_Some Account of Jarra, and the Moorish Inhabitants. — The Author
applies for, and obtains Permission from Ali, the Moorish Chief or
Sovereign, of Ludamar, to pass through his Territories. — Departs
from Jarra, and arrives at Deena — ill treated by the Moors. —
Proceeds to Sampaka — finds a Negro who makes Gunpowder. —
Continues his Journey to Samee, where he is seized by some Moors who
are sent for that Purpose by Ali — is conveyed a Prisoner to the
Moorish Camp at Benowm, on the Borders of the Great Desert._
The town of Jarra is of considerable extent: the houses are built
of clay and stone intermixed; the clay answering the purpose of
mortar. It is situated in the Moorish kingdom of Ludamar; but the
major part of the inhabitants are Negroes, from the borders of the
southern states, who prefer a precarious protection under the Moors,
which they purchase by a tribute, rather than continue exposed to their
predatory hostilities. The tribute they pay is considerable; and they
manifest towards their Moorish superiors the most unlimited obedience
and submission, and are treated by them with the utmost indignity and
contempt. The Moors of this, and the other states adjoining the country
of the Negroes, resemble in their persons the Mulattoes of the West
Indies to so great a degree, as not easily to be distinguished from
them; and in truth, the present generation seem to be a mixed race
between the Moors (properly so called) of the North, and the Negroes
of the South; possessing many of the worst qualities of both nations.
Of the origin of these Moorish tribes, as distinguished from the
inhabitants of Barbary, from whom they are divided by the Great Desert,
nothing farther seems to be known than what is related by John Leo,
the African; whose account may be abridged as follows:
Before the Arabian Conquest, about the middle of the seventh century,
all the inhabitants of Africa, whether they were descended from
Numidians, Phœnicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, or Goths, were
comprehended under the general name of _Mauri_, or Moors. All these
nations were converted to the religion of Mahomet, during the Arabian
empire under the Kaliphs. About this time many of the Numidian tribes,
who led a wandering life in the Desert, and supported themselves
upon the produce of their cattle, retired southward across the Great
Desert, to avoid the fury of the Arabians; and by one of those tribes,
says Leo, (that of Zanhaga) were discovered and conquered the Negro
nations on the Niger. By the Niger, is here undoubtedly meant the
river of Senegal, which in the Mandingo language is called _Bafing_,
or the Black River.
To what extent these people are now spread over the African continent,
it is difficult to ascertain. There is reason to believe, that their
dominion stretches from West to East, in a narrow line or belt,
from the mouth of the Senegal (on the northern side of that river)
to the confines of Abyssinia. They are a subtle and treacherous race
of people; and take every opportunity of cheating and plundering the
credulous and unsuspecting Negroes. But their manners and general
habits of life will be best explained, as incidents occur in the
course of my narrative.
On my arrival at Jarra, I obtained a lodging at the house of Daman
Jumma, a Gambia Slatee. This man had formerly borrowed goods from
Dr. Laidley, who had given me an order for the money, to the amount of
six slaves; and though the debt was of five years standing, he readily
acknowledged it, and promised me what money he could raise. He was
afraid, he said, in his present situation, he could not pay more than
two slaves’ value. He gave me his assistance however in exchanging
my beads and amber for gold, which was a more portable article,
and more easily concealed from the Moors.
The difficulties we had already encountered, the unsettled state of the
country, and, above all, the savage and overbearing deportment of the
Moors, had so completely frightened my attendants, that they declared
they would rather relinquish every claim to reward, than proceed
one step farther to the eastward. Indeed the danger they incurred
of being seized by the Moors, and sold into slavery, became every
day more apparent; and I could not condemn their apprehensions. In
this situation, deserted by my attendants, and reflecting that my
retreat was cut off by the war behind me, and that a Moorish country
of ten days’ journey lay before me, I applied to Daman to obtain
permission from Ali, the chief or sovereign of Ludamar, that I might
pass through his country unmolested, into Bambarra; and I hired one of
Daman’s slaves to accompany me thither, as soon as such permission
should be obtained. A messenger was dispatched to Ali, who at this
time was encamped near Benowm; and as a present was necessary, in
order to insure success, I sent him five garments of cotton cloth,
which I purchased of Daman, for one of my fowling-pieces. Fourteen
days elapsed in settling this affair; but, on the evening of the
26th of February, one of Ali’s slaves arrived with directions,
as he pretended, to conduct me in safety, as far as Goomba; and
told me I was to pay him one garment of blue cotton cloth for his
attendance. My faithful boy observing that I was about to proceed
without him, resolved to accompany me; and told me, that though he
wished me to turn back, he never had entertained any serious thoughts
of deserting me, but had been advised to it by Johnson, with a view
to induce me to return immediately for Gambia.
Feb. 27th. I delivered most of my papers to Johnson, to convey them
to Gambia as soon as possible, reserving a duplicate for myself, in
case of accidents. I likewise left in Daman’s possession a bundle
of clothes, and other things that were not absolutely necessary;
for I wished to diminish my baggage as much as possible, that the
Moors might have fewer inducements to plunder us.
Things being thus adjusted, we departed from Jarra in the forenoon,
and slept at Troomgoomba, a small walled village, inhabited by a
mixture of Negroes and Moors. On the day following (Feb. 28th) we
reached Quira; and on the 29th, after a toilsome journey over a sandy
country, we came to Compe, a watering place belonging to the Moors;
from whence on the morning following, we proceeded to Deena, a large
town, and, like Jarra, built of stone and clay. The Moors are here
in greater proportion to the Negroes than at Jarra. They assembled
round the hut of the Negro where I lodged, and treated me with the
greatest insolence: they hissed, shouted, and abused me; they even
spit in my face, with a view to irritate me, and afford them a pretext
for seizing my baggage. But, finding such insults had not the desired
effect, they had recourse to the final and decisive argument, that I
was a Christian, and of course that my property was lawful plunder
to the followers of Mahomet. They accordingly opened my bundles,
and robbed me of every thing they fancied. My attendants finding that
every body could rob me with impunity, insisted on returning to Jarra.
The day following (March 2d) I endeavoured, by all the means in my
power, to prevail upon my people to go on; but they still continued
obstinate; and having reason to fear some further insult from the
fanatic Moors, I resolved to proceed alone. Accordingly the next
morning, about two o’clock I departed from Deena. It was moonlight;
but the roaring of the wild beasts made it necessary to proceed
with caution.
When I had reached a piece of rising ground about half a mile from
the town, I heard somebody halloo, and looking back, saw my faithful
boy running after me. He informed me, that Ali’s man had gone
back to Benowm, and that Daman’s Negro was about to depart for
Jarra; but he said he had no doubt, if I would stop a little, that
he could persuade the latter to accompany us. I waited accordingly,
and in about an hour the boy returned with the Negro; and we continued
travelling over a sandy country, covered with _asclepias gigantica_,
until mid-day, when we came to a number of deserted huts; and seeing
some appearances of water at a little distance, I sent the boy to
fill a soofroo; but as he was examining the place for water, the
roaring of a lion, that was probably on the same pursuit, induced the
frightened boy to return in haste, and we submitted patiently to the
disappointment. In the afternoon we reached a town inhabited chiefly
by Foulahs, called Samaming-koos.
Next morning (March 4th) we set out for Sampaka; which place we reached
about two o’clock. On the road we observed immense quantities of
locusts: the trees were quite black with them. These insects devour
every vegetable that comes in their way, and in a short time completely
strip a tree of its leaves. The noise of their excrement falling
upon the leaves and withered grass, very much resembles a shower
of rain. When a tree is shaken or struck, it is astonishing to see
what a cloud of them will fly off. In their flight they yield to the
current of the wind, which at this season of the year is always from
the N.E. Should the wind shift, it is difficult to conceive where
they could collect food, as the whole of their course was marked
with desolation.
Sampaka is a large town, and when the Moors and Bambarrans were at
war, was thrice attacked by the former; but they were driven off with
great loss, though the King of Bambarra was afterwards obliged to
give up this, and all the other towns as far as Goomba, in order to
obtain a peace. Here I lodged at the house of a Negro who practised
the art of making gunpowder. He shewed me a bag of nitre, very white,
but the crystals were much smaller than common. They procure it in
considerable quantities from the ponds which are filled in the rainy
season, and to which the cattle resort for coolness during the heat
of the day. When the water is evaporated, a white efflorescence is
observed on the mud, which the natives collect and purify in such a
manner as to answer their purpose. The Moors supply them with sulphur
from the Mediterranean; and the process is completed by pounding the
different articles together in a wooden mortar. The grains are very
unequal, and the sound of its explosion is by no means so sharp as
that produced by European gunpowder.
March 5th. We departed from Sampaka at daylight. About noon we stopped
a little at a village called Dangali; and in the evening arrived at
Dalli. We saw upon the road two large herds of camels feeding. When the
Moors turn their camels to feed, they tie up one of their fore legs,
to prevent their straying. This happened to be a feast day at Dalli,
and the people were dancing before the Dooti’s house. But when they
were informed that a white man was come into the town, they left off
dancing, and came to the place where I lodged, walking in regular
order, two and two, with the music before them. They play upon a sort
of flute; but instead of blowing into a hole in the side, they blow
obliquely over the end, which is half shut by a thin piece of wood:
they govern the holes on the side with their fingers, and play some
simple and very plaintive airs. They continued to dance and sing until
midnight: during which time I was surrounded by so great a crowd, as
made it necessary for me to satisfy their curiosity, by sitting still.
March 6th. We stopt here this morning, because some of the townspeople,
who were going for Goomba on the day following, wished to accompany
us; but in order to avoid the crowd of people which usually assembled
in the evening, we went to a Negro village to the east of Dalli,
called Samee, where we were kindly received by the hospitable Dooti,
who on this occasion killed two fine sheep, and invited his friends
to come and feast with him.
March 7th. Our landlord was so proud of the honour of entertaining
a white man, that he insisted on my staying with him and his friends
until the cool of the evening, when he said he would conduct me to the
next village. As I was now within two days’ journey of Goomba, I had
no apprehensions from the Moors, and readily accepted the invitation. I
spent the forenoon very pleasantly with these poor Negroes: their
company was the more acceptable, as the gentleness of their manners
presented a striking contrast to the rudeness and barbarity of the
Moors. They enlivened their conversation by drinking a fermented
liquor made from corn; the same sort of beer that I have described
in a former chapter; and better I never tasted in Great Britain.
In the midst of this harmless festivity, I flattered myself that
all danger from the Moors was over. Fancy had already placed me on
the banks of the Niger, and presented to my imagination a thousand
delightful scenes in my future progress, when a party of Moors
unexpectedly entered the hut, and dispelled the golden dream. They
came, they said, by Ali’s orders, to convey me to his camp at
Benowm. If I went peaceably, they told me, I had nothing to fear;
but if I refused, they had orders to bring me by force. I was struck
dumb by surprise and terror, which the Moors observing, endeavoured to
calm my apprehensions, by repeating the assurance that I had nothing
to fear. Their visit, they added, was occasioned by the curiosity
of Ali’s wife, _Fatima_, who had heard so much about Christians,
that she was very anxious to see one: as soon as her curiosity should
be satisfied, they had no doubt, they said, that Ali would give me a
handsome present, and send a person to conduct me to Bambarra. Finding
entreaty and resistance equally fruitless, I prepared to follow the
messengers, and took leave of my landlord and his company with great
reluctance. Accompanied by my faithful boy (for Daman’s slave made
his escape on seeing the Moors), we reached Dalli in the evening;
where we were strictly watched by the Moors during the night.
March 8th. We were conducted by a circuitous path through the woods
to Dangali, where we slept.
March 9th. We continued our journey, and in the afternoon arrived at
Sampaka. On the road we saw a party of Moors, well armed, who told
us that they were hunting for a runaway slave; but the townspeople
informed us, that a party of Moors had attempted to steal some cattle
from the town in the morning, but were repulsed; and, on their
describing the persons, we were satisfied that they were the same
banditti that we had seen in the woods.
Next morning (March 10th) we set out for Samaning Koos. On the road
we overtook a woman and two boys, with an ass: she informed us that
she was going for Bambarra, but had been stopped on the road by a
party of Moors, who had taken most of her clothes, and some gold
from her; and that she would be under the necessity of returning to
Deena till the fast moon was over. The same evening the new moon was
seen, which ushered in the month Rhamadan. Large fires were made in
different parts of the town, and a greater quantity of victuals than
usual dressed upon the occasion.
March 11th. By daylight the Moors were in readiness; but as I had
suffered much from thirst on the road, I made my boy fill a soofroo
of water for my own use; for the Moors assured me that they should
not taste either meat or drink until sunset. However, I found that
the excessive heat of the sun, and the dust we raised in travelling,
overcame their scruples, and made my soofroo a very useful part of our
baggage. On our arrival at Deena, I went to pay my respects to one of
Ali’s sons. I found him sitting in a low hut, with five or six more
of his companions, washing their hands and feet, and frequently taking
water into their mouths, gargling, and spitting it out again. I was
no sooner seated, than he handed me a double-barreled gun, and told
me to dye the stock of a blue colour, and repair one of the locks. I
found great difficulty in persuading him that I knew nothing about the
matter. However, says he, if you cannot repair the gun, you shall give
me some knives and scissars immediately; and when my boy, who acted
as interpreter, assured him that I had no such articles, he hastily
snatched up a musket that stood by him, cocked it, and putting the
muzzle close to the boy’s ear, would certainly have shot him dead
upon the spot, had not the Moors wrested the musket from him, and made
signs for us to retreat. The boy, being terrified at this treatment,
attempted to make his escape in the night; but was prevented by the
vigilance of the Moors, who guarded us with strict attention; and at
night always went to sleep by the door of the hut, in such a situation
that it was almost impossible to pass, without stepping upon them.
March 12. We departed from Deena towards Benowm, and about nine
o’clock came to a Korree, whence the Moors were preparing to depart
to the southward, on account of the scarcity of water; here we filled
our soofroo, and continued our journey over a hot sandy country,
covered with small stunted shrubs, until about one o’clock, when
the heat of the sun obliged us to stop. But our water being expended,
we could not prudently remain longer than a few minutes to collect a
little gum, which is an excellent succedaneum for water; as it keeps
the mouth moist, and allays, for a time, the pain in the throat.
About five o’clock we came in sight of Benowm, the residence of
Ali. It presented to the eye a great number of dirty looking tents,
scattered, without order, over a large space of ground; and among the
tents appeared large herds of camels, cattle, and goats. We reached
the skirts of this camp, a little before sunset, and, with much
entreaty, procured a little water. My arrival was no sooner observed,
than the people who drew water at the wells threw down their buckets;
those in the tents mounted their horses; and men, women, and children,
came running or galloping towards me. I soon found myself surrounded
by such a crowd, that I could scarcely move; one pulled my clothes,
another took off my hat, a third stopped me to examine my waistcoat
buttons, and a fourth called out, _la illa el allah Mahamet rasowl
allahi_,[11] and signified, in a threatening manner, that I must repeat
those words. We reached at length the king’s tent, where we found
a great number of people, men and women, assembled. Ali was sitting
upon a black leather cushion, clipping a few hairs from his upper lip;
a female attendant holding up a looking glass before him. He appeared
to be an old man, of the Arab cast, with a long white beard; and he
had a sullen and indignant aspect. He surveyed me with attention,
and inquired of the Moors if I could speak Arabic: being answered in
the negative, he appeared much surprised, and continued silent. The
surrounding attendants, and especially the ladies, were abundantly
more inquisitive: they asked a thousand questions; inspected every
part of my apparel, searched my pockets, and obliged me to unbutton my
waistcoat, and display the whiteness of my skin: they even counted my
toes and fingers, as if they doubted whether I was in truth a human
being. In a little time the priest announced evening prayers; but
before the people departed, the Moor who had acted as interpreter,
informed me that Ali was about to present me with something to eat;
and looking round, I observed some boys bringing a wild hog, which
they tied to one of the tent strings, and Ali made signs to me to kill
and dress it for supper. Though I was very hungry, I did not think it
prudent to eat any part of an animal so much detested by the Moors,
and therefore told him that I never eat such food. They then untied
the hog, in hopes that it would run immediately at me; for they believe
that a great enmity subsists between hogs and Christians; but in this
they were disappointed; for the animal no sooner regained his liberty,
than he began to attack indiscriminately every person that came in his
way, and at last took shelter under the couch upon which the King was
sitting. The assembly being thus dissolved, I was conducted to the tent
of Ali’s chief slave, but was not permitted to enter, nor allowed
to touch any thing belonging to it. I requested something to eat,
and a little boiled corn, with salt and water, was at length sent me
in a wooden bowl; and a mat was spread upon the sand before the tent,
on which I passed the night, surrounded by the curious multitude.
[Illustration: _J. C. Barrow delt. from a Sketch from M. Park._
_J. Mills sculpt._
_A VIEW of ALI’S TENT at the CAMP of BENOWM._
_Published as the Act directs, by George Nicol, Pall Mall, January
the 1st.1799._]
At sunrise, Ali, with a few attendants, came on horseback to visit
me, and signified that he had provided a hut for me, where I would be
sheltered from the sun. I was accordingly conducted thither, and found
the hut comparatively cool and pleasant. It was constructed of corn
stalks set up on end, in the form of a square, with a flat roof of the
same materials, supported by forked sticks; to one of which was tied
the wild hog before mentioned. This animal had certainly been placed
there by Ali’s order, out of derision to a Christian; and I found
it a very disagreeable inmate, as it drew together a number of boys,
who amused themselves by beating it with sticks, until they had so
irritated the hog that it ran and bit at every person within its reach.
I was no sooner seated in this my new habitation, than the Moors
assembled in crowds to behold me; but I found it rather a troublesome
levee, for I was obliged to take off one of my stockings, and show
them my foot, and even to take off my jacket and waistcoat, to show
them how my clothes were put on and off; they were much delighted with
the curious contrivance of buttons. All this was to be repeated to
every succeeding visitor; for such as had already seen these wonders,
insisted on their friends seeing the same; and in this manner I
was employed, dressing and undressing, buttoning and unbuttoning,
from noon to night. About eight o’clock, Ali sent me for supper,
some kouskous and salt and water, which was very acceptable, being
the only victuals I had tasted since morning.
I observed that, in the night, the Moors kept regular watch, and
frequently looked into the hut, to see if I was asleep, and if it was
quite dark, they would light a wisp of grass. About two o’clock in
the morning, a Moor entered the hut, probably with a view to steal
something, or perhaps to murder me; and groping about, he laid his
hand upon my shoulder. As night visitors were at best but suspicious
characters, I sprang up the moment he laid his hand upon me; and
the Moor, in his haste to get off, stumbled over my boy, and fell
with his face upon the wild hog, which returned the attack by biting
the Moor’s arm. The screams of this man alarmed the people in the
King’s tent, who immediately conjectured that I had made my escape,
and a number of them mounted their horses, and prepared to pursue
me. I observed upon this occasion that Ali did not sleep in his own
tent, but came galloping upon a white horse from a small tent at a
considerable distance; indeed, the tyrannical and cruel behaviour of
this man made him so jealous of every person around him, that even
his own slaves and domestics knew not where he slept. When the Moors
had explained to him the cause of this outcry, they all went away,
and I was permitted to sleep quietly until morning.
March 13th. With the returning day commenced the same round of insult
and irritation: the boys assembled to beat the hog, and the men and
women to plague the Christian. It is impossible for me to describe the
behaviour of a people who study mischief as a science, and exult in the
miseries and misfortunes of their fellow-creatures. It is sufficient to
observe, that the rudeness, ferocity, and fanaticism, which distinguish
the Moors from the rest of mankind, found here a proper subject
whereon to exercise their propensities. I was a _stranger_, I was
_unprotected_, and I was a _Christian_; each of these circumstances is
sufficient to drive every spark of humanity from the heart of a Moor;
but when all of them, as in my case, were combined in the same person,
and a suspicion prevailed withal, that I had come as a _spy_ into the
country, the reader will easily imagine that, in such a situation,
I had every thing to fear. Anxious, however, to conciliate favour,
and, if possible, to afford the Moors no pretence for ill treating
me, I readily complied with every command, and patiently bore every
insult; but never did any period of my life pass away so heavily:
from sunrise to sunset, was I obliged to suffer, with an unruffled
countenance, the insults of the rudest savages on earth.
[Footnote 11: See page 103.]