two islands, in such abundance, that half of them, we
regret to say, have been unconsumed by our people and thrown to the
dogs: we have received from each of them, daily, as much as a strong man
could carry, consisting of the usual gigantic bowl of pounded yam and
meat, stewed in palm oil. People here, of all ages, display the most
anxious, though perhaps natural curiosity to see us; and large crowds of
them assemble every day, and wait from morning till night, patiently,
till they have gained the object of their visit. However, they are all
as timid as hares, and if we happen to look fixedly in their faces for a
moment, most of them, more especially the females, and the junior
classes of both sexes, start back with terror, as if they had seen a
serpent in the grass; and when we attempt to walk near any of them, they
run away screaming, as though they had been pursued by a lion, or were
in danger of falling into the jaws of a crocodile, so horrified are
these poor people at the bare sight of a white man, and so frightful do
their imaginations picture him to be.
In the evening, long after the sun had gone down, the chief brought a
youth for us to pass our opinion on, whom he introduced as a near
relative. He has been ill for the last fourteen months, and the chief
prayed that we would endeavour to cure him of his complaint. He is a
tall, lank young man, of humble, modest, and reserved manners. From a
state of robust health and vigour, which it appears he formerly enjoyed,
he is wasted away almost to a skeleton; and his temper, once pleasant,
cheerful, and sprightly, has lost its elasticity, and he is become
thoughtful, dejected, and melancholy: however, though the invalid rarely
enjoys sound and refreshing sleep, yet he has a wonderful appetite, and
he eats with voracity. We sincerely regret our ignorance of the nature
of his disorder, and therefore our utter inability to do him the
slightest benefit; nevertheless, the old chief solicited us so warmly
for medicine, and with such pressing importunity, that rather than give
offence, and because the young man complained of a sore throat and neck,
which seemed to annoy him at present more than anything else, we chafed
those parts with a little spirits of hartshorn, and wrapped round them
several folds of warm flannel. It was all that we could do to relieve
his pain, and it seemed to give complete satisfaction. Poor people! how
happy did this little service make them!
The natives are subject to very few diseases, and those, generally
speaking, are not of a dangerous or malignant tendency. As far as we are
able to judge from the symptoms he describes, the complaint under which
the old chief’s _protégé_ labours, approaches nearer to the nature of
consumption than to any other disease with which we are acquainted.
Small pox is very prevalent, but we do not hear that it often terminates
fatally. The Guinea-worm is frequently met with; ulcers, of that
frightful description which prevails on the coast, are unknown; but
agues and slight fevers are by no means uncommon; and of all complaints,
sore eyes and affections of the bowels are by far the most general.
Properly speaking, the natives have no active medicine of their own,
though they boast an acquaintance with a variety of medicinal plants,
which, as far as our observation extends, are wholly inefficacious; they
likewise ascribe the most wonderful healing properties to a quantity of
roots and fibres of trees, which are sought after and vended by a number
of idle, lazy fellows who pretend to be Mahomedan priests: however, from
our experience, these do neither good nor harm, being perfectly innocent
in their effects, and altogether useless. The root of a large and scarce
tree holds so high a reputation for the astonishing properties which it
is supposed to possess, that it has obtained, by way of distinction, the
name of the ‘mother of roots.’ Besides its other virtues, the credulous
people believe that, whilst they have the smallest portion of this
celebrated ‘mother of roots’ about their persons, they can assuage every
sorrow, alleviate every misfortune; banish care from their minds and
want from their dwellings, avert pain, and secure happiness. From the
Arabs, however, the natives obtain great quantities of _trona_, which is
a fossil alkali, and is found on the borders of the desert. It is a
strong and active aperient, and possesses other medicinal properties
which are understood by the people. It is taken by all ranks in every
complaint, of whatsoever nature it may be. Trona is likewise beat to a
powder and mixed with snuff, to which it imparts a great degree of
pungency. And lastly, it is given to horses, sheep, and other animals,
which eat large lumps of it with the greatest avidity. Thermometer 78°,
89°, 91°, during the day.
_Friday, September 24th._—The Boossà canoemen, who have been intoxicated
every day since they have been here, returned to their homes this
morning in a state of ebriety, having received a shilling each and a few
needles, as a reward for their labour. Shortly after their departure, I
landed for the purpose of proceeding to Wowow, and took possession of a
house on the bank of the river, which had been prepared for me. The King
of Wowow’s messenger accompanied me, and having got everything ready as
soon as we could, we commenced our journey towards his city. It was the
intention of the man from Boossà to have taken his leave of us here, and
return to his sovereign; but when he heard the extraordinary
communication and insinuations of the Prince of Wowow, he changed his
mind, and resolved to accompany me as above related. I left my brother
on the island to take care of our things, and the following remarks were
made by him in my absence.
‘The Nouffie messengers remain here with me, and the Queen of Boossà’s
“master of the horse” has determined not to leave us till after our
arrival at _Lever_, though we would much rather dispense with his
company. They tell us that _Rabba_ is two days’ journey by water from
the town of Lever, and three from Funda, and that Funda is four days’
journey from the sea. On our arrival at Rabba, says Mohammed, or after
we shall have delivered a present to its chief, and the formalities of
introduction are gone through, he will supply us with horses to convey
us to a town wherein the Magīa resides, and which is about two days’
journey from thence, for it will be necessary that we should pay our
respects to him in person.
‘The chief of Patàshie came to see me this evening by lamp-light,
accompanied by his sick relative, whom he pronounced to be much better,
having slept soundly during the night, and experienced a mitigation of
pain. I applied a little more spirits of hartshorn to his throat, and
recommended temperance in eating, gentle exercise in the open air, to
beware of chills, and avoid exposure to nightly damps and dews. The old
chief and his nephew (for that is the relationship between them) took
their leave of me with many expressions of thankfulness. Our hut has
been literally crammed with visiters nearly the whole of the day.
Thermometer 77°, 88°, 92°, during the day.
‘_Saturday, September 25th._—Nothing worthy of particular notice has
occurred to-day; I continue to receive the utmost hospitality and
kindness from the old benevolent chiefs of Teàh and this island, the
latter of whom stays with me almost all day long. He took a fancy to the
only English coat which is now left me, its green colour seeming to be
the principal cause of his admiration; and as it is of little
consequence here how uncouthly soever an European may be dressed, I cut
off part of its skirts to make him a cap. A woman belonging to the chief
died to-day in a state of insanity. According to the people’s account,
the deceased was in good health three days ago, but this morning a
malicious female demon entered into her, and began to exercise her
malign propensities by tormenting her victim, throwing her upon fires,
and into the water, causing her eyes to roll in a frenzied manner, and
making her lie along the ground, raving and roaring most furiously. Last
of all, they say the evil spirit put an end to her torture by _eating
her life_, and she died. Thermometer 74°, 80°, 83°, during the day.
‘_Sunday, September 26th._—A Mahomedan priest, furnished with pen and
ink, arrived at Patàshie to pay his respects to us, and without wearying
me with questions, he sat down very composedly and commenced writing an
Arab charm or prayer, for our health, preservation, and success. I felt
no inclination to interrupt the man’s benevolent intention; and when he
had finished, the Magīa’s son, who happened to be present, animated by
the same laudable impulse, produced a charm possessing, no doubt, as
many virtues as the Mallam’s. These are nothing more than short extracts
from the Koran. Both men appeared to write the Arabic character with a
readiness and facility which one would scarcely expect to find in this
remote country. Charms or amulets are in universal use, more especially
in Yarriba, where, perhaps, the Mahomedan religion is least felt, and
has made least progress. They are generally encompassed with red cloth
or leather; are worn for the most part on the left arm; and from ten to
twenty are sometimes observed on the person of one individual. This
custom might have originally been introduced into the country by the
Arabs, and disseminated by their means through all these parts of the
continent. The phylacteries of the ancient Jews, which were little rolls
of parchment, containing written passages from the Holy Scriptures, and
which used to be worn upon the forehead and the wrist of the left arm,
might have given the Arabians the hint of wearing extracts from the
Koran in like manner, and which, by the lapse of ages, have degenerated
into the present superstitious practice of wearing charms, which is so
prevalent in Africa. The same idle stories with regard to reputed
wizards, necromancers, &c., which are current in Boossà, obtain as great
a degree of credit here; and the people likewise believe in other
absurdities equally detestable. To-day a man has been accused of eating
the spirit or living principle of another; but in what manner he is to
be punished, no one has yet informed us. Thermometer 76°, 86°, 91°,
during the day.’
_Monday, September 27th._—I returned in the warmest part of the day from
my visit to Wowow, with no less than three men as messengers from the
king, the whole of whom are to accompany us to Lever. It has ever been
the policy of all the African rulers of the cities and kingdoms through
which we have passed since leaving Badágry, to furnish us with a greater
number of guides and messengers than we have either required or wished.
In the present instance, one would have been amply sufficient for our
purpose, but, as on former occasions, the Wowow men are the king’s
slaves, and will be obliged, on their return, to lay before their
monarch whatever we may give them as a reward for their trouble; he will
take from them as much as he likes, which most likely will not be less
than seven-eighths of the whole, and the little left will then be
divided among the messengers, so that self-interest alone has induced
the king to send us three men, because three men will be entitled to
more wages than one.
On my arrival at Wowow on the 24th instant, I felt too much fatigued
from the length of the journey, and the heat of the weather, to pay my
respects to the monarch, and therefore desired to be excused from
visiting him till the morrow. Accordingly, on the following day, I had
prepared myself to go to the king’s house, in pursuance of my agreement,
but was greatly surprised on learning that the eccentric old man had
excused himself from being seen on that day, on the same plea as I had
the day before, observing that he had taken a ride to view his gardens
in the morning, and that the exercise had so much tired him, that he
felt no inclination whatever to receive visiters till next day.
Therefore, it was not till the 26th, that the king granted me an
audience, and then he said, with the greatest indifference, ‘I have not
yet been able to procure you the canoe which I promised to get; but I
have no doubt that the ruler of Patàshie will have it in his power to
supply you with one to your satisfaction, for which purpose I will send
an express to that island without delay, whom I will furnish with the
necessary instructions to effect an immediate purchase.’ Thus, with as
much discussion as would fill a volume, continued with little or no
intermission for seven weeks, between the sovereigns of two countries,
who during that period were sending messengers to each other
continually, the mighty business which had employed all their thoughts,
and in which they were unceasingly engaged—the simple purchase of a
canoe, is even now left unfinished; in fact, up to the present moment,
no more has been done in the matter, than when we first made known our
intentions and wishes to the king of Boossà from the city of Yàoorie two
months ago. So much for the expedition with which Africans usually
transact their affairs. The king took the opportunity of informing me,
that he should by and by set about erecting a suitable building for the
reception of our countrymen, whenever it should please them to come up
the river to trade: for the old man cherishes the belief, in common with
other rulers on the banks of the Niger, that numbers of Europeans will,
some time or other, certainly visit his country for the purposes of
traffic.
Before my departure, the monarch showed me, in compliance with my
request, the whole of his collection of charms, which are written on
sheets of paper, glued or pasted together. Amongst them I discovered a
small edition of ‘Watts’s Hymns,’ on one of the blank leaves of which
was written:—‘_Alexander Anderson, Royal Military Hospital, Gosport_,
1804.’ It is perhaps unnecessary to say, that Mr. Anderson was the
companion, and I believe a very near relative of the celebrated Mr.
Park. From the Wowow chieftain, as well as from his good old brother,
and our friend Abba, I and my attendants experienced the most liberal
hospitality; and, on taking my leave of them, they wished me farewell in
the most cordial and affectionate manner. Besides the note from Mr. and
Mrs. Watson to Mr. Park, which we obtained when at Boossà, we also saw
another from Lady Dalkeith, of the same date, acknowledging the receipt
of some drawings from him. Thermometer 76°, 89°, 93°, during the day.
_Tuesday, Sept. 28th._—It is really tiresome to say anything further on
the provoking subject of the canoe; yet we think it necessary to remark,
that not a single one is to be found here sufficiently large for our
purpose, or at all answering the expectations held out to us by the
prince of Wowow. Lever is therefore again fixed on as the place where
our wishes are to be answered, and our hopes realized; and we are given
to understand that we shall leave this place for thence at an early hour
to-morrow.
On walking across Patàshie to-day, in perhaps its narrowest part, we
found the island to be about a mile in width; yet, in comparison to its
breadth, it is very disproportionate, being several miles in length.
Patàshie is extremely populous for its size, and large clusters of huts
are scattered all over the island. From a gentle eminence on the main
land opposite, its appearance bears a striking resemblance to the more
beautiful parts of the sea-coast.
The people have a hut here, wherein all females who conduct themselves
indecently, or commit any crimes or offences, are imprisoned. This
building is distinguished from the others by its size, situation, and
superior appearance. Outside the door-way, and on each side of it, are
two clay figures, nearly as large as life, which are affixed to the
wall. One of them is intended to represent a woman in an upright
position, and without clothing, so that every female who sees it may be
reminded of the object and origin of the institution; but the thing
looks extremely odd, and the execution, as might be supposed, is rude
and contemptible. The figure opposite to it is a pretty good
representation of a crocodile; and is placed against the wall, I
suppose, merely as an ornament. Nearly all the junior classes of the
population here go entirely naked; and it is not before they attain to
man’s or woman’s estate that they begin to clothe themselves. Red clay
is in general use among females of all ranks. The Magīa’s son intends
leaving us to-morrow, on a visit to his father, whom he will inform of
our movements, &c. From thence he purposes proceeding to Rabba, where he
will stay till our arrival. Thermometer 76°, 87°, 90°, during the day.
_Wednesday, Sept. 29th._—After our luggage had all been packed up this
morning in readiness for our departure, and everything had been prepared
for that purpose, word was brought us from the chief, that we should be
unable to start till to-morrow, because the Niger, he said, would
receive a great influx of water to-night, which would be considerably in
our favour. As it rained heavily and incessantly nearly the whole of
last night, and as we had continued heavy showers almost the whole of
this forenoon, we have made no complaint or fuss at our disappointment,
but quietly await the coming of to-morrow. In the evening we were
urgently solicited by the hospitable chief of Patàshie, for a charm to
render him successful in all his shooting excursions, and in hunting the
hippopotamus. This request was soon followed by a similar one from his
brother. For ourselves we are obliged to follow the current of opinion,
or consent to lose our credit and be regarded with detestation; and, as
our charms are likely to be as effective as those of the Arabs, we
sometimes oblige the natives in this respect. Thermometer 75°, 85°, 87°,
during the day.
_Thursday, Sept. 30th._—Between eight and nine o’clock in the morning,
horses were brought us from the chief and his nephew, to take us to the
water’s side, where the luggage had been previously conveyed. Here we
waited a good while till canoes were brought from another part of the
island, there being but one got ready at the time of our arrival. While
we stood near the water’s edge, hundreds of people were collected there
to look at us, and among them was a native Pagan priest, who was dressed
more fantastically than any Merry-Andrew in Christendom. His clothing
was manufactured almost solely of fine soft grass. His head and
shoulders and part of his body were hid underneath an enormous thing, in
shape like the roof of a hut, with a fringe and tassels of stained
grass. A tobe, made also of grass, excellently woven and of various
colours, encircled his body, and reached as far as the knee; and the man
wore likewise trowsers of the same material, and plaited in a similar
manner, but this was unstained, and of the colour of dried grass; it was
turned up at the ankles, though a deep fringe hung to the ground. He
approached several individuals that were sitting on the turf, and
stooping over them, the priest enveloped the upper part of their persons
in his uncouth head-dress; shook it over them, which produced a strange
rustling noise; screamed in a most frightful and unearthly tone; and
then arose to perform the same barbarous ceremony to others.
[Illustration: _The fetish at Patashie_]
When the canoes had arrived, and all our things had been removed into
them from the beach, we were desired to ride to a landing-place further
down the island, because of the rocks, which are reported to intercept
the stream at a little distance from the place whereon we stood, and to
be very dangerous for canoes which are heavily laden. But first of all
we took a cordial farewell of the hearty old chief of _Teàh_, who had
come over to see us before our departure. The venerable governor of
Patàshie, to whom we are under so many obligations, then preceded us on
the footway, walking with a staff; and we reached the appointed place of
embarkation exactly at the same moment as the canoes. There we found a
man and woman sitting on a mat, which was placed on the grass,
refreshing themselves with Guinea nuts and water; we partook of their
fare by invitation, and as the canoes were waiting for us to come on
board, we bade adieu, in the most expressive manner, to the good old
chief of Patàshie, and thanking all the friends that had accompanied us
thither, we jumped on board, and pushed off from the shore, cheered by
the natives that were present.
The current bore us rapidly along, but we regretted to find the river
again broken up by rocks and numerous small islands, which spoil its
delightful appearance, and render it unnavigable. A few miles below
Patàshie, are three islands, abreast of each other, and by no means
destitute of beauty or verdure, which are called collectively _Ràah_. On
one of them is a large trading town, and near it the canoemen landed to
get some refreshment. We then continued our course for some time without
meeting any obstacle to embarrass us; but afterwards, in order to get
clear of a reef of rocks, we were obliged to make our way through an
exceedingly narrow channel, overhung with the branches of trees, and
more than half filled with rushes and tall luxuriant grasses. This
brought us into the main river again, and having passed along in front
of one or two towns on the banks of the river, we came in sight of
_Lever_, which was the place of our destination, and where we landed at
one o’clock, after rather a short excursion from Patàshie of three
hours. Lever may be distant from that island about twenty miles.
Our surprise was great indeed, when, instead of the proper person whom
we expected would have received us, we were welcomed on shore by a man
called _Ducoo_, and who represented himself as agent and confidential
friend of the prince of Rabba; but this surprise was not a little
increased on learning that a party of forty or fifty armed Falátah
soldiers were also in the town. Ducoo, who is a Bornouese, treated us
with the courtly politeness of a Frenchman, and was equally lavish in
his compliments and his offers of service; he walked with us to the
chief of the town, to whom he took the liberty of introducing us, almost
before he himself knew who or what we were; went himself and procured
excellent lodgings for us, returned and sat down in our company to tell
us some droll stories, and impart to us in confidence some very
disagreeable news; then hastily rose up, went out, and came back again
with a sheep and other provisions, which he had obtained by compulsion
from the chief, and finally remained with us till long after the moon
had risen, when he left us to our repose. A man of such excessive
volubility we never recollect to have met with; but at the same time he
seems to be a most useful fellow.
This _Lever_, then, after all, does not belong to the king of Wowow,
though it stands on his dominions, nor has that monarch a single subject
here, or a solitary canoe, so that we are as far from getting one as
ever we were, and with the loss of our horses to boot. We have been
cajoled and out-manœuvred very prettily by those fellows of Boossà and
its adjoining state, whom we falsely conceived to be our dearest and
best black friends. They have played with us as if we were great dolls;
we have been driven about like shuttlecocks; we have been to them first
a gazing-stock, and are now no doubt their laughing-stock, perhaps their
mockery; we have been their admiration—their buffoons—their wonder and
their scorn—a byword and a jest. Else why this double-dealing, this
deceit, this chicanery, these hollow professions? Why did they entrap us
in this manner? Why have they led us about as though we had been blind,
only to place us in the very lap of what _they_ imagine to be danger?
For can it be possible that the monarchs of Wowow and Boossà were
ignorant of the state of things here, which is in their own immediate
neighbourhood, and which have continued the same essentially for these
three years? Surely they have knowingly deceived us.
As soon as we were convinced that no canoe could be had in this place,
as we have all along been led to expect, we conceived it prudent, under
existing circumstances, to detain the two canoes which were lent us this
morning by the chief of Patàshie; one of them is tolerably large, and
nearly new, but the other is of much smaller dimensions. However we are
well aware that the king of Wowow has not yet paid for them, and we are
afraid that he never will; and it grieves and saddens us beyond
expression to do this thing; for the island ruler is a simple, kind-
hearted, and good, very good old man. But what can we do? _We_ have not
the means of purchasing his canoes, for the king of Wowow has deprived
us of them; our resources are nearly exhausted, and how should we be
able to prosecute our journey? The Patàshie canoemen stoutly resisted
our claims, as it is natural to suppose that they would. For our own
parts we were actually ashamed to look them in the face; but our busy,
restless friend, _Ducoo_, the priest, soon silenced their remarks by
threatening to cut off the head of him who should presume from that time
to set foot in either of the canoes. To give his menace the greater
weight, he stationed two of his men, to guard the forbidden boats till
the sun went down with drawn swords, and during the greater part of the
night another of his men paraded up and down the banks of the river near
the spot as a watch, and this man was continually playing upon a large
drum.
We are furnished with four messengers, besides him from Nouffie, one of
whom is from Boossà, and the other three from Wowow. The office of these
men is to see that everything promised us by their respective sovereigns
be executed in pursuance of their agreement; but no one can be more
intimidated or alarmed than they. They have scarcely dared to open their
lips for the purpose of speaking since our arrival; they look as silly
as sheep, sneak about our lodgings, and hang down their heads like
prisoners under sentence of death. They are of no service whatever to
us, rather a disadvantage in fact, but yet their wages must be paid
them.
After the departure of Ducoo in the evening, the chief of the town came
to pay his respects and to wish us good night. He related to us a
pitiable account of the evils which he and his people had undergone, and
were still enduring from the selfishness and rapacity of the Falátahs;
‘and they never pay us a visit,’ said he, ‘but my spirits droop within
me, and my heart becomes heavy and sorrowful, for these foreigners come
only to plunder and lay waste.’ The appearance of things at the present
time seems to confirm this assertion, for a number of Falátahs are here
for no other reason; and the melancholy of the chief’s countenance was
an eloquent illustration of the embittered state of his heart and
feelings. Thermometer 78°, 89°, 93°, during the day.