Finding Entreaty And Resistance Equally Fruitless,
I Prepared To Follow The Messengers, And Took Leave Of My Landlord
And His Company With Great Reluctance.
Accompanied by my faithful
boy (for Daman's slave made his escape on seeing the Moors), we
reached Dalli in the evening, where we were strictly watched by the
Moors during the night.
March 8. - We were conducted by a circuitous path through the woods
to Dangali, where we slept.
March 9. - We continued our journey, and in the afternoon arrived at
Sampaka.
Next morning (March 10th) we set out for Samaming-koos. On the road
we overtook a woman and two boys with an ass; she informed us that
she was going for Bambarra, but had been stopped on the road by a
party of Moors, who had taken most of her clothes and some gold from
her; and that she would be under the necessity of returning to Deena
till the fast moon was over. The same even the new moon was seen
which ushered in the month Ramadan. Large fires were made in
different parts of the town, and a greater quantity of victuals than
usual dressed upon the occasion.
March 11. - By daylight the Moors were in readiness; but as I had
suffered much from thirst on the road I made my boy fill a soofroo
of water for my own use, for the Moors assured me that they should
not taste either meat or drink until sunset. However, I found that
the excessive heat of the sun, and the dust we raised in travelling,
overcame their scruples, and made my soofroo a very useful part of
our baggage. On our arrival at Deena, I went to pay my respects to
one of Ali's sons. I found him sitting in a low hut, with five or
six more of his companions, washing their hands and feet, and
frequently taking water into their mouths, gargling and spitting it
out again. I was no sooner seated than he handed me a double-
barrelled gun, and told me to dye the stock of a blue colour, and
repair one of the locks. I found great difficulty in persuading him
that I knew nothing about the matter. "However," says he, "if you
cannot repair the gun, you shall give me some knives and scissors
immediately;" and when my boy, who acted as interpreter, assured him
that I had no such articles, he hastily snatched up a musket that
stood by him, cocked it, and putting the muzzle close to the boy's
ear, would certainly have shot him dead upon the spot had not the
Moors wrested the musket from him, and made signs for us to retreat.
March 12. - We departed from Deena towards Benowm, and about nine
o'clock came to a korree, whence the Moors were preparing to depart
to the southward, on account of the scarcity of water; here we
filled our soofroo, and continued our journey over a hot sandy
country, covered with small stunted shrubs, until about one o'clock,
when the heat of the sun obliged us to stop. But our water being
expended, we could not prudently remain longer than a few minutes to
collect a little gum, which is an excellent succedaneum for water,
as it keeps the mouth moist, and allays for a time the pain in the
throat.
About five o'clock we came in sight of Benowm, the residence of Ali.
It presented to the eye a great number of dirty-looking tents,
scattered without order over a large space of ground; and among the
tents appeared large herds of camels, cattle, and goats. We reached
the skirts of this camp a little before sunset, and, with much
entreaty, procured a little water. My arrival was no sooner
observed than the people who drew water at the wells threw down
their buckets; those in the tents mounted their horses, and men,
women, and children, came running or galloping towards me. I soon
found myself surrounded by such a crowd that I could scarcely move;
one pulled my clothes, another took off my hat, a third stopped me
to examine my waistcoat-buttons, and a fourth called out, "La illah
el Allah, Mahamet rasowl allahi" - ("There is but one God, and
Mohammed is his Prophet") - and signified, in a threatening manner,
that I must repeat those words. We reached at length the king's
tent, where we found a great number of people, men and women,
assembled. Ali was sitting upon a black leather cushion, clipping a
few hairs from his upper lip, a female attendant holding up a
looking-glass before him. He appeared to be an old man of the Arab
cast, with a long white beard; and he had a sullen and indignant
aspect. He surveyed me with attention, and inquired of the Moors if
I could speak Arabic. Being answered in the negative, he appeared
much surprised, and continued silent. The surrounding attendants,
and especially the ladies, were abundantly more inquisitive: they
asked a thousand questions, inspected every part of my apparel,
searched my pockets, and obliged me to unbutton my waistcoat, and
display the whiteness of my skin; they even counted my toes and
fingers, as if they doubted whether I was in truth a human being.
In a little time the priest announced evening prayers; but before
the people departed, the Moor who had acted as interpreter informed
me that Ali was about to present me with something to eat; and
looking round, I observed some boys bringing a wild hog, which they
tied to one of the tent strings, and Ali made signs to me to kill
and dress it for supper. Though I was very hungry, I did not think
it prudent to eat any part of an animal so much detested by the
Moors, and therefore told him that I never ate such food. They then
untied the hog, in hopes that it would run immediately at me - for
they believe that a great enmity subsists between hogs and
Christians - but in this they were disappointed, for the animal no
sooner regained his liberty than he began to attack indiscriminately
every person that came in his way, and at last took shelter under
the couch upon which the king was sitting.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 27 of 45
Words from 26534 to 27582
of 45803
