"Strike Me, But Do Not
Curse My Mother," Is A Common Expression Even Among The Slaves.
This Sort Of Abuse,
Therefore, so enraged one of the disputants,
that he drew his cutlass upon the blacksmith, and would certainly
have ended
The dispute in a very serious manner, if the others had
not laid hold of him and wrested the cutlass from him. I was
obliged to interfere, and put an end to this disagreeable business
by desiring the blacksmith to be silent, and telling the other, who
I thought was in the wrong, that if he attempted in future to draw
his cutlass, or molest any of my attendants, I should look upon him
as a robber, and shoot him without further ceremony. This threat
had the desired effect, and we marched sullenly along till the
afternoon, when we arrived at a number of small villages scattered
over an open and fertile plain. At one of these, called Ganado, we
took up our residence for the night; here an exchange of presents
and a good supper terminated all animosities among my attendants,
and the night was far advanced before any of us thought of going to
sleep. We were amused by an itinerant SINGING MAN, who told a
number of diverting stories, and played some sweet airs by blowing
his breath upon a bow-string, and striking it at the same time with
a stick.
December 15. - At daybreak my fellow-travellers, the Serawoollies,
took leave of me, with many prayers for my safety. About a mile
from Ganado we crossed a considerable branch of the Gambia, called
Neriko. The banks were steep and covered with mimosas; and I
observed in the mud a number of large mussels, but the natives do
not eat them. About noon, the sun being exceedingly hot, we rested
two hours in the shade of a tree, and purchased some milk and
pounded corn from some Foulah herdsmen, and at sunset reached a town
called Koorkarany, where the blacksmith had some relations; and here
we rested two days.
Koorkarany is a Mohammedan town surrounded by a high wall, and is
provided with a mosque. Here I was shown a number of Arabic
manuscripts, particularly a copy of the book before mentioned,
called Al Sharra. The maraboo, or priest, in whose possession it
was, read and explained to me in Mandingo many of the most
remarkable passages, and, in return, I showed him Richardson's
Arabic Grammar, which he very much admired.
On the evening of the second day (December 17) we departed from
Koorkarany. We were joined by a young man who was travelling to
Fatteconda for salt; and as night set in we reached Dooggi, a small
village about three miles from Koorkarany.
Provisions were here so cheap that I purchased a bullock for six
small stones of amber; for I found my company increase or diminish
according to the good fare they met with.
December 18. - Early in the morning we departed from Dooggi, and,
being joined by a number of Foulahs and other people, made a
formidable appearance, and were under no apprehension of being
plundered in the woods.
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