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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He Replied,
They Might Have One For A Hundred Dollars, But Being Unable To
Command That Sum They Were Finally Obliged To Apply To Their Friend,
The King Of Boossa, Whom They Had So Unreasonably Distrusted, And Who
Cheerfully Undertook To Supply Their Wants.
The city of Yaoorie is of prodigious extent, and is supposed to be as
populous as any other in the whole continent, or at least that part
of it which is visited by the trading Arabs.
Its wall is high and
very excellent, though made of clay alone, and may be between twenty
and thirty miles in circuit, and it has eight vast entrance gates or
doors, which were well fortified after the manner of the country. The
residence of the sultan, as well as the houses of many of the
principal inhabitants of the city, are two stories in height, having
thick and clumsy stairs of clay, leading to the upper apartments,
which are rather lofty, and, together with rooms on the ground floor,
have door-ways sufficiently large to enable a person to enter without
putting himself to the inconvenience of stooping. The principal part
of the houses is built in the circular or coozie fashion, but the
inhabitants have a few square ones, and the sultan's are of no
regular form whatever. It may be considered somewhat singular, that
the majority of the natives of western and central, and it may be
said, also of northern Africa, moisten the floors of their huts, and
the inside of their walls with a solution of cow dung and water, two
or three times a day, or as often as they can find the materials.
Though disagreeable to the smell of an European, this keeps the
interior of a dwelling as cool as it is dark.
The Landers were anxious to expedite their departure, but the sultan
sent word to inform them that he would be occupied three days in
writing to the king of England, and he would, therefore, thank them
to remain in Yaoorie till the expiration of that period. On the
following day, however, the sultan told them in plain and decisive
terms, that he could not send them either by way of Koolfu or Guarie,
because the Fellatas were in both of those places, and their fate
then would soon be decided. He wished, however, to be expressly
understood, that it was from no disinclination on his part to send
them to either of those places, but that his great regard for them
would not permit him to lead them into danger. Now the Landers knew
very well that the Fellatas had not the superiority either in Koolfu
or Guarie; the natives of the latter place, in particular, having
long since cut off the heads of all the Fellatas that could be found
in their country, and from that time they had enjoyed the most
perfect independence. The sultan of Yaoorie further said, that the
best thing he could do, was to send them back again to Boossa, and
from thence he was certain they might have liberty to go anywhere.
The moment they found this to be his intention, they returned to
their house, and having formed their resolution, they instantly
despatched one of their men with a message to the king of Boossa, to
the following effect:
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