This Is An Exhibition Very Common
In All The Mandingo Countries.
The spectators arranged themselves
in a circle, leaving the intermediate space for the wrestlers, who
were strong active young men, full of emulation, and accustomed, I
suppose, from their infancy to this sort of exertion.
Being
stripped of their clothing, except a short pair of drawers, and
having their skin anointed with oil, or shea butter, the combatants
approached each other on all-fours, parrying with, and occasionally
extending a hand for some time, till at length one of them sprang
forward, and caught his rival by the knee. Great dexterity and
judgment were now displayed, but the contest was decided by superior
strength; and I think that few Europeans would have been able to
cope with the conqueror. It must not be unobserved, that the
combatants were animated by the music of a drum, by which their
actions were in some measure regulated.
The wrestling was succeeded by a dance, in which many performers
assisted, all of whom were provided with little bells, which were
fastened to their legs and arms; and here, too, the drum regulated
their motions. It was beaten with a crooked stick, which the
drummer held in his right hand, occasionally using his left to
deaden the sound, and thus vary the music. The drama is likewise
applied on these occasions to keep order among the spectators, by
imitating the sound of certain Mandingo sentences. For example,
when the wrestling-match is about to begin, the drummer strikes what
is understood to signify ali bae see (sit all down), upon which the
spectators immediately seat themselves; and when the combatants are
to begin, he strikes amuta! amuta! (take hold! take hold!)
In the course of the evening I was presented, by way of refreshment,
with a liquor, which tasted so much like the strong beer of my
native country (and very good beer too), as to induce me to inquire
into its composition; and I learnt, with some degree of surprise,
that it was actually made from corn which had been previously
malted, much in the same manner as barley is malted in Great
Britain. A root yielding a grateful bitter was used in lieu of
hops, the name of which I have forgotten; but the corn which yields
the wort is the holcus spicatus of botanists.
Early in the morning (the 12th) I found that one of the elephant-
hunters had absconded with the money he had received from me in part
of wages; and in order to prevent the other two from following his
example, I made them instantly fill their calabashes (or gourds)
with water; and as the sun rose, I entered the wilderness that
separates the kingdoms of Woolli and Bondou.
We continued our journey without stopping any more until noon, when
we came to a large tree, called by the natives neema taba. It had a
very singular appearance, being decorated with innumerable rags or
scraps of cloth, which persons travelling across the wilderness had
at different times tied to the branches, probably at first to inform
the traveller that water was to be found near it; but the custom has
been so greatly sanctioned by time, that nobody now presumes to pass
without hanging up something. I followed the example, and suspended
a handsome piece of cloth on one of the boughs; and being told that
either a well, or pool of water, was at no great distance, I ordered
the negroes to unload the asses, that we might give them corn, and
regale ourselves with the provisions we had brought. In the
meantime, I sent one of the elephant-hunters to look for the well,
intending, if water was to be obtained, to rest here for the night.
A pool was found, but the water was thick and muddy, and the negro
discovered near it the remains of a fire recently extinguished, and
the fragments of provisions, which afforded a proof that it had been
lately visited, either by travellers or banditti. The fears of my
attendants supposed the latter; and believing that robbers lurked
near as, I was persuaded to change my resolution of resting here all
night, and proceed to another watering-place, which I was assured we
might reach early in the evening.
We departed accordingly, but it was eight o'clock at night before we
came to the watering-place; and being now sufficiently fatigued with
so long a day's journey, we kindled a large fire and lay down,
surrounded by our cattle, on the bare ground, more than a gunshot
from any bush, the negroes agreeing to keep watch by turns to
prevent surprise.
I know not, indeed, that any danger was justly to be dreaded, but
the negroes were unaccountably apprehensive of banditti during the
whole of the journey. As soon, therefore, as daylight appeared, we
filled our soofroos (skins) and calabashes at the pool, and set out
for Tallika, the first town in Bondou, which we reached about eleven
o'clock in the forenoon (the 13th of December).
CHAPTER IV - FROM TALLIKA TO KAJAAGA
Tallika, the frontier town of Bondou towards Woolli, is inhabited
chiefly by Foulahs of the Mohammedan religion, who live in
considerable affluence, partly by furnishing provisions to the
coffles, or caravans, that pass through the town, and partly by the
sale of ivory, obtained by hunting elephants, in which employment
the young men are generally very successful. Here an officer
belonging to the king of Bondou constantly resides, whose business
it is to give timely information of the arrival of the caravans,
which are taxed according to the number of loaded asses that arrive
at Tallika.
I took up my residence at this officer's house, and agreed with him
to accompany me to Fatteconda, the residence of the king, for which
he was to receive five bars; and before my departure I wrote a few
lines to Dr. Laidley, and gave my letter to the master of a caravan
bound for the Gambia.
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