In The Afternoon We Passed Several Villages, At None Of Which We
Could Procure A Lodging, And In The Twilight We Received Information
That Two Hundred Jallonkas Had Assembled Near A Town Called Melo,
With A View To Plunder The Coffle.
This induced us to alter our
course, and we travelled with great secrecy until midnight, when we
approached a town called Koba.
Before we entered the town the names
of all the people belonging to the coffle were called over, and a
freeman and three slaves were found to be missing. Every person
immediately concluded that the slaves had murdered the freeman and
made their escape. It was therefore agreed that six people should
go back as far as the last village, and endeavour to find his body,
or collect some information concerning the slaves. In the meantime
the coffle was ordered to lie concealed in a cotton-field near a
large nitta-tree, and nobody to speak except in a whisper. It was
towards morning before the six men returned, having heard nothing of
the man or the slaves. As none of us had tasted victuals for the
last twenty-four hours, it was agreed that we should go into Koba
and endeavour to procure some provisions. We accordingly entered
the town before it was quite day, and Karfa purchased from the chief
man, for three strings of beads, a considerable quantity of ground
nuts, which we roasted and ate for breakfast. We were afterwards
provided with huts, and rested here for the day.
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