In
Thoughts Of This Nature I Passed The Night, And In The Morning
Consulted With My Landlord How I Should Surmount The Present
Difficulty.
He informed me that one road still remained, which was
indeed very rocky, and scarcely passable for horses, but that if I
had a proper guide over the hills to a town called Sibidooloo, he
had no doubt but with patience and caution I might travel forwards
through Manding.
I immediately applied to the dooty, and was
informed that a jilli kea (singing man) was about to depart for
Sibidooloo, and would show me the road over the hills. With this
man, who undertook to be my conductor, I travelled up a rocky glen
about two miles, when we came to a small village, and here my
musical fellow-traveller found out that he had brought me the wrong
road. He told me that the horse-road lay on the other side of the
hill, and throwing his drum on his back, mounted up the rocks where,
indeed, no horse could follow him, leaving me to admire his agility,
and trace out a road for myself. As I found it impossible to
proceed, I rode back to the level ground, and directing my course to
the eastward, came about noon to another glen, and discovered a path
on which I observed the marks of horses' feet. Following this path
I came in a short time to some shepherds' huts, where I was informed
that I was in the right road, but that I could not possibly reach
Sibidooloo before night.
A little before sunset I descended on the north-west side of this
ridge of hills, and as I was looking about for a convenient tree
under which to pass the night (for I had no hopes of reaching any
town) I descended into a delightful valley, and soon afterwards
arrived at a romantic village called Kooma. This village is
surrounded by a high wall, and is the sole property of a Mandingo
merchant, who fled hither with his family during a former war. The
adjacent fields yield him plenty of corn, his cattle roam at large
in the valley, and the rocky hills secure him from the depredations
of war. In this obscure retreat he is seldom visited by strangers,
but whenever this happens he makes the weary traveller welcome. I
soon found myself surrounded by a circle of the harmless villagers.
They asked a thousand questions about my country, and, in return for
my information, brought corn and milk for myself, and grass for my
horse, kindled a fire in the hut where I was to sleep, and appeared
very anxious to serve me.
August 25. - I departed from Kooma, accompanied by two shepherds who
were going towards Sibidooloo. The road was very steep and rocky,
and as my horse had hurt his feet much in coming from Bammakoo, he
travelled slowly and with great difficulty, for in many places the
ascent was so sharp, and the declivities so great, that if he had
made one false step he must inevitably have been dashed to pieces.
The shepherds being anxious to proceed, gave themselves little
trouble about me or my horse, and kept walking on at a considerable
distance. It was about eleven o'clock, as I stopped to drink a
little water at a rivulet (my companions being near a quarter of a
mile before me), that I heard some people calling to each other, and
presently a loud screaming, as from a person in great distress. I
immediately conjectured that a lion had taken one of the shepherds,
and mounted my horse to have a better view of what had happened.
The noise, however, ceased, and I rode slowly towards the place from
whence I thought it had proceeded, calling out, but without
receiving any answer. In a little time, however, I perceived one of
the shepherds lying among the long grass near the road, and though I
could see no blood upon him, I concluded he was dead. But when I
came close to him, he whispered to me to stop, telling me that a
party of armed men had seized upon his companion, and shot two
arrows at himself as he was making his escape. I stopped to
consider what course to take, and looking round, saw at a little
distance a man sitting upon the stump of a tree. I distinguished
also the heads of six or seven more, sitting among the grass, with
muskets in their hands. I had now no hopes of escaping, and
therefore determined to ride forward towards them. As I approached
them, I was in hopes they were elephant-hunters; and by way of
opening the conversation inquired if they had shot anything, but
without returning an answer one of them ordered me to dismount, and
then, as if recollecting himself, waved with his hand for me to
proceed. I accordingly rode past, and had with some difficulty
crossed a deep rivulet, when I heard somebody holloa, and looking
behind, saw those I had taken for elephant-hunters running after me,
and calling out to me to turn back. I stopped until they were all
come up, when they informed me that the king of the Foulahs had sent
them on purpose to bring me, my horse, and everything that belonged
to me, to Fooladoo, and that therefore I must turn back and go along
with them. Without hesitating a moment, I turned round and followed
them, and we travelled together nearly a quarter of a mile without
exchanging a word; when, coming to a dark place in a wood, one of
them said in the Mandingo language, "This place will do," and
immediately snatched my hat from my head. Though I was by no means
free of apprehension, yet I resolved to show as few signs of fear as
possible, and therefore told them that unless my hat was returned to
me I should proceed no farther.
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