- We departed from Baniserile and travelled through thick
woods until noon, when we saw at a distance the town of Julifunda,
but did not approach it, as we proposed to rest for the night at a
large town called Kirwani, which we reached about four o'clock in
the afternoon.
This town stands in a valley, and the country for
more than a mile round it is cleared of wood and well cultivated.
The inhabitants appear to be very active and industrious, and seem
to have carried the system of agriculture to some degree of
perfection, for they collect the dung of their cattle into large
heaps during the dry season for the purpose of manuring their land
with it at the proper time. I saw nothing like this in any other
part of Africa. Near the town are several smelting furnaces, from
which the natives obtain very good iron. They afterwards hammer the
metal into small bars, about a foot in length and two inches in
breadth, one of which bars is sufficient to make two Mandingo corn-
hoes. On the morning after our arrival we were visited by a slatee
of this place, who informed Karfa that among some slaves he had
lately purchased was a native of Foota-Jalla, and as that country
was at no great distance he could not safely employ him in the
labours of the field, lest he should effect his escape. The slatee
was therefore desirous of exchanging this slave for one of Karfa's,
and offered some cloth and shea-butter to induce Karfa to comply
with the proposal, which was accepted. The slatee thereupon sent a
boy to order the slave in question to bring him a few ground-nuts.
The poor creature soon afterwards entered the court in which we were
sitting, having no suspicion of what was negotiating, until the
master caused the gate to be shut, and told him to sit down. The
slave now saw his danger, and, perceiving the gate to be shut upon
him, threw down the nuts and jumped over the fence. He was
immediately pursued and overtaken by the slatees, who brought him
back and secured him in irons, after which one of Karfa's slaves was
released and delivered in exchange. The unfortunate captive was at
first very much dejected, but in the course of a few days his
melancholy gradually subsided, and he became at length as cheerful
as any of his companions.
Departing from Kirwani on the morning of the 20th we entered the
Tenda Wilderness, of two days' journey. The woods were very thick,
and the country shelved towards the south-west. About ten o'clock
we met a coffle of twenty-six people and seven loaded asses
returning from the Gambia. Most of the men were armed with muskets,
and had broad belts of scarlet cloth over their shoulders and
European hats upon their heads. They informed us that there was
very little demand for slaves on the coast, as no vessel had arrived
for some months past.
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