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 Chief Was Either Very Poor Or Very Ill Natured, For The
Only Thing He Sent Them Was A Little Boiled Yam, With A Mess Of
Unpalatable Gravy, Which He Would Not Have Given, If He Had Not
Expected Ten Times Its Value In Return.
Divine service, it being
Sunday, was performed in the course of the day, and this was a duty,
which to persons in their situation, was found inconceivably
pleasant.
It rendered them happy and resigned in the midst or their
afflictions and privations; reposing their confidence in the
all-protecting arm of that beneficent Being, who is the author and
disposer of their destinies, and in whom alone, thus widely separated
as they were from home, and kindred and civilization, the solitary
wanderer can place his trust.
On the morning of Monday the 26th April, a thick mist obscured the
horizon, and hid in deep shade the mountains and the hills; every
object indeed was invisible, with the exception of the pathway and
the trees growing on each side, which they could hardly distinguish
as they passed along. It continued hazy for two hours after leaving
Gwen-dekki, when the mist dispersed and the atmosphere became clear.
Preparatory to ascending a steep granite hill, they halted to refresh
their horses under the branches of a high spreading tree, near a town
called Eco. Here they were visited by several of the inhabitants,
who, as soon as they were informed of their arrival, came flocking to
the spot. They formed themselves into a line to pay their respects,
and entreated them to wait a little for the arrival of their chief,
who was momentarily expected. But after staying as long as they
conveniently could, and no chief appearing, they mounted their beasts
and began the toilsome ascent. On attaining the summit of the hill,
the coup d'oeil was magnificent indeed, and the fog having been
dispersed by the sun, the eye was enabled to range over an extensive
horizon, bounded by hills and mountains of wonderful shapes. Some of
them bore a very striking resemblance to the Table mountain at the
Cape of Good Hope, and another was not unlike the Lion's Head and
Rump of the same place. Their course was north-east, and those two
mountains bore due west from them. There was no continued range of
hills, but numbers of single unconnected ones, with extensive valleys
between them. In some places, several were piled behind each, and
those most distant from them appeared like dark indistinct clouds.
Nothing could surpass the singularity, and it may be added the
sublimity of the whole view from the top of the granite hill which
they had ascended, and they contemplated it silence for a few
seconds, with emotions of astonishment and rapture.
Descending the hill, they continued their journey over a noble plain,
watered with springs and rivulets, and in the afternoon entered Dufo,
a most extensive and populous town. The inhabitants appeared to be
industrious and very opulent, as far as regarded the number and
variety of their domestic animals, having abundance of sheep, goats,
swine, pigeons, and poultry, amongst the latter of which were
observed for the first time, turkeys and guinea-fowl.
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