On The Morning Of September 8th, When I Was
About To Depart, He Presented Me With His Spear, As A Token Of
Remembrance, And A Leather Bag To Contain My Clothes.
Having
converted my half-boots into sandals, I travelled with more ease,
and slept that night at a village called Ballanti.
On the 9th I
reached Nemacoo; but the mansa of the village thought fit to make me
sup upon the chameleon's dish. By way of apology, however, he
assured me the next morning that the scarcity of corn was such that
he could not possibly allow me any. I could not accuse him of
unkindness, as all the people actually appeared to be starving.
September 10. - It rained hard all day, and the people kept
themselves in their huts. In the afternoon I was visited by a
negro, named Modi Lemina Taura, a great trader, who, suspecting my
distress, brought me some victuals, and promised to conduct me to
his own house at Kinyeto the day following.
September 11. - I departed from Nemacoo, and arrived at Kinyeto in
the evening; but having hurt my ankle in the way, it swelled and
inflamed so much that I could neither walk nor set my foot to the
ground the next day without great pain. My landlord, observing
this, kindly invited me to stop with him a few days, and I
accordingly remained at his house until the 14th, by which the I
felt much relieved, and could walk with the help of a staff. I now
set out, thanking my landlord for his great care and attention; and
being accompanied by a young man who was travelling the same way, I
proceeded for Jerijang, a beautiful and well-cultivated district,
the mansa of which is reckoned the most powerful chief of any in
Manding.
On the 15th I reached Dosita, a large town, where I stayed one day
on account of the rain; but I continued very sickly, and was
slightly delirious in the night. On the 17th I set out for Mansia,
a considerable town, where small quantities of gold are collected.
The road led over a high, rocky hill, and my strength and spirits
were so much exhausted that before I could reach the top of the hill
I was forced to lie down three times, being very faint and sickly.
I reached Mansia in the afternoon. The mansa of this town had the
character of being very inhospitable; he, however, sent me a little
corn for my supper, but demanded something in return; and when I
assured him that I had nothing of value in my possession, he told me
(as if in jest) that my white skin should not defend me if I told
him lies. He then showed me the hut wherein I was to sleep, but
took away my spear, saying that it should be returned to me in the
morning. This trifling circumstance, when joined to the character I
had heard of the man, made me rather suspicious of him, and I
privately desired one of the inhabitants of the place, who had a bow
and a quiver, to sleep in the same hunt with me. About midnight I
heard somebody approach the door, and, observing the moonlight
strike suddenly into the hut, I started up and saw a man stepping
cautiously over the threshold. I immediately snatched up the
negro's bow and quiver, the rattling of which made the man withdraw;
and my companion, looking out, assured me that it was the mansa
himself, and advised me to keep awake until the morning. I closed
the door, and placed a large piece of wood behind it, and was
wondering at this unexpected visit, when somebody pressed so hard
against the door that the negro could scarcely keep it shut; but
when I called to him to open the door, the intruder ran off as
before.
September 16. - As soon as it was light the negro, at my request,
went to the mansa's house and brought away my spear. He told me
that the mansa was asleep, and lest this inhospitable chief should
devise means to detain me, he advised me to set out before he was
awake, which I immediately did, and about two o'clock reached
Kamalia, a small town situated at the bottom of some rocky hills,
where the inhabitants collect gold in considerable quantities.
On my arrival at Kamalia I was conducted to the house of a bushreen
named Karfa Taura, the brother of him to whose hospitality I was
indebted at Kinyeto. He was collecting a coffle of slaves, with a
view to sell them to the Europeans on the Gambia as soon as the
rains should be over. I found him sitting in his baloon, surrounded
by several slatees who proposed to join the coffle. He was reading
to them from an Arabic book, and inquired with a smile if I
understood it. Being answered in the negative, he desired one of
the slatees to fetch the little curious book which had been brought
from the west country. On opening this small volume I was surprised
and delighted to find it our Book of Common Prayer, and Karfa
expressed great joy to hear that I could read it; for some of the
slatees, who had seen the Europeans upon the coast, observing the
colour of my skin (which was now become very yellow from sickness),
my long beard, ragged clothes, and extreme poverty, were unwilling
to admit that I was a white man, and told Karfa that they suspected
I was some Arab in disguise. Karfa, however, perceiving that I
could read this book, had no doubt concerning me, and kindly
promised me every assistance in his power. At the same time he
informed me that it was impossible to cross the Jallonka wilderness
for many months yet to come, as no less than eight rapid rivers, he
said, lay in the way. He added that he intended to set out himself
for Gambia as soon as the rivers were fordable and the grass burnt,
and advised me to stay and accompany him.
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