The Hurry And Confusion Which Attended This Decampment Prevented The
Slaves From Dressing The Usual Quantity Of Victuals; And Lest
Their dry
provisions should be exhausted before they reached their place of
destination, (for as yet none but Ali and
The chief men knew whither we
were going,) they thought proper to make me observe this day as a day of
fasting.
May 1st. As I had some reason to suspect that this day was also to be
considered as a fast, I went in the morning to the Negro town of Farani,
and begged some provisions from the Dooti, who readily supplied my wants,
and desired me to come to his house every day during my stay in the
neighbourhood. These hospitable people are looked upon by the Moors as an
abject race of slaves, and are treated accordingly. Two of Ali's
household slaves, a man and a woman, who had come along with the two
tents, went this morning to water the cattle from the town wells, at
which there began to be a great scarcity. When the Negro women observed
the cattle approaching, they took up their pitchers, and ran with all
possible haste towards the town, but before they could enter the gate,
they were stopped by the slaves, who compelled them to bring back the
water they had drawn for their own families, and empty it into the
troughs for the cattle. When this was exhausted, they were ordered to
draw water until such time as the cattle had all drank; and the woman
slave actually broke two wooden bowls over the heads of the black girls,
because they were somewhat dilatory in obeying her commands.
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