At First, The Good Husband Was Unwilling To Suspect The
Honour Of His Sanctified Friend, And One Whole Month Elapsed Before Any
Jealousy Rose In His Mind; But Hearing The Charge Repeated He At Last
Interrogated His Wife On The Subject Who Frankly Confessed That The
Bushreen Had Seduced Her.
Hereupon the Kafir put her into confinement, and called a palaver upon
the Bushreen's conduct.
The fact was clearly proved against him; and he
was sentenced to be sold into slavery, or to find two slaves for his
redemption, according to the pleasure of the complainant. The injured
husband, however, was unwilling to proceed against his friend to such
extremity, and desired rather to have him publicly flogged before Tiggity
Sego's gate. This was agreed to, and the sentence was immediately
executed. The culprit was tied by the hands to a strong stake; and a long
black rod being brought forth, the executioner, after flourishing it
round his head for some time, applied it with such force and dexterity to
the Bushreen's back, as to make him roar until the woods resounded with
his screams. The surrounding multitude, by their hooting and laughing,
manifested how much they enjoyed the punishment of this old gallant; and
it is worthy of remark, that the number of stripes was precisely the same
as are enjoined by the Mosaic law, _forty, save one._
As there appeared great probability that Teesee, from its being a
frontier town, would be much exposed, during the war, to the predatory
excursions of the Moors of Gadumah, Tiggity Sego had, before my arrival,
sent round to the neighbouring villages, to beg or to purchase as much
provisions as would afford subsistence to the inhabitants for one whole
year, independently of the crop on the ground, which the Moors might
destroy. This project was well received by the country people, and they
fixed a day on which to bring all the provisions they could spare to
Teesee; and as my horse was not yet returned, I went in the afternoon of
January 4th, 1796, to meet the escort with the provisions.
It was composed of about 400 men marching in good order, with corn and
ground nuts in large calabashes upon their heads. They were preceded by a
strong guard of bowmen, and followed by eight musicians or singing men.
As soon as they approached the town, the latter began a song, every verse
of which was answered by the company, and succeeded by a few strokes on
the large drums. In this manner they proceeded amidst the acclamations of
the populace, till they reached the house of Tiggity Sego, where the
loads were deposited; and in the evening they all assembled under the
Bentang tree, and spent the night in dancing and merriment. Many of these
strangers remained at Teesee for three days, during which time I was
constantly attended by as many of them as could conveniently see me; one
party giving way to another, as soon as curiosity was gratified.
On the 5th of January an embassy of ten people belonging to Almami
Abdulkader, King of Foota Torra, a country to the west of Bondou, arrived
at Teesee; and desiring Tiggity Sego to call an assembly of the
inhabitants, announced publicly their king's determination, to this
effect: "That unless all the people of Kasson would embrace the Mahomedan
religion, and evince their conversion by saying eleven public prayers, he
(the King of Foota Torra) could not possibly stand neuter in the present
contest, but would certainly join his arms to those of Kajaaga." A
message of this nature, from so powerful a prince, could not fail to
create great alarm; and the inhabitants of Teesee, after a long
consultation, agreed to conform to his good pleasure, humiliating as it
was to them. Accordingly, one and all publicly offered up eleven prayers,
which were considered a sufficient testimony of their having renounced
Paganism, and embraced the doctrines of the Prophet.
It was the 8th of January before Demba Sego returned with my horse; and
being quite wearied out with the delay, I went immediately to inform his
father, that I should set out for Kooniakary early the next day. The old
man made many frivolous objections; and at length gave me to understand,
that I must not think of departing, without first paying him the same
duties he was entitled to receive from all travellers; besides which, he
expected, he said, some acknowledgment for his kindness towards me.
Accordingly, on the morning of the 9th, my friend Demba, with a number of
people, came to me, and said that they were sent by Tiggity Sego for my
present, and wished to see what goods I had appropriated for that
purpose. I knew that resistance was hopeless, and complaint unavailing;
and being in some measure prepared, by the intimation I had received the
night before, I quietly offered him seven bars of amber and five of
tobacco. After surveying these articles for some time very coolly, Demba
laid them down, and told me this, was not a present for a man of Tiggity
Sego's consequence, who had it in his power to take whatever he pleased
from me. He added, that if I did not consent to make him a larger
offering, he would carry all my baggage to his father and let him choose
for himself. I had not time for reply; for Demba and his attendants
immediately began to open my bundles, and spread the different articles
upon the floor, where they underwent a more strict examination than they
had done at Joag. Every thing that pleased them they took without
scruple; and amongst other things, Demba seized the tin box, which had so
much attracted his attention in crossing the river. Upon collecting the
scattered remains of my little fortune after these people had left me, I
found that as at Joag I had been plundered of half, so here, without even
the shadow of accusation, I was deprived of half the remainder.
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