_The Author returns Westward — arrives at Modiboo, and recovers
his Horse — finds great Difficulty in travelling, in consequence of
the Rains, and the overflowing of the River; — is informed that the
King of Bambarra had sent Persons to apprehend him: — avoids Sego,
and prosecutes his Journey along the Banks of the Niger. — Incidents
on the Road. — Cruelties attendant on African Wars. — The Author
crosses the River Frina, and arrives at Taffara._
Having, for the reasons assigned in the last Chapter, determined
to proceed no farther eastward than Silla, I acquainted the Dooty
with my intention of returning to Sego, proposing to travel along
the southern side of the river; but he informed me, that, from the
number of creeks and swamps on that side, it was impossible to travel
by any other route than along the northern bank; and even that route,
he said, would soon be impassable, on account of the overflowing of the
river. However, as he commended my determination to return westward,
he agreed to speak to some one of the fishermen to carry me over to
Moorzan. I accordingly stepped into a canoe about eight o’clock
in the morning of July 30th, and in about an hour was landed at
Moorzan. At this place I hired a canoe for sixty Kowries, and in the
afternoon arrived at Kea; where, for forty Kowries more, the Dooty
permitted me to sleep in the same hut with one of his slaves. This
poor Negro, perceiving that I was sickly, and that my clothes were
very ragged, humanely lent me a large cloth to cover me for the night.
July 31st. The Dooty’s brother being going to Modiboo, I embraced
the opportunity of accompanying him thither, there being no beaten
road. He promised to carry my saddle, which I had left at Kea when
my horse fell down in the woods, as I now proposed to present it to
the King of Bambarra.
We departed from Kea at eight o’clock, and about a mile to the
westward observed, on the bank of the river, a great number of
earthen jars, piled up together. They were very neatly formed,
but not glazed; and were evidently of that sort of pottery which is
manufactured at Downie (a town to the west of Tombuctoo), and sold
to great advantage in different parts of Bambarra. As we approached
towards the jars, my companion plucked up a large handful of herbage,
and threw it upon them; making signs for me to do the same, which I
did. He then, with great seriousness, told me that these jars belonged
to some supernatural power; that they were found in their present
situation about two years ago; and as no person had claimed them,
every traveller as he passed them, from respect to the invisible
proprietor, threw some grass, or the branch of a tree, upon the heap,
to defend the jars from the rain.
Thus conversing, we travelled in the most friendly manner until,
unfortunately, we perceived the footsteps of a lion, quite fresh
in the mud, near the river side. My companion now proceeded with
great circumspection; and at last, coming to some thick underwood, he
insisted that I should walk before him. I endeavoured to excuse myself,
by alleging that I did not know the road; but he obstinately persisted;
and after a few high words and menacing looks, threw down the saddle
and went away. This very much disconcerted me; but as I had given
up all hopes of obtaining a horse, I could not think of encumbering
myself with the saddle; and taking off the stirrups and girths,
I threw the saddle into the river. The Negro no sooner saw me throw
the saddle into the water, than he came running from among the bushes
where he had concealed himself, jumped into the river, and by help of
his spear brought out the saddle, and ran away with it. I continued
my course along the bank; but as the wood was remarkably thick, and I
had reason to believe that a lion was at no great distance, I became
much alarmed, and took a long circuit through the bushes to avoid him.
About four in the afternoon I reached Modiboo, where I found my
saddle. The guide, who had got there before me, being afraid that I
should inform the king of his conduct, had brought the saddle with
him in a canoe.
While I was conversing with the Dooty, and remonstrating against the
guide for having left me in such a situation, I heard a horse neigh
in one of the huts; and the Dooty inquired, with a smile, if I knew
who was speaking to me? He explained himself, by telling me that my
horse was still alive, and somewhat recovered from his fatigue; but
he insisted that I should take him along with me; adding, that he had
once kept a Moor’s horse for four months, and when the horse had
recovered and got into good condition, the Moor returned and claimed
it, and refused to give him any reward for his trouble.
August 1st. I departed from Modiboo, driving my horse before me; and
in the afternoon reached Nyamee, where I remained three days; during
which time it rained without intermission, and with such violence,
that no person could venture out of doors.
Aug. 5th. I departed from Nyamee; but the country was so deluged,
that I was frequently in danger of losing the road, and had to wade
across the savannahs for miles together, knee deep in water. Even
the corn ground, which is the driest land in the country, was so
completely flooded, that my horse twice stuck fast in the mud, and
was not got out without the greatest difficulty.
In the evening of the same day, I arrived at Nyara, where I was well
received by the Dooty; and as the 6th was rainy, I did not depart until
the morning of the 7th; but the water had swelled to such a height,
that in many places the road was scarcely passable; and though I waded
breast deep across the swamps, I could only reach a small village
called Nemaboo, where, however, for an hundred Kowries, I procured
from some Foulahs, plenty of corn for my horse, and milk for myself.
Aug. 8th. The difficulties I had experienced the day before, made me
anxious to engage a fellow-traveller; particularly as I was assured,
that, in the course of a few days, the country would be so completely
overflowed, as to render the road utterly impassable; but though
I offered two hundred Kowries for a guide, nobody would accompany
me. However, on the morning following, (August 9th,) a Moor and
his wife, riding upon two bullocks, and bound for Sego with salt,
passed the village, and agreed to take me along with them; but I
found them of little service; for they were wholly unacquainted
with the road, and being accustomed to a sandy soil, were very
bad travellers. Instead of wading before the bullocks, to feel if
the ground was solid, the woman boldly entered the first swamp,
riding upon the top of the load; but when she had proceeded about
two hundred yards, the bullock sunk into a hole, and threw both the
load and herself among the reeds. The frightened husband stood for
some time seemingly petrified with horror, and suffered his wife to
be almost drowned before he went to her assistance.
About sunset we reached Sibity; but the Dooty received me very
coolly: and when I solicited for a guide to Sansanding, he told me
his people were otherwise employed. I was shewn into a damp old hut,
where I passed a very uncomfortable night; for when the walls of the
huts are softened by the rain, they frequently become too weak to
support the weight of the roof. I heard three huts fall during the
night, and was apprehensive that the hut I lodged in would be the
fourth. In the morning, as I went to pull some grass for my horse,
I counted fourteen huts which had fallen in this manner, since the
commencement of the rainy season.
It continued to rain with great violence all the 10th; and as the
Dooty refused to give me any provisions, I purchased some corn,
which I divided with my horse.
Aug. 11th. The Dooty compelled me to depart from the town, and I set
out for Sansanding, without any great hopes of faring better there
than I had done at Sibity; for I learned, from people who came to
visit me, that a report prevailed, and was universally believed, that
I had come to Bambarra as a spy; and as Mansong had not admitted me
into his presence, the Dooties of the different towns were at liberty
to treat me in what manner they pleased. From repeatedly hearing the
same story, I had no doubt of the truth of it; but as there was no
alternative, I determined to proceed, and a little before sunset I
arrived at Sansanding. My reception was what I expected. Counti Mamadi,
who had been so kind to me formerly, scarcely gave me welcome. Every
one wished to shun me; and my landlord sent a person to inform me,
that a very unfavourable report was received from Sego concerning
me, and that he wished me to depart early in the morning. About ten
o’clock at night Counti Mamadi himself came privately to me, and
informed me, that Mansong had dispatched a canoe to Jenné to bring
me back; and he was afraid I should find great difficulty in going to
the west country. He advised me, therefore, to depart from Sansanding
before daybreak; and cautioned me against stopping at Diggani, or
any town near Sego.
Aug. 12th. I departed from Sansanding, and reached Kabba in the
afternoon. As I approached the town, I was surprised to see several
people assembled at the gate; one of whom, as I advanced, came running
towards me, and taking my horse by the bridle, led me round the walls
of the town; and then pointing to the west, told me to go along, or
it would fare worse with me. It was in vain that I represented the
danger of being benighted in the woods, exposed to the inclemency of
the weather, and the fury of wild beasts. “Go along,” was all
the answer; and a number of people coming up, and urging me in the
same manner, with great earnestness, I suspected that some of the
king’s messengers, who were sent in search of me, were in the town;
and that these Negroes, from mere kindness, conducted me past it, with
a view to facilitate my escape. I accordingly took the road for Sego,
with the uncomfortable prospect of passing the night on the branches
of a tree. After travelling about three miles, I came to a small
village near the road. The Dooty was splitting sticks by the gate;
but I found I could have no admittance; and when I attempted to enter,
he jumped up, and with the stick he held in his hand threatened to
strike me off the horse, if I presumed to advance another step.
At a little distance from this village (and farther from the road),
is another small one. I conjectured, that being rather out of the
common route, the inhabitants might have fewer objections to give
me house room for the night; and having crossed some corn fields,
I sat down under a tree by the well. Two or three women came to draw
water; and one of them perceiving I was a stranger, inquired whither
I was going. I told her I was going for Sego, but being benighted on
the road, I wished to stay at the village until morning; and begged
she would acquaint the Dooty with my situation. In a little time the
Dooty sent for me, and permitted me to sleep in a large baloon, in
one corner of which was constructed a kiln for drying the fruit of
the Shea trees: it contained about half a cartload of fruit, under
which was kept up a clear wood fire. I was informed, that in three
days the fruit would be ready for pounding and boiling; and that the
butter thus manufactured, is preferable to that which is prepared
from fruit dried in the sun; especially in the rainy season; when the
process by insolation is always tedious, and oftentimes ineffectual.
Aug. 13. About ten o’clock I reached a small village within half
a mile of Sego, where I endeavoured, but in vain, to procure some
provisions. Every one seemed anxious to avoid me; and I could plainly
perceive, by the looks and behaviour of the inhabitants, that some
very unfavourable accounts had been circulated concerning me. I was
again informed, that Mansong had sent people to apprehend me; and
the Dooty’s son told me I had no time to lose, if I wished to get
safe out of Bambarra. I now fully saw the danger of my situation, and
determined to avoid Sego altogether. I accordingly mounted my horse,
and taking the road for Diggani, travelled as fast as I could, until
I was out of sight of the villagers, when I struck to the westward,
through high grass and swampy ground. About noon, I stopped under a
tree, to consider what course to take; for I had now no doubt that the
Moors and Slatees had misinformed the king respecting the object of my
mission, and that people were absolutely in search of me, to convey
me a prisoner to Sego. Sometimes I had thoughts of swimming my horse
across the Niger, and going to the southward, for Cape Coast; but
reflecting that I had ten days to travel before I should reach Kong,
and afterward an extensive country to traverse, inhabited by various
nations, with whose language and manners I was totally unacquainted,
I relinquished this scheme, and judged, that I should better answer the
purpose of my mission, by proceeding to the westward along the Niger,
endeavouring to ascertain how far the river was navigable in that
direction. Having resolved upon this course, I proceeded accordingly;
and a little before sunset arrived at a Foulah village called Sooboo,
where, for two hundred Kowries, I procured lodging for the night.
Aug. 14th. I continued my course along the bank of the river, through
a populous and well cultivated country. I passed a walled town called
Kamalia,[15] without stopping; and at noon rode through a large town
called Samee, where there happened to be a market, and a number
of people assembled in an open place in the middle of the town,
selling cattle, cloth, corn, &c. I rode through the midst of them
without being much observed; every one taking me for a Moor. In the
afternoon I arrived at a small village called Binni, where I agreed
with the Dooty’s son, for one hundred Kowries, to allow me to stay
for the night; but when the Dooty returned, he insisted that I should
instantly leave the place; and if his wife and son had not interceded
for me, I must have complied.
Aug. 15th. About nine o’clock I passed a large town called Sai,
which very much excited my curiosity. It is completely surrounded
by two very deep trenches, at about two hundred yards distant from
the walls. On the top of the trenches are a number of square towers;
and the whole has the appearance of a regular fortification. Inquiring
into the origin of this extraordinary entrenchment, I learned from two
of the townspeople the following particulars; which, if true, furnish
a mournful picture of the enormities of African wars. About fifteen
years ago, when the present King of Bambarra’s father desolated
Maniana, the Dooty of Sai had two sons slain in battle, fighting in the
king’s cause. He had a third son living; and when the king demanded a
further reinforcement of men, and this youth among the rest, the Dooty
refused to send him. This conduct so enraged the king, that when he
returned from Maniana, about the beginning of the rainy season, and
found the Dooty protected by the inhabitants, he sat down before Sai,
with his army, and surrounded the town with the trenches I had now
seen. After a siege of two months, the townspeople became involved in
all the horrors of famine; and whilst the king’s army were feasting,
in their trenches, they saw with pleasure, the miserable inhabitants
of Sai devour the leaves and bark of the Bentang tree that stood in
the middle of the town. Finding, however, that the besieged would
sooner perish than surrender, the king had recourse to treachery. He
promised, that if they would open the gates, no person should be put
to death, nor suffer any injury, but the Dooty alone. The poor old man
determined to sacrifice himself, for the sake of his fellow-citizens,
and immediately walked over to the king’s army, where he was put
to death. His son, in attempting to escape, was caught and massacred
in the trenches; and the rest of the townspeople were carried away
captives, and sold as slaves to the different Negro traders.
About noon I came to the village of Kaimoo, situated upon the bank of
the river; and as the corn I had purchased at Sibili, was exhausted,
I endeavoured to purchase a fresh supply; but was informed that corn
was become very scarce all over the country; and though I offered
fifty Kowries for a small quantity, no person would sell me any. As
I was about to depart, however, one of the villagers (who probably
mistook me for some Moorish shereef) brought me some as a present; only
desiring me in return, to bestow my blessing upon him; which I did in
plain English, and he received it with a thousand acknowledgments. Of
this present I made my dinner; and it was the third successive day
that I had subsisted entirely upon raw corn.
In the evening I arrived at a small village called Song, the surly
inhabitants of which would not receive me, nor so much as permit me to
enter the gate; but as lions were very numerous in this neighbourhood,
and I had frequently, in the course of the day, observed the impression
of their feet on the road, I resolved to stay in the vicinity of the
village. Having collected some grass for my horse, I accordingly lay
down under a tree by the gate. About ten o’clock I heard the hollow
roar of a lion at no great distance, and attempted to open the gate;
but the people from within told me, that no person must attempt to
enter the gate without the Dooty’s permission. I begged them to
inform the Dooty that a lion was approaching the village, and I hoped
he would allow me to come within the gate. I waited for an answer to
this message with great anxiety; for the lion kept prouling round the
village, and once advanced so very near me, that I heard him rustling
among the grass, and climbed the tree for safety. About midnight
the Dooty with some of his people, opened the gate, and desired me
to come in. They were convinced, they said, that I was not a Moor;
for no Moor ever waited any time at the gate of a village, without
cursing the inhabitants.
Aug. 16th. About ten o’clock I passed a considerable town, with a
mosque, called Jabbee. Here the country begins to rise into hills,
and I could see the summits of high mountains to the westward. I
had very disagreeable travelling all this day, on account of the
swampiness of the roads; for the river was now risen to such a
height, as to overflow great part of the flat land on both sides;
and from the muddiness of the water, it was difficult to discern its
depth. In crossing one of these swamps, a little to the westward
of a town called Gangu, my horse being up to the belly in water,
slipt suddenly into a deep pit, and was almost drowned before he
could disengage his feet from the stiff clay at the bottom. Indeed,
both the horse and his rider were so completely covered with mud,
that in passing the village of Callimana, the people compared us to
two dirty elephants. About noon I stopped at a small village near
Yamina, where I purchased some corn, and dried my papers and clothes.
The town of Yamina, at a distance, has a very fine appearance. It
covers nearly the same extent of ground as Sansanding; but having
been plundered by Daisy, King of Kaarta, about four years ago, it has
not yet resumed its former prosperity; nearly one half of the town
being nothing but a heap of ruins: however, it is still a considerable
place, and is so much frequented by the Moors, that I did not think it
safe to lodge in it; but, in order to satisfy myself respecting its
population and extent, I resolved to ride through it; in doing which
I observed a great many Moors sitting upon the Bentangs, and other
places of public resort. Every body looked at me with astonishment;
but as I rode briskly along, they had no time to ask questions.
I arrived in the evening at Farra, a walled village; where, without
much difficulty, I procured a lodging for the night.
Aug. 17th. Early in the morning I pursued my journey, and at eight
o’clock passed a considerable town called Balaba; after which the
road quits the plain, and stretches along the side of the hill. I
passed in the course of this day, the ruins of three towns; the
inhabitants of which were all carried away by Daisy, King of Kaarta,
on the same day that he took and plundered Yamina. Near one of these
ruins I climbed a tamarind tree, but found the fruit quite green and
sour; and the prospect of the country was by no means inviting; for
the high grass and bushes seemed completely to obstruct the road, and
the low lands were all so flooded by the river, that the Niger had the
appearance of an extensive lake. In the evening I arrived at Kanika,
where the Dooty, who was sitting upon an elephant’s hide at the
gate, received me kindly; and gave me for supper, some milk and meal;
which I considered (as to a person in my situation it really was)
a very great luxury.
Aug. 18th. By mistake, I took the wrong road, and did not discover
my error until I had travelled near four miles; when coming to an
eminence, I observed the Niger considerably to the left. Directing
my course towards it, I travelled through long grass and bushes,
with great difficulty, until two o’clock in the afternoon; when
I came to a comparatively small, but very rapid river; which I took
at first for a creek, or one of the streams of the Niger. However,
after I had examined it with more attention, I was convinced that
it was a distinct river; and as the road evidently crossed it (for
I could see the pathway on the opposite side), I sat down upon the
bank, in hopes that some traveller might arrive, who would give me
the necessary information concerning the fording place; for the banks
were so covered with reeds and bushes, that it would have been almost
impossible to land on the other side, except at the pathway; which,
on account of the rapidity of the stream, it seemed very difficult
to reach. No traveller, however, arriving, and there being a great
appearance of rain, I examined the grass and bushes, for some way up
the bank, and determined upon entering the river considerably above
the pathway, in order to reach the other side before the stream had
swept me too far down. With this view I fastened my clothes upon the
saddle, and was standing up to the neck in water, pulling my horse by
the bridle to make him follow me, when a man came accidentally to the
place, and seeing me in the water, called to me with great vehemence to
come out. The alligators, he said, would devour both me and my horse,
if we attempted to swim over. When I had got out, the stranger, who
had never before seen a European, seemed wonderfully surprised. He
twice put his hand to his mouth, exclaiming in a low tone of voice,
“God preserve me! who is this?” but when he heard me speak the
Bambarra tongue, and found that I was going the same way as himself,
he promised to assist me in crossing the river; the name of which
he told me was Frina. He then went a little way along the bank, and
called to some person, who answered from the other side. In a short
time, a canoe with two boys, came paddling from among the reeds: these
boys agreed for fifty Kowries, to transport me and my horse over the
river, which was effected without much difficulty; and I arrived in
the evening at Taffara, a walled town; and soon discovered that the
language of the natives was improved, from the corrupted dialect of
Bambarra, to the pure Mandingo.
[Footnote 15: There is another town of this name, hereafter to be
mentioned.]