Having Conducted Me Into Her Hut, She Lighted Up A
Lamp, Spread A Mat On The Floor, And Told Me I Might Remain There
For The Night.
Finding that I was very hungry, she said she would
procure me something to eat.
She accordingly went out, and returned
in a short time with a very fine fish, which, having caused to be
half broiled upon some embers, she gave me for supper. The rites of
hospitality being thus performed towards a stranger in distress, my
worthy benefactress (pointing to the mat, and telling me I might
sleep there without apprehension) called to the female part of her
family, who had stood gazing on me all the while in fixed
astonishment, to resume their task of spinning cotton, in which they
continued to employ themselves great part of the night. They
lightened their labour by songs, one of which was composed
extempore, for I was myself the subject of it. It was sung by one
of the young women, the rest joining in a sort of chorus. The air
was sweet and plaintive, and the words, literally translated, were
these:- "The winds roared, and the rains fell. The poor white man,
faint and weary, came and sat under our tree. He has no mother to
bring him milk, no wife to grind his corn. Chorus. - Let us pity the
white man, no mother has he," &c. &c. Trifling as this recital may
appear to the reader, to a person in my situation the circumstance
was affecting in the highest degree. I was oppressed by such
unexpected kindness, and sleep fled from my eyes. In the morning I
presented my compassionate landlady with two of the four brass
buttons which remained on my waistcoat - the only recompense I could
make her.
July 21. - I continued in the village all this day in conversation
with the natives, who came in crowds to see me, but was rather
uneasy towards evening to find that no message had arrived from the
king, the more so as the people began to whisper that Mansong had
received some very unfavourable accounts of me from the Moors and
slatees residing at Sego, who, it seems, were exceedingly suspicious
concerning the motives of my journey. I learned that many
consultations had been held with the king concerning my reception
and disposal; and some of the villagers frankly told me that I had
many enemies, and must expect no favour.
July 22. - About eleven o'clock a messenger arrived from the king,
but he gave me very little satisfaction. He inquired particularly
if I had brought any present, and seemed much disappointed when he
was told that I had been robbed of everything by the Moors. When I
proposed to go along with him, he told me to stop until the
afternoon, when the king would send for me.
July 23. - In the afternoon another messenger arrived from Mansong,
with a bag in his hands. He told me it was the king's pleasure that
I should depart forthwith from the vicinage of Sego; but that
Mansong, wishing to relieve a white man in distress, had sent me
five thousand kowries, to enable me to purchase provisions in the
course of my journey: the messenger added, that if my intentions
were really to proceed to Jenne, he had orders to accompany me as a
guide to Sansanding. I was at first puzzled to account for this
behaviour of the king; but from the conversation I had with the
guide, I had afterwards reason to believe that Mansong would
willingly have admitted me into his presence at Sego, but was
apprehensive he might not be able to protect me against the blind
and inveterate malice of the Moorish inhabitants. His conduct,
therefore, was at once prudent and liberal. The circumstances under
which I made my appearance at Sego were undoubtedly such as might
create in the mind of the king a well-warranted suspicion that I
wished to conceal the true object of my journey. He argued,
probably, as my guide argued, who, when he was told that I had come
from a great distance, and through many dangers, to behold the
Joliba river, naturally inquired if there were no rivers in my own
country, and whether one river was not like another.
Notwithstanding this, and in spite of the jealous machinations of
the Moors, this benevolent prince thought it sufficient that a white
man was found in his dominions, in a condition of extreme
wretchedness, and that no other plea was necessary to entitle the
sufferer to his bounty.
Footnotes:
{1} I believe that similar charms or amulets, under the names of
domini, grigri, fetich, &c., are common in all parts of Africa.
{2} Maana is within a short distance of the ruins of Fort St.
Joseph, on the Senegal river, formerly a French factory.
*** END OF TRAVELS IN AFRICA - VOLUME 1 ***
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