Moossee, Thus
Triumphant, Returned To Gotto, Where He Was Declared King, And The
Capital Of The Country Is Called By His Name.
On the west of Gotto is the kingdom of Baedoo, which was conquered
by the present king of Bambarra about seven years ago, and has
continued tributary to him ever since.
West of Baedoo is Maniana, the inhabitants of which, according to
the best information I was able to collect, are cruel and ferocious-
-carrying their resentment towards their enemies so far as never to
give quarter, and even to indulge themselves with unnatural and
disgusting banquets of human flesh.
CHAPTER XVII - MOORZAN TO TAFFARA
Having, for the reasons assigned in the last chapter, determined to
proceed no farther eastward than Silla, I acquainted the dooty with
my intention of returning to Sego, proposing to travel along the
southern side of the river; but he informed me that, from the number
of creeks and swamps on that side, it was impossible to travel by
any other route than along the northern bank, and even that route,
he said, would soon be impassable on account of the overflowing of
the river. However, as he commended my determination to return
westward, he agreed to speak to some one of the fishermen to carry
me over to Moorzan. I accordingly stepped into a canoe about eight
o'clock in the morning of July 30th, and in about an hour was landed
at Moorzan. At this place I hired a canoe for sixty kowries, and in
the afternoon arrived at Kea, where, for forty kowries more, the
dooty permitted me to sleep in the same hut with one of his slaves.
This poor negro, perceiving that I was sickly, and that my clothes
were very ragged, humanely lent me a large cloth to cover me for the
night.
July 31. - The dooty's brother being going to Modiboo, I embraced the
opportunity of accompanying him thither, there being no beaten road.
He promised to carry my saddle, which I had left at Kea, when my
horse fell down in the woods, as I now proposed to present it to the
king of Bambarra.
We departed from Kea at eight o'clock, and about a mile to the
westward observed on the bank of the river a great number of earthen
jars piled up together. They were very neatly formed, but not
glazed, and were evidently of that sort of pottery which is
manufactured at Downie (a town to the west of Timbuctoo), and sold
to great advantage in different parts of Bambarra. As we approached
towards the jars my companion plucked up a large handful of herbage,
and threw it upon them, making signs for me to do the same, which I
did. He then, with great seriousness told me that these jars
belonged to some supernatural power; that they were found in their
present situation about two years ago; and as no person had claimed
them, every traveller as he passed them, from respect to the
invisible proprietor, threw some grass, or the branch of a tree,
upon the heap, to defend the jars from the rain.
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