About Eleven O'clock, One Of The Asses
Proving Very Refractory, The Negroes Took A Curious Method To Make
Him Tractable.
They cut a forked stick, and putting the forked part
into the ass's mouth, like the bit of a
Bridle, tied the two smaller
parts together above his head, leaving the lower part of the stick
of sufficient length to strike against the ground, if the ass should
attempt to put his head down. After this the ass walked along
quietly and gravely enough, taking care, after some practice, to
hold his head sufficiently high to prevent stones or roots of trees
from striking against the end of the stick, which experience had
taught him would give a severe shock to his teeth. This contrivance
produced a ludicrous appearance, but my fellow-travellers told me it
was constantly adopted by the slatees, and always proved effectual.
In the evening we arrived at a few scattered villages, surrounded
with extensive cultivation, at one of which, called Buggil, we
passed the night in a miserable hut, having no other bed than a
bundle of corn-stalks, and no provisions but what we brought with
us. The wells here are dug with great ingenuity, and are very deep.
I measured one of the bucket-ropes, and found the depth of the well
to be twenty-eight fathoms.
December 19. - We departed from Buggil, and travelled along a dry,
stony height, covered with mimosas, till mid-day, when the land
sloped towards the east, and we descended into a deep valley, in
which I observed abundance of whinstone and white quartz. Pursuing
our course to the eastward, along this valley in the bed of an
exhausted river-course, we came to a large village, where we
intended to lodge. We found many of the natives dressed in a thin
French gauze, which they called byqui; this being a light airy
dress, and well calculated to display the shape of their persons, is
much esteemed by the ladies. The manners of these females, however,
did not correspond with their dress, for they were rude and
troublesome in the highest degree; they surrounded me in numbers,
begging for amber, beads, &c., and were so vehement in their
solicitations, that I found it impossible to resist them. 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.
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