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.
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