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. 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.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 25 of 87
Words from 12734 to 13248
of 45368
