He Said That I Must Not
Judge Of The People Of The Eastern Country By Those Of Woolli:
That the
latter were acquainted with white men, and respected them; whereas the
people of the east had never seen a white man, and would certainly
destroy me.
I thanked the king for his affectionate solicitude, but told
him that I had considered the matter, and was determined, notwithstanding
all dangers, to proceed. The king shook his head, but desisted from
further persuasion; and told me the guide should be ready in the
afternoon.
About two o'clock, the guide appearing, I went and took my last farewell
of the good old king, and in three hours reached Konjour, a small
village, where we determined to rest for the night. Here I purchased a
fine sheep for some beads, and my Serawoolli attendants killed it with
all the ceremonies prescribed by their religion: part of it was dressed
for supper: after which a dispute arose between one of the Serawoolli
Negroes and Johnson, my interpreter, about the sheep's horns. The former
claimed the horns as his perquisite, for having acted the part of our
butcher, and Johnson contested the claim. I settled the matter by giving
a horn to each of them. This trifling incident is mentioned as
introductory to what follows; for it appeared on inquiry that these horns
were highly valued, as being easily convertible into portable sheaths, or
cases, for containing and keeping secure certain charms or amulets called
_saphies_, which the Negroes constantly wear about them. These saphies
are prayers, or rather sentences, from the Koran, which the Mahomedan
priests write on scraps of paper, and sell to the simple natives, who
consider them to possess very extraordinary virtues. Some of the Negroes
wear them to guard themselves against the bite of snakes or alligators;
and on this occasion the saphie is commonly enclosed in a snake's or
alligator's skin, and tied round the ancle. Others have recourse to them
in time of war, to protect their persons against hostile weapons; but the
common use to which these amulets are applied is to prevent or cure
bodily diseases; to preserve from hunger and thirst; and generally to
conciliate the favour of superior powers under all the circumstances and
occurrences of life.[6]
[6] I believe that similar charms or amulets, under the names of
_domini, grigri, fetich_ &c. &c. are common in all parts of Africa.
In this case it is impossible not to admire the wonderful contagion of
superstition; for, notwithstanding that the majority of the Negroes are
Pagans, and absolutely reject the doctrines of Mahomet. I did not meet
with a man, whether a Bushreen or Kafir, who was not fully persuaded of
the powerful efficacy of these amulets. The truth is, that all the
natives of this part of Africa consider the art of writing as bordering
on magic; and it is not in the doctrines of the prophet, but in the arts
of the magician, that their confidence is placed.
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