But It Was In Vain
To Expect Anything 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 everything 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.
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