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. This caravan consisted of nine or ten people,
with five asses loaded with ivory. The large teeth are conveyed in
nets, two on each side of the ass; the small ones are wrapped up in
skins, and secured with ropes.
December 14. - We left Tallika, and rode on very peaceably for about
two miles, when a violent quarrel arose between two of my fellow-
travellers, one of whom was the blacksmith, in the course of which
they bestowed some opprobrious terms upon each other; and it is
worthy of remark, that an African will sooner forgive a blow than a
term of reproach applied to his ancestors.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 20 of 88
Words from 9795 to 10358
of 45803
