Here We
Shook Out The Last Handful Of Meal From Our Dry Provision-Bags, This
Being The Second Day, Since We Crossed The Black River, That We Had
Travelled From Morning Until Night Without Tasting One Morsel Of
Food.
May 2.
- We departed from Lingicotta; but the slaves being very much
fatigued, we halted for the night at a village about nine miles to
the westward, and procured some provisions through the interest of
the schoolmaster, who now sent forward a messenger to Malacotta, his
native town, to inform his friends of his arrival in the country,
and to desire them to provide the necessary quantity of victuals to
entertain the coffle for two or three days.
May 3. - We set out for Malacotta, and about noon arrived at a
village near a considerable stream of water which flows to the
westward. Here we determined to stop for the return of the
messenger who had been sent to Malacotta the day before; and as the
natives assured me there were no crocodiles in this stream, I went
and bathed myself. Very few people here can swim, for they came in
numbers to dissuade me from venturing into a pool where they said
the water would come over my head. About two o'clock the messenger
returned from Malacotta, and the schoolmaster's elder brother, being
impatient to see him, came along with the messenger to meet him at
this village. The interview between the two brothers, who had not
seen each other for nine years, was very natural and affecting.
They fell upon each other's neck, and it was some time before either
of them could speak. At length, when the schoolmaster had a little
recovered himself, he took his brother by the hand, and turning
round, "This is the man," said he, pointing to Karfa, "who has been
my father in Manding. I would have pointed him out sooner to you,
but my heart was too full."
We reached Malacotta in the evening, where we were well received.
This is an unwalled town. The huts for the most part are made of
split cane, twisted into a sort of wicker-work, and plastered over
with mud. Here we remained three days, and were each day presented
with a bullock from the schoolmaster. We were likewise well
entertained by the townspeople, who appear to be very active and
industrious. They make very good soap by boiling ground nuts in
water, and then adding a ley of wood-ashes. They likewise
manufacture excellent iron, which they carry to Bondou to barter for
salt. A party of the townspeople had lately returned from a trading
expedition of this kind, and brought information concerning a war
between Almami Abdulkader, king of Foota-Torra, and Damel, king of
the Jaloffs. The events of this war soon became a favourite subject
with the singing men and the common topic of conversation in all the
kingdoms bordering upon the Senegal and Gambia; and, as the account
is somewhat singular, I shall here abridge it for the reader's
information.
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