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 Market Which Was Held This Evening In The Town, Had A Most
Imposing And Brilliant Appearance, From The Immense Of Lamps Used By
The Trades-People.
Their visitors, who continued with them until late in the evening,
were innumerable, and the noise of the women's tongues was as loud
and disagreeable as ever.
For some time nothing could quiet them:
threats and entreaties were disregarded or laughed at, till at last,
they were compelled to resort to the childish expedient of spurting
water in their faces from a large syringe. On seeing and feeling the
effects of this fearful instrument, they became alarmed and ran away.
On the following day, May 2nd, a fetish priest came to see them, and
was about to treat them with the usual harangue of his profession,
but they contrived to put a stop to it, by bribing him with a few
needles. Nothing particular was observed in this fellow's ornaments
or dress, but his person presented a strange and singular appearance.
The colour of his skin was like that of whitish brown paper; his
eyebrows and eyelashes were of a silvery whiteness, and his eyes of a
bright blue, notwithstanding which, the negro features were strongly
and distinctly marked on his countenance. The man's parents were both
natives, and quite black, and it was found impossible to ascertain
the reason of this extraordinary deviation from the common laws of
nature.
They received an abundance of kindness from the good old chief of
this place, and his endeavours to make them comfortable were imitated
by many of the more respectable inhabitants.
The path recommended by the friendly chief of Coosoo, lay due east
from the town, and they pursued their journey on it, on the morning
of the 3rd of May. Robbers were stated to be lurking about, and
therefore they conceived it prudent, if not absolutely necessary, to
take every precaution for the safety of the mission, they, therefore,
loaded their own guns and pistols, and armed all their men with
swords and muskets. Their Jenna messengers being unacquainted with
the new route, the governor of Coosoo had furnished them with two
armed foot guides, whose weapons were bows and arrows, besides a
horseman, armed at all points, to bring up the rear of the party.
With all these warlike preparations and equipments, a few harmless
women, who were terrified at the appearance of the travellers, were
the only individuals whom they met with on the path during a ride of
two hours, which brought them to a town called Acboro. The town
itself was very small, but its dilapidated walls, which enclose an
immense extent of ground, would lead the observer to suppose, that it
was formerly of much greater magnitude. Within the walls, were three
granite hills, two on one side, and the other on the opposite side of
the town. All their bases were of solid stone, but their summits
consisted of loose blocks, from the interstices of which, trees and
stunted vegetation shot forth.
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