Mansong, Finding That Daisy Was Determined To Avoid A Pitched Battle,
Placed A Strong Force At Joko To Watch His
Motions, and separating the
remainder of his army into small detachments, ordered them to overrun the
country, and seize upon
The inhabitants, before they had time to escape.
These orders were executed with such promptitude, that in a few days the
whole kingdom of Kaarta became a scene of desolation. Most of the poor
inhabitants of the different towns and villages, being surprised in the
night, fell an easy prey; and their corn, and every thing that could be
useful to Daisy, was burnt and destroyed. During these transactions,
Daisy was employed in fortifying Gedingooma: this town is built in a
narrow pass between two high hills, having only two gates, one towards
Kaarta and the other towards Jaffnoo: the gate towards Kaarta was
defended by Daisy in person; and that towards Jaffnoo was committed to
the charge of his sons. When the army of Bambarra approached the town,
they made some attempts to storm it, but were always driven back with
great loss; and Mansong, finding Daisy more formidable than he expected,
resolved to cut off his supplies, and starve him into submission. He
accordingly sent all the prisoners he had taken into Bambarra, and having
collected a considerable quantity of provisions, remained with his army
two whole months in the vicinity of Gedingooma, without doing any thing
decisive. During this time, he was much harassed by sallies from the
besieged; and his stock of provisions being nearly exhausted, he sent to
Ali, the Moorish King of Ludamar, for two hundred horsemen, to enable him
to make an attack upon the north gate of the town, and give the
Bambarrans an opportunity of storming the place.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 130 of 546
Words from 35108 to 35404
of 148366
