She
Afterwards Gave Him A Good Deal Of Trouble By Following Him On The
Journey At The Head Of A Band Of Armed Attendants, And He Rejoiced Much
When He Finally Got Rid Of Her.
On their way to Comie, they visited Boussa, the scene of Park's tragical
end.
The natives were extremely reserved upon the subject, but what they
told, bore out in every particular Amadi Fatouma's account. They said
that the attack was caused by the English having been mistaken for an
advanced guard of Fellatahs, who were then devastating Soudan. The King
of Boussa received Clapperton and Lander with great kindness. Here they
found boats lying ready for them, with a message from the Sultan of
Youri, requesting a visit, and promising, if they consented, to deliver
up some books and papers of Mungo Park, which he said he had in his
possession. Clapperton's arrangements, however, prevented him from paying
this visit.
They crossed the Niger, and on entering the kingdom of Nyffe, beheld
proofs of the effects of civil war. Two princes had struggled for the
ascendency, one of whom, by obtaining the help of the Fellatahs, had
overcome the other. As Clapperton travelled towards the camp of the
conqueror, he saw nothing but ruined villages, and plantations overgrown
with weeds. "This African camp consisted of a number of huts like
beehives, arranged in streets, with men weaving, women spinning, markets
at every green tree, holy men counting their beads, and dissolute slaves
drinking; so that, but for the number of horses and armed men, and the
drums beating, it might have been mistaken for a populous village." After
journeying along the banks of the Mayyarrow, and passing a walled village
called Gonda, they entered Coulfo, which is the most considerable
market-town in Nyffe.
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