Before We Entered The Town We Halted, Until The People Who Had
Fallen Behind Came Up.
During this day's travel, two slaves, a woman and
a girl, belonging to a Slatee of Bala, were so
Much fatigued, that they
could not keep up with the coffle; they were severely whipped, and
dragged along until about three o'clock in the afternoon, when they were
both affected with vomiting, by which it was discovered that they had
eaten clay. This practice is by no means uncommon amongst the Negroes;
but whether it arises from a vitiated appetite, or from a settled
intention to destroy themselves, I cannot affirm. They were permitted to
lie down in the woods, and three people remained with them until they had
rested themselves; but they did not arrive at the town until past
midnight; and were then so much exhausted, that the Slatee gave up all
thoughts of taking them across the woods in their present condition, and
determined to return with them to Bala, and wait for another opportunity.
As this was the first town beyond the limits of Manding, greater
etiquette than usual was observed. Every person was ordered to keep in
his proper station, and we marched towards the town in a sort of
procession nearly as follows. In front five or six singing men, all of
them belonging to the coffle; these were followed by the other free
people; then came the slaves fastened in the usual way by a rope round
their necks, four of them to a rope, and a man with a spear between each
four; after them came the domestic slaves, and in the rear the women of
free condition, wives of the Slatees, &c. In this manner we proceeded,
until we came within a hundred yards of the gate, when the singing men
began a loud song, well calculated to flatter the vanity of the
inhabitants, by extolling their known hospitality to strangers, and their
particular friendship for the Mandingoes.
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