I Was
Informed By A Venerable Old Negro, That When He First Visited
Timbuctoo, He Took Up His Lodging At
A sort of public inn, the
landlord of which, when he conducted him into his hut, spread a mat
on
The floor, and laid a rope upon it, saying, "If you are a
Mussulman, you are my friend - sit down; but if you are a kafir, you
are my slave, and with this rope I will lead you to market." The
present king of Timbuctoo is named Abu Abrahima. He is reported to
possess immense riches. His wives and concubines are said to be
clothed in silk, and the chief officers of state live in
considerable splendour. The whole expense of his government is
defrayed, as I was told, by a tax upon merchandise, which is
collected at the gates of the city.
The city of Houssa (the capital of a large kingdom of the same name,
situated to the eastward of Timbuctoo), is another great mart for
Moorish commerce. I conversed with many merchants who had visited
that city, and they all agreed that it is larger - and more populous
than Timbuctoo. The trade, police, and government are nearly the
same in both; but in Houssa the negroes are in greater proportion to
the Moors, and have some share in the government.
Concerning the small kingdom of Jinbala I was not able to collect
much information. The soil is said to be remarkably fertile, and
the whole country so full of creeks and swamps that the Moors have
hitherto been baffled in every attempt to subdue it. The
inhabitants are negroes, and some of them are said to live in
considerable affluence, particularly those near the capital, which
is a resting-place for such merchants as transport goods from
Timbuctoo to the western parts of Africa.
To the southward of Jinbala is situated the negro kingdom of Gotto,
which is said to be of great extent. It was formerly divided into a
number of petty states, which were governed by their own chiefs; but
their private quarrels invited invasion from the neighbouring
kingdoms. At length a politic chief of the name of Moossee had
address enough to make them unite in hostilities against Bambarra;
and on this occasion he was unanimously chosen general - the
different chiefs consenting for a time to act under his command.
Moossee immediately despatched a fleet of canoes, loaded with
provisions, from the banks of the lake Dibbie up the Niger towards
Jenne, and with the whole of his army pushed forwards into Bambarra.
He arrived on the bank of the Niger opposite to Jenne before the
townspeople had the smallest intimation of his approach. His fleet
of canoes joined him the same day, and having landed the provisions,
he embarked part of his army, and in the night took Jenne by storm.
This event so terrified the king of Bambarra that he sent messengers
to sue for peace; and in order to obtain it consented to deliver to
Moossee a certain number of slaves every year, and return everything
that had been taken from the inhabitants of Gotto.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 9 of 87
Words from 4275 to 4798
of 45368
