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 Man, However, Was Neither
Satisfied Nor Pleased, But Roughly Demanded The Bird As His Own,
Because It Had Fallen On His Land.
As there were no game laws here,
Richard Lander would not admit his claim, and was retiring, when the
fellow begged with much importunity that the head and legs of the
animal, at least, might be given him to make a fetish of.
This was
likewise objected to, at which the man was out of all patience, and
went off foaming with passion. In the evening, the crane was dressed
for supper, and a similar request was made by a eunuch from Katunga,
who being a good-natured fellow, his wish was readily complied with.
The chief of Chaadoo, however, presently sent a messenger to request
the said precious head and legs, and to him they were finally
committed by the disappointed eunuch, who could hardly forbear
weeping on the occasion; these relics are considered extremely
valuable as a charm.
The chief sent them a goat, a quantity of bananas, a dish of pounded
or rather mashed yam with gravy, and a large basket of caffas.
These are a kind of pudding, made into little round balls from
bruised Indian corn, which is first boiled to the consistence of
thick paste. From being made entirely of coarse flour and water, they
have an insipid taste when new, but when kept for a day or two, they
become sour, and in this state are eaten by the natives. There are
several deep wells in the town, but most of them are dried up, so
that water is exceedingly scarce, and it is sold in the market-place
to the inhabitants. They were daily accosted on the road with such
salutations as these, "I hope you go on well on the path," "success
to the king's work," "God bless you white men," "a blessing on your
return, &c."
They remained the whole of the 28th at Chaadoo, in order to give the
carriers with the luggage, time to come up with them, having been
unavoidably detained by the roughness and unevenness of the road from
Dufo to Elokba. The Katunga eunuch already mentioned, was sent by the
king of that place to receive the customary tribute of the governors
of various towns on the road between Katunga and Jenna. This man was
treated with much respect both by the governor of Chaadoo and his
people, who prostrated themselves to the eunuch, before addressing
him.
Being in want of money, they sent some needles this morning to the
market to sell. It is a custom in Youriba, that after a buyer has
agreed to pay a certain sum for an article, he retracts his
expression, and affirms that he only promised to give about half the
sum demanded. This occasioned violent altercations between the
Landers' people and the natives, but it is an established custom,
from which there is no appeal.
The mother of the governor was buried this afternoon, at a
neighbouring village, and the funeral was attended by all his wives
or women as mourners. They were dressed in their holiday attire and
looked tolerably smart. The mourners exhibited no signs of grief
whatever, on the contrary, they were as lively as a wedding party;
attended by a drummer, they passed through their yard on their return
to the governor's house, which was only a few steps distant, and they
kept up singing and dancing during the whole of the day, to the noise
of the drum.
The inhabitants of the town have immense numbers of sheep, goats,
pigs, and poultry, but bullocks are in the possession of Fellatas
alone. It was believed, that the natives have not a single animal of
that description. Like many other places, the market was not held
here till the heat and toil of the day are over, and buyers seldom
resort to it, till eight o'clock in the evening.
On the morning of the 29th April, it commencing raining at a very
early hour, and continued with uncommon violence, till between ten
and eleven o'clock, when it suddenly ceased, and they quitted
Chaadoo. Before their departure, however, the credulous governor, who
in common with his people, imagine that white men possess an
influence over the elements, paid them a visit with a calabash of
honey as a present, to thank them he said, for the rain that had
fallen, of which the country was greatly in want, and invoked
blessings on them. The kindness of this good old man was remarkable;
he never seemed weary of obliging them, regretted his inability to do
more, and solicited them very pressingly to remain with him another
day.
They traversed a mountainous country intersected with streams of
excellent water, and at noon entered a small, but pleasant
picturesque village, which was ornamented with noble and shady trees.
Here they waited a very short time, and continuing their route,
arrived towards evening at a capacious walled town, called Row,
wherein they passed the night. In many places, the wall, if it be
deserving the name, was no more than twelve or fourteen inches from
the ground, and the moat was of similar dimensions. The yard to which
they were conducted, shortly after their arrival, was within three or
four others, and so intricate were the passages leading to it, that
after a stranger gets in, he would be sadly puzzled to find his way
out again without a guide. Nevertheless, this was no security against
interruption, for the yard was speedily invaded by five or six
hundred individuals, who had been induced to visit them from
curiosity. As usual, they annoyed the travellers for a long time to
the best of their ability, till they completely wearied them out by
their importunity and forwardness. They then hung sheets round the
door-way of their dwelling, and laid down on their mats; and then
only, the natives began to disperse, and left them at their ease.
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