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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In Consequence Of Their Threatening Attitudes, Pascoe
And His Party Had Left The Village, And Hastened Back To Their
Masters.
Totally unconscious of danger, the Landers were reclining on their
mats, for they too, like their people, were wearied
With toil, and
overcome with drowsiness, when in about twenty minutes after their
men had returned, one of them shouted with a loud voice, "War is
coming, O war is coming!" and ran towards them with a scream of
terror, telling them, that the natives were hastening to attack them.
They started up at this unusual exclamation, and looking about them,
they beheld a large party of men, almost naked, running in a very
irregular manner, and with uncouth gestures, towards their little
encampment. They were all variously armed with muskets, bows and
arrows, knives, cutlasses, barbs, long spears, and other instruments
of destruction; and as they gazed upon this band of wild men, with
their ferocious looks and hostile appearance, which was not a little
heightened on observing the weapons in their hands, they felt a very
uneasy kind of sensation, and wished themselves safe out of their
hands.
Their party was at this time much scattered, but fortunately they
could see them coming to them at some distance, and they had time to
collect their men. They resolved, however, to prevent bloodshed, if
possible; their numbers were too few to leave them a chance of
escaping by any other way. The natives were approaching fast, and had
nearly arrived close to the palm tree. Not a moment was to be lost.
They desired Pascoe and all their men to follow behind them at a
short distance, with the loaded muskets and pistols; and they
enjoined them strictly not to fire, unless they were first fired at.
One of the natives, who proved to be the chief, was perceived to be a
little in advance of his companions, and throwing down their pistols,
which they had snatched up in the first moment of surprise, the two
Landers walked very composedly and unarmed towards him. As they
approached him, they made all the signs and motions they could with
their arms, to deter him and his people from firing on them. His
quiver was dangling at his side, his bow was bent, and an arrow,
which was pointed at their breasts, already trembled on the string,
when they were within a few yards of his person. This was a highly
critical moment - the next might be their last. But the hand of
Providence averted the blow, for just as the chief was about to pull
the fatal cord, a man that was nearest him rushed forward and stayed
his arm. At that instant the Landers stood before him, and
immediately held forth their hands; all of them trembling like aspen
leaves; the chief looked up full in their faces, kneeling on the
ground; light seemed to flash from his dark rolling eyes; his body
was convulsed all over, as though he was enduring the utmost torture,
and with a timorous, yet indefinable expression of countenance, in
which all the passions of human nature were strangely blended, he
drooped his head, eagerly grasped their proffered hands, and burst
into tears. This was a sign of friendship, harmony followed, and war
and bloodshed were thought of no more. Peace and friendship now
reigned amongst them, and the first thing that they did was, to lift
the old chief from the ground, and convey him to their encampment.
The behaviour of their men afforded them no little amusement, now
that the danger was past. Pascoe was firm to his post, and stood
still with his musket pointed at the chief's breast during the whole
of the time. He was a brave fellow, and he said to his masters, as
they passed him to their encampment with the old man, "If the black
rascals had fired at either of you, I would have brought the old
chief down like a guinea fowl." As for their two brave fellows,
Sam and Antonio, they took to their heels, and scampered off as fast
as they could, directly they saw the natives approaching them over
the long grass, nor did they make their appearance again, until the
chief and all his people were sitting round them.
All the armed villagers had now gathered round their leader, and
anxiously watched his looks and gestures. The result of the meeting
delighted them, every eye sparkled with pleasure; they uttered a
shout of joy; they thrust their bloodless arrows into their quivers;
they ran about as though they were possessed of evil spirits; they
twanged their bowstrings, fired off their muskets; shook their
spears; clattered their quivers; danced, put their bodies into all
manner of ridiculous positions; laughed, cried, and sung in rapid
succession; they were like a troop of maniacs. Never was a spectacle
more wild and terrific. When this sally of passion to which they had
worked themselves, had subsided into calmer and more reasonable
behaviour, the Landers presented each of the war-men with a number of
needles, as a farther token of their friendly intentions. The chief
sat himself down on the turf, with one of the Landers on each side of
him, while the men were leaning on their weapons on his right and
left. At first, no one could understand what the Landers said, but
shortly after an old man made his appearance, who understood the
Houssa language. Him the chief employed as an interpreter, and every
one listened with anxiety to the following explanation given by the
chief.
"A few minutes after you first landed, one of my people came to me,
and said that a number of strange people had arrived at the market
place. I sent him back again to get as near to you as he could, to
hear what you intended doing. He soon after returned to me, and said
that you spoke in a language which he could not understand.
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