On This Subject Many Observations Might Be Made, But The
Reader Will Probably Think That I Have Already Digressed Too
Largely; And I Now, Therefore, Return To My Situation At Kamalia.
CHAPTER XXIV - MOHAMMEDAN CUSTOMS; ARRIVAL AT KINYTAKOORO
The schoolmaster to whose care I was entrusted during the absence of
Karfa was a man of a mild disposition and gentle manners; his name
was Fankooma, and although he himself adhered strictly to the
religion of Mohammed, he was by no means intolerant in his
principles towards others who differed from him. He spent much of
his time in reading, and teaching appeared to be his pleasure as
well as employment. His school consisted of seventeen boys, most of
whom were sons of Kafirs, and two girls, one of whom was Karfa's own
daughter. The girls received their instruction in the daytime, but
the boys always had their lessons, by the light of a large fire,
before day break and again late in the evening; for, being
considered, during their scholarship, as the domestic slaves of the
master, they were employed in planting corn, bringing firewood, and
in other servile offices through the day.
Exclusive of the Koran, and a book or two of commentaries thereon,
the schoolmaster possessed a variety of manuscripts, which had
partly been purchased from the trading Moors, and partly borrowed
from bushreens in the neighbourhood and copied with great care.
Other manuscripts had been produced to me at different places in the
course of my journey; and on recounting those I had before seen, and
those which were now shown to me, and interrogating the schoolmaster
on the subject, I discovered that the negroes are in possession
(among others) of an Arabic version of the Pentateuch of Moses,
which they call Taureta la Moosa. This is so highly esteemed that
it is often sold for the value of one prime slave. They have
likewise a version of the Psalms of David (Zabora Dawidi); and,
lastly, the Book of Isaiah, which they call Lingeeli la Isa, and it
is in very high esteem. I suspect, indeed, that in all these copies
there are interpolations of some of the peculiar tenets of Mohammed,
for I could distinguish in many passages the name of the Prophet.
It is possible, however, that this circumstance might otherwise have
been accounted for if my knowledge of the Arabic had been more
extensive. By means of those books many of the converted negroes
have acquired an acquaintance with some of the remarkable events
recorded in the Old Testament. The account of our first parents,
the death of Abel, the Deluge, the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, the story of Joseph and his brethren, the history of Moses,
David, Solomon, etc; all these have been related to me, in the
Mandingo language, with tolerable exactness by different people; and
my surprise was not greater, on hearing these accounts from the lips
of the negroes, than theirs on finding that I was already acquainted
with them; for although the negroes in general have a very great
idea of the wealth and power of the Europeans, I am afraid that the
Mohammedan converts among them think but very lightly of our
superior attainments in religious knowledge.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 57 of 87
Words from 29453 to 29993
of 45368
