It Was
Moonlight, But The Roaring Of The Wild Beasts Made It Necessary To
Proceed With Caution.
When I had reached a piece of rising ground about half a mile from
the town, I heard somebody halloo, and, looking back, saw my
faithful boy running after me.
He informed me that Ali's men had
gone back to Benowm, and that Daman's negro was about to depart for
Jarra; but he said he had no doubt, if I would stop a little, that
he could persuade the latter to accompany us. I waited accordingly,
and in about an hour the boy returned with the negro; and we
continued travelling over a sandy country, covered chiefly with the
Asclepias gigantea, until mid-day, when we came to a number of
deserted huts; and seeing some appearances of water at a little
distance, I sent the boy to fill a soofroo; but as he was examining
the place for water, the roaring of a lion, that was probably on the
same pursuit, induced the frightened boy to return in haste, and we
submitted patiently to the disappointment. In the afternoon we
reached a town inhabited chiefly by Foulahs, called Samaming-koos.
Next morning (March 4th), we set out for Sampaka, which place we
reached about two o'clock. On the road we observed immense
quantities of locusts; the trees were quite black with them.
Sampaka is a large town, and when the Moors and Bambarrans were at
war was thrice attacked by the former; but they were driven off with
great loss, though the king of Bambarra was afterwards obliged to
give up this, and all the other towns as far as Goomba, in order to
obtain a peace. Here I lodged at the house of a negro who practised
the art of making gunpowder. He showed me a bag of nitre, very
white, but the crystals were much smaller than common. They procure
it in considerable quantities from the ponds, which are filled in
the rainy season, and to which the cattle resort for coolness during
the heat of the day. When the water is evaporated, a white
efflorescence is observed on the mud, which the natives collect and
purify in such a manner as to answer their purpose. The Moors
supply them with sulphur from the Mediterranean; and the process is
completed by pounding the different articles together in a wooden
mortar. The grains are very unequal, and the sound of its explosion
is by no means so sharp as that produced by European gunpowder.
March 5. - We departed from Sampaka at daylight. About noon we
stopped a little at a village called Dangali, and in the evening
arrived at Dalli. We saw upon the road two large herds of camels
feeding. When the Moors turn their camels to feed they tie up one
of their fore-legs to prevent their straying. This happened to be a
feast-day at Dalli, and the people were dancing before the dooty's
house. But when they were informed that a white man was come into
the town they left off dancing and came to the place where I lodged,
walking in regular order, two and two, with the music before them.
They play upon a sort of flute; but instead of blowing into a hole
in the side they blow obliquely over the end, which is half shut by
a thin piece of wood; they govern the holes on the side with their
fingers, and play some simple and very plaintive airs. They
continued to dance and sing until midnight, during which time I was
surrounded by so great a crowd as made it necessary for me to
satisfy their curiosity by sitting still.
March 6. - We stopped here this morning because some of the
townspeople, who were going for Goomba on the day following, wished
to accompany us; but in order to avoid the crowd of people which
usually assembled in the evening we went to a negro village to the
east of Dalli, called Samee, where we were kindly received by the
hospitable dooty, who on this occasion killed two fine sheep, and
invited his friends to come and feast with him.
March 7. - Our landlord was so proud of the honour of entertaining a
white man that he insisted on my staying with him and his friends
until the cool of the evening, when he said he would conduct me to
the next village. As I was now within two days' journey of Goomba,
I had no apprehensions from the Moors, and readily accepted the
invitation. I spent the forenoon very pleasantly with these poor
negroes; their company was the more acceptable, as the gentleness of
their manners presented a striking contrast to the rudeness and
barbarity of the Moors. They enlivened their conversation by
drinking a fermented liquor made from corn - the same sort of beer
that I have described in a former chapter; and better I never tasted
in Great Britain.
In the midst of this harmless festivity, I flattered myself that all
danger from the Moors was over. Fancy had already placed me on the
banks of the Niger, and presented to my imagination a thousand
delightful scenes in my future progress, when a party of Moors
unexpectedly entered the hut, and dispelled the golden dream. They
came, they said, by Ali's orders, to convey me to his camp at
Benowm. If I went peaceably, they told me, I had nothing to fear;
but if I refused they had orders to bring me by force. I was struck
dumb by surprise and terror, which the Moors observing endeavoured
to calm my apprehensions by repeating the assurance that I had
nothing to fear. Their visit, they added, was occasioned by the
curiosity of Ali's wife Fatima, who had heard so much about
Christians that she was very anxious to see one: as soon as her
curiosity should be satisfied, they had no doubt, they said, that
Ali would give me a handsome present, and send a person to conduct
me to Bambarra.
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