The Situation Was Almost Impregnable, Being
Everywhere Surrounded With High Precipices, Except On The Eastern
Side, Where The Natives Had Left A Pathway Sufficient To Allow One
Person At A Time To Ascend.
Upon the brow of the hill, immediately
over this path, I observed several heaps of large loose stones,
which the people told me were intended to be thrown down upon the
Foulahs if they should attempt the hill.
At daybreak on the 23rd we departed from this village and entered
the Jallonka Wilderness. We passed in the course of the morning the
ruins of two small towns which had lately been burnt by the Foulahs.
The fire must have been very intense, for I observed that the walls
of many of the huts were slightly vitrified, and appeared at a
distance as if covered with a red varnish. About ten o'clock we
came to the river Wonda, which is somewhat larger than the river
Kokoro; but the stream was at this the rather muddy, which Karfa
assured me was occasioned by amazing shoals of fish. They were
indeed seen in all directions, and in such abundance that I fancied
the water itself tasted and smelt fishy. As soon as we had crossed
the river, Karfa gave orders that all the people of the coffle
should in future keep close together, and travel in their proper
station. The guides and young men were accordingly placed in the
van, the women and slaves in the centre, and the freemen in the
rear. In this order we travelled with uncommon expedition through a
woody but beautiful country, interspersed with a pleasing variety of
hill and dale, and abounding with partridges, guinea-fowl, and deer,
until sunset, when we arrived at a most romantic stream, called Co-
meissang. My arms and neck having been exposed to the sun during
the whole day, and irritated by the rubbing of my dress in walking,
were now very much inflamed and covered with blisters, and I was
happy to embrace the opportunity, while the coffle rested on the
bank of the river, to bathe myself in the stream. This practice,
together with the cool of the evening, much diminished the
inflammation. About three miles to the westward of the Co-meissang
we halted in a thick wood and kindled our fires for the night. We
were all by this time very much fatigued, having, as I judged,
travelled this day thirty miles, but no person was heard to
complain. Whilst supper was preparing, Karfa made one of the slaves
break some branches from the trees for my bed. When we had finished
our supper of kouskous, moistened with some boiling water, and put
the slaves in irons, we all lay down to sleep; but we were
frequently disturbed in the night by the howling of wild beasts, and
we found the small brown ants very troublesome.
April 24. - Before daybreak the bushreens said their morning prayers,
and most of the free people drank a little moening (a sort of
gruel), part of which was likewise given to such of the slaves as
appeared least able to sustain the fatigues of the day.
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