They Tore
My Cloak, Cut The Buttons From My Boy's Clothes, And Were Proceeding
To Other Outrages, When I Mounted My Horse And Rode Off, Followed
For Half-A-Mile By A Body Of These Harpies.
In the evening we reached Soobrudooka, and as my company was
numerous (being fourteen), I purchased a sheep and abundance of corn
for supper; after which we lay down by the bundles, and passed an
uncomfortable night in a heavy dew.
December 20. - We departed from Soobrudooka, and at two o'clock
reached a large village situated on the banks of the Faleme river,
which is here rapid and rocky. The natives were employed in fishing
in various ways. The large fish were taken in long baskets made of
split cane, and placed in a strong current, which was created by
walls of stone built across the stream, certain open places being
left, through which the water rushed with great force. Some of
these baskets were more than twenty feet long, and when once the
fish had entered one of them, the force of the stream prevented it
from returning. The small fish were taken in great numbers in hand-
nets, which the natives weave of cotton, and use with great
dexterity. The fish last mentioned are about the size of sprats,
and are prepared for sale in different ways; the most common is by
pounding them entire as they come from the stream, in a wooden
mortar, and exposing them to dry in the sun, in large lumps like
sugar loaves. It may be supposed that the smell is not very
agreeable; but in the Moorish countries to the north of the Senegal,
where fish is scarcely known, this preparation is esteemed as a
luxury, and sold to considerable advantage. The manner of using it
by the natives is by dissolving a piece of this black loaf in
boiling water, and mixing it with their kouskous.
On returning to the village, after an excursion to the river-side to
inspect the fishery, an old Moorish shereef came to bestow his
blessing upon me, and beg some paper to write saphies upon. This
man had seen Major Houghton in the kingdom of Kaarta, and told me
that he died in the country of the Moors.
About three in the afternoon we continued our course along the bank
of the river to the northward, till eight o'clock, when we reached
Nayemow. Here the hospitable master of the town received us kindly,
and presented us with a bullock. In return I gave him some amber
and beads.
December 21. - In the morning, having agreed for a canoe to carry
over my bundles, I crossed the river, which came up to my knees as I
sat on my horse; but the water is so clear, that from the high bank
the bottom is visible all the way over.
About noon we entered Fatteconda, the capital of Bondou, and in a
little time received an invitation to the house of a respectable
slatee: for as there are no public-houses in Africa, it is
customary for strangers to stand at the bentang, or some other place
of public resort, till they are invited to a lodging by some of the
inhabitants. We accepted the offer; and in an hour afterwards a
person came and told me that he was sent on purpose to conduct me to
the king, who was very desirous of seeing me immediately, if I was
not too much fatigued.
I took my interpreter with me, and followed the messenger till we
got quite out of the town, and crossed some corn-fields; when,
suspecting some trick, I stopped, and asked the guide whither he was
going. Upon which, he pointed to a man sitting under a tree at some
little distance, and told me that the king frequently gave audience
in that retired manner, in order to avoid a crowd of people, and
that nobody but myself and my interpreter must approach him. When I
advanced the king desired me to come and sit by him upon the mat;
and, after hearing my story, on which be made no observation, he
asked if I wished to purchase any slaves or gold. Being answered in
the negative, he seemed rather surprised, but desired me to come to
him in the evening, and he would give me some provisions.
This monarch was called Almami, a Moorish name, though I was told
that he was not a Mohammedan, but a kafir or pagan. I had heard
that he had acted towards Major Houghton with great unkindness, and
caused him to be plundered. His behaviour, therefore, towards
myself at this interview, though much more civil than I expected,
was far from freeing me from uneasiness. I still apprehended some
double-dealing; and as I was now entirely in his power, I thought it
best to smooth the way by a present. Accordingly, I took with me in
the evening one canister of gunpowder, some amber, tobacco, and my
umbrella; and as I considered that my bundles would inevitably be
searched, I concealed some few articles in the roof of the hut where
I lodged, and I put on my new blue coat in order to preserve it.
All the houses belonging to the king and his family are surrounded
by a lofty mud wall, which converts the whole into a kind of
citadel. The interior is subdivided into different courts. At the
first place of entrance I observed a man standing with a musket on
his shoulder; and I found the way to the presence very intricate,
leading through many passages, with sentinels placed at the
different doors. When we came to the entrance of the court in which
the king resides, both my guide and interpreter, according to
custom, took off their sandals; and the former pronounced the king's
name aloud, repeating it till he was answered from within. We found
the monarch sitting upon a mat, and two attendants with him.
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