He Then Inquired Very
Particularly How I Had Been Treated Since I Had Left The Gambia, And
Asked, In A Jocular Way, How Many Slaves I Expected To Carry Home
With Me On My Return.
He was about to proceed when a man mounted on
a fine Moorish horse, which was covered with sweat and foam, entered
the court, and signifying that he had something of importance to
communicate, the king immediately took up his sandals, which is the
signal to strangers to retire.
I accordingly took leave, but
desired my boy to stay about the place, in order to learn something
of the intelligence that this messenger had brought. In about an
hour the boy returned, and informed me that the Bambarra army had
left Fooladoo, and was on its march towards Kaarta; that the man I
had seen, who had brought this intelligence, was one of the scouts,
or watchmen, employed by the king, each of whom has his particular
station (commonly on some rising ground) from whence he has the best
view of the country, and watches the motions of the enemy.
February 13. - At daylight I sent my horse-pistols and holsters as a
present to the king, and being very desirous to get away from a
place which was likely soon to become the seat of war, I begged the
messenger to inform the king that I wished to depart from Kemmoo as
soon as he should find it convenient to appoint me a guide. In
about an hour the king sent his messenger to thank me for the
present, and eight horsemen to conduct me to Jarra. They told me
that the king wished me to proceed to Jarra with all possible
expedition, that they might return before anything decisive should
happen between the armies of Bambarra need Kaarta. We accordingly
departed forthwith from Kemmoo, accompanied by three of Daisy's
sons, and about two hundred horsemen, who kindly undertook to see me
a little way on my journey.
CHAPTER VIII - ADVENTURES BETWEEN KEMMOO AND JARRA
On the evening of the day of our departure from Kemmoo (the king's
eldest son and great part of the horsemen having returned) we
reached a village called Marina, where we slept. During the night
some thieves broke into the hut where I had deposited my baggage,
and having cut open one of my bundles, stole a quantity of beads,
part of my clothes, and some amber and gold, which happened to be in
one of the pockets. I complained to my protectors, but without
effect. The next day (February 14th) was far advanced before we
departed from Marina, and we travelled slowly, on account of the
excessive heat, until four o'clock in the afternoon, when two
negroes were observed sitting among some thorny bushes, at a little
distance from the road. The king's people, taking it for granted
that they were runaway slaves, cocked their muskets, and rode at
full speed in different directions through the bushes, in order to
surround them, and prevent their escaping. The negroes, however,
waited with great composure until we came within bowshot of them,
when each of them took from his quiver a handful of arrows, and
putting two between his teeth and one in his bow, waved to us with
his hand to keep at a distance; upon which one of the king's people
called out to the strangers to give some account of themselves.
They said that "they were natives of Toorda, a neighbouring village,
and had come to that place to gather tomberongs." These are small
farinaceous berries, of a yellow colour and delicious taste, which I
knew to be the fruit of the rhamnus lotus of Linnaeus.
The lotus is very common in all the kingdoms which I visited; but is
found in the greatest plenty on the sandy soil of Kaarta, Ludamar,
and the northern parts of Bambarra, where it is one of the most
common shrubs of the country. I had observed the same species at
Gambia.
As this shrub is found in Tunis, and also in the negro kingdoms, and
as it furnishes the natives of the latter with a food resembling
bread, and also with a sweet liquor which is much relished by them,
there can be little doubt of its being the lotus mentioned by Pliny
as the food of the Libyan Lotophagi. An army may very well have
been fed with the bread I have tasted, made of the meal of the
fruit, as is said by Pliny to have been done in Libya; and as the
taste of the bread is sweet and agreeable, it is not likely that the
soldiers would complain of it.
We arrived in the evening at the village of Toorda; when all the
rest of the king's people turned back except two, who remained with
me as guides to Jarra.
February 15. - I departed from Toorda, and about two o'clock came to
a considerable town, called Funingkedy. As we approached the town
the inhabitants were much alarmed; for, as one of my guides wore a
turban, they mistook us for some Moorish banditti. This
misapprehension was soon cleared up, and we were well received by a
Gambia slatee, who resides at this town, and at whose house we
lodged.
February 16. - We were informed that a number of people would go from
this town to Jarra on the day following; and as the road was much
infested by the Moors we resolved to stay and accompany the
travellers.
About two o'clock, as I was lying asleep upon a bullock's hide
behind the door of the hut, I was awakened by the screams of women,
and a general clamour and confusion among the inhabitants. At first
I suspected that the Bambarrans had actually entered the town; but
observing my boy upon the top of one of the huts, I called to him to
know what was the matter. He informed me that the Moors were come a
second time to steal the cattle, and that they were now close to the
town.
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