I Therefore Mounted My Horse, And
Taking A Large Bag Of Corn Before Me, Rode Slowly Along With The
Townspeople, Until We Reached The Foot Of A Rocky Hill, Where I
Dismounted And Drove My Horse Up Before Me.
When I had reached the
summit I sat down, and having a full view of the town and the
Neighbouring country, could not help lamenting the situation of the
poor inhabitants, who were thronging after me, driving their sheep,
cows, goats, &c., and carrying a scanty portion of provisions and a
few clothes. There was a great noise and crying everywhere upon the
road, for many aged people and children were unable to walk, and
these, with the sick, were obliged to be carried, otherwise they
must have been left to certain destruction.
About five o'clock we arrived at a small farm belonging to the Jarra
people, called Kadeeja; and here I found Daman and Johnson employed
in filling large bags of corn, to be carried upon bullocks, to serve
as provisions for Daman's family on the road.
June 28. - At daybreak we departed from Kadeeja, and having passed
Troongoomba without stopping, arrived in the afternoon at Queira. I
remained here two days, in order to recruit my horse, which the
Moors had reduced to a perfect Rosinante, and to wait for the
arrival of some Mandingo negroes, who were going for Bambarra in the
course of a few days.
On the afternoon of the 1st of July, as I was tending my horse in
the fields, Ali's chief slave and four Moors arrived at Queira, and
took up their lodging at the dooty's house. My interpreter,
Johnson, who suspected the nature of this visit, sent two boys to
overhear their conversation, from which he learnt that they were
sent to convey me back to Bubaker. The same evening two of the
Moors came privately to look at my horse, and one of them proposed
taking it to the dooty's hut, but the other observed that such a
precaution was unnecessary, as I could never escape upon such an
animal. They then inquired where I slept, and returned to their
companions,
All this was like a stroke of thunder to me, for I dreaded nothing
so much as confinement again among the Moors, from whose barbarity I
had nothing but death to expect. I therefore determined to set off
immediately for Bambarra, a measure which I thought offered almost
the only chance of saving my life and gaining the object of my
mission. I communicated the design to Johnson, who, although he
applauded my resolution, was so far from showing any inclination to
accompany me, that he solemnly protested he would rather forfeit his
wages than go any farther. He told me that Daman had agreed to give
him half the price of a slave for his service to assist in
conducting a coffle of slaves to Gambia, and that he was determined
to embrace the opportunity of returning to his wife and family.
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