Travels Of Richard And John Lander Into The Interior Of Africa For The Discovery Of The Course And Termination Of The Niger By Robert Huish
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The Yow Is An Extremely Narrow Rivulet, Not More Than A Few Feet In
Breadth, And Flows In A Serpentine Direction Through A Flat Country,
Covered With Rushes, And Tall, Rank Grass.
Crocodiles are said to
resort here in great numbers, indeed the low bark or growl of these
rapacious animals
Was heard distinctly, and in some instances quite
close to them; after they had been pushed along against the stream by
poles for five or six miles, between four and five o'clock in the
afternoon they landed at a narrow creek, which ran a little way into
a thick and gloomy forest. They had not proceeded more than two
hundred yards on the pathway, when they were met by a messenger from
Jenna, who informed them that the owners of all the horses in the
town, had ridden out to welcome their chief, and escort him to his
residence, so that they should be obliged to walk the remainder of
the way. A few minutes, however, only had elapsed before they
descried a horse approaching them in the path, this was a goodly
sight to them, who were already becoming wearied and sore with the
exertions they had made during the day, for they did not reflect a
moment that the animal might not after all be for their use.
However, they soon met, and the rider immediately declared that he
had left Jenna purposely on their account. The head of the horse was
loaded with charms and fetishes, enveloped in pieces of red and blue
cloth. His saddle was of Houssa manufacture, and uncommonly neat; in
the interior such an article is only used by the principal people,
and his bridle also was of curious workmanship. The horseman had an
extravagant idea of his own consequence, and seemed to be a
prodigious boaster. He wore abundance of clothing, most of which was
superfluous, but it made him excessively vain. He informed the
travellers that he had been despatched by the king of Jenna, to meet
them in the path, and to escort them to the capital; but
understanding that Adooley had supplied them with horses, he did not
conceive it necessary to send others. The messenger, however,
dismounted and offered them his horse, and the Landers agreed that
they should ride him in turns. They therefore immediately proceeded,
and traversed a rich and various country, abounding plentifully with
wood and water. A fine red sand covered the pathway, which they
found to be in much better condition than any they had before seen.
Sometimes it winded through an open, level tract of fine grazing
land, and then it again diverged through forests so thick and deep,
that the light of the moon was unable to penetrate the gloom, and
they were frequently left in comparatively midnight darkness. It is
scarcely possible to give an adequate description of the
magnificence, solemnity, and desolate repose of the awful solitudes
through which they passed on this evening. They were, however, at
times enlightened by the appearance of glow worms, which were so
luminous that they could almost see to read by their golden
splendour, and sometimes by the moonbeams, which trembled upon the
leaves and branches of the trees. A fragrance also was exhaled from
the forest, more odiferous than the perfume of violets or primroses,
and they might almost fancy, when threading their way through
scenery, which cannot be surpassed for beauty in any part of the
world, that they were approaching those eternal shades, where, in
ancient time, the souls of good men were supposed to wander. The
woods rang with the song of the nightbirds, and the hum of the
insects, which continued to salute them with little intermission
till about ten o'clock at night, when they entered Laatoo, a large
and pleasant town. Here they were informed that no house would be
offered them, the fetish priest having declared that the moment a
white man should enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, they would
be seized by their enemies and enslaved. They arrived thirsty and
exhausted, but for a long time could not procure even a drop of
water. Their tent had been left on the road for want of carriers,
and they had made up their minds to rest under a tree, when about
two hours afterwards it was fortunately brought into the town.
They fixed it immediately, and having succeeded in procuring
some wood from the inhospitable inhabitants, they kindled a fire
in front of it, and whilst their attendants laid themselves in groups
outside, the Landers attempted to sleep within their tent, but it
was in vain, so tormented were they with the mosquitoes and the
ants.
Before sunrise, on the morning of the 5th of April, they were all on
the alert, and struck their tent at a very early hour, they then sent
the carriers onwards with the luggage and hastily left the town,
without bidding adieu either to the chief or any of his people, on
account of their inhospitality, and in an hour's time reached the
extensive and important town of Larro. On dismounting, they were
first led to a large cleanly swept square, wherein was preserved the
fetish of the place, which is the model of a canoe, having three
wooden figures with paddles in it. After waiting in the shade for an
hour, surrounded by an immense multitude of people of all ages, the
chief's approach was announced by a general rush from their quarters,
to the other end of the square, where he was walking. They went
towards him in order to pay him the accustomed salutation of shaking
hands, &c., but one of his followers fancying that John Lander kept
his master's hand clasped in his, longer than the occasion warranted,
looked fiercely in his face, and snatched away his hand eagerly and
roughly, without, however, uttering a word. "I could have pulled the
fellow's ears with the greatest goodwill, in the world," says John
Lander, "had not the fear of secret revenge deterred me.
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