_Ali departs for Jarra, and the Author allowed to follow him
thither. — The Author’s faithful Servant, Demba, seized by
Ali’s Order, and sent back into Slavery. — Ali returns to his
Camp, and permits the Author to remain at Jarra, who, thenceforward,
meditates his Escape. — Daisy, King of Kaarta, approaching with
his Army towards Jarra, the Inhabitants quit the Town, and the Author
accompanies them in their Flight. — A Party of Moors overtake him at
Queira. — He gets away from them at Daybreak: — is again pursued
by another Party, and robbed; but finally effects his Escape._
Having, as hath been related, obtained permission to accompany Ali to
Jarra, I took leave of Queen Fatima, who with much grace and civility,
returned me part of my apparel; and the evening before my departure,
my horse, with the saddle and bridle, were sent me by Ali’s order.
Early on the morning of the 26th of May, I departed from the camp of
Bubaker, accompanied by my two attendants, Johnson and Demba, and a
number of Moors on horseback; Ali, with about fifty horsemen, having
gone privately from the camp during the night. We stopped about noon
at Farani, and were there joined by twelve Moors riding upon camels,
and with them we proceeded to a watering-place in the woods, where
we overtook Ali and his fifty horsemen. They were lodged in some low
shepherds’ tents near the wells. As the company was numerous, the
tents could scarcely accommodate us all; and I was ordered to sleep
in the open space, in the centre of the tents, where every one might
observe my motions. During the night, there was much lightning from
the north-east; and about daybreak a very heavy sand-wind commenced,
which continued with great violence until four in the afternoon. The
quantity of sand which passed to the westward in the course of this
day, must have been prodigiously great. At times it was impossible to
look up; and the cattle were so tormented by the particles lodging
in their ears and eyes, that they ran about like mad creatures,
and I was in continual danger of being trampled to death by them.
May 28th. Early in the morning the Moors saddled their horses,
and Ali’s chief slave ordered me to get in readiness. In a little
time the same messenger returned, and taking my boy by the shoulder,
told him in the Mandingo language, that “Ali was to be his master
in future;” and then turning to me, “the business is settled
at last (said he); the boy, and every thing but your horse, goes
back to Bubaker; but you may take the old fool (meaning Johnson the
interpreter) with you to Jarra.” I made him no answer; but being
shocked beyond description at the idea of losing the poor boy, I
hastened to Ali, who was at breakfast before his tent, surrounded by
many of his courtiers. I told him (perhaps in rather too passionate
a strain,) that whatever imprudence I had been guilty of, in coming
into his country, I thought I had already been sufficiently punished
for it, by being so long detained; and then plundered of all my little
property; which, however, gave me no uneasiness, when compared with
what he had just now done to me. I observed, that the boy which
he had now seized upon, was not a slave, and had been accused of
no offence: he was indeed one of my attendants; and his faithful
services in that station, had procured him his freedom: his fidelity
and attachment had made him follow me into my present situation; and
as he looked up to me for protection, I could not see him deprived of
his liberty, without remonstrating against such an act, as the height
of cruelty and injustice. Ali made no reply, but with a haughty air
and malignant smile, told his interpreter, that if I did not mount my
horse immediately, he would send me back likewise. There is something
in the frown of a tyrant which rouzes the most secret emotions of the
heart: I could not suppress my feelings; and for once entertained an
indignant wish to rid the world of such a monster.
Poor Demba was not less affected than myself; he had formed a strong
attachment towards me, and had a cheerfulness of disposition, which
often beguiled the tedious hours of captivity: he was likewise a
proficient in the Bambarra tongue, and promised on that account to
be of great utility to me in future. But it was in vain to expect
any thing favourable to humanity, from people who are strangers to
its dictates. So having shaken hands with this unfortunate boy, and
blended my tears with his, assuring him, however, that I would do my
utmost to redeem him, I saw him led off by three of Ali’s slaves,
towards the camp at Bubaker.
When the Moors had mounted their horses, I was ordered to follow them;
and after a toilsome journey through the woods, in a very sultry day,
we arrived in the afternoon at a walled village, called Doombani;
where we remained two days, waiting for the arrival of some horsemen
from the northward.
On the 1st of June, we departed from Doombani towards Jarra. Our
company now amounted to two hundred men, all on horseback; for the
Moors never use infantry in their wars. They appeared capable of
enduring great fatigue; but from their total want of discipline, our
journey to Jarra was more like a fox-chase, than the march of an army.
At Jarra, I took up my lodging at the house of my old acquaintance,
Daman Jumma; and informed him of every thing that had befallen me. I
particularly requested him to use his interest with Ali, to redeem
my boy, and promised him a bill upon Dr. Laidley, for the value of
two slaves, the moment he brought him to Jarra. Daman very readily
undertook to negotiate the business; but found that Ali considered the
boy as my principal interpreter, and was unwilling to part with him,
lest he should fall a second time into my hands; and be instrumental
in conducting me to Bambarra. Ali therefore put off the matter from
day to day; but withal told Daman, that if he wished to purchase the
boy for himself, he should have him thereafter, at the common price
of a slave; which Daman agreed to pay for him, whenever Ali should
send him to Jarra.
The chief object of Ali, in this journey to Jarra, as I have already
related, was to procure money from such of the Kaartans, as had taken
refuge in his country. Some of these had solicited his protection, to
avoid the horrors of war; but by far the greatest number of them were
dissatisfied men, who wished the ruin of their own sovereign. These
people no sooner heard that the Bambarran army had returned to
Sego without subduing Daisy, as was generally expected, than they
resolved to make a sudden attack themselves upon him, before he could
recruit his forces, which were now known to be much diminished by a
bloody campaign, and in great want of provisions. With this view,
they solicited the Moors to join them, and offered to hire of Ali
two hundred horsemen; which Ali, with the warmest professions of
friendship, agreed to furnish, upon condition that they should
previously supply him with four hundred head of cattle, two hundred
garments of blue cloth, and a considerable quantity of beads and
ornaments. The raising this impost, somewhat perplexed them; and
in order to procure the cattle, they persuaded the king to demand
one-half the stipulated number from the people of Jarra; promising to
replace them in a short time. Ali agreed to this proposal, and the
same evening (June 2d) the drum was sent through the town; and the
crier announced, that if any person suffered his cattle to go into
the woods, the next morning, before the king had chosen his quota
of them, his house should be plundered, and his slaves taken from
him. The people dared not disobey the proclamation; and next morning
about two hundred of their best cattle were selected, and delivered
to the Moors: the full complement was made up afterwards, by means
equally unjust and arbitrary.
June 8th. In the afternoon, Ali sent his chief slave to inform me,
that he was about to return to Bubaker; but as he would only stay
there a few days, to keep the approaching festival (_Banna Salee_),
and then return to Jarra, I had permission to remain with Daman
until his return. This was joyful news to me; but I had experienced
so many disappointments, that I was unwilling to indulge the hope of
its being true, until Johnson came and told me that Ali, with part
of the horsemen, were actually gone from the town, and that the rest
were to follow him in the morning.
June 9th. Early in the morning, the remainder of the Moors departed
from the town. They had, during their stay, committed many acts
of robbery; and this morning, with the most unparalleled audacity,
they seized upon three girls, who were bringing water from the wells,
and carried them away into slavery.
The anniversary of _Banna Salee_, at Jarra, very well deserved to be
called a festival. The slaves were all finely clad on this occasion,
and the householders vied with each other in providing large quantities
of victuals, which they distributed to all their neighbours, with the
greatest profusion: hunger was literally banished from the town; man,
woman, and child, bond and free, all had as much as they could eat.
June 12th. Two people, dreadfully wounded, were discovered at a
watering-place, in the woods; one of them had just breathed his last,
but the other was brought alive to Jarra. On recovering a little,
he informed the people, that he had fled through the woods from
Kasson; that Daisy had made war upon Sambo, the king of that country;
had surprised three of his towns, and put all the inhabitants to the
sword. He enumerated by name, many of the friends of the Jarra people,
who had been murdered in Kasson. This intelligence made the death-howl
universal in Jarra, for the space of two days.
This piece of bad news, was followed by another, not less
distressing. A number of runaway slaves, arrived from Kaarta on the
14th, and reported that Daisy, having received information concerning
the intended attack upon him, was about to visit Jarra. This made
the Negroes call upon Ali for the two hundred horsemen, which he was
to furnish them, according to engagement. But Ali paid very little
attention to their remonstrances; and at last plainly told them,
that his cavalry were otherwise employed. The Negroes, thus deserted
by the Moors, and fully apprized that the king of Kaarta would shew
them as little clemency, as he had shewn the inhabitants of Kasson,
resolved to collect all their forces, and hazard a battle before the
king, who was now in great distress for want of provisions, should
become too powerful for them. They therefore assembled about eight
hundred effective men in the whole; and with these they entered Kaarta,
on the evening of the 18th of June.
June 19th. This morning the wind shifted to the south-west; and about
two o’clock in the afternoon, we had a heavy tornado, or thunder
squall, accompanied with rain, which greatly revived the face of
nature, and gave a pleasant coolness to the air. This was the first
rain that had fallen for many months.
As every attempt to redeem my boy had hitherto been unsuccessful,
and in all probability would continue to prove so, whilst I remained
in the country; I found that it was necessary for me to come to some
determination concerning my own safety, before the rains should be
fully set in; for my landlord, seeing no likelihood of being paid
for his trouble, began to wish me away; and Johnson, my interpreter,
refusing to proceed, my situation became very perplexing. If I
continued where I was, I foresaw that I must soon fall a victim
to the barbarity of the Moors; and yet if I went forward singly,
it was evident that I must sustain great difficulties, both from
the want of means to purchase the necessaries of life, and of
an interpreter to make myself understood. On the other hand, to
return to England without accomplishing the object of my mission,
was worse than either. I therefore determined to avail myself of the
first opportunity of escaping, and to proceed directly for Bambarra,
as soon as the rains had set in for a few days, so as to afford me
the certainty of finding water in the woods.
Such was my situation, when, on the evening of the 24th of June, I was
startled by the report of some muskets close to the town, and inquiring
the reason, was informed that the Jarra army had returned from fighting
Daisy, and that this firing was by way of rejoicing. However, when
the chief men of the town had assembled, and heard a full detail of
the expedition, they were by no means relieved from their uneasiness
on Daisy’s account. The deceitful Moors having drawn back from the
confederacy, after being hired by the Negroes, greatly dispirited
the insurgents; who, instead of finding Daisy with a few friends
concealed in the strong fortress of Gedingooma, had found him at a
town near Joka, in the open country, surrounded by so numerous an
army, that every attempt to attack him was at once given up; and the
confederates only thought of enriching themselves, by the plunder of
the small towns in the neighbourhood. They accordingly fell upon two
of Daisy’s towns, and carried off the whole of the inhabitants;
but lest intelligence of this might reach Daisy, and induce him to
cut off their retreat, they returned through the woods by night,
bringing with them the slaves and cattle which they had captured.
June 26th. This afternoon, a spy from Kaarta, brought the alarming
intelligence, that Daisy had taken Simbing in the morning, and would
be in Jarra some time in the course of the ensuing day. A number of
people were immediately stationed on the tops of the rocks, and in the
different passages leading into the town, to give early intelligence
of Daisy’s motions; and the women set about making the necessary
preparations for quitting the town as soon as possible. They continued
beating corn, and packing up different articles, during the night;
and early in the morning, nearly one half of the townspeople took
the road for Bambarra, by the way of Deena.
Their departure was very affecting: the women and children crying;
the men sullen and dejected; and all of them looking back with regret
on their native town; and on the wells and rocks, beyond which their
ambition had never tempted them to stray, and where they had laid all
their plans of future happiness; all of which they were now forced
to abandon, and to seek shelter among strangers.
June 27th. About eleven o’clock in the forenoon, we were alarmed by
the centinels, who brought information that Daisy was on his march
towards Jarra, and that the confederate army had fled before him
without firing a gun. The terror of the townspeople on this occasion
is not easily to be described.—Indeed, the screams of the women and
children, and the great hurry and confusion that every where prevailed,
made me suspect that the Kaartans had already entered the town; and
although I had every reason to be pleased with Daisy’s behaviour to
me, when I was at Kemmoo, I had no wish to expose myself to the mercy
of his army, who might, in the general confusion, mistake me for a
Moor. I therefore mounted my horse, and taking a large bag of corn
before me, rode slowly along with the townspeople, until we reached
the foot of a rocky hill, where I dismounted, and drove my horse up
before me. When I had reached the summit, I sat down, and having a
full view of the town, and the neighbouring country, could not help
lamenting the situation of the poor inhabitants, who were thronging
after me, driving their sheep, cows, goats, &c. and carrying a scanty
portion of provisions, and a few clothes. There was a great noise and
crying every where upon the road; for many aged people and children
were unable to walk, and these, with the sick, were obliged to be
carried, otherwise they must have been left to certain destruction.
About five o’clock we arrived at a small farm, belonging to the
Jarra people, called Kadeeja; and here I found Daman and Johnson
employed in filling large bags of corn, to be carried upon bullocks,
to serve as provisions for Daman’s family on the road.
June 28th. At daybreak, we departed from Kadeeja; and, having passed
Troongoomba, without stopping, arrived in the afternoon at Queira. I
remained here two days, in order to recruit my horse, which the Moors
had reduced to a perfect Rosinante, and to wait for the arrival of
some Mandingo Negroes, who were going for Bambarra in the course of
a few days.
On the afternoon of the 1st of July, as I was tending my horse in
the fields, Ali’s chief slave and four Moors arrived at Queira,
and took up their lodging at the Dooty’s house. My interpreter,
Johnson, who suspected the nature of this visit, sent two boys to
overhear their conversation; from which he learnt that they were sent
to convey me back to Bubaker. The same evening, two of the Moors came
privately to look at my horse, and one of them proposed taking it to
the Dooty’s hut, but the other observed that such a precaution was
unnecessary, as I could never escape upon such an animal. They then
inquired where I slept, and returned to their companions.
All this was like a stroke of thunder to me, for I dreaded nothing
so much as confinement again among the Moors; from whose barbarity
I had nothing but death to expect. I therefore determined to set off
immediately for Bambarra; a measure which I thought offered almost the
only chance of saving my life, and gaining the object of my mission. I
communicated the design to Johnson, who, altho’ he applauded my
resolution, was so far from shewing any inclination to accompany
me, that he solemnly protested, he would rather forfeit his wages,
than go any farther. He told me that Daman had agreed to give him
half the price of a slave for his service, to assist in conducting
a coffle of slaves to Gambia, and that he was determined to embrace
the opportunity of returning to his wife and family.
Having no hopes therefore of persuading him to accompany me, I
resolved to proceed by myself. About midnight I got my clothes in
readiness, which consisted of two shirts, two pair of trowsers, two
pocket-handkerchiefs, an upper and under waistcoat, a hat, and a pair
of half boots; these, with a cloak, constituted my whole wardrobe. And
I had not one single bead, nor any other article of value in my
possession, to purchase victuals for myself, or corn for my horse.
About daybreak, Johnson, who had been listening to the Moors all night,
came and whispered to me that they were asleep. The awful crisis
was now arrived, when I was again either to taste the blessing of
freedom, or languish out my days in captivity. A cold sweat moistened
my forehead, as I thought on the dreadful alternative, and reflected,
that, one way or the other, my fate must be decided in the course of
the ensuing day. But to deliberate, was to lose the only chance of
escaping. So, taking up my bundle, I stepped gently over the Negroes,
who were sleeping in the open air, and having mounted my horse, I
bade Johnson farewell, desiring him to take particular care of the
papers I had entrusted him with, and inform my friends in Gambia that
he had left me in good health, on my way to Bambarra.
I proceeded with great caution; surveying each bush, and frequently
listening and looking behind me for the Moorish horsemen, until I was
about a mile from the town, when I was surprised to find myself in
the neighbourhood of a Korree, belonging to the Moors. The shepherds
followed me for about a mile, hooting and throwing stones after me; and
when I was out of their reach, and had begun to indulge the pleasing
hopes of escaping, I was again greatly alarmed to hear somebody holla
behind me; and looking back, I saw three Moors on horseback, coming
after me at full speed; hooping and brandishing their double-barrelled
guns. I knew it was in vain to think of escaping, and therefore turned
back and met them: when two of them caught hold of my bridle, one on
each side, and the third, presenting his musket, told me I must go back
to Ali. When the human mind has for some time been fluctuating between
hope and despair, tortured with anxiety, and hurried from one extreme
to another, it affords a sort of gloomy relief to know the worst that
can possibly happen: such was my situation. An indifference about life,
and all its enjoyments, had completely benumbed my faculties, and I
rode back with the Moors with apparent unconcern. But a change took
place much sooner than I had any reason to expect. In passing through
some thick bushes, one of the Moors ordered me to untie my bundle,
and shew them the contents. Having examined the different articles,
they found nothing worth taking except my cloak, which they considered
as a very valuable acquisition, and one of them pulling it from me,
wrapped it about himself. This cloak had been of great use to me;
it served to cover me from the rains in the day, and to protect me
from the musketoes in the night; I therefore earnestly begged him to
return it, and followed him some little way to obtain it; but without
paying any attention to my request, he and one of his companions rode
off with their prize. When I attempted to follow them, the third, who
had remained with me, struck my horse over the head, and presenting
his musket, told me I should proceed no further. I now perceived
that these men had not been sent by any authority to apprehend me,
but had pursued me solely in the view to rob and plunder me. Turning
my horse’s head therefore once more towards the east, and observing
the Moor follow the track of his confederates, I congratulated myself
on having escaped with my life, though in great distress, from such
a horde of barbarians.
I was no sooner out of sight of the Moor, than I struck into the woods,
to prevent being pursued, and kept pushing on, with all possible speed,
until I found myself near some high rocks, which I remembered to have
seen in my former route from Queira to Deena; and directing my course
a little to the northward, I fortunately fell in with the path.