My Boy Demba
Was Sent To The Woods To Collect Withered Grass For Ali's Horses;
And After A Variety Of Projects Concerning Myself, They At Last
Found Out An Employment For Me:
This was no other than the
respectable office of barber.
I was to make my first exhibition in
this capacity in the royal presence, and to be honoured with the
task of shaving the head of the young prince of Ludamar. I
accordingly seated myself upon the sand, and the boy, with some
hesitation, sat down beside me. A small razor, about three inclines
long, was put into my hand, and I was ordered to proceed; but
whether from my own want of skill, or the improper shape of the
instrument, I unfortunately made a slight incision in the boy's head
at the very commencement of the operation; and the king, observing
the awkward manner in which I held the razor, concluded that his
son's head was in very improper hands, and ordered me to resign the
razor and walk out of the tent. This I considered as a very
fortunate circumstance; for I had laid it down as a rule to make
myself as useless and insignificant as possible, as the only means
of recovering my liberty.
March 18. - Four Moors arrived from Jarra with Johnson my
interpreter, having seized him before he had received any intimation
of my confinement, and bringing with them a bundle of clothes that I
had left at Daman Jumma's house, for my use in case I should return
by the way of Jarra. Johnson was led into Ali's tent and examined;
the bundle was opened, and I was sent for to explain the use of the
different articles. I was happy, however, to find that Johnson had
committed my papers to the charge of one of Daman's wives. When I
had satisfied Ali's curiosity respecting the different articles of
apparel the bundle was again tied up, and put into a large cow-skin
bag that stood in a corner of the tent. The same evening Ali sent
three of his people to inform me that there were many thieves in the
neighbourhood, and that to prevent the rest of my things from being
stolen it was necessary to convey them all into his tent. My
clothes, instruments, and everything that belonged to me, were
accordingly carried away; and though the heat and dust made clean
linen very necessary and refreshing, I could not procure a single
shirt out of the small stock I had brought along with me. Ali was,
however, disappointed by not finding among my effects the quantity
of gold and amber that he expected; but to make sure of everything
he sent the same people, on the morning following, to examine
whether I had anything concealed about my person. They, with their
usual rudeness, searched every part of my apparel, and stripped me
of all my gold, amber, my watch, and one of my pocket-compasses; I
had, fortunately, in the night, buried the other compass in the
sand - and this, with the clothes I had on, was all that the tyranny
of Ali had now left me.
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