They Give Millet Also, Which
Contributes Greatly To Make Them Fat.
A horse and his furniture sells for
from nine to fourteen negroes, according to his goodness and beauty; and
When a negro lord buys a horse, he sends for his horse sorcerers, who
cause a fire to be kindled of the stalks of certain herbs, and hold the
horses head by the bridle over the smoke, while they repeat over some few
words by way of incantation. They afterwards have him anointed all over
with fine oil, and having kept him eighteen or twenty days, without
allowing any one to see him, they affix some Moorish charms to his neck,
which have the appearance of small square billets of writing, folded up
and covered with red leather; and affirm, that, they will go into battle
with greater safety by means of these scrolls or annulets.
The women of this country are very pleasant and merry, especially the
young ones, and delight in singing and dancing, taking this diversion
only at night by moonlight; and their manner of dancing is very different
from that of the Italians. Many things in our ships seemed wonderful to
the Negroes, particularly our cross-bows; but much more our artillery.
When some of them were on board my ship, I caused one of the guns to be
fired off, which threw them into a dreadful panic; and their terror was
much increased on being told that one cannon-shot could kill an hundred
men. On which account, they alleged that it must be something belonging
to the devil. They were likewise greatly astonished at a bag-pipe, which,
one of our sailors played upon to divert them; and, on examining the
several parts and ornaments of the instrument, they conceived that it was
a living animal, which sung in different voices. Observing their
simplicity, I told them it was a musical instrument, and put it into
their hand unblown to examine. They then perceived that it was a work of
art, but believed that it was something supernatural, and could only have
been devised by a superior being, it sounded so sweetly, and in so many
different tones, having never heard any thing which could be compared to
it in their estimation. The ship, also, and its various contrivances, as
its anchors, masts, sails, and shrouds, afforded them great subjects for
admiration and wonder. They looked upon the port-holes in the stern as
real eyes, by which the vessel was able to find her way in the sea; and
observed, that travellers on land found difficulty to find the road from
one place to another, while we were able to travel along the trackless
ocean; and that the whites must therefore be the greatest of sorcerers,
not inferior to the devil himself. They shewed great admiration on seeing
a lighted candle in a candlestick, having themselves no other artificial
light but that proceeding from a fire. They have honey-combs, but when
they find these, they suck out the honey, and throw away the empty comb
as useless. At one time, I bought some honey-combs from a negro, and
shewed him how to extract the honey; after which, on asking him if he
knew what remained, he said it was good for nothing: But he was greatly
astonished on seeing it made into candles, and lighted in his presence;
saying, that the Europeans knew every thing. Their only musical
instruments are two, one of which they have from the Moors, which is like
a large drum[5]; the other is somewhat like a fiddle, having only two
strings, which they play on with their fingers, but gives no sounds that
can be called harmonious.
[1] This is almost certainly palm oil, the origin of which will appear in
another division of this work. - E.
[2] The text must be here erroneous, as two paces, or ten feet, will
scarcely suffice in describing the boa constrictor, sometimes near
thirty feet long. - E.
[3] An account of the termites, or white ants of Africa, will appear
hereafter. The circumstance of serpents taking up their abode in the
large anthills, must be entirely accidental. - E.
[4] Probably the Pintado, or Guinea fowl. - E.
[5] This in Ramusio is called Tabacche, and Sambuka in Grynaeus. - Astl.
SECTION VII.
_Continuation of the Voyage from Senegal, by Cape Verd, the river
Barbasini, and to the river Gambia; and, returns to Portugal._
Having seen a considerable part of the dominions of Budomel, and received
the slaves which, were bargained for, in exchange for my horses and other
merchandize, I resolved to proceed on my voyage, round Cape Verd, and to
prosecute discoveries along this dangerous coast, and in particular, to
go in search of the kingdom of Gambia or Gambia, which Don Henry had
pointed out, on the information of a person who was well acquainted with
the country of the Negroes, as not far from Senegal, and from whence, it
was reported, that considerable quantities of gold might be procured.
Longing to go in quest of this gold, I took my leave of Budomel, and
repaired to the river Senegal, where I went on board the caravel and got
under weigh, as soon as possible. Soon after leaving the river Senegal,
as we were standing onward with a press of sail towards Cape. Verd, we
descried, one morning two ships in the offing. On joining company, we
found that one of these belonged to Antonio, an experienced Genoese
navigator, and the other to some gentlemen in the service of Don Henry,
and that they had sailed in company, with the intention of passing Cape
Verd, to explore the coast beyond it, in search of new discoveries. Our
intentions being similar, I offered to join company, and we accordingly
proceeded together along the coast to the southward, in sight of land.
We came in sight of that cape next day, being about thirty Italian miles
from our last anchorage[1]. Cape Verd was so named by the Portuguese, who
discovered it about a year before[2], because it is covered with trees
which continue green all the year.
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