A Party Of The Townspeople Had Lately Returned From A Trading
Expedition Of This Kind, And Brought Information Concerning A
War between
Almami Abdulkader, King of Foota Torra, and Damel, King of the Jaloffs.
The events of this war soon
Became a favourite subject with the singing
men, and the common topic of conversation in all the kingdoms bordering
upon the Senegal and Gambia; and as the account is somewhat singular, I
shall here abridge it for the reader's information. The King of Foota
Torra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating his religion, had sent an
embassy to Damel, similar to that which he had sent to Kasson, as related
in page 67. The ambassador, on the present occasion, was accompanied by
two of the principal Bushreens, who carried each a large knife, fixed on
the top of a long pole. As soon as he had procured admission into the
presence of Damel, and announced the pleasure of his sovereign, he
ordered the Bushreens to present the emblems of his mission. The two
knives were accordingly laid before Damel, and the ambassador explained
himself as follows: - "With this knife (said he) Abdulkader will
condescend to shave the head of Damel, if Damel will embrace the
Mahomedan faith: and with this other knife, Abdulkader will cut the
throat of Damel, if Damel refuses to embrace it: - take your choice."
Damel coolly told the ambassador that he had no choice to make; he
neither chose to have his head shaved, nor his throat cut; and with this
answer the ambassador was civilly dismissed.
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