Two Days I Remained Without Hearing Any Intelligence
Of My Horse Or Clothes; And As There Was At This Time
A great
scarcity of provisions, approaching even to famine, all over this
part of the country, I was unwilling to
Trespass any farther on the
mansa's generosity, and begged permission to depart to the next
village. Finding me very anxious to proceed, he told me that I
might go as far as a town called Wonda, where he hoped I would
remain a few days until I heard some account of my horse, etc.
I departed accordingly on the next morning, the 28th, and stopped at
some small villages for refreshment. I was presented at one of them
with a dish which I had never before seen. It was composed of the
blossoms or antherae of the maize, stewed in milk and water. It is
eaten only in time of great scarcity. On the 30th, about noon, I
arrived at Wonda, a small town with a mosque, and surrounded by a
high wall. The mansa, who was a Mohammedan, acted in two
capacities - as chief magistrate of the town, and schoolmaster to the
children. He kept his school in an open shed, where I was desired
to take up my lodging until some account should arrive from
Sibidooloo concerning my horse and clothes; for though the horse was
of little use to me, yet the few clothes were essential, The little
raiment upon me could neither protect me from the sun by day, nor
the dews and mosquitoes by night: indeed, my shirt was not only
worn thin like a piece of muslin, but withal so very dirty that I
was happy to embrace an opportunity of washing it, which having
done, and spread it upon a bush, I sat down naked in the shade until
it was dry.
Ever since the commencement of the rainy season my health had been
greatly on the decline. I had often been affected with slight
paroxysms of fever; and from the time of leaving Bammakoo the
symptoms had considerably increased. As I was sitting in the manner
described, the fever returned with such violence that it very much
alarmed me; the more so as I had no medicine to stop its progress,
nor any hope of obtaining that care and attention which my situation
required.
I remained at Wonda nine days, during which time I experienced the
regular return of the fever every day. And though I endeavoured as
much as possible to conceal my distress from my landlord, and
frequently lay down the whole day out of his sight, in a field of
corn - conscious how burdensome I was to him and his family in a time
of such great scarcity - yet I found that he was apprised of my
situation; and one morning, as I feigned to be asleep by the fire,
he observed to his wife that they were likely to find me a very
troublesome and chargeable guest; for that, in my present sickly
state, they should be obliged, for the sake of their good name, to
maintain me until I recovered or died.
The scarcity of provisions was certainly felt at this time most
severely by the poor people, as the following circumstance most
painfully convinced me:- Every evening during my stay I observed
five or six women come to the mansa's house, and receive each of
them a certain quantity of corn. As I knew how valuable this
article was at this juncture, I inquired of the mansa whether he
maintained these poor women from pure bounty, or expected a return
when the harvest should be gathered in. "Observe that boy," said he
(pointing to a fine child about five years of age); "his mother has
sold him to me for forty days' provision for herself and the rest of
her family. I have bought another boy in the same manner." Good
God! thought I, what must a mother suffer before she sells her own
child! I could not get this melancholy subject out of my mind; and
the next night, when the women returned for their allowance, I
desired the boy to point out to me his mother, which he did. She
was much emaciated, but had nothing cruel or savage in her
countenance; and when she had received her corn, she came and talked
to her son with as much cheerfulness as if he had still been under
her care.
September 6. - Two people arrived from Sibidooloo, bringing with them
my horse and clothes; but I found that my pocket-compass was broken
to pieces. This was a great loss, which I could not repair.
September 7. - As my horse was grazing near the brink of a well the
ground gave way and he fell in. The well was about ten feet in
diameter, and so very deep that when I saw my horse snorting in the
water I thought it was impossible to save him. The inhabitants of
the village, however, immediately assembled, and having tied
together a number of withes, {3} they lowered a man down into the
well, who fastened those withes round the body of the horse; and the
people, having first drawn up the man, took hold of the withes and,
to my surprise, pulled the horse out with the greatest facility.
The poor animal was now reduced to a mere skeleton, and the roads
were scarcely passable, being either very rocky, or else full of mud
and water. I therefore found it impracticable to travel with him
any farther, and was happy to leave him in the hands of one who, I
thought, would take care of him. I accordingly presented him to my
landlord, and desired him to send my saddle and bridle as a present
to the mansa of Sibidooloo, being the only return I could make him
for having taken so much trouble in procuring my horse and clothes.
I now thought it necessary, sick as I was, to take leave of my
hospitable landlord.
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