I                              I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...............~




JOURNAL
OF
&N EXPEDITION TO EXPLORE THE COURSE
AND TERMINATION
OF
THE     NIGER:
WITH A
NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE DOWN THAT RIVER TO ITS
TERMINATION.
RICHARD AN'D JOHN LANDER.
tL6LU8TRAT D WITH ENORAVING8 AND MAPS
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. I.
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS.
1854.








ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.
IT is with considerable diffidence we presume to
Aay our imperfect labours before the world. We
are conscious that many defects will be found in
bur Narrative, both as regards its style and arrangement; but we are equally sensible that the public
are to be our judges, and on their candour and gene.
rosity we confidently rely. Surely when the public
reflect, even for a moment, on the disadvantages
against which we had to struggle, and the difficulties
under which we laboured, they will not exercise
too much severity of criticism.
An old poet imputes the faults of some of his
poetry to his misfortunes, and says that good verses
never flow but from a serene and composed spirit.
Perhaps the same apology may with propriety be
offered for our unpretending labours. Though we
have adverted to the fact but seldom, nevertheless,
throughout nearly the whole of our painful journey,
we were both indisposed in a greater or less degree.
In short, a very few days only had elapsed after our
landing at Baddgry, when we began to feel the debilitating effects of the African climate, and to experience a degree of languor which not even the
warmest enthusiasm could wholly overcome. It is
almost unnecessary to add that our spirits often sank
under the depressing influence of this powerful ad



X         ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.
versary, whose inroads on our constitutions we had
no means of resisting.
We therefore humbly submit the following Nari
rative to the public, without further apology for any
deficiency of style or expression which may be discovered-in it. It has at least the merit of a faithful
account, for our journals were invariably written on
the spot at the close of each day, and in all our
observations, to the best of our belief, we adhered
religiously to the truth.
We have only to add, that since returning to our
native country, we have made no alterations, nor
introduced a single sentence in the original manuscript of our travels; simply because it was intimated to us, that the public would prefer it in that
state, however faulty in style, rather than a more
elaborate narrative, which might gain less in elegance than it wpuld lose inaccuracy and vividness
of description.
We think it necessary, however, to say, that the
task of blending our journals into one, as well as
constructing the map of our route through the country, has been performed by Lieutenant Becher, of
the Royal Navy, to whom we offer our sincere
thanks, not only for the performance of these laborious services, but also for his friendly aid and valuable suggestions in many other points connected
with the production of these volumes.
RICHARD AND JOHN LANDER.
London, 1832.




CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
ilWRoDUCTIrox-..X............. —........ -- -** —...**....Page 17
CHAPTER I.
Departure from England-Arrival at Cape Coast-Anamab6o-AccraBad.gry..........................      45
CHAPTER H.
Departure from BadhAgry-Pass through Wow-Sagb6-Bfsha-Soat6
Bidjie-Laatoo-Larro to Jenna............................... 83
CHAPTER IIL
Tornado-Departure from Jenna-Tne Journey into the Interior con.
tinued through various Towns and Villages-Illness of the Travellers-Bohoo, the former Capital of Yarriba-Arrival at Katunga..114
CHAPTER IV.
Katunga-Mansolah, King of Katunga-Precautions to avoid Detention
by the King-Apathy of the Natives-Markets of Katunga-Delayed
by neighbouring War-Custom relating to Presents-Reserve of the
People concerning their Country-Their general Character-Progress
of the Falitahs-Preparations for Departure by a new Route-Fare.
well Visit to the King.........................................164
CHAPTER V.
Departure from Katunga-Difflculties with the Carriers-Musicians of
Atoopa-Town of Keeshee-Curiosity of the Natives-The Falatah
Town of Acba-Character of its Inhabitants-The Governor ofKeesliee
and his Wife-Their Superstition-Leave Keeshee-Robbers-Cross
the Moussa-Change in the Country-Escort from the King of Kimna
-Arrival in that City.......................................183
CHAPTER VI.
Ktima-Visit to the King-Wooden Figures-Yarro's Iut-His Ob.
jection to the former Route to Wowow being adopted by the Travel




Xfi                      CONTENTS.
lers-Instance of Native Friendship-Mohammedan Priests-Their
Character-Tradition of the Falatahs-Ceremonies of the Bebmu
SAlah-Celebration of the Festival-Native Horse-racing-The King's
Sons-Poisonous Lizard-Superstition of the Natives-Comparison
between the Natives of Borgoo and Yarriba-Traits of Character —
Falitah.-Law relating to them..........................Page 203
CHAPTER VII.
Departure from Kiama-Native Gratitude-Village of Kakafungi-Native Dance-John Lander taken ill-Deserted Route-Cross the River
Oly-Story of the Falltahs-Encampment —Tornado-Illness of John
Lander-Messengers from Coobly with Assistance-Arrival in that
Town-Reception-Presents from BoossA-Mount Cornwall-Recovery of John Lander-Leave Coobly-Ruins-Town of Zalee-Arrival
at Boossa-Reception........................................223
CHAPTER VIII.
The Widow Zuma-Present to the King-Visit to the Niger-The King
of Boosea and Midikie-Object of the Mission explained-The Tobe
of Park recovered-Park's Papers-BoossA described-Resources of
the Country-One of Park's Books discovered-Eiuity of the KingThe Hostess —Departure from Boossa-Kagogie-Canoes-Embark
on the Niger-Description of the River-Village of Sooloo-Rocky
Barrier-Arrival at Yaoorie......................23
CHAPTER IX
Remarks on the River-Intolligence of the Fate of Mr. Park-His Gun
obtained-Visit to the Sultan-Unsuccessful Application for Mr
Park's Papers-The Kingdom and City of Yaoorie and its NativesThe Sultan's Son-Insurgents-The Sultan's Daughters-Mischief
of the Widow Zuma-Application of the Travellers to the King
of Boossa —Wars in Nouffie-Provinces of IlAussa-Detention of
the Travellers-The Sultan of Yaoorie-His Character-Farewell
Visit.........................................................26
CHAPTER X.
Leave Yaoorie-Method of watching the Corn-The Cumbrie PeopleTheir Treatment-Sleeping IIuts and Spear of the Cumbrie-Arrive
at Warree-Garnicassa-Ignorance of the Natives concerning the
Course of the River-Their Amusements-Return to BoossA-Visit to
Wowow recommended-The River consulted by the King of BoossA
-Kings of this City-Scarcity of Provisions-Journey to WowowFirst Interview with the King................. 294
CHAPTER X1.
Horse-racing at Wowow on the Mohammedan Sabbath-Indignation of
the King of Wowow against the King of Kiama-Religious Procession
of Females-Policy of the King of Wowow-Richard Lander taken ill
-JIeaves his Brother at Wowow, and returns to Boossa-Narrative of




CONTENTS.                        Xiii
John Lander-The Blessing of the Priestess-Religious Sects-Their
Creeds, and Ideas of a Future State-Funeral and Marriage Ceremonies —Park's Books-The States of Borgoo-The last of Park's Effects —Farewell to the King of Wowow-Departure-Village-Apprehensions of the Natives-The Travellers meet at Booss,... Page 318
CHAPTER XII.
Scandal of the Natives-Treaty for a Canoe-Defeats of the Faltahs at
Catsheenah and Zaria-Measures of the King of Boossd for the futtre Safety of the Travellers-Artifices for obtaining Presents from
them-Preparations for celebrating the Mohammedan Festival-The
King's Drummner-The IHorse-race, and the King's Speech-A troublesome Servant-Festivities at Boossa —The Eclipse-Version of it
by the Arab Priests-Effects en the People-Messengers from Borgoo
-Caffas-Mode of preparing them-Arrival of a FatAkie-The
Ashantees' Method of killing Elephants-Married  Slaves-Their
Treatment-Permission for Departure requested-El Kanemee, the
Arab-The King assents to the Travellers' leaving Boossa-The
Messenger from Rabba, with the King's Son-Joy of the King of
BoossA at his Arrival-Opinion of his general Conduct towards the
Travellers....................................................343








DIRICTIONS FOR PLACING TIE PLATES.
VOL. I.
To face
ait of Richard Lander.............................           the Title
The small Map of the Quorra, &c.............. Page 17
Laree Map of the Course of the Quorra, the Joliba, &c............45
VOL. II.
eortrait of John Lander......................                the Title
The Fetish at Patashie.................................... Page 29
The Nouffie Canoe............................................       45
The Eboe Canoe...............................................239




" We pass o'er Afric's sultry climem
To where the Niger rolls his mighty stream
With doubtful current, whether bent his crrsoe
Or to the rising or the setting sun 
Till one advent'rous man, thro' perils great
And toil immense, hunger, and thirst, and pWin,
The question solved, and saw him eastward flow
Majesti thbrough his Woods."
MtLLIKIN's River S ide, Book iA,








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10  ~ituctoo I b
i5 e - -       _. Ja r*~. 1N
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I. THt_  = i |
~ ~  -W@.....' —~' = -_ —-- - _ —" _
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o...l-V -.:ERS.               - -.
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20P..15f10Zr~   W~o.SP  Ole  -W lorL.n




INTRODUCTION.
OF the numerous acquisitions that geography has
made since the revival of letters and the extension
of commerce, there are but few which have resulted from design, however well conceived, or from
the direct attempts of travellers, however perseveringly pursued. The discovery of America was
indeed a splendid example of both enlightened conception and heroic effort, crowned with success;
and the unabated ardour with which this country
has persisted in seeking for the river Niger, and in
tracing its course, may well be adduced as another
illustrious instance.
Among the difficulties inseparable from the lot of
travellers, those arising from climate may be considered as the most formidable. The immediate
presence of some imminent danger of a transient
nature, cannot be compared with the secret and incessant operations of an unhealthy climate, and no
climate more than that of Africa is noted for its fatal effects on Europeans. The slow progress of
discovery in Africa has hitherto arisen, principally,
from this cause. While other countries, farther removed from civilized Europe, have welcomed the
researches of the scientific traveller, and amply rewarded him with their riches, Africa has spurned
him from her soil by the destructive tendency of her
climate, or the treachery of her people.
As long as any fact is excluded from the knowledge of man, he who is in search of it will supply
the deficiency by his own conclusions, which will
be more or less distant from it, according to his fa.
B2




18            INTRODUCTION.
vourite opinions. There can be no better illustration of this, than in the instance afforded by the
Joliba, Quorra, or Niger. The termination of this
river was entirely unknown until the completion of
the recent expedition; and certainly no geographical
problem, excepting perhaps that of the celebrated
North-West Passage, had given rise to so many opposite theories, or had employed the conjectures of
so many learned men. " Since Park's first discovery
of the Joliba, every point of the compass has been
assumed for the ulterior course and termination of
that river," says an able writer in the Quarterly Review, justly considered as the enlightened advocate
and sincere friend of geographical discovery. And
however wrong, as the same writer agrees, subsequent discovery has proved this "speculative geography" to have been, it is not to be regarded as useless. Theories may be far short of the truth; but
while they display the ingenuity and reasoning
powers of their authors, they tend to keep alive that
spirit of inquiry and thirst for knowledge which
terminates in discovery; probably but for this
cause, the present might yet have been delayed
many years.
Much difference ot opinion prevails among wellinformed and experienced geographers, as to the
early notices in history of this questionable river.
Herodotus, emphatically styled the " Father of Historians," states in his "Geography of Africa," that
some young Nasamonians, a people who dwelt in
the north of Africa, on the borders of the Mediterranean, travelled in a westerly direction from a part
of Egypt, until they came to a large river full of
crocodiles, and flowing twards the rising sun, and
that they were conducted by the natives to a considerable city situated on its banks. The difficulty
has been to identify the track of these travellers,
and their account of what they saw, with what is
now known of the rivei lately discovered, and the




INTRODUCTION.             19
part of Africa in which it is situated. It is contended by the writer before aliudtd to, whose opinion is entitled to much deference, from his especial
acquaintance with African geography, that these
young men, by travelling due west from Bilma, the
part of Egypt from whence they are supposed to
have set out, could never have reached the Quorra,
which they are supposed by some to have done, and
to have called the Niger. The difficulty of even determining one point to be due west of another, at
that early period, affords grounds for doubting that
such a course in its literal sense could have been
meant, and it would have been next to impossible
for them to have avoided going either to the north
or south of that direction. The subject has been
ably treated by Lieutenant-colonel Leake, in a voluminous paper read to the Geographical Society at
the first meeting of the present season. Colonel
Leake states, that by travelling in a direction not
farther to the south than west-south-west, or half
way between west and south-west from Bilma, the
travellers might have arrived at the river; and he
considers the city to which they were conducted
to have been no other than Timbuctoo.
At this early period, which was nearly five hundred years before the Christian era, when the Nile,
from its magnitude, chiefly occupied the attention
of ancient writers, it was natural for them to conclude, as the river discovered by these travellers
was stated to flow from the west, that its waters
reached the higher branches of this river. The
fact of the Nile, in an early part of its course, flowing also from the west, favoured the conclusion;
and hence the first error concerning it was promulgated by Herodotus, in having considered it to be a
distant source of the Nile. Discovery has proved
that Herodotus, allowing for the period in which he
wrote, possessed considerable knowledge of the
geography of Africa, however he might have fallen




20             INTRODUCTION.
into error here, and this circumstance gave addi.
tional weight to his opinions.
Little notice is taken of the Niger by Strabo, but
Pliny treats largely upon this river. After conducting it in an easterly direction from its source in lower
Mauritania, through sandy deserts, sometimes flowing over them, and at others disappearing beneath
them, he brings it to the Nile of Egypt, and coincides in the original opinion of Herodotus, that the
Niger and the Nile are one and the same river.
But the most reasonable geographer of his time is
Mela, who, while he nearly coincided in the general
opinion as to the source of the Niger, after making
it flow from west to east, acknowledges with becoming candour, that when it reaches the centre of
the continent, no one knew what became of it. He
justly deprecates as fabulous the idea of its flowing
beneath sands, and attributes such an opinion to the
want of knowledge respecting it in different parts
of its course.
Ptolemy, who was the first to break through the
imaginary bond which united the Niger and the
Nile, unhappily had no other support to his pretensions of aly knowledge respecting the former. His
account of the Niger is so vague, as to make it diffi
cult even to determine the course which he supposed it to take. He adhered to the former opinion
respecting its general direction, and considered as
one river the streams of several.
Such were the confused accounts of the earlier
writers on geography respecting this mysterious
river, when the dissolution of the Roman empire
produced a total change in the opinions concerning
it, and made them still more incomprehensible.
The Arabians had now spread themselves over
northern Africa, and by their wandering habits were
calculated to acquire more information concerning
it than their predecessors. They have accordingly
given fuller accounts of the geography of the coun




INTRODUCTION.             21
try' but in those of tne Niger are not more fortunate than their predecessors. The opinions of
Abulfeda and Edrisi, their most celebrated geographers, were totally different from those of the
former writers. Instead of allowing the Niger an
easterly course, they considered its source as identical with that of the Nile, and bestowed on each
the same name. The Nile of Egypt they supposed
to run northerly into the Mediterranean, while for
the Niger they assumed a westerly course across
the whole continent, until it reached the Atlantic
Ocean, or "Sea of Darkness;" and, to distinguish it
from the former, they named it the " Nile of the Negroes." It is difficult to imagine how such an hypothesis as this could have been received. The idea
of the river flowing to the east might be easily admitted, in comparison with it, as a considerable part
of its course is actually in that direction, and as
much of it as was likely to be known to the ancient
geographers. As no part of it, except that near the
Delta, flows to the westward, some other river than
the Niger must have been meant.
The state of Europe at this period was ill calculated to throw any light on this interesting question,
and, therefore, it lay neglected and concealed in obscurity. Maritime discovery at length promised to
achieve what was not to be expected by other means;
and the Portuguese, in pursuit of commerce, under
the favourable auspices of their enlightened sovereigns of the fifteenth century, enlarged the knowledge of African geography. Intent on carrying on
their conquests in India, the Portuguese were compelled to pass the coasts of this continent, and in
their progress they founded many settlements, from
which discovery was extended into the interior.
Leo Africanus, a native of Granada, in Spain, was
well acquainted with Arabian literature, and assigned
a westerly course to the Niger. He differs from
the Arabians only in its source, which he places to




22             INTRODUCTION.
the west of that of the Nile. He considered the
Niger to take its rise in a lake situated to the south
of Bornou, from whence he believed that it flowed
to the westward, until it reached the Atlantic Ocean.
The Portuguese, in their discoveries on the western
coast of Africa, found successively the mouths of
the Senegal, the Gambia, and the Rio Grande.. The
situation of these rivers favoured the supposition
of the westerly course of the Niger, and they were
accordingly considered as the channels by which it
entered the Atlantic Ocean.
The intercourse of the Portuguese with the natives of the Senegal and Gambia, as well as their
communications with Timbuctoo, did not suffice to
point out to them this error, and it has been perpetuated in all their maps. A remarkable circumstance,
however, may here be observed concerning the position of Timbuctoo. This city is placed so near
the sea as to excite suspicion of its being the same
as that on the Niger, and another place named Tamboucanee, on the Senegal, is mentioned as answering their Timbuctoo. On the whole, therefore, al.
though it cannot be doubted that the Portuguese obtained a considerable store of information respecting the Niger, they appear to have turned it to little
account.
Of all those who have devoted their attention to
Africa, the French geographers De Lisle and D'Anville have evinced more care and thought than any
other. De Lisle adopts the course assigned to the
Niger by the Arabians in his map of the world in
the year 1700, and in his map of Soudan, or Nigritia,
published in 1745, preserves the same; while, in
another map of the world, published in 1714, he
gives the sources both of the Niger and Senegal.
The latter he makes to run westward, and the
former eastward; and it is rather extraordinary that,
so late as 1745, he should have persevered in the
old error. Whether the second separation of the




INTRODUCTION               23
Niger in the west from the Senegal, as the first had
been in the east from the Nile, is due to De Lisle or
not, D'Anville, in 1749, follows it up in his map of
Africa, published at that time. In this map, D'Anville places the source of the Senegal in the same
position as De Lisle, and the source of the Niger he
places a little to the eastward of it. They each assume their proper course,-the former to the west,
and the latter to the east, as far as Wangara, where
it is met by another stream, coming in the opposite direction. The Niger, or Nile of the Negroes,
is stated in the same map, according to Edrisi, as
taking its rise close to the source of the Nile, and
running in a north-west direction, till it terminates
in the Lake of Bornou. D'Anville, in the mean
time, entered deeply into the question of the rivers
in the interior of Africa; and, in 1755, communicated
the result of his labours to the French Academy.
Thus the source of the Niger, as well as its
course, remained in obscurity until English geogra
phers and travellers took the field. An entirely new
era in the progress of African geography now commenced; and, to the honour of Great Britain, a
number of wealthy and philanthropic individuals
formed themselves, in the year 1788, into a society,
for the express purpose of promoting discovery in
that country. The necessary funds for the assistance of travellers were provided by this body, and
intelligent in(dividuals were only required to carry
their designs into execution. The first and principal object which occupied their attention was the
solution of the grand problem respecting the course
and termination of the Niger, and a reward was
promised to the person who should succeed in (de
ternrining them.
The first person who was despatched on this mission, under the auspices of the African Association,
was Mr. John Ledyard. an American by birth, and
one who was gifted with an extraordinary desire for




24             INTRODUCTION.
travelling. He had already been round the world
with Captain Cook, and had undergone hardships
and privations in a journey that he performed in
Russia, which, as the exploits of a single traveller,
stand unrivalled. Ledyard met the proposals of the
association with promptness and decision, and departed for Africa in June, 1788. Some idea may be
formed of this extraordinary man from his communication to a friend on the morning of his departure:-" I am accustomed," said he," to hardships; I have known both hunger and nakedness to
the utmost extremity of human suffering. I have
known what it is to have food given me as charity to
a madraan; and 1 have at times been obliged to shelter myself under the miseries of that character, to
avoid a greater calamity." Such were the words of
Ledyard, and his performances had been no less remarkable. His instructions were to penetrate into
Africa by the way of Egypt, and to traverse the continent in the latitude of the Niger. In pursuit of
this, Ledyard reached Cairo in the month of August
following,-where, becoming impatient and vexed
by the delay of the caravan with which he was to
hiave travelled, his anxious mind sank under disappointment, and an illness quickly terninated his
career. Ledyard possessed, in an eminent degree,
the daring spirit so requisite for such an undertaking; but was deficient in patience, a virtue which
is peculiarly required in an African traveller.
The next person who went to Africa to explore
the Niger was Mr. Lucas.  The journey of this
traveller, which took place in the following year, is
remarkable for the additions which he contributed to
African geography, according to information which
he obtained from the Arabs, although he did not penetrate farther to the south than Mesurata, a place
five days' journey from Tripoli. In his account of
the Fezzan merchants, who crossed the Niger at a
ferry two miles south of Cassena, by allowing for




INTRODUCTION.             25
the geographical inaccuracies of the time, may
probably be discerned the ferry of Comie, below
Boossa, or that of Rabba, mentioned in the following journal. The account, however, which Mr. Lucas gave of the course of the Niger, is not confirmed
by discovery; but that the merchants after crossing
it pursued their journey to Ashantee, and met with
the goora-nuts, renders it extremely probable that
these two ferries, which form the highway across
this river, were alluded to by his informers.
The western coast now became the quarter to
which the attention of the African Association was
directed as likely to afford greater advantages fol
penetrating to the Niger, than from Tripoli. In
1791 Major Houghton, who had become acquainted
with the character of the Arabs while British consul at Morocco, undertook to explore the Niger. He
ascended the Gambia, and having reached the uppei
part of this river, took a northerly direction into
Ludama, on the borders of the great desert. Having
agreed with some Moorish merchants to convey him
to Tisheet, he set out with them from Jarra, and at
the expiration of two days he determined on not accompanying them farther, from a suspicion of their
intentions. The consequence was that he was plundered and deserted by the Moors, and died at Jarra,
after travelling alone.'several days.
The course of the Niger still lay concealed in
vague and unsatisfactory statements, no modern
traveller having yet succeeded in reaching its banks.
The honour of first accomplishing this hazardous
enterprise was reserved for one no less unfortunate
than his predecessors..In 1795 the celebrated Mr.
Mungo Park, a native of Scotland, offered his services to the African Association. A knowledge of
medicine, besides other useful attainments, added to
a natural taste for geographical discovery, peculiarly
qualified hirn for such a purpose; and his offer being
accented he set out for the Niger. Adopting the




26             INTRODUCTION.
route of Major Houghton, he penetrated up the
Gambia, and quickly reached Medina. Leaving the
Gambia at this place, he kept a more northerly direction, and crossed the Faleme, a tributary to the Senegal, near Fatteconda. Having crossed the Senegal, and passed Kemmoo, he arrived at Jarra, where
he found the remains of Major Houghton.  On
leaving Jarra he adopted a course to the southward
of east, and after having experienced great difficulties and privations in consequence of wars, he at
length arrived at the long-sought Niger, and beheld
it flowing fron west to east. From Sego he continued his journey along the bank of the Niger to
Silla; where, finding himself exhausted by weakness, and destitute of the means of proceeding farther, he determined on returning to England. He
reached the Gambia by a more direct route than that
by which he had travelled to the Niger, and arrived
in England in December, 1797. At Silla, which he
stated as being two hundred miles from Timbuctoo,
he collected much information; and thus was the
commencement of the Niger first traced on the map
fiom the actual observation of a modern traveller.
In this journey Park explored the Niger between
Bammakoo and Silla, the former being, according to
his account, about ten days' journey distant from its
source.
During the absence of Mr. Park in western Africa,
under the direction of the Association, Mr. W. G.
Browne, at his own expense, passed through Egypt,
and travelled to the west into Darfur, where he was
detained three years. His informaion chiefly con.
cerns Egypt, and nothing was gained from him respecting the Niger.
A new theory respecting the course and termination of this river now started into notice. After his
return, Mr. Park happening to meet with a Mr. Maxwell, who was as much interested about the river
Congo as Mr. Park was with the Niger, these two




INTRODUCTION.              27
travellers communicated their sentiments to each
other respecting theim, and came to the conclusion
that they were one and the same river. There was
much to favour this decision. The Niger had been
found by Park flowing from west to east, and from
the accounts of tlhe ancients, it was supposed to flow
still farther in that direction, perhaps as far as a thousand miles from Silla, the extent of his discovery.
Beyond this all was conjecture respecting it, and there
was nothing unreasonable in the supposition that it
night take a south-east direction from WVangara, and
become the Congo, the course of which river was
then equally unknown. Such was Park's opinion,
and upon which he soon after acted.
The course of the river, after the return of Park,
was investigated minutely by Major Rennell, whose
name will ever be revered by geographers. Besides
laying it down from Park's discoveries, he entered
fully into the various statements concerning it by
the ancient writers; and after considerable pains he
arrived at the conclusion that the river, having passed
Timbuctoo, flowed a thousand miles in an easterly
direction, and terminated in a lake or swamp called
Wangara, into which also another river fell from the
eastward. This opinion, pronounced by such a man
as Major Rennell, was received with confidence, and
prevailed generally among geographers. Still it was
unsatisfactory. Doubts were justly entertained on
the possibility of its disappearing in such a manner,
but the accounts of the ancients afforded no other
means of disposing of it.
M. Reichard, a German, entertained a different
opinion fiom that of Major Rennell, although he
agreed with him in believing that it flowed to Wangara. From this place M. Reichard supposed that
it assumed a south-west course, and terminated in
the Gulf of Guinea. It was observed at the time
that there was neither evidence on which such an
opinion could be supported, nor any by which it




28             INTRODUCTION.
could be refuted. As far as Wangara it was at
knowledged on the authority of the ancients, but beyond this no one knew any thing of it, and M. Rei.
chard's theory stood alone. Discovery has proved
him to be right in respect of its ultimate disposal, but
at the same time he participated in the general error
regarding its course to Wangara.
The next traveller sent out by the African Association was a German, named Hornemann. Al
Fezzatn, the farthest extent of his travels, he col.
lected much information respecting the geography
of Africa; but concerning the course of the Niger
he contributed little or nothing. In April, 1800, he
wrote to England, saying that he was on the point
of starting for Bornou, since which time no account
of him has been received.
Another German, named Roentgen, was the next
traveller sent out by the African Association. His
instructions were to penetrate to Timbuctoo, from
Mogadore. It was his intention to have accompanied the caravan to that place from Morocco, but he
is supposed to have been murdered by his servant, a
person bearing a suspicious character, whom he had
taken into his service against the advice of all to
whom he was known.
The travels of Burckhardt, also sent out by the association, threw no additional light on the course of
the Niger.
Another era in the history of African geography
may now be observed-one which, although marked
by misfortune in its very commencement, and followed up by the loss of many very valuable lives,
has ultimately produced the long sought for and de.
sired result. The formation of the African Association had already been followed by an important
discovery, and the persons composing it had secured
to themselves the honour of having given to the
world the first authentic account of the Niger from
personal observation. By their aid Park had suo




INTRODUCTION              29
cessfully explored three hundred miles of this iver,
when the attention of the British government, among
other pursuits of a similar nature, was turned towards it. The voyages of Cook had already enlarged the bounds of geographical knowledge in
nearly every part of the world by sea, and an expedition for the discovery of the course and termination of the Niger was now ordered.
This intelligence was communicated to Park, who,
in his usual sanguine manner, eagerly set to work in
preparing for the journey. He had drawn up a plan
of proceeding, for the accomplishment of which he
required the assistance of thirty-six Europeans; six
of whom were to be seamen, and the rest soldiers.
His plan was adopted, and a sum of five thousand
pounds was placed at his disposal by government,
for equipping the expedition.  The intention of
Park was to follow his former track to -the Niger,
and having reached its banks, there to build two vessels for his party, and to follow with them the course
of the river. If it should fall into the Congo, after
passing Wangara, he entertained no doubt of reaching the sea; but if it should terminate in this lake
or morass, as was supposed, he then expected that
he should have to encounter much difficulty. Hitherto the discovery of the Niger had been attempted
by single travellers, who had endeavoured to reach
their destination by accompanying the caravans, but
this second journey of Park assumed an entirely
new character, and sanguine hopes were justly entertained of his success.
The second journey of Park terminated fatally,
and the great question of the course of the Niger,
which had seemed to be on the dawn of discovery,
was again obscured. Much information had been
collected concerning the fate of Park and his party,
previous to the expedition of the present travellers,
by whom it has been confirmed. After experiencing
difficulties and dangers of nearly every description,




30             INTRODUCTION.
with only seven men remaining of his whole party,
and these in such a state, from the effects of the
climate, as to be scarcely able to proceed, he at
length reached a mountain ridge near Bammagoo,
from whence he once more beheld the Niger. Here
he considered that all his difficulties were at an end,
and proceeded on to Sansanding, on the bank of the
river, a few miles below Sego, where he accom
plished the building of his vessel. By the time tha*
he was ready to depart, which was on the 17th of
November, 1805, when he despatched one of his
nle, named Isaaco, to England with his journals
and letters, five of his party only were left. Among
those whom he had lost a few days before was Mr.
Anderson, his brother-in-law, to whom allusion is
made in the following journal.
The strong determination of Park to persevere in
his design of tracing the course of the river to its
termination, is thus expressed in one of his letters
from this place. "Though all the Europeans who
are with me should die, and though I were myself
half-dead, I would still persevere, and if I could not
succeed in the object of my journey, I would at
least die in the Niger." How truly were his words
verified! and yet not by the effect of the climate,
which he had wonderfully escaped, but by mere accident, produced by unfortunate circumstances.
How often is the cup of hope dashed from our lips,
when we consider ourselves most certain of its contents! Intelligence was afterward obtained that
Park had reached Boossa, where, being attacked by
the natives, as he previously had been in many
places after leaving Sansanding, he was supposed to
have been driven from his vessel, and to have per
ished in the river, which intelligence is confirmed by
the present account. Richard Lander was informed
at Boossa, that his party, consisting of many black
people who had been hired by him, were mistaken
by the natives of this place for Falatahs, with whom




INTRODUCTION.             31
they were then at war; and that the nature of the
river there is such, that there was but one part
through which his vessel could pass, and where he
could not avoid the attacks of the natives. This
statement, as well as that obtained by Richard Lander at Yaoori, so amply confirm the account contained in an Arab document, the translation of which
appears in Denham's work, that it deserves being
inserted here.
" Hence be it known, that some Christians came
to the town of Youri, in the kingdom of Yaoor, and
landed and purchased provisions, as onions and
other things; and they sent a present to the King
of Yaoor. The said king desired them to wait until he should send them a messenger; but they were
frightened, and went away by the sea (river.) They
arrived at the town called Bossa, or Boossa, and
their ship then rubbed (struck) upon a rock, and all
of them perished in the river."
" This fact is within our knowledge, and peace be
the end."
(" Note by the Translator.-In addition to the
above, there is a kind of postscript appended to the
document by a different hand, which, being both ungrammatical and scarcely legible, I had some difficulty in translating and giving it a proper meaning.
The words, however, are, I think, as follows, though
most of them have been made out by conjecture.")
" And they agreed or arranged among themselves,
and swam in the sea (river), while the men who
were with (pursuing) them appeared on the coast
of the sea (bank of the river), and fell upon them
till they went down (sunk) in it."
By the following extract from a document in the
late Captain Clapperton's Journal in Africa, p. 334,
it appears that Park and his party visited Timbuctoo.
After briefly noticing the progress of the forty
Christians as far as Sansanding, from which place
they set out with only five men, it states that they
I.-C




32             INTRODUCTION.
arrived at Masena, and that "They sojourned there
with the prince, who was one of the sons of the
Sultan of Timbuctoo, and whose name was Babai
Kydiali. He entertained them, and gave them leave
to proceed to Timbuctoo. They continued their
voyage till they arrived in safety, five as they were,
at the city of Timbuctoo, where they resided as
long as God was pleased. Thence they went on towards the country of S'oghy, till they came to one
of its towns, called Gharwal-gaoo. There the Tuaricks met and fought them severely till three were
killed, and two only of them escaped with the
vessel."
" They proceeded towards the east till they arrived at Boossa; but the inhabitants fought and
killed them, and their ship is to this moment there,
This is the substance and truth of the case." Thus
terminated the first attempt made by the British
government to discover the course of the Niger.
The next person who is supposed to have visited
Timbuctoo, was an American seaman, named Adams,
but his narrative throws no additional light on the
course of the Niger.
Amid the extraordinary political events which
agitated the whole of Europe, further attempts at
discovery were suspended till the commencement
of the present peace. Accordingly, in the yeai
1816, in conformity with the favourite hypothesis of
Park, an expedition was sent to penetrate into Africa
by the river Congo, with the view of arriving at the
Niger, under the direction of Captain Tuckey, of
the Royal Navy. The fate of this expedition was
the counterpart of the preceding. Two hundred
and eighty miles from the coast was the extent of
its progress; and the question was as far as ever
from being decided. At the same time, another
party, consisting of a hundred men, were placed under the direction of Major Peddie, to reach the Niger by Park's route from the Gambia, and sent out




INTRODUCTION.             33
to meet that under Captain Tuckey. This party as.
cended the river Nunez, and were equally unfortu.
nate with that which had gone to the Congo.
The first intelligence obtained respecting the
course of the Niger, since its discovery by Park,
was by the late Captain Clapperton of the Navy,
when he was at Sockatoo in 1824. He had reached
this place from Bornou, whither he had accompanied
Major Denham and Dr. Oudney from Tripoli. Here
he first gained the intelligence that the river ran to
the south, and that it flowed into the sea at Funda.
With this information, and a vast deal more relating
to other parts of Africa through which he had
passed, Clapperton returned to England. His favourable reception by Bello, the Falatah sultan, induced the British government to send him out again,
accompanied by Captain Pearce and Dr. Morrison
of the Royal Navy. These officers landed at Badagry, and the only one belonging to their party who
returned safely to England was Richard Lander, the
attendant of Clapperton. Captain Pearce and Dr.
Morrison died a few days after leaving Badagry;
and Clapperton, accompanied by Lander, soon after
arrived at Wowow, from which place they visited
Boossa, the place of Park's death. Clapperton had
imbibed a strong aversion to descending the Niger,
and made no secret of it to Lander. His firm conviction was, that whoever attempted to go down
this river would fall by the attacks of the natives;
and would never live to reach its termination. Clap
perton crossed the river at Comie, below Boossa,
and died soon after reaching Sockatoo. Lander,
having performed the last duties to the remains of
his friend and master, commenced his return to
England with his papers. Having traversed a considerable part of the country as far as Dunrora, he
would in all probability have found his way down
the Niger, had he not been interrupted by the na.
tives, and compelled to turn back. This circum.




34             INTRODUCTION.
stance alone obliged him to return by his former
route to Badagry, at which place he narrowly es.
caped with his life. In this expedition,the position
of Boossa, on the banks of the Niger, was obtained,
and an approximate position of Yaoorie, besides the
course of the river between these places.
During Clapperton's absence on his second journey, Major Laing penetrated from Tripoli to Timbuctoo. He had already escaped from an attack by a
band of'uaricks (a roving people who inhabit the
desert), and had departed from Timbuctoo on his
way to Sego, when he was inhumanly murdered by
a Moorish merchant, named Bambooshi, whom he
had engaged as a guide. Major Laing's papers have
not reached England, but it may still be hoped that
his observations at Timbuctoo will not be finally
lost.
A Frencllman named Cailli6 has visited Timbuctoo
since Major Laing, but his visit has produced no
addition to our knowledge of the Niger.
The natives near Boossa seem to have but a vague
notion of the course of the river below that place.
At Tabra, in Nouffie, Clapperton was told that "the
Quorra ran into the sea behind Benin, at Funda;
that the Nyffe people and those of Benin were the
same people; that Benin paid tribute to Nyffe."
There is something remarkable in this: but Clapperton attributes it to the desire of the natives to
impress a stranger with an exalted opinion of their
country. The Sultan Bello himself believed that the
river, after passing Boossa and Wowow, entered the
sea at Funda. The extent of their knowledge of
the river, and how little their information was cal..
culated to assist the geographer, may be seen by
the following amusing extract from the explanation
to Bello's map, given in the Appendix, p. 333, of
Clapperton's book. "Now the great river Cowmra
comes, and here is its representation. This great
river is the largest in all the territories of Haussa;
we know not of its source, nor of any one who has




INTRODUCTION.             35
seen it. It rushes and precipitates itself through the
country from left to right, and contains many islands,
inhabited by fishermen, herdsmen, husbandmen, and
settlers. As to the variety of its animals, birds, and
fish, it is only known to the Lord Creator; it has rocks
and mountains which break and shatter to pieces all
vessels that are driven against them; and its great
roaring and noise, with the agitation of its waves,
astonish the hearer, and terrify the beholder; and at
the same time exhibit the wonderful power of the
Omnipotent Creator." Such was the idea of Bello's
mallam or learned priest; and again at p. 340, in
" a traditional accjunt of different nations of A frica,"
it is stated, that the river Kowara runs through
mountains, and a great many woods and forests;
and has mountains on the north and east. This
great river issues from the Mountain of the Moon;
and what we know of it is, that it comes from Sookan to Kiga, to Kabi, to Yaoori, to Boossa, to Wawa,
and to Noofee,"-" but in that place there is another
river, which springs from Zirma to Ghoober, to
Zeffra, to Korg, or Korra, and then enters Noofee;
its name is Kaduna," or the Koodoonia, the extent
to which the Niger seems to have been known by
the natives, although they had heard of Funda.
Various accounts of the river had now been gradually collected from different sources, which afforded
grounds for fiesh theories respecting its termination.
That of Reichard was the favourite, although Wangara was dispensed with; and that the river fell into
the Gulf- of Guinea was pretty generally agreed.
These different opinions appeared in several publications, in which, as might be expected, much error
was mixed up with the general correctness. That
the river flowed into the sea at Funda was the grand
point obtained, and where Funda might be was of no
importance.  The only exception to these was the
theory of Major Denham, supported by Sultan Bello's
iformation, who continued its easterly course below




36             INTRODUCTION.
Boossa, and ended it in Lake Tshad. This he doubtless considered the more probable, as he says that
he found a river Shary running into- that lake.
Major Laing ended it in the river Valta, near Accra;
Clapperton brought it to the sea near the mouth of
the Lagos, about halfway between Bad.gry and the
mouth of the river Benin; while Reichard concluded
rightly that the river Benin was the outlet of the
Niger. Others believed that the mouths of the numerous rivers between the Formosa and the old
Calebar were the outlets of this river; among whom
were Captain W. F. W. Owen, Captain A. T. E.
Vidal, and Captain B. M. Kelley, besides several
other naval officers who had been stationed on the
coast. The accounts of Liverpool palm-oil traders
favoured the same conclusion; nevertheless, no one
had yet explored the river below Boossa,-all was
uncertainty, and founded only on report and supposition. A solitary attempt to reach it from the old
Calebar river was made in 1805, by a Mr. Nicholls,
who died shortly after leaving Duke Town; and this
is remarkable from having been the only one made
from that quarter.
The annexed map serves to show the extent of
our knowledge of the river at this period. Park had
laid down its course between Bammakoo and Silla
in his first journey, and had found that its source
was in the same mountainous range that gave rise
to the Senegal. The part below Silla, as far as
Timbuctoo, was the result of intelligence obtained
by him in his second journey. Beyond Timbuctoo,
the only place known to be situated on its banks
was Boossa, the position of which had been determined by Clapperto0, but the actual course of the
river between those places remained entirely unknown. The part included within the dotted square
is the result of the Landers' expedition; and therefore, that part between Yaoori, the extent of their
journey, and Timbuctoo, is all that remains to be




INTRODUCTION.              37
explored of the Niger. There is no doubt of its
continuity between those places, from the reports
of Park, as the vessel he built at Sansanding was
lost at Boossa, and they have been connected by the
broken line merely to show the probable course of
the river. Considering the relative position of the
Senegal and Niger, it is no matter of surprise that
they should have been confounded with each other
in the early stages of history, although they run in
opposite directions, for, even at the present time,
the ignorance of every one who had been applied to
concerning the river was the subject of remark by
the last travellers.
Such was the uncertain condition in which the
course of the Niger remained, when the happy idea
occurred of sending the Messrs. Lander to follow its
course below Boossa. By this step the British government completed what it had begun, and accomplished, in a few months, the work of ages. Richard
Lander, well acquainted with the nature of such an
undertaking, volunteered his services to perform it.
His instructions, of which the following is a copy,
were given to him, and having been supplied with the
articles, a list of which will be found in the Appendix, accompanied by his brother John, he set out on
this interesting expedition.
"Downing-slreet, 31st December, 1829.
" Sir,
"I am directed by Secretary Sir George Murray to acquaint you, that he has deemed it expedient to accept the offer which you have made, to
proceed to Africa, accompanied by your brother,*
for the purpose of ascertaining the course of the
great river which was crossed by the late Captain
Clapperton, on his journey to Soccatoo; and a
* Though the government refused to allow him a salary, or make
him even the promise of reward, my brother eagerly volunteered to
accompany me.-R. L.




38             INTRODUCTION.
passage having been accordingly engaged for you and
your brother on board of the Alert, r.merchant vessel
which is proceeding to Cape Coast Castle, on the
western coast of Africa, I am to desire that you will
embark directly on board of that vessel.
" In the event of your falling in with any of his
majesty's ships of war on the coast of Africa, previously to your arrival at Cape Coast Castle, you
will prevail on the master to use every endeavour to
speak with such ship of war, and to deliver to the
officer commanding her the letter of which you are
the bearer, and which is to require him to convey
yourself and your brother to Badagry, to present you
to the king, and to give you such assistance as may
be required to enable you to set out on your journey.
"You should incur as little delay as possible at
Badagry, in order that, by reaching the hilly country,
you may be more secure from those fevers which
are known to be prevalent on the low lands of the
seacoast. You are to proceed by the same road as
on a previous occasion, as far as Katunga, unless
you shall be able to find, on the northern side of the
mountains, a road which will lead you to Funda, on
the Quorra or Niger, in which case you are to proceed direct to Funda. If, however, it should be
necessary to go as far as Katunga, you are to use
your endeavours to prevail on the chief of that
country to assist you on your way to the Quorra,
and with the means of tracing down, either by land
or water, the course of that river as far as Funda.
" On your arrival at this place, you are to be very
particular in your observations, so as to enable you
to give a correct statement" st. Whether any, and what rivers fall into the
Quorra at or near that place, or whether the whole
or any part of the Quorra turns to the eastward.
" 2d. Whether there is at Funda, or in the neighs
bourhood, any lake or collection of waters, or large
swamp; in which case you are to go round such




INTRODUCTION.             39
lake or swamp, and be very particular in examining
whether any river flows into or out of it, and in what
direction it takes its course.
" 3d. If you should find that at Funda the Quorra
continues to flow to the southward, you are to fol.
low it to the sea, where, in this case, it may be presumed to empty its waters; but if it should be found
to turn off to the eastward, in which case it will most
probably fall into the Lake Tshad, you are to follow
its course in that direction, as far as you conceive
you can venture to do, with due'regard to your personal safety, even to Bornou, in which case it will
be for you to determine whether it may not be advisable to return home by the way of Fezzan and
Tripoli: if, however, after proceeding in an easterly
course for some distance, the river should be found
to turn off towards the south, you are to fol':w it, as
before, down to the sea. In short, after having once
gained the banks of the Quorra, either from Katunga
or lower down, you are to follow its course, if possible, to its termination, wherever that may be.
" Should you be of opinion that the Sultan of Youri
can safely be communicated with, you are at liberty
to send your brother with a present to that chief,
to ask in the king's name for certain books or papers
which he is supposed to have, that belonged to the
late Mr. Park; but you are not necessarily yourself
to wait for your brother's return, but to proceed in
the execution of the main object of your mission, to
ascertain the course and termination of the Niger.
"You are to take every opportunity of sending
down by the coast a brief abstract of your proceedings and observations, furnishing the bearer with a
note, setting forth the reward he is to have for his
trouble, and requesting any English person to whom
it is presented to pay that reward, on the faith that
it will be repaid him by the British government.
" For the performance of this service you are furnished with all the articles which you have required
for your personal convenience during voui journey




40              INTRODUCTION.
together with a sum of two hundred dollars in coin,
and in case, upon your arrival at Badagry, you should
find it absolutely necessary to provide yourself with
a further supply of dollars, you will be at liberty to
draw upon this department for any sum not exceeding three hundred dollars.
"During the ensuing year the sum of one hundred
pounds will be paid to your wife, in quarterly payments, and upon your return a gratuity of one hundred pounds will be paid to yourself.
" All the papers and observations which you shall
bring back with you are to be delivered by you at
this office, and you will be entitled to receive any
pecuniary consideration which may be obtained from
the publication of the account of your journey.
"I am, sir, &c. &c.
(Signed) " R. W. HAY
"To Mir. Richard Lander."
I Copv of the letter alluded to in the foregoing instructions.J
"Admiralty Office, 23d December, 1829.
"Sir,
"I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty to transmit to you a copy of a lettei
from Mr. Hay, relative to an expedition into Africa,
undertaken by Mr. Richard Lander and his brother,
and I am to signify their lordships' directions to you,
to take measures for conveying Messrs. Lander from
Cape Coast Castle to Badagry, to be there presented,
as desired in Mr. Hay's letter, to the authorities of
the place, as persons in whose welfare the British
government takes much interest; and also to provide
these travellers with any assistance of which they
may stand in need for the prosecution of their undertaking.              "I am, sir, &c. &c.' J. BARROW.
"To Commodore COLLIER, C. B., or the
Commanding Officer of any of his Majesty's
ships which Messrs. LANDER may fall in
with on the Coast of Africa "




INTRODUCTVIO..*           41
The travellers have succeeded; their discovery is
already known to the world, and the following pages
contain the particulars of their journey. There are
two features which distinguish this expedition from
all those that have proceeded it,-namely, themagnitude and importance of the discovery, and the
small means by which it has been accomplished.
Science here was out of the question, and all depended on that homely quality of the mind, "determination of purpose," a leading feature in the character of our countrymen, without which science
itself is of little avail.
The elder brother, Richard Lander, is already
known to thle world as the faithful attendant of the
late Captain Clapperton..The manner in which he
had acquitted himself of his trust, amid the difficulties
he had to contend with after that officer's death, bespoke him as worthy of being sent on such a mission,
when scientific observations were not expected; and
the result has proved the justness of the opinion that
had been formed of him. Descended from Cornish
parents, and gifted with no extraordinary talent, it
was not his fortune to boast either the honours of
high birth, or even to possess the advantages of a
commonplace education. His leading quality has
been a share of perseverance, rivalling that of any
former traveller. This perseverance, under the protection of Divine Providence, has enabled him to
surmount every difficulty, to unlock the portals of
western Africa, and he has now the proud gratification of knowirng that he has well earned that reward
from his king which has placed him in honourable
competency.
The younger brother, John Lander, influenced by
a laudable desire of assisting his brother and of visiting Africa, accompanied him on the journey without
pecuniary expectancy; and it is due to him to state,
that the narrative is largely indebted to his observation. Natulallv of a warm imagination, his descrip.




42             INTRODUCTION.
tions are not without their faults; but while this is
acknowledged, it must be admitted that he has enriched the Journal with much interesting and valuable information. In point of education and literary
attainments John Lander has the advantage of his
brother, and has already produced several essays, in
prose and verse, besides having written the accounts
of his brother's former journey. Having shared the
dangers of his last expedition, he has been promised
an employment under government suitable to his
abilities; and the friends of knowledge and science
will rejoice in seeing these travellers, the only two
left of those who have gone out on this dangerous
mission, become objects of their country's care.
The first annual premium of fifty guineas, which
has been placed at the disposal of the president and
council of the Royal Geographical Society, by his
most gracious majesty, was awarded to Richard Lander, as having been charged with the expedition. On
the 14th of November it was presented to him by the
president, Lord Goderich, accompanied by a few ob
servations most gratifying to his feelings; and it ih
a remarkable fact, that the incorporation of the Afri
can Association with the Geographical Society was
announced by his lordship immediately afterward,that Association whose first and chief solicitude had
been the grand discovery for which the reward had
been just bestowed.
The unfortunate disaster that befell the travellers
at Kirree nearly deprived the world of the fruits of
their observations; but fortunately, although those
of each in different parts of the journey were lost in
the river, the thread of the narrative has been preserved entire by what remained. The first portion
of the Journal is from the observations of John
Lander,-those of Richard, between their departure
from England and Rabba, having been lost. The
remainder of it, to the conclusion, is from the jour.
nal of Richard Lander, assisted by that of his brother




INTRODUCTION.             43
part of the journal of the latter, between Rabba and
Kirree, being also lost. And there is little doubt
that the parts which have thus perished would have
added materially to the value of the whole. In preparing the journals for publication for the sake of
clearness, as well as in pursuance of custom, Richard
Lander, the elder brother, being charged with the
expedition, has been considered as the principal, and
the journal of John Lander, while they were separate from each other, is preserved in his own name.
This plan having been determined on after about
half of the first volume had been printed, a few alterations became necessary, and these have been made
without departing from the sense intended to be
conveyed.
In conclusion, a word or two may be said respecting the map which has been constructed from the
journals. The accomplished surveyor will look in
vain, along the list of the articles with which the
travellers were supplied, for the instruments of his
calling; and the man of science, to form his opinion
of it, need only be told, that a common compass was
all they possessed to benefit geography, beyond the
observation of their senses. Even this trifling though
important assistance was lost at Kirree, below which
place the sun became their only guide. Too much
faith must not therefore be reposed in the various
serpentine courses of the river on the map, as it is
neither warranted by the resources nor the ability
of the travellers. The map, in its most favourable
point of view, can be considered only as a sketch of
the river, authenticated by personal observation,
which will serve to assist future travellers, from
whose superior attainments something nearer approaching to geographical precision may be expected.
Even under these circumstances, the present travellers will always derive ample satisfaction in reflecting that they have served as pioneers of African
discovery.                         A. B. B.








( 45 )
JOURNAL.
CHAPTER I.
Departure from England-Arrival at Cape Coast-A namabo —AccraBadigry.
WE embarked from Portsmouth on the 9th of
January, 1830, in the brig Alert, Tyson master, for
Cape Coast Castle, where we arrived on the 22d of
the following month, having had a quick but boisterous and unpleasant passage of forty-two days.
We should be sadly wanting in gratitude and every
proper feeling, if we were to omit acknowledging,
in this place, the truly handsome and gentlemanly
treatment we experienced from Mr. George Maclean,
president of the council at Cape Coast, who had been
our fellow-passenger in the Alert, as well as the
merchants resident there, who welcomed us on our
arrival. In fact, they all vied with each other in
making themselves agreeable, and in showing us the
most marked attention; and they entertained us
with a generous hospitality which would have done
honour to the boasted olden time. Here we were
fortunate enough to engage old Pascoe and his wife,
with Jowdie, who had been employed on the last
mission, together with Ibrahim and Mina, two Bornou men, who were well acquainted with English
manners, and could converse in the Haussa language.
These individuals promised to be very useful in the
expedition, more especially old Pascoe, whose merits
as an interpreter are unquestionable.




46               ANAMABOO.
After remaining at Cape Coast Castle eight days,
we accompanied Mr. Maclean on a visit to Mr.
Hutchinson, commandant of Anamab6o, which is
about nine miles' distance from the former place.
This gentleman received us in a manner that does
equal honour to his heart and feelings. Would that
we could repay him in any way for his generous
abandonment and forgetfulness of all his private
concerns, solely to please and amuse his guests;
would that we could command language forcible
and glowing enough to express the gratitude we feel
for the disinterested kindness he showed us at Anamab6o. Mr. Hutchinson lives in his castle like an1
English baron in the feudal times, untinctured, however, by barbarism or ignorance; for the polished
refinements of life have insinuated themselves into
his dwelling, though it is entirely surrounded by
savages, and though the charming sound of a lady's
voice is seldom or never heard in his lonely hall.
His silken banners, his turreted castle, his devoted
vassals, his hospitality, and even his very solitariness, all conspire to recall to the mind the manners
and way of life of an old English baron in one of the
most interesting periods of our history, while the
highly chivalrous and romantic spirit of the gentleman alluded to is strictly in unison with the impression. Mr. Hutchinson has resided very many years
on the coast, and is one of the few individuals that have
visited the capital of Ashantee, wherein he resided
eight months, and obtained a better acquaintance
with the manners, customs, and pursuits of that warlike, enterprising, and original nation than any other
European whatever. In the Ashantee war he took
a very active part, and rendered important and valu
able services to the cause he so warmly espoused.
We abode at the fort till the 4th of March, when
we bade adieu to our kind host, and our muchrespected friend Mr. George Maclean, and en, raced
the opportunity of sailing in the Alert for Accra,




ARRIVAL AT BADAGRY.           47
whlere we expected to find a vessel to take us to
Badigry, in the Bight of Benin, agreeably to our
instructions.
For the last time we beg leave to express our
gratitude to the worthy president and the council at
Cape Coast, for their noble and feeling treatment
of us, strangers, and to assure them that we shall
cherish the remembrance of it as long as we live.
It is conduct such as this, so flattering to one's selflove, that makes the deepest and most lasting impression on the heart, and that clings to it when the
memory of other and perhaps more important things
has long passed away.
In two days we arrived opposite the British fort
at Accra, afid landed on the 7th. Here we abode
with Mr. Fry, the commandant, a whole week, which
afforded us ample leisure to stroll about the neighbourhood, and admire the surpassing beauty of the
country. Accra is, without exception, the pleasantest and most healthy British settlement on the
western coast of Africa. Its trade has perhaps suffered by the late unfortunate A shantee war, in common with Cape Coast Castle and other places; but
it is beginning to revive again. His majesty's brig
Clinker arrived the day before us, and two days after
she was joined by the Medina sloop of war and the
Black Joke.
On the 15th we embarked on board the Clinker,
Lieutenant Matson commander, and having sailed
direct for Badagry, we dropped anchor in the roadstead in front of that town on the 19th. My brother
landed and was introduced to the chief by Mr.
Brown, master of the brig, on the following day, and
every th.ing having been arranged to'our satisfaction,
Ile luggage was safely landed on the 21st.
From Lieutenant Matson, an officer to whom we
ire under infinite obligations for the many courtesies
ind acts of kindness he showed us, we received a
rmO'na man of colour Darned Antonio, son to the
1.-D




4F^     IARRIVAL AT BADAGRY.
chief of Bonny, who eagerly embraced the opportunity of proceeding with us into the interior, being
impressed with the notion that he should be enabled
to reach his home and country by means of the
Great River, or Niger.
March 22d.-Cheered by six hearty huzzas, goodnaturedly given us by the crew of the Clinker, at
the desire of her gallant commander, we sailed towards the beach in one of the brig's boats in the
earlier part of the afternoon, and having been taken
into a canoe that was waiting at the edge of the
breakers to receive us, we were plied over a tremendous surf, and flung with violence on the burning sands.
Wet and uncomfortable as this accident had rendered us, we had no change of linen at hand, and we
walked to a small creek about the distance of a
quarter of a mile from the seashore, where we were
taken into a native canoe, and conveyed safely
through an extremely narrow channel, overhung
with luxuriant vegetation, into the Badagry river,
which is a branch of the Lagos. It is a beautiful
body of water, resembling a lake in miniature i its
surface is smooth and transparent as glass, and its
picturesque banks are shaded by trees of a lively
verdure. We were soon landed on the opposite
side, when our road lay over a magnificent plain, on
which deer, antelopes, and buffaloes are often observed to feed. Numbers of men, women, and children followed us to the town of Bad&gry, and they
made the most terrific noises at our heels; but whether these were symptoms of satisfaction or displeasure, admiration or ridicule, we could not at first
understand. We were soon, however, satisfied that
the latter feeling was predominant; and indeed our
clothing was exceedingly grotesque, consisting of a
straw hat larger than an umbrella, a scarlet Mohamrmedan tobe or tunic and belt, with boots and
fil Turkish trousers.  So unusual a dress might




STAY AT BADAGRY.            49
well cause the people to laugh heartily; tney were
all evidently highly amused; but the more modest
of-the females, unwilling to give us any uneasiness,
turned aside to conceal-the titter, from which they
were utterly unable to refrain.
On our way we observed various groups of people
seated under the spreading branches of superb trees,
vending provisions and country cloth; and on our
approach many of these arose and bowed, while
others fell on their knees before us in token of respect. We reached the dwelling which had been
prepared for us a)out three o'clock in the afternoon;
but as the day was too far advanced to visit the chief
or king, we sent a messenger to inform him of our
intention of paying him our respects to-morrow
morning.
March 23d.-At nine o'clock this morning, agreeably to yesterday's promise, we visited the chief at
his residence, which is somewhat more than half a
mile from our own. On our entrance he was sitting
on a couple of boxes in a small bamboo apartment,
from whose sides were suspended a great quantity
of muskets and swords, with a few paltry umbrellas,
and a couple of horses' tails, which are used for the
purpose of brushing away flies and other insects.
King Adooley looked up in our faces without making
any observation, and did not rise from his seat to
congratulate us on our arrival. He appeared in deep
reflection, and thoughtfully rested his elbow on an
old wooden table, pillowing his head on his hand.
One of the most venerable and ancient of his subjects was squatted at the feet of his master, smoking
from a pipe of extraordinary length; while Lantern,
his eldest son and heir-apparent, was kneeling at his
side, etiquette not allowing the youth to sit in presence of his father. Every thing bore an air of gloom
and sadness totally different from what we had been
led to expect. We shook hands, but the pressure
of the cdief was so very faint that it was scarcely
VOL. I.-E




50            STAY AT BADAGRY.
perceptible; yet, notwithstanding this apparent cold
ness, we seated ourselves, one on each side, without ceremony or embarrassment. The conversation
was commenced on our part by inquiring after the
chief's health, which was answered only by a lan
guid smile, and he again relapsed into his formei
thoughtfulness. We then displayed to the greatest
advantage the presents we had brought for him from
England; they were accepted, it is true, but without
the slightest demonstration of pleasure or satisfac.
tion; they were scarcely looked at, and were car
ried away by his attendants with real or seeming
indifference. This was very moitifying, but we said
not a word, though it was the easiest thing imaginable to perceive that all was not right. A reserve,
the cause whereof we could not define, and a coldness towards us for which we could in nowise account, marked the conduct of the once spirited and
good-natured chief of Badagry, and prepared us to
anticipate various difficulties in the prosecution of
our plans, which we are persuaded will require
much art and influence to surmount. Adooley left
us abruptly in the midst of the conversation, and did
not return for some time.
Wearied at length with his long delay, we despatched a messenger to acquaint him that we were
becoming impatient, and would feel obliged by his
immediate return, in order to put an end to our conference, or paldver, as it is emphatically styled, as
speedily as possible. On receiving this message
the chief hastened back, and entered the apartment with a melancholy countenance, which was
partially concealed behind large volumes of smoke
from a tobacco-pipe which he was using. He seated
himself between us as before, and gave us to understand, in a very low tone of voice, that he was but
just recovering from a severe illness, and from
the effects of a variety of misfortunes which had
rendered him almost broken-hearted. His generals,




STAY AT BADAGRY.            51
Bombanee and Poser (mentioned in Clapperton's
journal), and all his most able warriors, had either
been slain in battle or fallen by other violent means.
The former in particular, whose loss he more particularly lamented, had been captured by the Lagos
people, who were his most inveterate enemies.
When this unfortunate man was taken prisoner, his
right hand was immediately nailed to his head, and
the other lopped off like a twig. In this manner he
was paraded through the town, and exposed to the
view of the people; whose curiosity being satiated,
Bombanee's head was at length severed from his
shoulders, and, being dried in the sun and beat to
dust, was sent in triumph to the chief of Badagry.
To add to his calamities, Adooley's house, which
contained an immense quantity of gunpowder, had
been blown up by accident, and destroyed all his
property, consisting of a variety of presents, most
of them very valuable, that had been made him by
Captain Clapperton and by European merchants and
traders in slaves. The chief and his women escaped
with difficulty from the conflagration; but as it was
the custom to keep the muskets and other firearms
constantly loaded, their contents were discharged
into the bodies and legs of those individuals that had
flocked to the spot on the first alarm. The flames
spread with astonishing rapidity, notwithstanding
every exertion, and ended in the destruction of a
great part of the town. This accounted in some
measure for the sad and grievous expression so
strongly depicted on the chief's countenance; but
still another and more powerful reason doubtless
influenced him on this occasion.
On returning to our residence, a number of
"principal men," as they style themselves, were introduced, to compliment us on coming to their
country, although their true and only motive for
visiting our quarters was the expectation of obtain
tug rum, which is the great object of attraction to




52           STAY AT BADAGRY.
all ox them. We have been annoyed during the
better part of this day by a tribe of ragged beggars,
whose importunity is really disgusting; and the
number of old fat-headed and pot-bellied men, and
skinny, flap-eared women of the last century, has
been immense. To these garrulous ladies and gentlemen have we been obliged to laugh and talk, and
shake hands, and crack fingers, and bend our bodies
and bow our heads, and place our hands with solemnity on our heads and breasts; make presents,
and cringe, fawn, and flatter up to the present
moment, which is past bed-time. We have not indeed had a moment's relaxation from this excessive
fatigue; and the consideration that we have been
waited on by the chiefs eldest son has been forgotten in the mortifying inconveniences to which
we have been subjected.
Had Job, among his other trials, been exposed to
the horrors of an interminable African palaver, his
patience must have forsaken him. For my own
part, I am of opinion that I shall never be a general
favourite with this ever-grinning and loquacious
people. If I laugh, and laugh I most certainly must,
it is done against my inclination, and consequently
with a very bad grace. For the first five years of
my life, I have been told that I was never even seen
to smile; and since that period, Heaven knows, mny
merriment has been confined to particular and ex
traordinary occasions only. How then is it possi
ble that I can be grinning and playing the fool from
morning to night, positively without any just incentive to do so, and sweltering at the same time undei
a sun that causes my body to burn with intense heat,
giving it the appearance of shrivelled parchment.
Fortunately, these savages, for savages they most
certainly are in the fullest extent of the word, can
not distinguish between real and fictitious joy; and
although I was vexed at heart, and wished them all,t the bottom of the Red Sea. or somewhere else, I




STAY AT BADAGRY.             53
have every reason to believe that my forced attempts
to please the natives have so far been successful; and
that 1 have obtained.the. reputation, which I: certainly do not deserve, of being one of the: pleasantest and best-tempered persons in the world.
One of the Fetish-men had just sent us a present
of a duck, fully as large as an English goose; but as
the fellow, expects ten times its value in return, it is
no proof, I think, of the benevolence of his.dispo,
sition. Last night we were obliged to station armed
men around our house, for the purpose of protecting
our goods from the rapacity of a multitude of
thieves that infest this place, and who display the
greatest: cunning imaginable to ingratiate themselves in our favour..We arose unrefreshed this
morning, at daybreak, the noise of children -crying,
the firing of:guns, and the discordant sound of
drums and horns, preventing us from enjoying the.
sweetness of repose, so infinitely desirable after, a
long day spent in a routine:of tiresome.ceremony
and etiquette.
March 24th. —One of the chiefs messengers,; who
is a Haussa mallam-,' or priest, presented himself' at
the door of our house this morning, followed by a
large and handsome spotted sheep from his native
country, whose neck was adorned with little bells,
which made a pretty jingling noise. We were much
prepossessed in this man's favour by the calmness
and serenity of his countenance, and the modesty,
or rather timidity of his manners, He was dressed
in the Haussa costume,. viz. cap, tobe, trousers, and
sandals. He wore four large silver rings on his
thumb, and his left wlrist was ornamented with a
solid silver bracelet. This is the only individual
that has yet visited us purely with disinterested
motives, as all the others nmake it a practice to beg
whenever they favour us: with their company. But
* Mallam signifies "learned."-Clapperton




54           STAY AT BADAGRY.
the mallani, it is to be understood, is a Mussulman,
and it is the fast of the Ihamadan, so that he is foroidden by his creed either to eat or drink from the
rising to the setting of the sun.
A Falatah residing in the town has agreed to
supply us with cow's milk every morning, as long
as we may have occasion to remain; he is likewise
a Mohammedan; and, imitating the example of the
mallanl, he scrupulously adheres to the rigorous
precepts of his religion.
The chief's eldest son has been with us the
greatest part of to-day. The manners of this young
man are reserved, but respectful; he is a great ad.
mirer of the English, and has obtained a smattering
of their language. Although his appearance is ex.
tremely boyish, he has already three wives, and is
the father of two children. His front teeth are
filed to a point after the manner of the Lagos peo.
pie; but notwithstanding this disadvantage, his fea.
tures bear less marks of ferocity than we have
observed in the countenance of any one of his countrymen, while his general deportment is infinitely
more pleasing and humble than theirs. When
asked, whether, if it were in his power to do so, he
would injure us two, or any European that might
hereafter visit Baddgry, he made no reply, but
silently approached our seat, and falling on his knees
at our feet, he pressed me with eagerness to his soft
naked bosom, and affectionately kissed my hand. I
thought that language and expression would not
have been half so eloquent as this.
We have heard to-day that peace has been established between Porto Novo and Badigry. The
messenger that brought this agreeable news has
presented Adooley with three slaves, from his
master, the chief of the former state, as a token that
it is to be lasting. This distracted country is ever
at war with her neighbours, and consequently is
always in a state of agitation and poverty. Pro



STAY AT BADAGRY.            5
visions are from.the same cause extremely scarce and
dear.
Since our conference with the chief on Tuesday
we have learned, with surprise and sorrow, that a
party of the populace have expressed themselves
decidedly hostile to our projects, and that its leaders
are continually with Adooley, using all their influence, and exercising all their cunningg, in order to
awaken his slumbering jealousy. They endeavour
to persuade him to demand, ere he grants us leave
to pass through his country, a sum of money, which,
they are all aware,,it is not in our power to pay, and
therefore, they imagine we shall be compelled to
abandon the undertaking. The first intimation we
received of the effect of these insinuations on the
mind of the chief was brought us this morning by
one who pronounces himself to be on "our side."
This man assured us, with an ominous visage, that
Adooley had declared, in the hearing of all the people, that the coat we had given him was intended
for a boy, and not a man; it was therefore unworthy
his acceptance as a king, and he considered that we
meant to insult him. The coat alluded to by Adooley
is indeed extremely old-fashioned, and belonged to
a surgeon in the navy about twenty years ago, notwithstanding which it is now almost as good as
new, and was made very showy by the addition of
a pair of tarnished gold epaulets. Nor can any
thing be clearer than that an enemy of ours has
been striving to render the chief discontented and
mistrustful, since nothing was so'gladly received as
this very coat two days ago. To counteract the
efforts of the malicious, we have been unusally E usy
to-day in sounding the disposition of those who,
we are inclined to believe, from the fondness they
evince for our rum, are favourable to our intentions
and devoted to our interests.
Two mulattoes reside in the town, one of whom
by name Hooper, acts as interpreter to Adooley,
T.-E




56           STAY.AT BADAGRY.
and shares a good deal of his confidence. He wa?
born at Cape Coast Castle in 1780, and was foi
many years a soldier in the African corps. His
father was an Englishman, and he boasts of being
a British subject. He is excessively vain of his
origin; yet he is the most confirmed drunkard alive,
always getting intoxicated before breakfast, and remaiing in a soaking state all day long. This does
not, however, make him regardless of his personal
interests, to which, on the contrary, he is ever alive,
and indeed sacrifices every other feeling. The other
mulatto can read and write English tolerably well,
having received his education at Sierra Leone; lie
is a slave to Adooley, and is almost as bad as Hooper
as to drinking. These political advisers of the
chief we have had little difficulty in bribing over to
our interests: we have likewise been tampering
with several native chiefs, apparently with equal
success. Unfortunately, every one styles himself
a great and powerful man, and old Hooper himself
calls a host of ragged scoundrels, "noblemen and
gentlemen." Each of these he advises and conjures
us to conciliate with presents, and especially spirituous liquors, in order to do away any evil impression
they may secretly have received, and obtain their
suffrages, though it should be at the expense of half
the goods in our possession. There is hardly any
knowing who is monarch here, or even what form
of government prevails. Besides the king of kings
himself, the redoubtable Adooley, four fellows assume the title of royalty; namely, the kings of
Spanish Town, of Portuguese Town, of English
Town, and of French Town-Baddgry being divided
into four districts, bearing the names of the European nations just mentioned. This evening we received an invitation from the former of these chieftains, who by all accounts was originally the sole
governor of the country, until his authority was
wrested from him bv a more owerful hand. He




STAY AT BADAGRY.            57
now lives in retirement, and subsists by purchasing
slaves and reselling them to Spanish and Portuguese
traders. In him we found a meek and venerable old
mlan, of respectable appearance. He was surrounded
by a number of men and boys, his household slaves,
who were all armed with pistols, daggers, muskets,
cutlasses, swords, &c., the manufacture of various
European countries. In the first place, he assured
us that nothing could give him more pleasure than
to welcome us to Badagry; and he very much wondered that we had not visited him before. If we
had a present to give him, he said, he would thank
us, but if we had not, still he would thank us. A
table was.then brought out into the court before the
house, whereon decanters and glasses, with a burning liquor obtained from the Portuguese, were placed.
In one corner of the yard was a little hut, not more
than two feet in height, wherein had been placed a
Fetish figure, to preserve the chief from any danger
or mischief which our presence might otherwise
have entailed upon him. A portion of the spirit
was poured into one of the glasses, and froin it
emptied into each of the others, and then drunk
by the attendant that had fetched it from the
house.  This is an old custom, introduced, no
doubt, to prevent masters from being poisoned
by the treachery of their slaves. As soon as the
decanters had been emptied of their contents, other
ardent spirits were produced; but as my brother
imagined that fetish-water had been mingled with
it, we simply took about a tea-spoonful into our
mouths, and privately ejected it on the ground. The
old chief promised to return our visit to-morrow;
and lifting up his hands and eyes to heaven, like a
child in the attitude of prayer, he invoked the Almighty to preserve and bless us (for this was the interpretation of his expressions). We then saluted
him in the usual manner, and returned, well pleased,
to our own habitation.




58            STAY AT BADAGRY.
If one may be allowed to form an opinion of
the population of Badagry from the vast number of
sellers he meets with, or rather if the number of
buyers bears any proportion to them, the town must
be wonderfully populous, for though the old chief's
residence is above a mile and a half from ours, people
were found vending a variety of articles at every
tep of the way.
We are most anxious to proceed on our journey,
ut the chief Adooley evades our solicitations to
depart under the most frivolous and absurd pretences. He asserts that his principal reason for
detaining us here against our inclination is the apprehension he entertains for our safety, the road
not being considered in a good state. Under this
impression he has despatched a messenger to Jenna,
to ascertain if the affairs of that country warrant
his sending us thither. The old king of Jenna, who,
it will be recollected, behaved so kindly to Captain
Clapperton's last mission, is dead; and althougha
successor has been appointed to fill his place, he is
not yet arrived from Katunga. This being the case,
no one will be at Jenna to receive us. Meantime the
rainy season is fast approaching, as is sufficiently
announced by repeated showers and occasional
tornadoes; and what makes us still more desirous
to leave this abominable place is the fact (as we
have been told) that a sacrifice of no less than three
hundred human beings, of both sexes and all ages,
is shortly to take place. We often hear the cries
of many of these poor wretches; and the heart
sickens with horror at the bare contemplation of
such a scene as awaits us, should we remain here
much longer. We therefore can only wish, that if
such is to be the case, we may not be compelled to
witnes this bloody abomination.
March 25th.-We were awaked this morning by
the warbling, of a variety of small birds, which,
percfted on the branches of the beautiful trees sur




STAY AT BADAGRY.            59
rounding out house, serenade us so charmingly that
we can never close our eyes after daybreak; in
fact, it would be a shame in us to do so while we
can listen to melody so truly enchanting. Shortly
after the sun rises our house is full of visiters; and
from that time till evening we resign ourselves very
complacently to a species of punishment which is,
I fancy, less tolerable than purgatory. After cracking fingers a hundred times, and grinning as often,
we were informed this forenoon that the chiefs
messenger had returned from Jenna; but for some
reason at present unknown to us, the man was
almost immediately sent back; and we are told that
we cannot quit Badarry until he again makes his
appearance. It is the custom in this place, that
when a man cannot pay his respects in person to
another, he sends a servant with a sword or cane, in
the same manner as a gentleman delivers his card in
England. We have received a great number of
compliments to-day in this fashion; and it is almost
superfluous to say that a cane or sword is at all times
a more welcomle and agreeable visiter than its owner
would have been.
We had not finished breakfast this morning before
Ho-oper introduced himself for his accustomed glass
of spirits, to prevent him, according to his own account, from getting sick. He took the opportunity
of informing us that it would be absolutely necessary
to visit the "noblemen" that had declared themselves " on our side." As we strove to court popularity and conciliate these vagabonds by every means
in our power, we approved of Hooper's counsel, and
went, in the first place, to the house of the late General Poser, which is at present under the superintendence of his head-man. Him we found squatting
indolently on a mat, and several old people were
holding a conversation with him. As the death of
Poser is not generally known to the people, it being
concealed from them for fear of exciting a comr




60            STAY AT BADAGRY.
motion in tht town, for he was universally loved
and respected, we were not permitted even to mention his name, and the steward set us the example
by prudeltly confining his conversation to the necessity of making himn a present proportionable to his
expectations and the dignity of his situation. Muskets and other warlike instruments were suspended
from the sides of the apartment, and its ceiling was
decorated with fetishes and Arab texts in profusion.
Gin and water were produced, and partaken of with
avidity by all present, more especi;lly by the two
mulattoes that had attended us, which being done,
the head-man wished the "Great Spirit" to prosper
us in all our undertakings, and told us not to forget
his present by any means. We shortly afterward
paid our respects, and quitted the apartment with
feelings of considerable satisfaction; for its confined
air was so impure, that a lolnger stay, to say the
least of it, would have been highly unpleasant. As
it was, we had consumed so much time in Poser's
house, that we found it necessary to alter our intention of visiting the other chiefs; and therefore resolved to pay our respects to Adooley, whom we
had not seen for two days. Accordingly we repaired immediately to his residence, and were welcomed to it with much better grace than on any
previous occasion.
The chief was eating an undressed onion, and
seated on an old table, dangling his legs underneath
it with a vacant thoughtlessness of manner, which
our abrupt intrusion somewhat dissipated. He informed us of his intention of sending us on our
journey on the day after to-morrow, when he expected that the people of.enna would be in a suitable
condition to receive us. lie was full of good nature,
and promised to make ny brother a present of a
horse, which he had brougi;t with him from Saccot6o
on the former expedition he added that he would
sell another to me; and that he most particularly




STAY AT BADAGRY.           6.
wished to examine the goods we intended taking
with us into the "bush," as the uncleared country
is called, in order that he might satisfy himself we
had nothing objectionable among them. Having
expressed our thanks to Adooley for his well-timed
present, and agreed to the conditions he proposed,
we all partook of a little spirit and water, which soon
made us the best friends in the universe. During this
palaver, the chief's sister and two of his wives were
ogling at us, and giggling, until the approach of the
chief of English Town and the rest of our party put
a sudden stop to their entertainment, on which they
presently left the apartment. These men came to
settle a domestic quarrel, which was soon decided
by the chief, who, after receiving the usual salutation of dropping on the knees, with the face to the
earth, chatted and laughed immoderately. This
was considered by us as a happy omen. Very little
ceremony is observed by the meanest of the people
towards their sovereign. They converse with him
with as little reserve as if he were no better than
themselves, while he pays as much attention to their
complaints as to those of the principal people of the
country. I should think that Adooley is not entirely
destitute of the virtues of hospitality, for we observed
with pleasure that the remainder of his onions were
divided equally among the chiefs who had come
to visit him, and were received by them with marks
of the highest satisfaction.
This afternoon a herald proclaimed the approach
to our habitation of the venerable chief of Spanish
Town, with a long suite of thirsty followers. The
old man's dress was very sinple, consisting only
of a cap and turban, with a large piece of Manchester cotton flung over his right shoulder, and held
under his left arm. This is infinitely more graceful
and becoming in the natives than the most showy
European apparel, in any variety of which, indeed,
they generally look highly ridiculous. After we




62           STAY AT BADAGRY.
had made him and all his attendants nearly tipsy,
the old chief began to be very talkative and amusing,
continuing to chat without intermission for a considerable time, not omitting to whisper occasionally
to the interpreter, by no means to forget, after his
departure, reminding us of the present we had promised him, for it is considered the height of rudeness
to mention any thing of the kind aloud in his presence. Our rum had operated so cheerily upon his
followers in the yard, that fat and lean, old and
young, commenced dancing, and continued performing the most laughable antics, till they were no
longer able to stand. It amused us infinitely td
observe these creatures, with their old solemn, placid-looking chief at their head, staggering out at the
doorway; we were, in truth, but too happy to get
rid of them at so cheap a rate. Hooper shortly afterWard came with a petition from twelve "gentlemen" of English Town, for the sum of a hundred
and twenty dollars, to be divided among them; and
having no resource, we were compelled to submit to
the demand of these rapacious scoundrels.
Late in the evening we received the threatened
visit from Adooley, who came to examine the contents of our boxes. He was borne in a hammock
by two men, and was dressed in an English linen
shirt, a Spanish cloak or mantle, with a cap, turban,
and sandals. His attendants were three half-dressed
little boys, who, one by one, placed themselves
at their master's feet, as they are in the habit of
doing. One of them carried a long sword, another
a pistol, and the third a kind of knapsack, filled with
tobacco.  We presented the chief with brand?,
equal in strength to spirits of wine; and he swallowed a large qiantity of it with exquisite pleasure.
The boys were permitted to drink a portion of the
liquor every time that it was poured into a glass for
Adooley; but though it was so very strong, it pro.
duced no grimace, nor the slightest distortion of




STAY AT BADAGRY.            63
countenance in these little fellows. The fondness
of the natives, or rather their passion, for strong
waters is astonishing, and they are valued entirely
in proportion to the intoxicating effects they occasion. Adooley smoked nearly all the while he remained in our house. As each box was opened,
however, he would take the pipe slowly from his
mouth, as if perfectly heedless of what was going
forward; and from the couch whereon he was reclining, regard with intense curiosity each article as
it was held out to his observation. Every thing that
in his opinion demanded a closer examination, or,
more properly speaking, every thing he took a fancy
to, was put into his hands at his own request; but
as it would be grossly impolite to return it after it
had been soiled by his fingers, with the utmost nonchalance the chief delivered it over to the care of his
recumbent pages, who carefully secured it between
their legs. Adooley's good taste could not of course
be questioned; and it did not much surprise, though
it grieved us, to observe a large portion of almost
every article in the boxes speedily passing through
his hands into those of his juvenile minions. Nothing
seemed unworthy his acceptance, from fine scarlet cloth to a child's farthing whistle; in fact, he
requested a couple of these little instruments to
amuse himself with in retirement! And although
he has received guns, ammunition, and a variety of
goods to the amount of nearly three hundred ounces*
of gold, he is so far from being satisfied that he is
continually grumbling forth his discontent. Gratitude is unknown both to him and his subjects; the
more one gives them, the more pressing are their
importunities for other favours. The very food
that one eats and the clothes that he wears are
begged in so fawning a tone and manner, as to
cleate disgust and contempt at the first interview.
* An ounce of gold on this part of the African coast is Wforth about
two pounds sterling.




64            STAY AT BADAGRY.
It was nearly midnight before Adooley arose from
his seat to depart, when he took his leave, with broadcloth, and cottons, pipes, snuff-boxes, and knives,
paper, ink, whistles, &c. &c., and even some of ori
books, so avaricious is this Chief of Badagry.
March 26th.-We arose earlythis morning for the
purpose of arranging some trifling matters, and taking our breakfast in quietness and comfort; but we
had scarcely sat down when our half-naked grinning
acquaintances entered to pay us the compliments of
the day. Notwithstanding our chagrin, so ludicrous
was the perpetual bowing and scraping of these our
friends, in imitation of Europeans, that we could
not forbear laughing in good earnest. Our rum,
which had been kindly supplied us by Lieutenant
Matson, we are happy to say, is now nearly all consumned, and the number of our general visiters has
dininished in exact proportion to its decrease; so
that we are beginning to feel the enjoyment of an
hour or two's quiet in the course of a day, which is
a luxury we could hardly have anticipated. The
chief sent his son this morning to us, requesting a
few needles and some small shot. We could ill
spare the latter, but it would be impolitic to refuse
his urgent solicitations, whatever may he their tendency.
The horses promised by Adooley have been sent
for us to examine. They appear strong and in good
condition; and if they play us no wicked pranks in
the " bush," no doubt they will be eminently service.
able.
This evening Poser's head-man, who we understand is one of the chiefs first captains, returned
our visit of yesterday, followed by a multitude of
friends and retainers. He had been determined, I
believe, before he left home, to be in an ill-humour
with ts, and perhaps he had treated himself with
an extra dram for the occasion. This great bully
introduced himself into our dwelling,-his huge




STAY AT BADAGRY.            65
round face inflamed with scorn, anger and " potations
deep." He drank with even more avidity than his
countrymen, hut the liquor produced no good impression on him, serving rather to increase his dissatisfaction and choler. He begged every thing he saw,
-and when we had gratified him to the best of our
power, he began to be very abusive and noisy. He
said he was convinced we had come into the coun
try with no good intentions, and accused us of
deceit and insincerity in our professions; or, in
plainer terms, that we had been guilty of a direct
falsehood in stating that we had no other motive for
undertaking the journey than to recover the papers
of Mr. Park at Yaoorie. He was assured that we
were afraid to tell the true reason for leaving our
own country. We withstood his invectives with
tolerable composure, and the disgracefll old fellow
left us in a pet about half an hour after his arrival.
It is really a discouraging reflection that notwithstanding the sacrifices we have made of all private
feeling and personal comfort for the purpose of conciliating the good opinion of the people here,-the
constant fatigue and inconvenience to which we
have been subjected,-the little arts we have practised,-the forced laugrhter, —the unnattral grin,the never-ending shaking of hands, &c. &c., besides
the dismal noises and unsavoury smells to which our
organs have been exposed, still some scoundrels are
to be found hardened against us by hatred and prejudice, and so ungrateful for all our gifts and attentions
as to take a delight in poisoning the minds of the
people against us by publicly asserting that we are
English spies, and make use of other inventions
equally false and malicious. Pitiable, indeed, must
the lot of that man be who is obliged to drag on a
year of existence in so miserable a place as this.
Nevertheless we are in health and spirits, and perhaps teel a secret pride in being able to subdue our
rising dissatisfaction, and in overcoming difficulties




66            STAY AT BADAGRY.
which at a first glance seemed insurmountable. By
the blessing of Heaven we shall proceed prosperously in our undertaking, for in the Divine goodness
do we alone repose all our confidence and hopes of
success. We may say that pleasure and enjoyment
have accompanied us hither. The clearness of the
sky is pleasant, and its brilliancy,-the softness of
the moon-the twinkling brightness of the stars,
and the silence of night,-the warbling and the flight
of birds, the hum of insects, and the varied and
luxuriant aspect of beautiful Nature, are all charming to us. And what on earth can be more soothing
or delightful than thoughts of home and kindred,
and anticipations of a holier and more glorious
existence t These are true pleasures of which the
barbarians cannot deprive us.
To-day the fast of the Rhamadan ends; and tomorrow will be held as a holiday by the Mohammedans of the place.
Saturday, March 271h.-The noise and jargon of
our guests pursue us even in sleep, and our dreams
are disturbed by fancied palavers, which are more
unpleasant and vexatious, if possible, in their effects,
than real ones. Early this morning we were roused
from one of these painful slumbers to listen to the
dismal yeli of the hyeita, the shrill,.rowing of cocks,
the hum of night-flies and mosquitoes, and the
hoarse croaking of frogs, together with the chirping
of myriads of crickets and other insects, which resounded through the air as though it had been pierced
with a thousand whistles.
Just after sunrise two Mohammedans arrived at
our house, with an invitation for us to accompany
them to the spot selected for the performance of
their religious rites and observances. This being a
novelty, we embraced the proposal with pleasure,
and followed the men to the distance of about a mile
from our house. Here we observed a number of
their countrymen sitting in detached groups, actively




STAY AT BADAGRY.             67
employed in the duties of lustration and ablution,
It was a bare space of grdind, edged with. trees,
and covered with sand. The Mussulmans were
obliged to bring water with them in calabashes.
Seated in a convenient situation, underneath tile
spreading branches of a myrtle-tree, without being
seen, we could observe all their actions.  But a
number of boys soon intruded themselves upon our
privacy, and, to say the truth, we were more amused
by the artlessness and playfilness of their manneis
than with all the grave mummery of the Mohammedan worshippers. Groups of people were continually arriving at the spot, and these were welcomed
to it by an occasional flourish of music from a native
clarionet, &c. They were clad in all their finery,
their apparel being as gaudy as it was various. The
coup-d'eil presented by no means an uninteresting
spectacle.  Loose tobes, with caps and turbanrs,
striped and plain, red, blue, and black, were not unpleasingly contrasted with the original native costume of figured cotton, thrown loosely over the
shoulders, and immense rush hats.  Manchester
cloths of the most glaring patterns were conspicuous among the crowd; but these were cast in the
shade by scarfs of green silk, ornamented with leaves
and flowers of gold, and aprons covered with silver
spangles. Very young children appeared bending
under the weight of clothes and ornaments; while
boys of maturer years carried a variety of offensive
weapons. The Turkish scimitar, the French sabre,
the Portuguese dagger, confined in a silver case, all
gleamed brightly; and heavy cutlasses, with rude
native knives were likewise exhibited, half-devoured by cankering ru3t. Clumsy muskets and
fowling-pieces, as well as Arab pistols, were also
handled with delight by the joyful Mussulmans. In
number the religionists were about a hundred and
fifty. Not long after our arrival they formed themselves into six lines, and having laid aside many of




88           STAY AT BADAGRY.
their superfluous ornaments, and a portion of their
clothing, they put on tle most sedate countenances,
and commenced thenr devotional exercises in a spirit
of seriousness and apparent fervour worthy a better
place and a more amiable creed. In the exterior
forms of their religion, at least, the Mussulmans here
are complete adepts, as this spectacle has convinced
us; and the little we have seen of them has led us
to form a very favourable opinion of their general
temperance and sobriety. The ceremony was no
sooner concluded, than muskets, carbines, and pistols
were discharged on all sides; the clarionet again
struck up a note of joy, and was supported by long
Arab drums, strings of bells, and a solitary kettledrum. The musicians, like the ancient minstrels of
Europe, were encouraged by trifling presents from
the more charitable of the multitude. All seemed
cheerful and happy; and on leaving them, several,
out of compliment I suppose, discharged their pieces
at our heels; and were evidently delighted with
themselves, with us, and the whole world. In
the path we met a fellow approaching the scene
of innocent dissipation, clothed most fantastically in
a flannel dress, and riding on the back of what we
were informed was a wooden horse. He was surrounded by natives of all ages, who were laughing
most extravagantly at the unnatural capering of the
thing, and admiring the ingenuity of its contrivance.
The figure itself was entirely concealed with cloth,
which rendered it impossible to discover by what
agency it moved. Some years ago I saw a monster
something similar to it with a company of mountebanks, in a town in the west of England, which,
among its other properties, used to swallow children; and in all probability this " wooden horse" is
constructed on a similar principle. Its head was
covered with red cloth; and a pair of sheep's ears
answered the purpose for which they were intended
tolerably well. Yet, on the whole, though it was




STAY AT BADAGRY.            69
easy to perceive that a horse was intended to be
represented by it, the figure was clumsily enough
executed. As soon as this party had joined the individuals assembled near the place of worship, a
startling shriek of laughter testified the tumultuous
joy of the wondering multitude. The sun shone out
resplendently on the happy groups of fancifullydressed persons, whose showy, various-coloured
garments and sooty skin, contrasted with the picturesque and lovely appearance of the scenery, produced an unspeakably charming effect. The foliage
exhibited every variety and tint of green, from the
sombre shade of the melancholy yew to the lively
verdure of the poplar and young oak. For myself,
I was delighted with the agreeable ramble; and
imagined that I could distinguish from the notes of
the songsters of the grove, the swelling strains of
the English skylark and thrush, with the more gentle warbling of the finch and linnet. It was indeed
a brilliant moriling, teeming with life and beauty;
and recalled to my memory a thousand affecting
associations of sanguine boyhood, when I was
thoughtless and happy. The barbarians around me
were all cheerful and full of joy. I have heard that,
like sorrow, joy is contagious, and I believe that it
is, for it inspired me with a similar gentle feeling.
Tie 27th of March in this place is what May-day
is in many country places in England, and it strongly
reminded us of it. But here, unfortunately, there are
no white faces to enliven us: and a want of the
lovely complexion of our beautiful countrywomen,
tinged with its " celestial red," is severely felt; and
so is the total absence here of that golden chain of
kindness which links them to the ruder associates
of their festive enjoyments. By-and-by, doubtless,
familiarity with black faces will reconcile me to
them; but at present I am compelled to own that I
cannot help feeling a very considerable share of
aversion towards thejr jetty complexions, in corn



70            STAY AT BADAGKY.
mon, I believe, with most strangers that visit this
place.
Owing to the holiday, which is equally prized and
enjoyed by Mohammedan and pagan, our visiters today have been almost exclusively confined to a party
of Haussa mallams, who entered our dwelling in the
forenoon, perfumed all over with musk, more for the
purpose of gratifying their vanity by displaying their
finery before us, than of paying us the compliments
of the day, which was avowedly the sole object of
their intrusion. One or two of them were masticating the goora-nut; and others had their lips,
teeth, and finger-nails stained red.  Each of the
mallams was attended by a well-dressed little boy
of agreeable countenance, who acted as page to his
master, and was his protege. Neither of the men
would eat or drink with us; yet while they were in
our company they seemed cheerful and good-humoured, and were communicative ani highly intelligent. In answer to our questions they informed us
that two rivers enter the Quorra or "Great River"
at Funda, one of which is called the Coodoonia and
the other the Tshadda (from the lake Tshad)-that
a schooner might sail from Bornou to Funda on the
latter river without difficulty-that Funda is only
twenty four hours' pull from Benin; and twentynine days' journey from Bornou. At the close of a
long and to us rather interesting conversation, our
visiters expressed themselves highly gratified with
their reception, and left the hut to repair to their
own habitations.
These men, though slaves to Adooley, are very
respectable, and are never called on by their master
except when required to go to war, supporting
themselves by trading for slaves, which they sell to
Europeans. They wore decent Nouffie tobes, Arab
red caps, and Haussa sandals; and both in their'man.
ners and conversation the malams are infinitely superior to the ungentle and malignantnatives of Badfigry.




STAY AT BADAGRY.             71
Monday, March 29th.-Last night a Fantee was
plundered of his effects, and stabbed by an assassin
below the ribs, so that his life is despaired of; and
not long after this was discovered, a " fetish" (religious rite) was performed over the remains of a
native that had been found dead, but who was in perfect health a few hours before. The lament of the
relatives of the deceased was doleful in a high degree; and no sounds could be more dismally mournful than those shrieked forth by them on the occasion. The chief summoned us yesterday to repair
to his residence in order finally to settle the business
relative to our journey into the interior; but we refused to have any disputes with him on the Sabbath,
and promised to wait on him this morning instead.
After breakfast, therefore, we redeemed our pledge,
by paying him the promised visit. Adooley received
us with his accustomed politeness and gracious
smile. He said he wished to inform us of his intention of detaining us at Badagry a day or two longer,
the "path" not being considered in a fit state for
travelling, rather than his reputation should suffer
by leading us into danger, which would undoubtedly
be the case if he had not adopted his present resolution. Yet he continued, we might depend on his
word as a king, that we should have liberty to depart on Thursday morning next, at the latest. Now
we well knew that the country was never in a more
peaceable or quiet state than at the moment he was
speaking; and are mortified beyond measure at the
perpetual evasions and contradictions of this chief.
We regret also that the dry season is fast drawing
to a close, and that we shall be obliged to travel in
the rainy months. When Adooley had made this
declaration, he requested us to write on paper in his
presence for a few things which he wished to procure either from Cape Coast Castle or from England, as a return for the protection he had promised
us. Among other articles enumerated are "four
T.-F




72            STAY AT BADAGRY.
regimental coats, such as are worn by the King oi
England, for himself, and forty, less splendid than
these, for the use of his captains; two long brass
guns to run on swivels; fifty muskets, twenty barrels of gunpowder, four handsome swords, and forty
curlasses;" to which are added, "two puncheons of
rum, a carpenter's chest of tools, with oils, paints,
and brushes," the chief himself boasting that he
was a blacksmith, carpenter, painter, and indeed
every trade but a tailor. Besides these trifles he
wished to obtain a half-dozen rockets, and a rocket
gun, with a soldier from Cape Coast capable of undertaking the management of it. And lastly, he
modestly ordered two puncheons of cowries to be
sent him, " for the purpose of defraying in part fhe
expenses he had incurred in repelling the attacks of
the men of Porto Novo, Atta, and Juncullee, the
tribes inhabiting those places having made war upon
him for allowing Captain Clapperton's last mission
to proceed into the interior without their consent."
We asked, jocosely, whether Adooley would be satisfied with these various articles; when, having considered for a few moments, and conversed aloud to a
few of his chiefs that were in the apartment at the
time, he replied that he had forgotten to mention his
want of a large umbrella, four casks of grape-shot,
and a barrel of flints, which having also inserted in
the list, the letter was finally folded and sealed. It
was then delivered into the hands of Adooley, who
said that he should send it by Accra, one of his
head-men, to Cape Coast Castle, and that the man
would wait there till all the articles should be procured for him. If that be the case, we imagine that
Accra will have a very long time to wait.
Our interpreter, old Hooper, having been suspected by the chief to be in our interest, a young
man named Tookwee, that understood a little English, was sent for, and commanded to remain during
the whole conference, in order to detect any error




STAY AT BADAGRY.            73
that Hooper might make, and to see that every thing
enumerated by the chief should be written in the list
of articles.
During this long and serious conversation we
were occasionally enlivened by the music of three
little bells, which were fastened to the tails of the
same number of cats by a long string, and made a
jingling noise whenever the animals thought proper
to divert themselves. Besides these, and as an accompaniment to them, we were favoured with the
strains of an organ, which instrument a little boy
was placed in a corner of the apartment purposely
to turn.
A young Jenna woman came to visit us this forenoon, accompanied by a female friend from Haussa
Her hair was traced with such extraordinary neatness, that we expressed a wish to examine it more
minutely. The girl had never beheld such a thing
as a white man before, and permission was granted
with a great deal of coyness, mixed up perhaps with
a small portion of fear, which was apparent as she
was slowly untying her turban. No sooner, however, was our curiosity gratified, than a demand of
two hundred cowries* was insisted on by her companion, that, it was alleged, being the price paid in
the interior by the male sex to scrutinize a lady's
hair. We were obliged to conform to the established custom,.t which the women expressed themselves highly delighted. The hair which had excited our admiration was made up in the shape of an
hussar's helmet, and very ingeniously traced on the
top.  Irregular figures were likewise braided on
each side of the head, and a band of worked thread,
died in indigo, encircled it below the natural hair,
which seemed by its tightness and closeness to have
been glued fast to the skin. This young Jenna
* -A little Indian shell, the currency of many parts of that country
Wad Pc the interior of Africa,




74           STAZ AT BADAGRY.
woman is by far the most interesting, both in face
and form, of any we have seen since our landing,
and her prettiness is rendered more engaging by her
retiring modesty and perfect artlessness of manners,
which, whether observed in black or white, are sure
to command the esteem and reverence of the other
sex. Her eyelids were stained with a bluish-black
powder, which is the same kind of substance, I have
no doubt, as that described in a note in Mr. Beck
ford's " Vathek."  Her person was excessively
clean, and her apparel flowing, neat, and graceful.
Before taking leave the girl's unworthy companion
informed us that her protegee was married; but that
as her husband was left behind at Jenna, she would
prevail on her to visit us in the evening after sunset.
Of course we expressed our abhorrence of the proposal, and were really grieved to reflect, that with so
much meekness, innocence, modesty, and beauty,
our timid friend should be exposed to the wiles of a
crafty and wicked woman.
We have longed to discover a solitary virtue lin
gering among the natives of this place, but as yet
our search has been ineffectual.
As a contrast to the youthful individual described
above, an old withered woman entered our residence
in the evening, and began professing the most unbounded affection for my brother and self. She had
drank so much rum that she could scarcely stand;
was the owner of a most forbidding countenance,
and four of her front teeth had disappeared from her
upper jaw, which caused a singular and disagreeable
indention of the npper lip. We were disgusted with
the appearance and hateful familiarity of this ancient
hag, who had thus paid so ill a compliment to ou
vanity, and subsequently we forced her out of the
yard without any ceremony.
We shot a hawk this evening, which was hovering
over our house, at the request of several of the na.
tives, who ate the body of the bird, but preserved its




STAY AT BADAGRY             75
head and claws, to render them "keen of eye and
swift of foot." The king will not allow us to go to
Jenna by the nearest beaten path, on the plea that
as sacred fetish land would lie in our way, we
should die the moment we should tread upon it.
Tuesday, March 30th.-The occurrences' of this
day may be related in very few words. The
pleasantest news we hear is the fact of the King of
Jenna having arrived at that town from Katunga.
His messenger arrived here this morning, and came
to see us in the afternoon, accompanied by a friend.
We regaled him with a glass of rum, according to
our general custom, the first mouthful whereof he
squirted from his own into the mouth of his associate, and vice vers4. This is the first time we have
witnessed this dirty and disgusting practice. The
chief sent for us again this afternoon, and summed
up the measure of his exorbitant demands by requesting a gun-boat, with a hundred men from England, and a few common tobacco-pipes for his own
private use. We could easily give a bill for the former, but the latter we dared not part with at any
risk, because, considering the long journey before
us, we are convinced we have nothing to spare; indeed, it is our opinion that the presents will all be
exhausted long before it be completed. With the
same facility we have written a paper for forty
ounces of gold, to be distributed among the chief of
English Town and the rest of our partisans. We
had adjusted these little matters to the apparent
satisfaction of all parties, when we were most
agreeably surprised by an assurance from the chief
that we shall quit this place to-morrow afternoon
with the newly-arrived Jenna messenger. We are
accordingly on the qui vtve in getting every thing in
a state of forwardness for our departure; nor can
we help wishing, for the sake of our credit, that we
may never meet such needy and importunate friends




76           STAY AT BADAGRY.
as have pestered us since our residence in this
town.
The soil of Bad.gry consists of a layer of fine
whitish sand, over loam, clay, and earth. The sand
is so soft and deep that no one can walk on it without considerable labour and difficulty. The natives
procure the necessaries of life chiefly by fishing and
the cultivation of the yam and Indian corn. In the
former employment they use nets and spears, and
likewise earthen pots, which they bait with the
palm-nut. These novel instruments are furnished
with small apertures, not unlike those of a common
wire mouse-trap. Oranges, limes, cocoanuts, plantains, and )ananas are produced in abundance in the
neighboui ood. The better sort of people are possessed of a small kind of bullock, with sheep, goats,
and poultry; the chief himself is a drover and
butcher, and when in want of money he orders one
of his bullocks to be slaughtered and publicly sold
in the market. The dwellings of the inhabitants are
neatly constructed of bamboo, and thatched with
palm leaves. They contain several apartments, all
of them on the ground-floor. Some of the houses
or huts are built in the coozie form, which is nearly
round, and others are in the form of an oblong
square: all have excellent yards attached to them,
wherein lime-trees and others are planted in rows,
and it gives one pleasure to look at the cleanliness
and taste which prevail in these courts. The land
is excessively fertile; and if the natives could only
be induced to lay aside their habitual indolence, and
the sluggishness of their characters, and devote a
little more attention to the improvement of the soil,
the country might soon be brought to an extraordinary pitch of beauty and perfection. As it is, vege.
tation springs forth spontaneously, is luxuriant even
to rankness, and is ever pleasingly verdant.
If a view of Badigry and its environs could any




ADOOLEY, KING OF BADAGRY.       77
wise be obtained, we are persuaded it would be derightful in the extreme; hut the ground is everywhere so low and flat, that not a single eminence,
however small, can be discovered. Owing to the
peculiarity of our situation, and the short time we
have been with the natives, it is not to be supposed
that we could have formed any very correct estimate
of their manners, or general character. It is likely
enough that we have seen only the dark side of
their dispositions, for we have been considered by
them as a kind of mark for the exercise of their
cunning and other evil propensities, and they have
played off their chicanery on us with advantage to
themselves. Had we seen a single good-natured
man among them, it would give us great pleasure to
relate the fact; but really we have not been so fortunate-we have met with nothing but selfishness
and rapacity from the chief to the meanest of his
people. The religion of Badagry is Mohammedanism, and the very worst species of paganism, that
which sanctions and enjoins the sacrifice of human
beings and other abominable practices, and the worship of imaginary demons and fiends. By some
means many of the inhabitants have picked up a
number of English words, which schoolboys and
children at home would style " very naughty;" and
these are made use of at all times without any particular meaning being attached to them. We have
observed one virtue in the younger branches of the
community,-it is the profound respect and reverence which they entertain for their elders, and
which has perhaps never been surpassed in any age
or country, not even among the ancient Spartans
themselves.
ADOOLEY, CHIEF OR KING OF BADAGRY.
Addal, or Adooley, as he is more generally called,
is the onrpont ruler of Badagry, and younger brother




78                ADOOLEY,
to the late chief of Lagos. During the lifetime of
his father, and for countless ages before that period,
Badigry was a province of Lagos, and tributary to
it, as Lagos is and has been from time immemorial
to the powerful King of Benin. Adooley evinced iu
early youth an active and ingenious disposition, and
an extraordinary fondness for mechanical employ.
nlents and pursuits. This bias of Adooley soon attracted the attention and notice of his father, and
this revered parent did all that his slender means
afforded of cherishing it, and of encouraging him to
persevere in his industrious habits. While yet a
boy, Adooley was a tolerable carpenter, smith,
painter, and gunner. He soon won the admiration
of his father, who displayed greater partiality and
affection for him than for either of his other children,
and on his deathbed nominated this favourite son his
successor, to the exclusion of his first-born, which
is against the laws of the country; the eldest son
being invariably understood as the legitimate heir.
For some time after his decease, however, no notice
was taken of the dying request of the Lagos chieftain; his eldest son ruled in his stead, notwithstanding his last injunction; and Adooley, for a few
years, wisely submitted to his brother without murmuring or complaint. The young men at length
quarrelled; and Adooley, calling to remembrance
the words and wishes of his father, rose up against
the chief, whom he denominated a usurper, and
vehemently called upon his friends to join him in
disputing his authority, and endeavour to divest him
of his power and consequence. All the slaves of
his deceased parent, among whom was a great num
ber of Haussa mallams; all who bore any personal
dislike to the ruling chief, or were discontented at
his form of government; those who preferred
Adooley, and the discontented of all ranks, formed
themselves into a strong body and resolved to sup
port the pretensions of their favourite. The brothers




KING OF BADAGRY.            79
agreed to decide the quarrel by the sword, and having come to a general engagement, the partisans of
the younger were completely routed, and fled with
their leader before the victorious arms of the opposing party.
Fearing the result of this contest, Adooley, with
a spirit of filial piety which is not rare among
savages and is truly noble, dug out of the earth,
wherein it had been deposited, the scull of his father,
and took it along with him in his flight, in order that
it might not be dishonoured in his absence, for he
loved his father with extraordinary tenderness, and
cherished his memory as dearly as his own life.
The headless body of the venerable chief, like those
of his ancestors, had been sent to Benin, in order
that its bones might adorn the sacred temple at that
place, agreeably to an ancient and respected custom
which has ever been religiously conformed to and
tenaciously held by the Lagos people. But Adooley
displayed at the same time another beautiful trait
of piety and filial tenderness. At the period of his
defeat he had an aged and infirm mother living, and
her he determined to take with him let the consequences be what they might. With his accustomed
foresight he had previously made a kind of cage or
box, in case there should be a necessity for removing
her. His father's scull having been disinterred and
secured, he implored his mother to take immediate
advantage of this cage as the only means of escaping
with life. She willingly acceded to her son's request,
and was borne off on the shoulders of four slaves to
a village not far distant from Lagos, accompanied by
Adooley with his fugitive train, where they imagined
themselves secure from further molestation.  In
this opinion, however, they were deceived; for the
more fortunate chief, suspicious of his brother's intentions, and dreading his influence, would not suffer
him long to remain in peace, but drove him out soon
after, and hunted him from place to ulace like a wild




80                ADOOLEY,
beast. In this manner, retreating from his brother,
he at last reached the flourishing town of Badagry,
and being quite wearied with his exertions and
fatigues, and disheartened by his misfortunes, he set
down his beloved mother on the grass, and began to
weep by her side. The principal people of the town
were well acquainted with his circumstances, and,
admiring the nobleness of his sentiments, they not
only pitied him, but resolved to protect and befriend
him to the last.
For this purpose they presently invited him to
attend a council which they had hastily formed.
When in the midst of them, perceiving tears falling
fast down his cheeks, they asked him why he wept
so! ""Foolish boy," said they, "wipe away,those
tears, for they are unworthy of you, and show yourself a man and a prince. From this moment we
adopt you our chief; you shall lead us on to war,
and we will fight against your brother, and either
prevail over him or perish. Here your mother may
dwell in safety, and here your father's scull shall be
reverenced as it ought to be. Come, then, lay aside
your fears, and lead us on against your enemies."
These were in the hush, and hovering near Badagry;
when Adooley and his generous friends sallied out
against them. The fighting, or rather skirmishing,
lasted many days; and many people, it is said, were
slain on both sides. But the advantage was decidedly in favour of the Badagrians, whose superior
knowledge of the district and the secret paths of
the wood was of considerable service to them, enabling them to lie in ambush and attack their enemies
by surprise. The Lagos people at length gave up
the unequal contest in despair, and returned to their
own country. Adooley was thus left in quiet possession of an important and influential town, which
declared itself independent of Lagos for ever. Since
then, various unsuccessful attempts have been made
to compel the Badagrians to return to their alle



KING OF BADAGRY.            U1
giance. The latter, however, have bravely defended
their rights, and in consequence their independence
has been acknowledged by the neighbouring tribes,
in the year 1829 the warlike chief of Lagos died;
and Adooley, conceiving it to be a favourable opptortunity for the reassertion of his claims to the vacant
"stool," as it is called, determined to do so, and
assembled his faithfil Baddgrians for the purpose
of making an attack on his native town. He imagined that, as his brother was dead, he should experience little opposition from his countrymen; but he
soon discovered that he had formed an erroneous
opinion, for almost at his very outset he met with a
stout resistance. His brother had left an infant son,
and him the people declared to be the legitimate
heir, and unanimously resolved to support.
The sanguine invaders were repulsed and entirely
defeated, notwithstanding their tried bravery and
utter contempt of danger, and were forced to return
home in confusion, without having accomplished
any thing.  In this unfortunate expedition Bombanee and all the principal warriors were slain. A
similar attempt has since been made on Lagos more
than once, and with a similar result. On our arrival
at Badagry, Adooley was but just recovering from
the effects of these various mortifications and other
disasters; and, singular enough, le has had the artfulness, as we have before said, of laying the whole
blame of them to his having permitted the last African mission to pass through his territories, contrary
to the wishes of his neighbours, and those who were
interested in the matter.
Justice is not unfrequently administered at Badagry by means of a large wooden cap, having three
corners, which is placed on the head of a culprit at
the period of his examination. This fantastic work
of mechanism, no doubt by the structure of internal
springs, may be made to move and shake without
anv visible agent-on the same principle as the en



82        ADOOLEY, KING OF BADAGRY.
chanted Turk, or any other figure in our puppet.
shows. It is believed the native priests alone are
in the secret. When this cap is observed to shake
while on the head of a suspected person, he is
condemned, without further evidence being required;
but should it remain without any perceptible motion,
his innocence is apparent, and he is forthwith acquitted. The fame of this wonderful cap makes a
great fuss in the town, and as many marvellous
stories are told of it here as were related in England
a century or two ago of the famous brazen head of
Roger Bacon.
A respectable man, the chief of French Town,
was tried by the ordeal of the cap a short time since,
for having, it was alleged, accepted a bribe of the
Lagos chieftain to destroy Adooley by poison. The
fatal cap was no sooner put on his head than it was
observed to move slightly, and then to become more
violently agitated. The criminal felt its motion, and
was terrified to such a degree that he fell down in a
swoon. On awaking, he confessed his guilt, and
implored forgiveness, which was granted him by
Adooley, because, it was said, of his sorrow and
contrition, but really, no doubt, of his birth and
connexions.
During our stay at Badigry, the thermometer of
Fahrenheit has ranged between 86 and 94 in our
hut, being oftener stationary nearer the latter than
the former




DEPARTURE FROM BADAGRY.         83
CHAPTER II.
Departure from Badigry-Pass through Wow —Sagbi —Bisha-Soat6
-Bidjie-Laatoo-Larro to Jenna.
Tuesday, March 31st.-WE bade adieu to the Chief
of Badagry in good time this morning, and during
the day packed up all our things ready for our departure. We repaired to the banks of the river at
sunset, expecting to find a canoe which Adooley
had promised should be sent there for our use; but
having waited above two hours, and finding it did
not arrive, we placed the goods in two smaller
canoes, which were lying on the beach. These
soon proved to be leaky, and as no other resource
was at hand, we were fain to wait as patiently as
we could for the canoe promised us. Every thing
betrayed the lukewarmness and indifference of the
chief who had received so much from us, and who
expected so much more; but we had answered his
purpose, and now he took no further notice of us.
In two more hours Hooper made his appearance
in Adooley's war-canoe, which he had prevailed on
him to lend us. This was placed directly between
the two others, and their contents speedily transferred
into it. It was between ten and eleven o'clock at
night when we were fairly launched out into the body
of the river. The canoe was above forty feet in
length; it was propelled through the water by poles
instead of paddles, and moved slowly and silently
along. It was a clear and lovely night; the moon
shone glorious "as a silver shield;" and, reflecting the
starry firmament on the unruffled surface of the
water, the real concave of heaven, with its reflection, seemed to form a perfect world. The scenery




8    DEPARTURE FROM BADAOR'.
on the borders of the river appeared wild and
striking, though not magnificent. In the delicious
moonshine it was far from uninteresting.  The
banks were low, and partially covered with stunted
trees; but a slave-factory and a fetish hut were the
only buildings we observed on them. We could not
help admiring at some distance ahead of our canoe,
when the windings of the river would permit, a
noble and solitary palm-tree, with its lofty branches
bending over the water's edge; to us it was not
unlike a majestical plume of feathers, nodding over
the head of a beautiful lady.
Proceeding about ten miles in a westerly direction, we suddenly turned up a branch joining the
river fromn the northward, passing on our left the
village of Bawie, at which Captain Clapperton
landed. We saw several small islands, covered
with rank grass, interspersed in different parts of the
river. They are inhabited by myriads of frogs,
whose noise is more hoarse and stunning than ever
proceeded from any rookery in Christendom. As
we went up the river, our canoe-men spoke to their
priests, who were invisible to us, in-a most sepulchral tone of voice, and were answered in the same
unearthly and doleful manner.  These sounds
formed our night's serenade. Notwithstanding the
n6velty of our situation and the interest we took in
the objects which surrounded us, I was overcome
by fatigue, and wrapping a flannel dress round my
person, fell fast asleep.
Thursday, April 1st. —The hard and uncomfort.
able couch whereon we had reposed last night made
our bodies quite sore; and occasioned us to awake
at a very early hour this morning. At six A. M. we
found ourselves still on the river, and our canoe gliding almost imperceptibly along. From half a mile
in width, and in many places much more, the river
had narrowed to about twenty paces; marine plants
nearly covered its surface, and marsh miasma, loaded




ARRIVAL AT WOW.             85
with other vapours of the most deleterious quality,
ascended from its borders like a thick cloud. Its
smell was peculiarly offensive. An hour afterward
we arrived at the extremity of the river, into which
flowed a stream of clear water. Here our canoe
was dragged over a morass into a deep but narrow
rivulet, so narrow indeed that it was barely possible
for our canoe to float, without being entangled in the
branches of abundance of trees, which were slooting up out of the water. Shortly afterward we
found it to widen a little; the marine plants and
shrubs disappeared altogether; and the boughs of
beautiful trees which hung over the balks overshadowed us in their stead, forming an arch-like canopy,
impervious to the sun's rays. The river and this
lesser stream abound with alligators and hippopotami; and wild ducks, and a variety of other aquatic
birds, resort to them in considerable quantities.
Monkeys and parrots inhabit the branches of the
trees, and make an abominable chattering and noise
between them all the day long. We landed about
half-past eight in the morning, in the sight of a great
multitude, that had assembled to gaze at us.
Passing through a place where a large fair or
market is held, and where many thousands of people had congregated for the purposes of trade, we
entered an extensive and romantic town called Wou,
which is situated in a valley. The major part of
the inhabitants had never before had an opportunity
of seeing white men, so that their curiosity, as may
be supposed, was excessive. Two of the principal
persons came out to meet us, preceded by men
bearing large silk umbrellas, and another playing a
horn, which produced such terrible sounds, that we
gladly took refuse, as soon as we could, in the
chief's house. The apartment into which we were
introduced is furnished with a roof precisely like
the roof of a common English barn, inverted. In.he middle of it, which reached to within a few




86           ARRIVAL AT WOW.
inches of the floor, a large square hole had been
made, to admit air and water to a shrub that was
growing directly under it. The most remarkable,
if not the only, ornament in the room was a quantity of human jaw-bones, hung up on the side of
the wall like a string of onions. After a formal and
most ceremonious introduction, we were liberally
regaled with water from a calabash, which is a conpliment the natives pay to all strangers, and then
shown into a very small apartment.  Here my
brother endeavoured to procure a little sleep, having
remained awake last night; but we were so.annoyed
by perpetual interruptions and intrusions, the firing
of muskets, the garrulity of women, the unceasing
squall of children, the drunken petitions of men
and boys; and a laugh (but it is quite out of my
power to describe it-one that approximates more
to the nature of a horse-laugh than any thing I
know)-that it was found impossible to close one's
eyes.
The market of this place is supplied abundantly
with Indian corn, palm oil, &c.; together with trona*,
and other articles brought hither from the borders of
the desert of Zaarha, through the medium of the
wandering Arabs. By the regulations of the fetish,
neither a white man nor a horse is permitted to sleep
at Wow during the night season. We know not
what is become of the horses; they were to have
preceded us to this place by land, but are not yet
arrived. With respect to ourselves, we shall be
obliged to walk to a neighbouringvillage, and spend
the night there. Our course to this town, through
this creek, was N. by E., and Badagry is distant from
it about thirty miles, by the route we have come.
A violent thunder-storm, which is called a tornado
on the coast, visited us this afternoon, and confined
us to the "worst hut's worst room," till it had sub* A vegetable alkali.




ARRIVAL AT SAGBU.            87
sided, and the weather became finer. At three P. M
we sallied forth, and were presently saluted by hootings, groans, and hallooings, from a multitude of
people of all ages-from a child to its grandmother,
and they followed close at our heels as we went
along, filling the air with their laughter and raillery.
A merry-andrew at a country town in England,
during the Whitsun holydays, never excited so great
a stir as did our departure from Wow this afternoon.
But it is " fool's day," and some allowance ought to
be made for that, no doubt. We had not proceeded
more than a dozen paces from the outskirts of the
town, when we were visited by a pelting shower,
which wetted us to the skin in a moment. A gutter or
hollow, misnamed a pathway, was soon overflowed;
and we had to wade in it up to our knees in water,
and through a most melancholy-looking forest,
before we entered a village. It is called Sdgbu, and
is about eight miles from Wow. We were dripping
wet on our arrival, and the weather still continuing unpleasant, it was some time before any one
made his appearance to invite us into a hut. At
length the chief came out to welcome us to his
village, and immediately introduced us into a long
narrow apartment, wherein we are to take up our
quarters for the night. It is built of clay, and is
furnished with two apertures to admit light and air
into the room. One end of it was occupied with a
number of noisy goats, while we took possession of
the other. Paskoe and his wife are lying on mats
at our feet; and a Toby Philpot, with his ruddy
cheek and jug of ale, belonging to the chief, separates
them from the goats. The remainder of our people
have nowhere to sleep. The walls of our apartment are ornamented with strings of dry, rattling
human bones, written charms, or fetishes, sheepskins, and bows and arrows. We did not repose
near so comfortably as could have been desired,
I.-G




38         DEPARTURE:-FROM SAGBU.
owing to the swarms of mosquitoes and black ants,
which treated us very despitefully till morning.
Friday, April 2d. —Between six and seven o'clock
A. M., we continued our route through woods, and
large open patches of ground, and at about eleven in
the forenoon, arrived at the borders of a deep glen,
more wild, romantic, and picturesque than can be
conceived. It is enclosed and overhung on all sides
by trees of amazing height and dimensions, which
hide it in deep shadow. Fancy might picture a spot
so silent and solemn as this as the abode of genii and
fairies; every thing conducing to render it grand,
melancholy, and venerable; and the glen only wants
an old dilapidated castle, a rock with a cave in it, or
something of the. kind, to render it the most interesting place in the universe. There was one beautiful sight, however, which we would not omit mentioning for the world; —it was that of an incredible
number of butterflies, fluttering about us like a
swarm of bees; they had chosen this, no doubt, as a
place of refuge against the fury of the elements.
They were variegated by the most brilliant tints and
colourings imaginable-the wings of some were of a
shining green, edged and sprinkled with gold; others
were of sky-blue and silver; others of purple and
gold delightfully blending into each other; and the
wings of some were like dark silk velvet, trimmed
and braided with lace.
To revert from insects to men: our followers
formed a group at once savage and imposing. As
they winded down the paths of the glen, with their
grotesque clothing and arms, bundles, and fierce
black countenances, they might be mistaken for a
strange band of ruffians of the most fearful character. Besides our own, we had hired twenty men of
Adooley to carry the luggage, as there are no beasts
of burden in the country * Being all assembled at
* Burdens of all kinds are invariably carried on the head by the people of Yariba, and the natives of various other countries in Africa.




PASS THROUGH BASHA AND SOATO.       89
the bottom of-the glen, we found that a long and
dangerous bog or swamp, filled with putrid water
and the decaying remains of vegetable substances,
intersected our path, and must necessarily be crossed.
Boughs of trees had been thrown into the swamp by
some good-natured people to assist travellers in the
attempt, so that our men, furnishing themselves with
long poles, which they used as walking-sticks, with
much difficulty and exertion succeeded in getting
over, and fewer accidents occurred to them than
could have been supposed possible from the nature
of the slough. For my own part, I was taken on
the back of a large and powerful man, of amazing strength. His brawny shoulders supported me
without any apparent fatigue on his part; and he
carried me through bog and water, and over branches
of trees no bigger than a man's leg, rendered slippery with mudf in safety to the opposite side. Although he walked as fast and with as much ease as
his companions, he did not lay me down for twenty
minutes, the swamp being, as nearly as we could
guess, a full quarter of a mile in length. We then
walked to a small village called Bdisha; whence without stopping we continued our journey, and about
four in the afternoon passed through another village,
somewhat larger than the former, which is called
Soat6. Here we found ourselves so much exhausted
with over-fatigue and want of food, that we were
compelled to sit down and rest awhile, and here" Naked youths and painted chiefs admire
Our speech, our colour, and our strange attire."
But they are a very uncourteous and clownish race,
and teased us so much with their rudeness and begging propensities, that we were glad to be rid of them
by setting out again. Having passed two other
swamps in the same manner as we had done before
we were completely tired, and could go no farther
for we had been walking all day, in an intricate




90            ARRIVAL AT BIDJIE.
miserable path, sometimes exposed to the sun, and
sometimes threading our way through a tangled
wood. It is now six o'clock in the evening-our
people are gone to the next town to fetch the horses,
which Adooley promised should meet us yesterday,
and my brother and I are resting by ourselves under
a grove of trees, which is in the neighbourhood of a
body of stagnant water, wherein women are bathing
and casting sidelong glances at us. It is a low,
marshy, and unwholesome spot, and it is extremely
probable that we shall be obliged to sleep here on
thp grass all night; but what can we do? The
village, it is true, is not many miles ahead, but then
we are unable to walk.
Saturday, April 3d.-We had made fires of dried
wood and fallen leaves last evening, and had prepared to repose for the night under a canopy of trees,
and were in fact actually stretched at full length on
the turf for, that purpose, when we were agreeably
surprised by the arrival of four of our men from the
village with hammocks; for though sleeping in the
open air, with "heaven for one's canopy," in a dark
wood, and all that, may be very pretty in description,
yet in reality nothing can be more disagreeable, for
the crawling of ants, black worms, &c. over one's
face disperses the most enchanting revery. These
hammocks were highly acceptable, and we were
lifted into them with very grateful feelings. It is
pleasant, too, after a long day's journey on foot,
to be carried along so easily on one's back, to see
parrots and other solemn birds perched on the
branches of very tall trees, while the trees them.
selves seem capering away from one most surprise
ingly; as well as to gaze on the cheerful moon, and
admire all the host of heaven.
After a charming journey of eight or ten miles.
we entered the large and populous town of Bidjie,f
* Here the travellers first cross Clapperton's route.




STAY AT BIDJIE.            91
wherein Captain Pearce and Dr. Morrison fell sick
on the last expedition. About a quarter of a mile
from the town we were met by a fellow with a cow's
horn, who, chiming in with a trumpeter that had
accompanied us from Wow, produced a harmony
surpassing all that had preceded it. Two men
followed the Bidjie musician with umbrellas of
variegated silk, and, thus honoured and escorted, we
were set down, amid a crowd of people, in the centre
of the town. As usual, the natives testified the wild
delight they felt at our visit by clapping of hands and
loud bursts of laughter. Presently, at the noise of
three or four drums, which was a signal that the
chief was prepared to receive us, the multitude
quitted us simultaneously, and rushed to'the spot
where he was sitting, and to which we also were
desired to proceed. The chief shook hands with us
in great good-humour, and we remarked with pleasure, or fancied we could, that not only his laugh,
but that of his people, was a more social and civilized kind of sound than what of late we had been
accustomed to hear. Nevertheless when I shook
hands with the chief's son, which act is not very
diverting in itself, the bystanders set up so general
a roar of laughter, that the town rang with the noise;
and when I ventured further to place my hand on his
head, they were yet more amazingly tickled, and
actually
" Shliek'd like mandrakes torn out of the earth."
As soon as the ceremony of introduction was ovei,
and the admiration of the people was confined within
rational bounds, we wished the chief a pleasant
night's rest, and were conducted into a comfortable,
airy hut, which had a verandah in front. Shortly
afterward he sent us a goat for supper.
We were in momentary expectation of hearing
some account of our horses from Badagry the whol




92             STAY AT BIDJIE.
cf the morning and afternoon, and have indeed waited
here at Bidjie to-day for that purpose, and in order
that the men with the luggage may have time to
overtake us, for they have been hindered by the
swamps and quagmires which we ourselves found so
much difficulty in crossing. But just about sunset
two fellows arrived from Badagry with the mortifying intelligence that our horses would not remain on
the water in canoes, but having upset one of them
and kicked out the bottom of another, had swam on
shore and been led back to Badagry. We are persuaded that this story has been made up for the occasion, and thus by the bad faith of Adooley are we
deprived of our horses; we have put ourselves in a
fever by walking a journey of two days in one, and
ate likely to walk the remainder of the way to Jenna,
in the glare and heat of tHle sun, for we have no umbrellas to screen ourselves from his rays. My brother paid eighty dollars for one of the animals, but
Adooley has forgotten to return the coin, and has
likewise kept for his own use a couple of saddles
which we purchased at Accra.
Late in the evening our expected carriers arrived
with the luggage, some of which has been wetted
and damaged in the marshes. We are informed that
horses will be sent us from Jenna to-morrow. My
brother has been amusing himself the greater part of
this afternoon in teaching the simple-hearted chief
to play on a child's penny Jew's-harp, many of which
we have brought with us as presents; but his proficiency, owing to a wonderfully capacious mouth and
teeth of extraordinary size, has not been near so flat.
tering as could have been wished. His people, however, who had assembled in great numbers, were of
a different opinion, and when they heard their chief
draw the first sound from the little instrument,
"Snouts of applause ran rattling to the skies."
Turnpikes are as common from Badagry to this




STAY AT BIDJIE.            93
place as on any public road in England. Instead of
horses,. carriages, &c. people carrying burdens alone
are taxed; but as we are under protection of the
government, no duty has been exacted for any of our
things.
Sunday, April 4th.-We arose at sunrise this morning to make arrangements for leaving this place,
which is no easy task; and sent to signify our intention to the chief shortly after. He expressed a desire to see us as soon as we could conveniently come,
and accordingly after breakfast we repaired to his
habitation, which is adjoining ours. Led through a
number of yards and huts, inhabited only by goats
and sheep, which were tethered to posts, and a quantity of tame pigeons, we perceived the object of our
visit squatting on a leopard's skin under a decentlooking verandah. lie was surrounded by his drummers and other distinguished persons, who made
room for us when we drew near. But the chief arose
as soon as he saw us, and beckoning to us to follow
him, we were ushered through a labyrinth of low
huts, and still lower doors, till at last we entered the
inernmot apartment of the whole suite, and here
we were requested to sit down and drink rum. The
doors we had seen were carved with figures of men,
which exactly resembled certain rude attempts at
portraying the human body which may still be
observed in several old churches and chapels in the
west of England. The chief informed us that we were
at liberty to quit Bidjie as soon as the heat of the sun
should have somewhat abated, but previous to our
departure he promised to return our visit. On
leaving the place he followed us, though without our
knowledge; but finding that we walked faster than
he, and that he could not keep pace with us (for he
is a bulky man), he hastily despatched a messenger
to inform us that kings always walk with a slow and
measured step, and that our strides being long and
vulgar, he would thank us to lessen our speed, and




04         DEPARTURE FROM BIDJIE.
stop awhile to enable him to come up with us, which
of course we agreed to with great good-will. Afew
minutes after this he reached our house, dressed in
a tobe of green silk damask, very rich and showy,
and a scull-cap made of purple and crimson velvet.
With the exception of strings of white beads, which
encircled his arms, he used no personal ornaments.
He remained chatting with us a long time.
Many of the women of Bidjie have the flesh on
their foreheads risen in the shape of marbles, and
their cheeks similarly cut up and deformed. The
lobes of their ears are likewise pierced, and the
holes made surprisingly large, for the insertion of
pieces of ivory and wood into them, which is a prevailing fashion with all ranks. We read the church
service this morning, agreeably to our general custom. The natives, of whose society we have never
been able to rid ourselves, seemed to attach great
awe and reverence to our form of worship, for we
had made them understand what we were going
about, which induced them to pay a high degree of
silent attention to the ceremony, and set. at rest, for
the time, that peculiar continuous laugh by which
they are distinguished from their neighbours. In
the afternoon, or, as the natives express it, "when
the sun had lost his strength," we departed from the
town of Bidjie, accompanied by its good-natured,
happy governor, and reached the banks of a rivulet
called Yow in a very few minutes. Butterflies were
here more numerous than can be imagined; millions
of them fluttered round us, and literally hid from our
sight every thing but their own variegated and beautiful wings.
Here on the banks of the Yow we took a last
farewell of the affectionate old chief, who implored
the "Great God" to bless us; and as the canoes in
which we had embarked moved from the spot, a loud
bnlg laugh, with clapping of hands from the lower
classes, evinced the satisfaction they felt at having




DEPARTURE FROM BIDJIE.        95
seen us, and their hearty wishes for our welfare.
The Yow is an extremely narrow rivulet, not more
than a few feet in breadth; and flows in a serpentine
direction through a flat country, covered with
rushes and tall rank grass. Crocodiles are said to
resort here in great numbers; the low bark or growl
of these rapacious animals we heard distinctly, and
almost close to us. After we had been pushed along
against the stream by poles for five or six miles,
between four and fivo o'clock in the afternoon we
landed at a narrow creek, which ran a little way into
a thick and gloomy forest. We had not proceeded
more than two hundred yards on the pathway, when
we were met by a messenger from Jenna, who in
formed us that the owners of all the horses in
the town had rode out to welcome their chief, and
escort him to his residence, so that we should be
obliged to walk the remainder of the way. A few
minutes only had elapsed, however, from this time,
before we descried a horse approaching us in the
path. This was a goodly sight to us, who were
already becoming wearied and sore with the exertions we had made during the day, for we did not
reflect a moment that the animal might not, after hll,
be for our use. However, we soon met, and the
rider immediately declared that he had left Jenna
purposely on our account. The horse's head was
loaded with charms and fetishes, enveloped in pieces
of red and blue cloth. His saddle was of Haussa
manufacture, and uncommonly neat; in the interior
such an article is used only by the principal people;
and his bridle also was of curious workmanship.
The horseman had an extravagant idea of his ownx
consequence, and seemed a prodigious boaster. He
wore abundance of clothing, most of which was
superfluous, but it made him excessively vain. He
informed us that he had been despatched by the king
of Jenna to meet us in the path, and to escort us to
the capital; but understanding that Adooley had sup1.-tH




96           ARRIVAL AT LAATOO.
plied us with horses, he did not conceive;t necessary
to send others.  The messenger, however, dismounted and offered us his horse; and my brother
and self agreed to ride him in turns. We therefore
immediately proceeded, and traversed a rich and
varied country, abounding plentifully with wood and
water. A fine red sand covered the pathway,
which we found to be in much better condition than
any we had before seen. Sometimes it wound
through an open, level tract of fine grazing land;
and then again it diverged through forests so thick
and deep that the light of the moon, which had
arisen, was unable to penetrate the gloom, and we
were frequently left in midnight darkness. It would
require greater powers than we are in possession of
to give an adequate description of the magnificence,
solemnity, and desolate repose of the awful solitudes
through which we passed this evening. They were
enlightened, however, at times by the appearance of
glowworms, which were so luminous that one could
almost see to read by their golden splendour; and
sometimes by the moonbeams, which trembled upon
the leaves and branches of the trees. A fragrance
also was exhaled from the forest, more odoriferous
than the perfume of primroses or violets; and one
might almost fancy, when threading his way through
scenery which perhaps cannot be surpassed for
beauty in any part of the world, that he was approaching those eternal shades where in ancient
time the souls of good men were supposed to wander. The woods rang with the song of insects and
night-birds, which saluted us with little intermission
till about ten o'clock at night, when we entered
Laatoo, a large and pleasant town. Here we were
informed that no house would be offered us, tht,
fetish-priest having declared that the moment a
white man should enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, they would be seized by their enemies and
enslaved. We arrived thirsty and exhausted, but




ARRIVAL AT LARRO.           97
for a long time could not procure even a drop of
water. Our tent had been left on the road for want of
carriers, and we had made up our minds to rest under
a tree, when about two hours afterward it was fortunately brought into the towns We fixed it immediately, and having succeeded in procuring wood from
the unkind inhabitants, we kindled a fire in front of
it, and our people laid themselves in groups outside,
while we entered, and attempted vainly to steep.
Monday, April 5th.-Before sunrise this morning
we were all on the alert, and struck the tent at a
very early hour. We then sent the carriers onward
with the luggage, and hastilyleft the town after them,
without bidding adieu either to the chief or any of
his people, on account of their inhospitality; and in
an hour's time reached the extensive and important
town of Larro. On dismounting, we were first led
to a large, cleanly-swept square, wherein is preserved the fetish of the place, which is the model of
a canoe, having three wooden figures with paddles in
it. After waiting in the shade for an hour, surrounded by an immense multitude of people of all
ages, the chief's approach was announced by a general rush from our quarters to the other end of the
square, where he was walking. We went towards
him, in order to pay him the accustomed salutation
of shaking of hands, &c.; but one of his followers,
fancying that I kept his master's hand clasped in
mine longer than the occasion might warrant, looked
fiercely in my face, and snatched away my hand
eagerly and roughly, without, however, uttering a
word. I could have pulled the fellow's ears with
the greatest good-will in the world, had not the fear
of secret revenge deterred me. As it was, I smothered my rising choler, and with my brother quietly
followed the chief to his principal hut, under whose
verandah we were served with goora-nuts in a huge
pewter platter. Presently the chief squatted him-'"'4-n on a handsome rush mat of native manu



98            STAY AT LARRO.
facture, and we were desired to sit by him on an
elegant Turkey carpet, which had been laid there for
the purpose. He was rather fancifully dressed; and
wore two tobes, that nearest the skin being of black
silk velvet, and the other of crimson velvet lined
with sarsenet. His boots were of yellow leather,
neatly worked; and his wrists were loaded with
bracelets of silver and copper. The chief's countenlance betrayed much seriousness and solidity; and
the diverting laugh of his countrymen was superseded by a sober cheerfulness. Many of his wives
sat behind him in lines-some of whom were of a
bright copper colour; indeed, great numbers of the
inhabitants of Larro have fairer complexions than
mulattoes. The yard of the hut was crammed fuli
of curious wnd inquisitive people, who stood with
open moutn during the whole of the audience. The
chief wished to impress strongly on our minds his
own dignity and power; he said he was greater than
the Governor of Jenna, inasmuch as the latter was
a slave to the King of Katunga, but himself was a
freeman. He would give us permission to depart
to-morrow, he continued; and in the mean time
would supply us with provisions. The chief was as
good as his word, for shortly after we had quitted
the hut, We received a goat and some yams; and he
returned our visit in the cool of the evening. It
appears that it is not his general practice to drink
spirituous liquors in presence of his people, or it
may be against the law to do so; for having carefully excluded all prying eyes from our dwelling,
and ordered a mat to be hung over the doorway, he
even then turned his face to the wall, whenever he
attempted to swallow the brandy we offered him.
He remained with us rather better than an hour.
We have forgotten to mention, that on our presentation to the chief in the morning, a chapter from
the Koran was repeated to him by a Mohammedan




STAY AT LARRO               99
priest, to which both he and his people seemed to
pay great respect and attention.
Public schools are established here for the avowed
purpose of teaching the rising generation the rudiments of the Mohammedan religion.
A singular custom prevails in the town, of compelling children at the breast to swallow a quantity
of cold water from a calabash.  An infant was
nearly choked this afternoon by the injection of
more than a pint of water down its throat. WhetheI
mothers follow this custom  for the purpose of
curing children of any imaginary complaints, or, as
is more probable, in the hope of rendering them
less eager for their natural food, we have not ascertained.
The inhabitants possess horses, asses, and mules,
though not in any considerable numbers; they have,
however, great abundance of sheep and goats, which
are bied in the town; and their yards and huts are
the common place of resort for these animalsindeed they may be said to grow up and live with
the children of their owners. We have been amusing ourselves during the greater part of to-day in
looking at the playful gambols of some very handsome goats, which had strayed into our abode; but
the sheep are not near so tame or frolicsome, repelling
all our advances towards a more familiar acquaintance
by timidity and ill-nature. Shrimps and fish, which
are caught in the streams in the vicinity of the
town, are daily exposed for sale; and the inhabitants appear to be in possession of a greater share of
the necessaries and comforts of life than their neighbours of the seacoast.
We have observed the country to be sensibly
rising to-day; and agriculture appears to be conducted on a regular system, wxich is an evident
proof of the active and industrious habits of the
people. The gloomy fastnesses and wildnesses of




100          ARRIVAL AT JENNA.
nature, such as we passed on the first day or two
of our journey from Badagry, are less common as we
advance; and open glades, with plantations,f bananas, and fields of yams and Indian corn, all neatly
fenced, met our view from the path yesterday and
this morning. The inhabitants of Larro also exhibit
greater cleanliness of person and tidiness of apparel
than the tribes nearer the sea; and importunate
beggars have disappeared entirely.
My brother and I begin already to feel the relaxing
influence of the climate, but by the blessing of
Heaven we hope that our progress through the country may not yet be impeded by sickness.
Tuesday, April 6th.-The Chief of Larro requested
my brother this morning to repair a sword of his
which was broken; but the latter having expressed
his ignorance of the art of cutlery, we were permitted to take our leave.
The sun had scarcely risen above the horizon,
and the mists of the morning yet hung upon the
hills, when we quitted the town of Larro, and pursued our journey on horseback. Three horsemen
from Jenna followed us on the path, and we were
enlivened by the wild jingling of their animals' bells,
till we got within a mile of that town, where we
alighted at a kind of turnpike, and fired a salute of
two muskets. Here we were met by a parcel of
fellows with horns, who blew on them with the accustomed energy of the natives: these men preceded
us over a bridge, which is thrown across a moat that
surrounds Jenna, into the centre of the town, where
we again alighted, and awaited the chief's pleasure
in an open shed. We had not been seated many
seconds before an immense crowd of people pressed
in upon us on every side, subjecting us to the accustomed inconveniences of want of air, strong, unwholesome smells, and a confused hubbub that defies
description. Never were people more eager to behold us. The little ones formed themselves into a




JENNA.                101
ring close to the shed, then followed those of maturer age, after them came a still older class, and the
last circle consisted of people as tall as steeples.
most of whom held infants in their arms. Alto
gether was formed a large amphitheatre of black
woolly heads and teeth set in jetty faces; and
although we felt rather annoyed at their innocent
curiosity, and were obliged to wait a considerable
time for the new chief, we could not help being highly
diverted with the spectacle around us. At length, to
our great relief and joy, news was brought that he
was ready to receive us. Such is the etiquette here,
that the longer a stranger is compelled to wait to be
introduced, the greater is the honour done him, and
the higher is the rank of that person supposed to be,
Who exacts this unpleasant delay. We discovered the
chief, or rather governor, sitting on a piece of leather,
under a large verandah, at one end of a commodious
square yard. He was clad in the prevailing finery
of crimson velvet tobe and cap, both edged with goldlace. At his right-hand sat his wives and women,
and we were desired to place ourselves on his left.
The women sang the praises of their master in a
loud unpleasant voice, in which they were assisted
by the music (equally unharmonious) of drums, fifes,
clarionets, and horns. On our wishing the chief all
the happiness in the world, those that had flocked
into the yard after us, and every one near him, prostrated themselves on the ground and clapped their
hands. Goora-nuts were presented us in water, and
a profusion of compliments passed on both sides;
but the dignity of the newly-made governor seemed
to sit rather awkwardly upon him, for he was shy
and bashful as a maiden, and really appeared agitated
and afraid of his white-faced visitants. Strange as
it may seem, the patience of the most patient people
in the world was completely exhausted, as might be
seen by their desertion of the premises before we
quitted them, notwithstanding the few words that had




102                JENNA.
passed oaeweet tne chief and ourselves. The ceremonv **f introduction being over, we bade adieu to
the cnaef, and having visited the grave of Dr. Morrii,, til our way, repaired to a hut which had been got
ready for our reception.
The former governor of Jenna, who, it will be recollected, treated the gentlemen composing the last
mission so handsomely, died about fifteen months
ago, and the King of Yarriba chose one of the meanest of his slaves as his successor. This is an invariable rule with the sovereigns of that country of
which Jenna is a province; for they fear that its disLance from the capital being very great, a person of
higher rank, if possessed of talents and spirit, could
easily influence the natives to throw off the yoke,
and declare themselves independent of Yarriba.
The present governor is a Haussa man, and was
raised to the dignity he now holds, in all probability,
on account of his childish simplicity and artlessness;
for a person with a countenance more indicative of
innocence, and perhaps stupidity also, we never
recollect to have seen. The qualities of his heart,
however, are said to he excellent, and his manners
are mild and amiable. He had been twelve months
in coming from Katunga to this place, being under
the necessity of stopping at every townrt'between
Jenna and his capital to receive the applauses and
congratulations of the inhabitants, and to join in
their festivities and amusements. He did not make
his entry here till yesterday.
Showers are becoming heavier and fall more frequently than they did; and the rainy season may
fairly be said to have commenced. The thermometer fell suddenly to-day from 94~ to 78~, and remained stationary there for the whole of the afternoon.
The chief sent us this evening a goat, and yams,
milk, and honey.
Wednesday, Aprzl 7th.-We carried a present tW




JENNA.                103
the governor this morning, which he received with
every mark of satisfaction and gratitude; but he
declared with sorrow that he should be obliged to
send some of it to the King of Katunga, who would
not let him wear red cloth till he had been a longer
timie established in his new situation.
It is related in Captain Clapperton's journal that
one of old Pascoe's wives eloped from him in Ka
tunga while he was asleep, taking with her the
trinkets Mrs. Belzoni had given him, and that she
was never afterward heard of. This woman ha(
the effrontery to introduce herself into our house
to-day with an infant, whereof she asserted wit}
warmth that Pascoe was the father, and that shb
was determined to leave it upon his hands. Sh<
had prevailed upon a number of Haussa females t(
accompany her, that they might endeavour to induce
her quondam husband, who is a countryman of theirs
to receive the child, and make up the breach between
them; but the infant not being more than nire, or at
most twelve months old, and three or four years having elapsed since the elopement took place, we were
ctnvinced, independently of the age and infirmities.
of Pascoe, that it could by no rule or law be his.
Accordingly, notwithstanding the uproar occasioned
by the women's tongues (which is no small matter
iln any part of the world), the mother with her spurious offspring, and the ladies that came to aid and
abet her imposition, were turned out of the yard
without any ceremony, to the great relief of Pascoe
and his present rib, who felt rather uncomfortable
while the palaver was carrying on.
The fetish priest of the town came dancing into
our hut this afternoon, looking exceedingly wild,
and roaring as if possessed by an evil spirit. We
paid little attention to the fellow's fooleries, who,
not liking his reception, left the hut, after we had
given him the accustomed fee of a few cowries.
The man's person and dress, together with its whim



104               - ENNA.
sical ornaments, were admirably fitted to impose on
the credulity and superstition of the inhabitants,
although many of the town's-people, influenced perhaps by the spreading doctrines of Mahomet, spoke
their minds pretty freely, calling him a scoundrel.and
a devil. There was something peculiar in the priest's
countenance that we could not define. On his shoulders he bore a large club, carved at one end with the
figure of a man's head. A vast number of strings
of cowries were suspended on this weapon, which
were intermixed with bells, broken combs, small
pieces of wood, with rude imitations of men's faces
cut on them, large sea-shells, bits of iron and brass,
nut-shells, &c. &c. Perhaps the number of cowries
on his person did not fall far short of twenty thousand; and the weight of his various ornaments
almost pressed him to the ground. After this fellow
had left our apartment, three or four others came to
torment us with drums, whistles, and horns, and began and ended the evening's serenade to their own
infinite delight and satisfaction. The native drum
answers the purpose of a tambarine and bagpipe
as well, and is of peculiar formation. Its top is
encircled with little brass bells, and is played upon
with one hand, while the fingers of the other are
employed at the same time in tapping on its surface.
The instrument itself is held under the left arm, but
instead of an outer wooden case, strings alone are
used frotn end to end, which being pressed against
the musician's side, sounds somewhat similar to
those of a Scotch bagpipe, but very inferior, are produced. The drummers, with their companions of
the horns and whistles, subsist entirely on the charity of the public, who require their services on all
occasions of general merriment and jollity.
Tuesday, April 8th.-The two messengers that
arrived at Badaigry while we were there, and stated
that they had been employed for the purpose by the
Governor of Jenna, were this morning discovered to




JENNA.                105
be impostors, and put in irons accordingly. But as
the poor fellows had really been of essential service
to us, inasmuch as by their representations they
prevailed upon Adooley to give us leave to proceed
on our journey much sooner than we ourselves could
have done, we thought proper to intercede in theii
behalf, and although they were to have been sold as
a punishment for their deception, they are now set
at liberty. The person also that met us with a horse
after crossing the river Yow, near Bidjie, proceeded
thither on his own account, without the knowledge
or consent of the governor; but as he is a Falatah,
and a respectable man, little has been said or done
about that matter. The only motive which could
have influenced these three men in their projects of
assisting us had been without doubt the expectation
of receiving a trifling remuneration, and of this, notwithstanding an injunction to the contrary from the
governor, we have not disappointed them. Their
services were well-timed and very acceptable, and
amply deserved a few needles and scissors.
We were witnesses this morning to a specimen of
native tumbling and dancing, with the usual accom
paniments of vocal and instrumental music. By far
the most diverting part of the entertainment was the
dancing; but even this did not at all answer the expectations we had formed of it.  The performers
were liberally supplied with country beer, and like
most amusements of the kind, they ended this with
wrangling and intoxication. The fellows that ac-:ompanied us as guides from Badagry, who in their
native place would sell their birthright for a glass
of rum, have now washed themselves and thrown
aside their rags, appearing at all public places in borrowed finery. They now never leave their habitations without Adooley's sword, which they have
with them, and a host of followers. This morning
they attended the celebration of the games, in showl
apparel, with silk umbrellas held over their heads




106                JENNA.
and among other articles of dress, the principal of
them wore an immense drab-coloured Quaker's hat,
of the coarsest quality. They will scarcely deign to
speak to a poor man.
We learn with regret that all the horses of the
late governor of Jenna were interred, according to
custom, with the corpse of their master; and we
begin to be apprehensive that we shall be obliged to
walk the whole of the way to Katunga, as the
present ruler is not the owner of a single beast of
burden. This piece of ill news was carefully with
held from us till after the presents had all been dul}
delivered to the governor and his head-men; but the
latter alone are to blame in this instance. Matters
being in this unpleasant state, we have sent a messenger to the chief of Larro, to inform him of the
circumstance, and entreat him to redeem his promise
of lending us a horse or a mule; and another to
Adooley, requesting him to despatch immediately
one of our horses at least from Badagry, for that we
had found it impossible to do without him. But
whether the latter will accede to it or not remains
to be seen. We do not think that he will; and yet
we can hardly imagine he will carry his chicanery so
far, because he must fear that the variety of orders
we have given him to receive valuable presents from
England will never be honoured by our countrymen
if he refuses to fulfil his engagements to us.
This evening a corpse was interred at a short dis
tance from our dwelling, and the friends of the de
ceased have been employed more than an hour in
bewailing their loss. The low plaintive noise they
make sounds dolefully in our hut, and it has a very
sorrowful and depressing effect on our spirits.
We have been pretty busily engaged during the
whole of the afternoon in writing letters and despatches for England. They will be forwarded by
Adooiey as soon as possible to Cape Coast Castle
The Badgrian guides and carriers will return home




TENNA.               107
to-morrow to our very great relief, for they have
been a constant trouble, and have harassed us from
morning till night.
Friday, April 9th.-Since the demise of the late
governor, it is calculated that Jenna has lost more
than five hundred of its population, chiefly by wars,
intestine broils, &c., and for want of a ruler. It
must not be imagined, however, that because the
people of this country are almost perpetually engaged in conflicts with their neighbours, the slaughter of human beings is therefore very great. They
pursue war, as it is called, partly as an amusement,
or to " keep their hands in it;" and partly to benefit
themselves by the capture of slaves. As we were
sailing down the coast, we were told that the natives
of Cape La Hoo and Jack-a-Jack had been warring
for three years previously, and were still at variance;
but, during that long period, only one single decrepit
old woman, who found it no easy matter to run as fast
as her countrymen, was left behind, and became the
solitary victim of a hundred engagements. Much
after the same fashion are the bloodless wars of
Jenna. Success depends much more on the cunning
and address of the parties, than on any extraordinary
display of intrepidity; and living, not dead, subjects
are sought after; so that it is their interest to avoid
hard blows, and enrich themselves by the sale of their
prisoners. Perhaps the extraordinary decrease in the
population of Jenna has arisen from the desertion
of slaves, who embrace the opportunity, while their
masters are from home engaged in predatory excursions, of running away; and thus the latter frequently become losers, instead of gainers, by their
unnatural passion for stealing their fellow-creatures.
The individuals captured are sent to the coast, and
the chiefs of those unsettled and barbarous tribes
that inhabit it are appointed agents to regulate the
sale of them, for which they receive half the profits
Late in the evening the young Falatah. mentioned




108                JENNA.
in yesterday's journal, paid us a visit, and offered his
horse for sale. He is a Mohammedan priest, and
was accompanied by a countryman of the same persuasion; but neither of the holy men appeared in
their dealing to understand the meaning of truth or
justice. An agreement was made, and we paid
thirty dollars. The merchant implored us not to tell
his father, who was the real owner of the horse, that
he had sold him for less money than he had received; and in this request he was seconded by his
more venerable friend; because, he said, he wanted
a small sum for his private use, which he knew his
parent would refuse him. The words were hardly
out of their mouths before the two Mussulmans publicly went through their ablutions in front of our
house, where, turning their faces to the east, they
seemed to pray very devoutly to the founder of their
faith. When this was concluded, they sang us an
Arabic hymn with very great solemnity, and the
whole had an immediate and wonderful effect on the
feelings of many of their followers in the yard, who,
mistaking loudness of voice for fervour, and hypocritical seriousness for piety, made the two. worshippers a present of money. The Falatahs are supposed to be spies from Soccatoo; but, although this
is a very prevalent opinion, no measures whatever
have yet been taken either to watch their motions,
or question them as to their intentions.
The women of Jenna employ themselves generally
e'ther in spinning cotton or preparing Indian corn
for food. Much of the former material grows in the
vicinity of the town, but the cultivation of the plant
is not carried on with the spirit it deserves. Silk,
which is brought overland from Tripoli, the inhabitants sometimes interweave in their cotton garments;
but such, being very expensive, are only worn by the
higher class of people. They have abundance of
bullocks, pigs, goats, sheep, and poultry, but they
prefer vegetable food to animal; their diet, indeed,




JENNA.                109
is what we should term poor and watery, consisting
chiefly of preparations of the yam and of Indian
corn; notwithstanding which a stronger oi more
athletic race of people is nowhere to be met with.
Burdens with them, as with the natives of many
parts of the continent, are invariably carried on the
head; which, it is more than likely, occasions that
dignified uprightness of form and stateliness of walk
so often spoken of by those acquainted with the
pleasing peculiarities of the African female. The
weight of a feather is borne on the head in preference to its being carried in the hand; and it not unfrequently requires the united strength of three men
to lift a calabash of goods from the ground to the
shoulder of one; and then, and not till then, does
the amazing strength of the African appear. The
greater part of the inhabitants of Jenna have the
hair of their head and their eyebrows shaven; but
the governor's ministers and servants wear their hair
in the shape of a horse-shoe, as a mark of distinction. It is confined to the crown of the head by
large daubs of indigo, and, none of the people presuming to imitate it, answers the purpose of a livery.
Saturday, April 10th.-The earlier part of this
morning was obscured by a mist or haze, which was
as thick and at least as unwholesome as a London
fog in November; but between nine and ten o'clock
it dispersed, and the sun shone out with uncommon
lustre. The hut which we occupy is in a large
square yard, and is the property of the late governor's
principal wife, whose story is rather romantic.
Each of its sides was formed by huts, which had all
at one time been inhabited; but, a fire having broken
out in one of them by some accident, the greater
part perished. A few huts only are at present standing, together with black naked walls, and stakes
which supported the verandahs, the latter reduced
to charcoal. The tenantable buildings are inhabited
by the female slaves of the owner of the square and




110       THE LATE KINGS WIDOW
ourselves. It is the custom here, when a governor
dies, for two of his favourite wives to quit the world
on the same day, in order that he may have a little
pleasant, social company in a future state; but the
late governor's devoted wives had no ambition or
inclination to follow their venerable husband to the
grave, and went and hid themselves before the
funeral ceremonies were performed, and have re
mained concealed ever since with the remainder of
his women. To-day, however, one of these unfor
tunates,-she to whom our house belongs,-was dis
covered in her hiding-place at the present governor's,
and the alternative of a poisoned chalice, or to have
her head broken by the club of the fetish-priest, was
offered her. She has chosen the former mode of
dying, as being the less terrible of the two, and has
come to our yard to spend her last hours in the so
ciety of her faithful slaves. These address theii
mistress by the endearing name of mother. Pool
creatures! as soon as they learned her misfortune,
they dropped their spinning; the grinding of corn
was also relinquished; their sheep, goats, and poultry were suffered to roam at large without restraint;
and they abandoned themselves to the most excessive, most poignant grief; but now the arrival of
their mistress has added, if possible, to their affliction. There is not to be found in the world, perhaps,
an object more truly sorrowful than a lonely, defenceless woman in tears; and on such an occasion
as this, it may easily be conceived, the distress is
more peculiarly cutting. A heart that could not be
touched at a scene of this nature must be unfeeling
indeed. Females have been coming all day to condole
with the old lady, and to weep with her; so that we
have heard and seen nothing but sobbing and crying
from morning till the setting of the sun. The principal males in the town have likewise been here to pay
their last respects to their mistress; and so has her
gravedigger, who has just risen from prostrating him.




rHE LATE KING'S WIDOW.        Ill
self on the ground before her. Notwithstanding the
representations and remonstrances of the priest, and
the prayers of the venerable victim to her gods for
fortitude to undergo the dreadful ordeal, her resolution has forsaken her more than once. She has entered our yard twice to expire in the arms of her
women, and twice has she laid aside the fatal poison
in order to take another walk, and gaze once more
on the splendour of the sun and the glory of the
heavens; for she cannot bear the idea of losing sight
of them for ever. She is still restless and uneasy,
and would gladly run away from death, if she durst;
for that imaginary being appears to her in a more
terrible light than our pictures represent him with
his shadowy form and fatal dart. Die she must, and
she knows it; nevertheless she will tenaciously
cling to life till the very last moment. Meanwhile
her grave is preparing, and preparations are making
for a wake at her funeral. She is to be buried here
in one of her own huts, the moment after the spirit
has quitted the body, which will be ascertained by
striking the ground near which it may be lying at the
time; when, if no motion or struggle ensues, the old
woman will be considered as dead. The poison
used by the natives on this occasion destroys life, it
is said, in fifteen minutes.
The reason of our not meeting with a better reception at Laatoo when we slept there was the
want of a chief to that town, the last having followed
the old governor of Jenna to the eternal shades, for
he was his slave. Widows are burnt in India, just as
they are poisoned or clubbed here; but in the former
country, I believe, no male victims are destroyed on
such occasions. The origin of this abominable custom is understood to have arisen from a dread on
the part of the chiefs of the country in olden time,
that their principal wives, who alone were in possession of their confidence, and knew where their
money was concealed, might secretly attempt their
I. —




112                JENNA.
life, in order at once to establish their own freedom,
and become possessed of the property. That, far
from having any motives to destroy her husband, a
woman might, on the contrary, have a strong inducement to cherish him as long as possible, the existence of the wife was made to depend entirely on
that of her lord; and this custom has been handed
down from father to son even to the present time.
But why men also, who can have no interest to gain
on the death of their prince, should be obliged to
conform to the same rite is not near so easily accounted for. The present governor of Jenna must
of necessity go down to the grave on the first intelligence of the demise of the King of Yarriba; and as
that monarch is a very aged man, the situation of
the former is not the most enviable in the world,
Previous to her swallowing the poison, the favourite wife of a deceased chief or ruler destroys privately all the wealth, or rather money, of her former
partner, in order that it may not fall into the hands
of his successor. The same custom is observed at
Bad,-gry also; and although the king's son may'be
of age at the period of his father's death, he inherits his authority and influence only. He is left to
his own sagacity and exertions to procure wealth,
which can seldom be obtained without rapine, enslavement, and bloodshed.
Whenever a town is deprived of its chief, the inhabitants acknowledge no law-anarchy, troubles,
and confusion immediately prevail, and till a successor is appointed all labour is at an end. The
stronger oppress the weak, and consummate every
species of crime, without being amenable to any
tribunal for their actions. Private property is no
longer respected; and thus, before a person arrives
to curb its licentiousness, a town is not unfrequently
reduced from a flourishing state of'prosperity and
of happiness to all the horrors of desolation.
Sunday, April llth.-This being Easter-day, we




JENNA.                113
have devoted it exclusively to religious purposes.
The messenger whom we sent to Badigry for our
horse is not yet returned, although he promised to
be back in four days from the time of his departure.
He has exceeded the given time by a whole day,
and as the man is a native of Badagry, we have
given up all hopes of again seeing either him, or the
horse, or the message-sword we lent him as a token that he had been sent by us. We have received
positive assurances that leave will be granted us to
depart hence on Tuesday next; but as we have one
horse only, we shall be obliged to take it in turns to
ride, or procure a hammock, which will be a difficult
thing to get, and very expensive.
The old queen-dowager, like Prior's thief,
" Often takes leave, but seems loath to depart;"
although her doom is inevitably sealed, she has been
more cheerful to-day than yesterday, and seems determined to spin out her thread of life to its utmost
limit. Spies are now set over her, and she is not
permitted to go out of the yard.
Monday, April 12th.-Nothing deserving particular
notice has occurred to-day. We have had the customary visit to our yard of a long line of women,
who come every morning, with rueful countenances
and streaming eyes, to lament the approaching death
of the old widow. They weep, they beat their
breasts and tear their hai;, they moan, and exhibit
all manner of violent affliction at the expected deprivation. Perhaps their sorrow is sincere, perhaps
it is feigned. At all events, their transports are ungoverned and outrageous; the first woman in the
line begins the cry, and is instantly followed by the
other voices; the opening notes of the lamentation
are rather low and mournful,-the last wild and
piercing.
The principal people of the place, finding the old
lady still obstinately bent on deferring her exit. have




114                TORNADO.
sent a messenger to her native village to make
known to her relatives that should she make her
escape, they will take all of them into slavery, and
burn their town to ashes, in conformity to an established and very ancient law. They would therefore strongly advise the relatives of the old woman,
for their own sakes, and for the sake of the public,
to use all their endeavours to prevail upon her to
meet her fate honourably and with fortitude. A deputation is expected from the village to-morrow, when,
no doubt, after a good deal of crying and condoling,
and talking and persuading, the matter will eventually be decided against the old lady. It is understood that she has bribed a few of the most opulent
and influential inhabitants of Jenna with large sums
of money, to induce them to overlook her dereliction from the path of duty, and that by their representations she has obtained the tacit consent of the
King of Katunga to live out the full term of her
natural life. But the people for many miles round,
horror-struck at such impiety and contempt for ancient customs, have risen to enforce the laws of the
country against her.
CHAPTER III.
T)rnado-Departure from Jenna-The Journey into the Interior continued through various Towns and Villages-Illness of the Travel.
lers-Bohoo, the former Capital of Yarriba-Arrival at Katunga.
Tuesday, April 13th.-LAST night we were visited
by one of those terrific thunder-storms which are
so prevalent in these latitudes. Our thatched hut
afforded but an insecure and uncertain asylum
against its fury; part of the roof was swept away,
and the rain admitted freely upon our beds, whence




TORNADO.               115
the most awful lightning-flashes could be seen, making, as Milton says, "the darkness visible."  It
seemed as if the Genius of the Storm was driving
through the murky clouds in his chariot of fire, to
awaken the slumbering creation and make them
feel and acknowledge his power. It is indeed a
grand lesson to human pride, to contemplate the
terrors of a tornado through the trembling walls and
roof of a gloomy, dilapidated hut in Africa.  In
civilized countries, when men are visited by an
awful calamity of this kind, the distinctions of rank
are levelled, and numbers flock together for the purpose of keeping each other in countenance, and
strengthening each other's nerves; but here all is
naked, lonely, and desolate.
We passed the night, as may be supposed, uncomfortably enough.  The roof of our dwelling had
long been infested with numbers of rats and mice,
and these vermin, being dislodged from their haunts
by the violence of the wind and rain, sought immediate
shelter between our bedclothes, and to this very serious inconvenience was added another still greater,
viz. the company of lizards, ants, and mosquitoes,
besides worms and centipedes, and other crawling,
creeping, and noxious things, which the tempest
seemed to renovate with fresh life and motion.
After a long, long night, the morning at length appeared, and the terrors of the storm were forgotten.
Not long after sunrise two fresh legions of women entered our yard to mourn with their old
mistress, and the shrieks and lamentations of these
visiters were more violent than any of their predecessors. It made us shudder to hear them. Theil
eyes were red with weeping, their hlands were
clasped on the crown of the head, their hair was in
frightful disorder, and two channels of tears were
plainly seen flowing down over the naked bosom of
each of the women. In this manner they passed
before the threshold of our hut, in two close lines,




116             LEAVE JENNA.
and in this manner we observed them bend the knee
to the venerable matron without uttering a word.
They then rose and departed, and we could hear
their cries long after they had been out of sight.
Matters were arranged for our departure in good
time this morning, and after breakfast we went to
pay our last respects to the good governor. Of
course we were obliged to wait a tiresome length
of time outside his residence before admittance
could be obtained; but when the doors were opened,
the band that was in attendance inside played a native tune as a token of welcome. We observed a
greater number of drummers'assembled than on any
former occasion. Some of their instruments were
something in the shape of a cone, and profusely ornamented with plates and figures of brass. On one
of these were represented the busts of two men,
with a tortoise in the act of eating out of the mouth
of one of them. The tortoise had a cock by its
side, and two dogs standing as guardians of the
whole. These figures were all ingeniously carved
in solid brass. Both ends of the larger drums were
played on with the palms of the hand; hundreds of
little brass bells were suspended round their edges
for ornament rather than use, for being without
clappers they could produce no sound. The common native drum is beaten on one of its ends only,
and with a stick shaped like a bow.
After a little conversation, the chief and his principal people shook us affectionately by the hand,
and wished us every blessing, and as soon as we got
outside the yard we mounted our horses and rode
out of the town. The chief of Larro had broken
his promise, but we were fortunate enough to meet
with and purchase another horse this morning, so
that we cared little about it. -Our pathway led
through a champaign country, partially wooded, and
after a pleasant ride of three-quarters of an hour,




BIDJIE.               117
we entered the small village of Bidjie.* Here our
carriers dropped their loads, nor could they be induced to resume them by the most pressing solicitations. Nor would the villagers, as their duty required, take them up, but when we begged them to
do so, laughed at us, so that here we are compelled
to remain till to-morrow. This is very provoking;
and such is the tiresome mode of travelling through
this country. No consideration will induce any of
the natives to shake off their habitual indolence;
they would not do so, I am persuaded, for a voice
from heaven. Pleasure and sloth are with them
synonymous words, and they are scarcely alive to
any other species of gratification. In the mean time
the chief, who seems to be a very good sort of man,
although he has little authority over his people, has
sent us an excellent fatted goat, and being in health,
and having very encouraging prospects held out to
us as to our future progress, we are determined to
forget our little troubles and vexations, and spend
the evening as cheerfully as we can.
Hawks and vultures are exceedingly numerous,
both at Jenna and this place; the former are bold
and disgusting birds, but the latter are so hungry
and rapacious, that they pounce fearlessly in the
midst of the natives when at their meals. This
evening one of them darted at a piece of meat
which one of our men held between his fingers, and
snatched it from him while he was conveying it to
his mouth.
Wednesday, April 14th.-At an early hour this
morning, to our infinite surprise and pleasure, the
man from Badagry made his appearance with one of
our horses and an English saddle. The latter was
as acceptable to us as the horse; yesterday, for want
of one, I had been obliged to substitute a simple
cloth, and the back of the animal being sharp as a
* Bachy in Clapperton's Map.




11            ARRIVAL AT CHOW.
Knife, it was no very pleasant thing to ride him;
walking would have been the less irksome exercise
of the two. Pascoe, whose sagacity and experience
have proved of infinite value to us, has been lamed in
his endeavours to walk as fast as the rest of the party,
and as he has also the misfortune of having one leg
shorter than the other, he became the general butt
and laughing-stock of his more robust companions.
To-day, however, we placed him on the back of the
extra horse, from whence he has retorted their revilings, and the whole of them are now envious of
his dignity as they were before facetious at his expense.
We set off from Bidjie while the morning was yet
cool and pleasant, and arrived at Chow before eleven
o'clock in the forenoon. The natives have an unaccountable fancy that white men are fond of poultry to an excess, insomuch that whenever we enter
a village or town, all the fowls are immediately
seized, and confined in a place of security till our
depp:ture.
Several strangers accompany us from town to
town, in order to evade the duty which is exacted
at the turnpike-gates, by stating themselves to be of
the number of our attendants. Women have also
placed themselves under the protection of our men
from Cape Coast Castle, that they may enjoy the
like advantage; in return for this favour they do us
many little kind offices, and are useful in making
fires, preparing food, &c. for our people.
Our journey to-day has been exceedingly pleasant.
Sometimes the path ran in a serpentine direction
through plains covered with green turf; sometimes
it led us amid large groves of stately trees, from
whose branches a variety of playful monkeys diverted us by their mischievous tricks; and the gray
parrot, with other beautiful birds,
" Warbled their native wood notes wild."




LEAVE CHOW.              119
The chief of Chow who received and entertained
the last nission has been dead some time, and is
succeeded by an humble, good-natured, and active
individual, who has treated us more like demigods
than men. At the time of our arrival he was engaged in superintending the slaves at his corn and
yamn plantations, but hastened to us the moment he
was informed of the circumstance. He has a number of horses, among which is one of the smallest
and most beautiful we have ever beheld.
In the evening the chief visited us again, with a
present of provisions and a few goora-nuts. My
brother took the opportunity of playing on a bugle
horn in his presence, by which he was violently agitated, under the supposition that the instrument was
nothing less than a snake.
For the first time since our landing we have observed the loom in active operation. The manufacture of cotton cloth is carried on here exclusively
by women.
Thursday, April 15th. —The path to-day has wound
through a country charmingly diversified by hill and
dale, woods and open glades, and watered by streams
flowing over beds of fine white sand. A horseman
from Katunga met us about ten in the morning,
whose dress and accoutrements were highly grotesque. He neither stopped nor spoke, but couched
his lance as he galloped past us. We found numbers of people of both sexes in the path, who were
returning from Egga to Chow, and several naked
boys on their way to the coast, under the care of
guardians. These are slaves, and will be sohl most
likely at Badagry. Women bore burdens on their
heads that would tire a mule, and children not more
than five or six years of age trudged after them, with
loads that would give a'full-grown person in Europe
the brain fever.
We departed from Chow before sunrise; a surprising dew had fallen during the night, and distilled




120           ARRIVAL AT EGGA.
from the leaves and branches in large drops. We
passed, during the forenoon, over three or four
swampy places covered with reeds, rushes, and rank
grass, which were inhabited by myriads of frogs of
prodigious size. On crossing streams we were invariably saluted by a loud and unaccountable hissing,
as if from a multitude of serpents. We could not
account for this extraordinary noise in any other
way than by supposing it to have proceeded from
some species of insect whose retreats we had invaded.
With very trifling manual labour, the path, whicn
is little better than a mere gutter, formed by repeated rains, might be converted into a good and
commodious road; and were a tree simply thrown
over them, the streams and morasses might be
crossed with ease and safety. But the natives appear to have no idea whatever of such improvements; and would rather be entangled daily in a
thick underwood, and wade through pools of mud
and water, than give themselves any concern about
repairing the road.  Trees not unfrequently fall
across the pathway, but instead of removing, the
people form a large circuit round them; even a
small ant-hill is an object too mighty to be meddled
with, and it is left in the centre of the narrow road,
so inconsiderate and indolent are the natives of this
part of the world.
Many women with little wooden figures of children on their heads passed us in the course of the
morning,-mothers, who, having lost a child, carry
such rude imitations of them about their persons for
an indefinite time, as a symbol of mourning. None
of them could be induced to part with one ot these
little affectionate memorials.
We entered Egga, which is a very large tovin, in
the early part of the afternoon. On our arrival we
were introduced into the house occupied by Captain
Clapperton in the last mission, in the yard of which




EGGA.                12t
repose the remains of an Englishman named Dawson, who died here of fever when that officer was
passing through the country. Both hut and yard are
filled with people, and are in a state of filth which
defies description.  We cannot rid ourselves of
sheep, goat, and fowls, with their train; they will
be our companions in spite of us, and this grievance,
with the tongues of a hundred visiters, makes our
situation all but intolerable.
Egga is the principal market-town in this part of
Africa, and is attended by buyers and sellers for
many miles round. Women here are the chief, if
not the only, traders; most of them are of graceful
and prepossessing exterior, and they all practise
those petty tricks and artifices in their dealings with
which the market-women of more civilized countries are not unacquainted.
Friday, Aprdl 16th.-Yesterday was comparatively
cool, owing to the thick dark clouds which obscured
the sky; but on our setting out this morning, as if
to make amends for his partial concealment, the sun
showed his broad burning face with uncommon
clearness, and the day was one of the hottest we
ever remember to have felt. We found the path in
much better condition than those behind it, and it
lay almost entirely through plantations of yams,
calavances, and pumpkins, and three or four different
varieties of corn, which a number of labourers were
employed in weeding, &c. The hoe is the only implement of husbandry in use, and indeed they can
well dispense with every other, because the soil
during the rainy months is so soft and light that but
very little manual exertion in working it is required.
Population is abundant,-labourers may be hired to
any number,-and in our opinion, the introduction
of the plough would scarcely be a blessing-but on
the contrary furnish new encouragement to the besetting sin of sloth.
Havinv crossed at noon a small but agreeable rive,




122                JADOO.
flowing from east to west, in which several females
were bathing, and washing clothes, we shortly afterward entered the capacious and populous town of
Jadoo. Here we were informed that the chief had
been in the grave more than a twelvemonth, and that
no one having yet been nominated to succeed him,
every thing continued in a state of confusion and
misrule. We were conducted, after we had waited
a little, into a large yard belonging to the late governor, and presently received a visit from his brother,
in company with all the elders of the place; but
their conversation was unpleasant, and their whole
behaviour much cooler than was agreeable, the
more so as such a reception had been entirely unexpected.
The yard wherein we reside is perfectly round,
and walled with huts, all tenanted by the late
chief's widows, who employ their time and earn
their livelihood by spinning and weaving.  Not
less than a hundred of the King of Katunga's
ladies are lodging in the yard with them. They
have all passed the bloom of life, and arrived
here lately with loads of trona and country cloth,
which they barter for salt, and various articles of
European manufacture, particularly beads; with
these they return home, and expose them for sale in
the market, and afterward the profits are taken to
their husbands. These royal ladies are distinguished
from their countrywomen only by a peculiar species
of cloth, which is wrapped round their goods, and
which no one dares to imitate, on pain of perpetual
slavery. This severe punishment is often inflicted;
for, as the king's wives pay no tribute or turnpike
dues whatever, and must besides be entertained by
the chiefs of every town through which they pass,
strong inducements are offered for others to attempt
to deceive by using the forbidden cloth, and hence
examples are necessary. As a contrast to the
afflicted females of Jenna, the wives of the King of




JADOO.               123
Katunga all fell to crying for joy this evening, on
recognising a few old acquaintances in the yard, who
soon joined them in the melancholy music. It was
laughable enough to see them; yet after the first
burst had subsided, they began to chat with a garrulity far beyond that of the most talkative of their
European sisters. The conversation lasted more
than an hour, till at last it resolved itself into a violent quarrel, which has not yet terminated.
It is now ten o'clock at night, and the women are
sitting in groups round the several wood-fires. We
ourselves occupy only a verandah, which is simply
the projection of the roof of a thatched hut; our
horses are fastened to wooden stakes in the centre
of the yard; our men are lying round them, warming themselves at their own fires. Sheep, beautiful
sheep, with tinkling bells hung round their necks,
are chewing their cud in peace and happiness. But
although it is the hour of repose, the tongues of our
female fellow-travellers are making a clatter which
all the Graces of Billingsgate could not rival, and
together with the squalling of brats innumerable, it
spoils the emotions which the wild and pleasing
scene around us would otherwise awaken in our
breasts. Sheep here are regarded with as much partiality, and treated much in the same manner as
ladies' lapdogs are in England. Great care is taken
to keep them clean and in good condition; theynare
washed every morning in soap and water; and so
greatly are they attached to their masters or mistresses, that they are constantly at their heels, following them in-doors and out, from town to town,
and in all their peregrinations. Goats, sheep, swine,
and poultry are in great plenty here, and in every
one's possession, notwithstanding which they are
always excessively dear, because the people take a
pride in displaying the number and quality of their
domestic animals.
The inhabitants of Jadoo are, generally speaking,
very tidily clad in cotton dresses of their own manu.




124                POOYA.
facture.  In their persons they are much more
agreeable than those who reside nearer the sea.
European goods are brought hither from Dahomey
and Badagry, but more especially from Lagos; and
are daily exposed for sale in the markets of Jadoo
and Egga. Several chiefs on the road have asked
us the reason why the Portuguese do not purchase
as many slaves as formerly; and make very sad
complaints of the stagnation in this branch of traffic.
Hippopotami abound in the rivers in the vicinity of
the town; when young the flesh and skin of these
animals are sold as food; and whips and other articles are made of the skins of the old ones.
Saturday, April 17th.-A.t the usual hour this
morning we quitted Jadoo, and in the middle of the
day arrived at a clean, pretty little village called
Pooya. The appearance of the country between
these places is extremely fine, and resembles a magnificent orchard. On our way we met many hundreds of people of both sexes and all ages, with vast
quantities of bullocks, sheep, and goats, together
with fowls and pigeons, which were carried on the
head in neat wicker baskets. Several of the travellers were loaded with packages of country cloth,
and indigo in large round balls. They are all slaves,
and were proceeding to the coast from the interior,
to sell the goods and animals under their charge.
One old woman had the misfortune to let a large
calabash of palm-oil fall from her head: on arriving
at the spot we found a party of females, her companions in slavery, wringing their hands and crying;
the old woman's own affliction was bitter indeed, as
she dreaded the punishment which awaited her on her
return to her master's house. I compassionated her
distress, and gave her a large clasp-knife, which
would more than recompense her for the loss of the
oil, whereat the women wiped away their tears, and
fell down on the dust before us, exhibiting counte.
nances more gladsome and animated than can be
conceived.




ENGUA.                125
The mortality of children must be immense indeed here, for almost every woman we met with on
the road had one or more of those little wooden
images we have before spoken of. Whenever the
mothers stopped to take refreshment, a small part
9f their food was invariably presented to the lips of
these inanimate memorials.
Although Pooya is considered by the natives a
day's journey from Jadoo,.we only halted to pay
our respects to the chief, and then continued our
journey over gentle hills, and through valleys watered
by streams and rivulets, so as to reach Engua in the
afternoon. The soil between the two towns is
mostly dry and steril; and large masses of ironstone, which looked as if they had undergone the
action of fire, presented themselves almost at every
step. This day has been oppressively warm; and
as we had been exposed to the sun for a great number of hours, when we reached Engua our skin was
scorched and highly inflamed, so that we were very
uncomfortable. For my own part I was sore, tired,
and feverish, and longed to lay myself down in a
hut; but we were obliged to remain under a tree
above three hours before we could be favoured with
that opportunity, because the chief of the town was
engaged in making a fetish to counteract any evil intentions that we might entertain towards him. All
our people were fatigued and exhausted on the road,
complaining much of the heat, and one of them was
brought to us in the evening in a high fever. Engua
is the town wherein the lamented Captain Pearce
breathed his last; and here also Captain Clapperton
felt quite disheartened, and almost despaired of penetrating farther into the interior of the country. The
chief sent us only a little Indian corn and water,
and obstinately refused to sell us either a goat,
sheep, or any other animal, although there are many
thousands in the town.
Sunday, April 18th.-Our reception had been so




126          CHAKKA-AFOORA.
truly inhospitable at Engua, that we arose at a much
earlier hour this morning than we generally do, and
proceeded on our way by starlight. In place of the
iron-stone of yesterday, the country over which w 3
have travelled to-day is partially covered with large
and unshapely masses of granite. Mountains and
elevated hills were observed to the right of us,
whose sides were thickly wooded, and their summits reaching above the clouds. At 9 A. M. we
passed through a neat and cleanly village, named
Chakka, which has lately lost its chief; and an hour
afterward crossed a small river called Akeeny, which
is full of sharp and rugged granite rocks, and is said
to fall into the Lagos. We were carried over on
men's shoulders without much difficulty, but the
horses were a long time in getting across. From
hence the path wound up a high and steep hill,
which we ascended, and entered the town of Afoora
about midday.  The governor gave us a hearty
welcome, and said it made him extremely happy to
see us, which the joy and animation of his countenance also expressed. The best hut in the town,
which is the most airy and commodious of any we
had seen, was presently got ready for us, and shortly
after we had taken possession of it we received a
quantity of excellent provisions from the chief.
This is the first day of his government. His
father, the late chief, has been dead some time, but
from motives of delicacy he refused to take upoi
himself his authority till this morning. In honoul
of the event a large company of women have been
dancing, rejoicing, and making merry all the evening
outside our hut. It is somewhat strange that the
chief or governor of almost every town through
which we have passed since leaving Baddgry, who
was alive and well on my return to the coast three
years ago, has been either slain in war, or has died
from natural causes. Scarcely one of them is now
alive.




ASSINARA.              127
Monday, Aprnl 19th.-An easy pleasant ride of
three hours brought us to the first walled town we
have seen, which is called Assindra. The wall is
of clay, and so diminutive that a person might easily
jump over it; a dry ditch, about eighteen inches
deep and three or four feet in width, also surrounds
the town. Over this a single plank is thrown, which
answers the purpose of a drawbridge, and is the only
means tile inhabitants have of getting in and out of
the place. A.ssinara too has lately lost its chief in
some battle, and all business is transacted by a
benevolent elderly man, who has volunteered his
services till a successor shall be appointed. From
him we have received, the warmest reception and the
most hospitable treatment. The climate has already
had a debilitating effect upon my brother, and from
a state of robust health and vigour, he is reduced to
so great a degree of lassitude and weakness that he
can scarcely stand a minute at a time. Every
former pleasure seems to have lost its charm. He
was attacked with fever this afternoon, and his condition would have been hopeless indeed had I not
been near to relieve him. He complained of excessive thirst. I gave him ten grains of calomel, and
afterward a strong dose of salts. Rain, thunder, and
lightning during the night.
Tuesday, April 20th.-My brother was much better,
and free from fever this morning, but too weak to
travel, and we shall therefore remain at Assinara till
to-morrow. The acting governor visited us to-day
with a long face, and entreated us earnestly to discover a certain wizard, whom he imagined to be
concealed somewhere in the town. By this sorcerer's influence numbers of people, it is said, pine
away and die; and women with child are more especially the objects of his malevolence. These victims drop suddenly, without the slightest warning;
and the deaths have lately been so numerous that
I.-K




128               ACCODOO.
the old man himself is grievously alarmed, and begs
a charm to preserve him and his family.
Friday, April 23d.-My brother finding himself
considerably invigorated and refreshed by a day's
rest at Assinara, and sufficiently recovered to pursue
our journey, I had all hands in readiness to start at
an early hour. The morning was cool and pleasant,
and we travelled onward in excellent spirits. Without meeting any thing particular in the path, or perceiving any object sufficiently novel or.striking to
demand attention, we entered the town of Accodoo
in the forenoon, having had an agreeable ride of a
few hours' duration only. At this time my brother
seemed to be free from any kind of complaint whatever, and enjoyed an unusual cheerfulness and
buoyancy of spirits, which led me to form the most
flattering anticipations. In the course of a few
minutes, however, his body was overspread with a
burning heat, and he suffered under another attack
of fever, more violent than any of the former. I
resorted to the most powerful remedies I could think
of at the time. I bled him, and applied a strong
blister to the region of the stomach, where the disorder seemed to be seated. It was swollen and oppressed with pain, and he felt as if some huge substance lay upon his chest. His mouth being dry
and clogged, and his thirst burning and unquenchable,
he drank so much water that his body was greatly
swollen. In the evening his ideas were confused,
and he became delirious. He afterward described
to me the horrible phantoms that disturbed him
while in this state; and the delicious emotion that
ran through his whole frame when the dreadful
visions had passed away. Tears gushed from his
eyes; a profuse' perspiration, which had been so
long checked, gave him immediate relief, and he has
since continued to improve.
While my brother was so ill, the natives made a




ETUDY-CHO UCHOU.            129
most hideous noise by singing and drunnmling in the
celebration of their fetish. I went out in the hope
of inducing them to be quiet, but they only laughed
at him and annoyed us the more; for they have no
compassion for the sufferings of a white man, and if
they can mortify him by any means, they consider it
a praiseworthy deed. Yesterday was one of the
hottest days we have yet felt, the thermometer at
noon being 99~ of Fahrenheit.
Saturday, April 24th.-A halmmock was prepared
for my brother before daybreak this morning, because he was too weak to ride on horseback; and
shortly afterward we quitted the town of Accodoo
in much better spirits than circumstances hed led
us to hope for. The hammock-men found their
burden rather troublesome; nevertheless, we travelled at a pretty quick pace, and between eight;and
nine o'clock halted at a pleasant and comfortable
village called Etudy. The chief sent us a fowl and
four hundred cowries; but we stopped only to take
a slight refreshment on horseback and pay our
respects. We then proceeded through large plantations of cotton, indigo, Indian corn, and yams, and
other stony fields, till between ten and eleven, when
we entered the town of Chouchou. We were almost
immediately introduced to the chief, and fiom him
into a ruinous hut, in a more filthy state than can
be imagined. No pigsty was ever half so bad. Its
late occupier had incurred the displeasure and hatred
of his chief because'he happened to be very rich,
and, rather than pay a heavy fine, he ran away
and has joined his former enemies; and this may
partly account for the destitution and wretchedness
around us.
Since leaving Jenna, we have met an incredible
number of persons visited with the loss of one eye.
They assign no other reason for their misfortune
than the heat and glare of th'e sun's rays.
Sunday, April 25th.-It rained heavily during tht




130           LEAVE CHOUCHOU.
whole of last night; but our hut, although of the
very worst description, had a pretty good thatched
roof, and sheltered us much better than we had expected. There are periods and seasons in our lifetime in which we feel a happy complacency of temper and an inward satisfaction, cheerfulness, and joy,
for which we cannot very well account, but which
constrain us to be at peace with ourselves and our
neighbours, and in love with all the works of God.
In this truly enviable frame of mind I awoke this
morning to proceed onward on horseback: it was a
morning which was fairly entitled to the epithet of
" incense-breathing;" for the variety of sweet-smelling perfume which exhaled after the rain from
forest flowers and flowering shrubs was delicious
and almost overpowering. The scenery of to-day
has been more interesting and lovely than any we
have heretofore beheld. The path circled round a
magnificent cultivated valley, hemmed in almost on
every side with mountains of granite of the most
grotesque and irregular shapes, the summits of
which are covered with stunted trees, and the hollows in their slopes occupied by clusters of huts,
whose inmates have fled thither as a place of security
against the ravages of the war-men that infest the
plains. A number of strange birds resort to this
valley, many of whose notes were rich, full, and
melodious, while others were harsh and disagreeable; but, generally speaking, the plumage was various, splendid, and beautiful. The modest partridge
appeared in company with the magnificent Balearic
crane, with his regal crest; and delicate hummingbirds hopped from twig to twig with others of an
unknown species.; some of them were of a dark
shining green; some had red silky wings and purple
bodies; some were variegated with stripes of crimson and gold; and these chirped and warbled from
among the thick foliage'of the trees. It is the con.
templation of such beautiful objects as these, all so




FUDIBU-GWENDEKKI.           131
playful and so happy-or the more sublime ones of
dark waving forests, plains of vast extent, or stupendous mountains-that gives the mind the most sensible emotions of delight and grandeur, leading it insensibly
"To look from nature up to nature's God."
For myself I am passionately fond of them, and
have regretted a thousand times over that my ignorance incapacitates me from giving a proper repre.
sentation of them, or describing the simplest flower
that adorns the plains, or the smallest insect that
sparkles in the air. This consideration gives me at
times many unhappy reflections, although my defective education arose from circumstances over
which my boyhood had no control.
Having passed through the immense valley before
mentioned, we had not travelled far before we
arrived and halted at a large village, called Fudibu;
here we rested awhile, and then continuing our journey for two hours over even ground between high
hills, we rode into the town of Gwendekki, in which we
purpose passing the night. The chief is either very
poor or else very ill-natured, for the only thing he
sent us was a little boiled yam, with a mess of unpalatable gravy, which he would not have given if
he did not expect ten times its value in return.
Divine service was performed in the course of the
day, as usual, and this is a duty which to persons in
our situation is inconceivably pleasant. It renders
us happy and resigned in the midst of our afflictions,
refreshing our confidence in the all-protecting arm
of that beneficent Being who is the author and disposer of our destinies, and in whom alone, thus
widely separated from home and kindred and civiliza.
tion, the wanderer can place his trust.
Monday, April 26th.-A thick mist obscured the
horizon this morning, and hid in deep shade the




132              ECO —DUFO.
mountains and hills; every object indeed was invisl.
ble, except the pathway, and the trees, &c. growing
on each side, which we could barely distinguish as
we passed along. It continued hazy for two hours
after leaving Gwendekki, when the mist dispersed,
and the atmosphere became clear. Preparatory to
ascending a steep granite hill, we halted to refresh
our horses under the branches of a high spreading
tree, near a town called Ec6. Here we were visited
by several of the inhabitants, who, as soon as they
were informed of our arrival, came flocking to the
spot. They formed themselves into a line to pay
their respects, and entreated us to wait a little for
the coming of their chief, who was momentarily expected. But, after staying as long as we conveniently could, and no chief appearing, we mounted
our beasts and began the tdilsome ascent. On attaining the summit of the hill, the coup d'ail was
magnificent indeed, and the fog having been dispersed by the sun, the eye was enabled to range
round an extensive horizon, bounded by hills and
mountains of wonderful shapes. Some of them
bear a very striking resemblance to the Table Mountain at the Cape of Good Hope, and another is not
unlike the "Lion's Head and Rump" of the same
place. Our course was north-east, and those two
mountains bore due west of us. 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 other;
and those most distant from us appeared like dark
indistinct clouds. Nothing could surpass the singularity, perhaps I may say the sublimity, of the whole
view from the top of the granite hill which we had
ascended; and we contemplated it in silence for a few
seconds with emotions of astonishment and rapture.
Descending the hill, we continued our journey
over a noble plain, watered with springs and rivulets:
and in the afternoon entered Dufo, which is a most




LEAVE DUFO.              133
extensive and populous town.  The inhabitants
appear to be industrious and very opulent, as far as
regards the number and variety of their domestic
animals, having abundance of sheep, goats, swine,
pigeons, and poultry; among the latter of which we
observed, for the first time, turkeys and Guinea fowl.
They have likewise horses and bullocks. The chief
did not make his appearance for a long while; but
as soon as he had introduced himself, he desired us
to follow him into a cleanly-swept square, a house in
which he desired us to occupy. Presently after his
departure, he sent us a quantity of yarns, a basket
of ripe bananas, and a calabash of eggs, which we
soon discovered to be good for nothing, although
sand had been mixed with then, that they might
feel heavier than they really were.
Tuesday, April 27th.-My brother is now, thank
God, perfectly recovered from his late attack of
fever, and feels himself getting stronger every day.
Late last night four Burgoo traders paid us a visit
at our house; they informed us of their having
crossed the. Niger at Inguazhilligee* not more than
fourteen days ago; and that although the rains had
commenced, the river had as yet received no great
addition to its waters.
We were on horseback early this morning, and
at six o'clock, preceded by the carriers of our lnggage, we rode out of the town of Dafo. The country seemed inferior indeed as to the boldness and
beauty of its scenery to that traversed yesterday;
but still it possesses features of no common interest.
Another "Table Mountain" was observed to the
left of our path in the course of the morning, and
another "Lion's Head and Rump."    Ponderous
masses of granite rock overhang the roadway;
these were almost black, and seem'to have been
washed by the rains of thousands of years; in many
* The zh is pronounced like the letter z in the word azure. The last
g hard, like g in geese.




134          ELEKBA —CIAADOO.
of them were deep and gloomy caverns, which,
were they in Cornwall instead of Africa, would, I
am sure, be pointed out as the scenes of dark and
bloody stories of the elder time. Hundreds of the
natives followed us a long while, and annoyed us so
much by their noises and curiosity, that we were
compelled to resort to violent measures to drive
them away; but this is a line of conduct which we
rarely adopt towards them, and never without extreme reluctance. We at length frightened them
away, and we saw them no more. About eight
miles from Dufo, we arrived at a large straggling
village, called Elekba, where we halted a little, as
the path had been so stony, rugged, and irregular
that a few minutes' rest was absolutely necessary
to recruit ourselves. From this place the road became excellent, not at all inferior to a drive round
a gentleman's park in England; and continued to be
good till we came in sight of a capacious walled town
called Chaadoo, which we entered about midday.
Outside the walls is a little Falatah village, the huts
of which are constructed in the circular or coozie
form. Its inhabitants employ themselves solely in
the breeding of cattle-an occupation to which they
are passionately addicted. They are simple in their
manners, and extremely neat in their dress and ap.
pearance.
Not long after our arrival, three or four young
Falatah shepherdesses from the village came to our
hut to pay their respects. We felt much pleased
with their society, for they were extremely.wellbehaved and intelligent; but they remained with us
a very little time, their customary avocation not
permitting a longer stay. The hair of thesefemales
was braided in a style peculiarly tasteful and becoming; and the contour of their oval faces was very
far from disagreeable. Their manners also were
innocent and playful; the imaginary shepherdesses
of Fenton are not more modest, artless, and engaging




CHAADOO.              135
in description, than these in reality; and they left
behind them an impression very favourable both
as regards their morals, naivete, and rustic sim.
plicity.
On the road from Dufo, my brother unthinkingly
fired at and shot a crane, which fell in an adjoining
field. The report of his gun brought out a number
of natives from the "bush," who, being in continual
dread of an attack from the " war-men of the path,"
imagined, it to be a signal of one of these marauders.
They were all armed, like their countrymen, with
bows and arrows; and with a threatening aspect,
would have lodged a few shafts in the person of my
brother, if it had not been for the timely interference
of one of our Jenna messengers that fortunately
happened to be with him at the time, and who gave
an immediate and satisfactory explanation. The
head of the party then sought for and picked up the
bird; but my brother took it from him, after he had
rewarded him liberally for his trouble. The man,
however, was neither satisfied nor pleased, but
roughly demanded the bird as his own, because it
had fallen on his land. As there are no game laws
here, ply brother would not admit his claim, and
was going away, when the fellow begged with much
importunity that the head and legs of the animal at
least might be given him, to make a fetish of. This
was likewise objected to, at which he was out of
all patience, and went off foaming with passion. In
the evening, the crane was dressed for supper, and
a similar request was made by a eunuch from Ka.
tunga, who being a good-natured fellow, we readily
complied with his wish. The chief of Chaadoo
however, presently sent a messenger to request
the said precious head and legs; and to him they
were finally committed by the disappointed eunuch,
who could hardly forbear weeping on the occasion:
these relics are extremely valuable as a charm.
The chief sent us a goat, a quantity of bananas,
I.-L




136               CHAADOO.
a dish of pounded, or rather mashed yam with gravy,
and a large basket of caffas. These are a kind of
pudding, made into little round balls, from bruised
Indian corn, which is first boiled to the consistence
of thick paste. From being made entirely of coarse
flour and water, they have an insipid taste when
new, but when kept for a day or two, they become
sour, and in this state are eaten by the natives.
There are several deep wells in the town, but most
of them are dried up, so that water is exceedingly
scarce, and it is sold in the market-place to the inhabitants.-We are daily accosted on the road with
such salutations as these: " 1 hope you go well on
the path;" "Success to the king's work;" "God
bless you, white men;" " A blessing on your return," &c.
Wednesday, April 28th. —Ve have remained at
Chaadoo, to-day, to give the carriers with the luggage time to come up with us, because they have
been unavoidably detained by the roughness and
unevenness of the road from Dufo to Elekba. The
Katunga eunuch we alluded to yesterday was
recently sent by the king of that place to receive
the customary tribute of the governors of the
various towns on the road between Katunga and
Jenna. This man is treated with much respect
both by the governor of Chaadoo and his people,
who prostrate themselves to the eunuch before addressing him.
Being in want of money we sent needles this
morning to the market to sell. It is a custom in
Yarriba, that after a buyer has agreed to pay a certain
sum for an article, he retracts his expressions, and
affirms that he only promised to give about half the
sum demanded. This has occasioned violent altercations between our people and the natives; but it
is an established custom, from which there is no
appeal. The governor's mother was buried this
afternoon at a neighbouring village, and the funeral




ARRIVE AT ROW.            137
was attended by all his wives or women, as mourners.
They were dressed in their holyday attire; and
looked tolerably smart. The mourners exhibited no
signs of grief whatever; on the contrary, they were
as lively as a wedding party. Attended by a drummer, they passed through our yard four hours ago,
on their return to the governor's house, which is
only a few steps from ours, and there they have
been singing and dancing to the noise of the drum
ever since.
The inhabitants of the town have immense quantities of sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry, but bullocks
are in the possession of Falatahs alone. We do
not believe the natives have a single animal of this
description. Like many other places, the market
is not held here till the heat and toil of the day are
over; and buyers seldom resort to it till eight o'clock
in the evening.
Thursday, April 29th.-It commenced raining this
morning at a very early hour, and continued with uncommon violence till between ten and eleven
o'clock, when it suddenly ceased, and we quitted
Chaadoo. Before this, however, the credulous governor, who in common with his people imagines
that white men influence the elements, paid us a
visit, with a calabash of honey as a present, to thank
us, he said, for the rain that had fallen, of which
the country is greatly in want, and invoked blessings on us. The kindness of this good old man is
remarkable. He never seemed weary of obliging
us, regretted his inability to do more, and solicited
us very pressingly to remain with him another day.
We traversed a mountainous country, intersected
with streams of excellent water; and at noon entered a small but pleasant and picturesque village,
which is ornamented with noble, shady trees. Iere
we waited a very short time, but continuing our
route, arrived towards evening at a capacious walled
to an called Row, wherein we shall pass the night




i38                ROW.
In many places the wall, if it be deserving the name,
is no more than twelve or fourteen inches from the
ground, and the moat is of similar dimensions. The
yard to which we were conducted shortly after ouw
arrival is within three or four others; and so intri.
cate are the passages leading to it, that after a
stranger gets in, he would be sadly puzzled to find
his way out again without a guide. Nevertheless
this was no security against interruption, for the
yard was speedily invaded by five or six hundred
individuals, who had been induced to.visit us from
curiosity.  As usual, they annoyed us for a long
time to the best of their ability, till they completely
wearied us out by their importunity and forwardness. We then hung sheets round the doorway
of our dwelling, and laid down on our mats; and
then only they began to disperse, and left us at our
ease.
The governor of the town is a morose, surly, and
il-natured man. He sent us only a few bananas
this evening, and a calabash of eggs, which were all
stale and unfit to be eaten, so that our people were
obliged to go supperless to bed. He ascribed the
badness of his fare to extreme poverty; yet his
vanity exacted from our Jenna messengers the most
abject method of salutation we are acquainted with.
These men walked backwards from him several
yards, to throw dirt on their heads, and with the
dust and filth still clinging to their hair, they were
compelled to address the chief with their faces to
the ground. Our apartment unfortunately communicates with his, and the restless tongues of his
numerous wives prevented either my brothel or
self from closing our eyes long after sunset. In the
centre of our yard grows a tree, round which several
staves are driven into the ground. This tree is a
fetish-tree, and these staves also fetish, and there.
fore we received a strong injunction not to tie our
horses to either of them.  Calabashes- common




CHEKKI.                 139
asiicles of earthenware, and even feathers, eggsLells, and the bones of animals —indeed, any kind
of inanimate substance, is made fetish by the credulous, stupid natives; and like the horse-shoe which
is still nailed to the doors of the more superstitious
of the peasantry in England, these fetishes are supposed to preserve them from ghosts and evil spirits.
It is sacrilege to touch them, and to ridicule them
would'be dangerous.
Friday, April 30th.-It was between seven and
eight o'clock before carriers could be procured this
morning, and every thing got in readiness for our
departure; the sun was excessively hot, and the
sky brilliantly clear. We crossed two or three
rivulets of cool, delicious water, as we had done
yesterday; and then passed through an insignificant village, whose chief sent us a calabash of
bruised corn, mixed with water, to drink. At noon,
we arrived at the foot of a very elevated hill, and
perceived a town perched on its summit, and knew
it to be the same to which we had been directed.
We dismounted, and after a laborious ascent, which
occupied us three-quarters of an hour, at length
reached the top. Stones and blocks of granite interrupted the path, so that it was a very difficult
matter to force the horses along before us; they
fell repeatedly, but without materially injuring them
selves.
The name of the town is Chekki. Our arrival
was rather unexpected, and, therefore, the governor
was not prepared to receive us; and we sat down
under a tree, till we were tired of waiting. At
length a man came to conduct us to his residence,
which was but a little way from our tree, when a
tumultuous rush was made by the inhabitants to
precede us into the yard; and notwithstanding the
presence of their chief, they surrounded our party
so closely as to prevent a particle of fresh air from
teaching us. The governor received us w ith blunt



140               coosoo.
ess, but not unkindly, though without much de
nonstration of good-will. While in his yard he re
galed us with water, and afterward sent a large
calabash of foorah sweetened with honey to oui
lodgings, which did not taste unlike thick gruel, ol
burgoo. as it is termed in Scotland. It is made of a
corn called goorah, is very palatable, and is in general
use with the natives of these parts. A quantity of
bananas from the chief soon followed the'foorah,
and something more substantial than either has
been promised us.
We have observed that it is a general practice
here, as well as in every other town through which
we have passed, for children until the age of seven
years to go naked, with perhaps a string of cowries
tied round the loins, and clumsy bracelets, either of
brass or tin, enclosing the wrist. Grown-up people,
however, dress somewhat neatly, if not gracefully:
the men wear a cap, tobe, and trousers, mostly
blue, and the women wear a large loose cotton cloth,
which is thrown over the left shoulder, and comes
down mantling below the knee: the right arm and
feet alone are bare.
People of both sexes hereabouts are infinitely
more grave and serious in their manners than those
nearer the coast, and
" The loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind,"
we have not heard these many days.
Saturday, May lst.-In the cool of the morning
we quitted Chekki, and rode on pleasantly, till at
the end of four hours we arrived at Coosoo, a large
and important town. A Falatah hamlet stands near
it, whose inhabitants subsist by following pastoral
occupations alone. They are much esteemed by
the Yarribeans, who behave to them without suspicion or reserve.
A man stole a sword from our people a few minutes after our arrival; he was uursued to the chief;




coosoo.               141
and asserted that he had found it, as he laid the
weapon at his feet. The sword has been restored
to us by the governor, but without the slightest
allusion being made to the means by which he
had obtained it.
A company or gafflie of merchants from Hano are
at present in the town, who have come thus far on
their way to Gonja, which is the Selga of Cape
Coast Castle and Accra. Their merchandise consists
chiefly of elephants' teeth, trona, rock salt, and
country cloths. This, we are told, is a new route,
the road formerly taken being considered unsafe, on
account of private broils and disturbances among the
natives. The gafflie consists of more than four
hundred men, but a company of merchants that
Dassed through this town ten days ago amounted to
twice that number. Other merchants are also here,
and will leave the town to-morrow on their way to
Yaoorie, whither they are destined.
The palm-tree becomes scarce in proportion as
we advance into' the country, and consequently the
oil is obtained hereabouts only in very small quantities. But Nature, ever bountiful, supplies its place
with the mi-cadania, or butter-tree, which yields
abundance of a kind of vegetable marrow, pleasant
to the taste, and highly esteemed by the natives.
It is used for lights and other domestic purposes.
The tree from which it is obtained is not much
unlike our oak in appearance, and the nut it produces is enveloped in an agreeable pulpy substance.
The kernel of this nut is about the size of our
chestnut. It is exposed in the sun to dry, after
which it is pounded very fine and boiled in water:
the oily particles it contains soon float on the surface; when cool, they are skimmed off, and then
made into little cakes for use, without any further
preparation.
Two individuals appeared before the chief to-day
in consequence of an accusation of theft that had




142               coosoo.
been made against them. The method adopted of
proving the guilt or innocence of the parties was by
compelling them to swallow the "fetish-water."
In the evening we received a fat goat, a basket
of caffas, a calabash of bananas, a vast quantity of
yams, and a bowl of milk from the governor. He
is a sober, kind, and benevolent old man, and generally beloved by his people. To us he is particularly attentive and obliging. He has informed us
that the common path to Katunga is unsafe, in consequence of a serious quarrel between the inhabitants of Coosoo and those of a neighbouring town.
" Therefore," said he, "I entreat you to remain
here with me to-morrow, in order that I may make
arrangements to send you by a different road."
This intelligence was not very agreeable to us, but
we are convinced of its importance, and shall therefore thankfully accept the chiefs offer.
The market, which is held this evening in the
town, has an imposing and brilliant appearance,
from the immense number of lamps used by the
tradespeople.
Our visiters, who continued with us till 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 we were compelled to resort to the
childish expedient of spirting water in their faces
from a large syringe. On seeing and feeling the
effects of this fearful instrument, they became
alarmed, and ran away.
Sunday, May 2d.-The weather last evening was
serene and beautiful, but in the night we were
visited by a tornado; the lightning gleamed in long
and vivid flashes; the thunder echoed among the
mountains; and the rain fell in torrents. In the
morning it had passed away, and the air was cool
and agreeable.




coooo000.             143
A fetish priest from a neighbouring town came to
see us this morning, and was going to treat us with
the usual harangue of his profession, but we managed to put a stop to it by bribing him with a few
needles. We observed nothing remarkable in the
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 eyelashes and eyebrows 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 we could not ascertain the reason of this extraordinary deviation from the common laws of
nature.
We have received an abundance of kindness from
the good old chief of this place, and his endeavours
to make us comfortable have been imitated by many
of the more respectable inhabitants.
There are people here from  Burgoo, Nouvfie,
Hilussa, and many of the interior countries, and the
" Queen" of Nouffie, it is said, also resides in the
town, but this seems to us to be rather questionable.
Monday, May 3d.-The path recommended by the
friendly chief of Coosoo lies due east of this town,
and we pursued our journey on it this morning by
sunrise. Robbers were stated to be lurking about;
we conceived it to be prudent, therefore, if not absolutely necessary, to take every precaution for the
safety of the mission, and we loaded our own guns
and pistols, and armed all our men with swords and
muskets. Our Jenna messengers being unacquainted
with the new route, the governor of Coosoo had
lurnished us 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




144          ARRIVE AT ACBORO.
equipments, a few harmless women, who were tel.
rified at our appearance, were the only individuals
met with on the path during a ride of two hours,
which brought us to a town called Acboro. And it
was well indeed that its distance from Coosoo is so
short, for being taken ill on the road, I should have
been unable to have travelled farther to-day. The
town itself is very small; but its dilapidated walls,
which enclose an immense extent of ground, would
lead one to suppose that it was formerly of much
greater magnitude. Within the walls are three
granite hills, two on one side, and the other on the
opposite side of the town. All their bases are of
solid stone, but their summits consist of loose
blocks, from the interstices of which trees and
stunted vegetation shoot forth. Besides these hills
immense masses of granite rock are seen piled upon
each other in different parts. On the whole, Acboro
is one of the wildest and most venerable-looking
places that the human mind can conceive, the habitations of the people alone lessening that romantic
and pleasing effect which a first sight of it produces.
The hut with which we have been accommodated
is not the pleasantest nor most comfortable residence in the world; but then we are persuaded that
no better can be procured in the town, so we are
quite content with it.
Shoitly after our arrival, the governor sent us a
sucking-pig, and some other presents, and appeared
highly pleased that circumstances had thrown us in
his way. " White men do nothing but good," said
he, "and I will pray that God may bless you, and
send more of your countrymen to Yarriba." Instead
of the people running and scrambling to see us, as
hitherto, the good-natured ruler of this place has
excluded the mass of them from visiting our yard,
and came very civilly to ask our permission for a
few of his friends to look at us. I was too weak
and indisposed to gratify their curiosity by rising
from my couch; so my brother went out to exhibit




LAZIPA.               145
his person, and suffered himself to be examined
rather minutely. They separated, I believe, tolerably well pleased with each other. Last night a
large carving-knife and a shot-belt were stolen fronm
us at Coosoo while we slept; but as it is not very
probable that an inhabitant would be so rash as to
brave our guns and walk over our bodies, which the
thief was obliged to'do, we attach suspicion only to
one of our own men.
Tuesday, May 4th.-Yesterday three men, inhabitants of Acboro, were captured by a gang of restless, marauding scoundrels, who are denominated
here, as elsewhere, "war-men of the path," but who
are, 4n reality, nothing more nor less than highwayrobbers. They subsist solely by pillage and rapine,
andcwaylaying their countrymen. The late governor of Acboro was deposed and driven from the town
by his own people, for his indifference to their interests, and the wanton cruelty with which he treated
them and their children. At different times he
seized several individuals of both sexes, and sold
them as slaves, without assigning any cause for the
act.- This drew on him the vengeance of the friends
and relatives of the sufferers, who prevailed on their
townspeople to rise with them and punish the aggressor. The latter soon found that his, party was
too weak to withstand the attacks of the exasperated
populace, and he fled to a remote village, where
he now resides; and the inhabitants of Acboro imnediately elected a more humane and benevolent
overnor in his stead.
We rose this morning, as usual, at an early hour,
and finding myself sufficiently recovered to ride on
horseback, we bade farewell to the governor of
Acboro, and quitted the town by sunrise, taking care
to use the same precautions against robbers as yesterday. In an hour and three-quarters we entered
an open and delightful village, called Lazipa. An
assemblage of Falatah huts stood near it, by which
their beautiful cattle were grazing. We stopped a




146           ARRIVE AT COOTOO.
short time to admire them. Many of the bullocks
were as white as snow; others were spotted like a
leopard's skin, and others again were dotted with
red and black on a white ground. A Falatah girl
presented us with a bowl of new milk, which was
very agreeable and refreshing, and after drinking it,
we bade adieu to the Falatahs and their cattle for
ever.
We had not travelled a great way from Lazipa
before we had to cross a large morass, on the borders of which a very large and handsome species of
water-lily flourishes in great perfection. We crossed
this morass without difficulty or trouble, and with
the same facility, also, two small streams, which
intersected the road. At nine A.. M., we arrived at
Cootoo, which, like Lazipa, is an open village, but
the former is by far the most extensive of the two.
A person who may have travelled from Penzance
in Cornwall to the Land's End, and observed the
nature of the soil, and the blocks of granite which
are scattered over its surface, will have a very good
idea of the country between Acboro and Cootoo,
only that here it is much more woody.
After leaving Cootoo, however, the aspect of the
surrounding scenery speedily changed, and became
infinitely more pleasing. The soil was more rich
and deeper; patches of verdure and cultivated land
were more frequent, the latter being neatly fenced;
-fine handsome trees, with their spreading branches
and thick foliage, embellished the country in every
direction, and extended to the eastern horizon. One
would be inclined to suppose that these trees had
been carefully plaited by the hand of man, for they
grew at equal distances from each other, and nont
seemed to interfere with the order, beauty, and
regularity of its neighbour. The soil between them
was covered with a soft green turf, which rendered
the whole view remarkably pleasant. It was ovei
this delightful landscape that we travelled-the morn.
ing was cooled by a refreshing south-east wind, and




BOHOO.                 147
we were both on good terms with ourselves, and
gratified by every thing around us. At length we came
in sight of numerous herds of fine cattle, attended
by little boys, and shortly after we arrived at a
clean and neat Falatah village, whose inhabitants
were enployed in feeding calves, and other occupations connected with an African farm. We then
crossed a small stream, and entered a town of prodigious extent, called B6dhoo, which is fortified with
a triple wall and moats. Without being exposed to
the customary tiresome formalities, we were immediatelv conducted to the residence of the governor.
The usual conversation passed between us, and after
we had returned to our hut, a bullock was sent us,
with yams, bananas, and a huge calabash of new
milk, which did not contain less than six gallons;
and our people sat down to enjoy themselves in perfect good-humour.
In the afternoon a message was delivered to us,
signifying that the governor's " head minister" would
be very glad to see us, and would thank us to visit
him in the course of the day.: But having experienced a relapse, my sufferings were such as to prevent my leaving the hut, and miy brother was therefore obliged to go alone. He afterward informed
me that a pleasant walk of rather more than two
miles conducted him to the habitation of the minister, by whom he was very kindly received. The
compliments of the day only were exchanged between thenm; and the numerous wives and large
family of the master of the house, who are on these
occasions generally exhibited to a stranger, having
amply gratified their curiosity by an examination of
his person, the interview terminated; and he presently returned, to our abode, after promising to
visit the minister again to-morrow. B6hoo lies north.
east of Acboro, and is built on the slope of a very
gentle and fertile hill, at whose base flows a stream
of milk-white water; and behind which, on a rising
ground, is the Falatah hamlet already mentioned




148                11n100
Its immense triple wall is little short of twenty miles
iln circuit; but besides huts and gardens, it encloses
a vast number of acres of excellent meadow land, on
which bullocks, sheep, and goats indiscriminately
feed. By the hasty view obtained of it, the town is
not much unlike Kano; but there is no large swamp
like that which intersects the latter city. B6hoo
was formerly the metropolis of Yarriba; but about
half a century ago, the reigning prince preferring
tie plain at Katunga, the seat of government was
transferred there, since which time B6hoo has materially declined in wealth, population, and consequence, although it is still considered a place of great
importance, and the second town in the kingdom.
It is hounded on all sides by hills of gradual ascent,
which are prettily wooded, and commands an extensive horizon. The land in the vicinity of the town
presents a most inviting appearance, by no means
inferior to any part of England in the most favourable season of the year. It seems to be duly appreciated by the Falatahs, so great a number of whom
reside with their flocks in different parts, that tne
minister candidly declared he could not inform us of
their amount. These foreigners sell their milk, butter, and cheese in the market at a reasonable rate.
The latter is made into little cakes of about an inch
square, and when fried in butter is very palatable.
It is of the consistence and appearance of the white
of an egg boiled hard.
I have been very ill all the evening with fever
accompanied by excruciating pains in the bowels,
but my spirits are cheerful, and I hope soon to recover. We are thankful that we have not been both
thus afflicted at the same time. As soon as one of
us has in a measure regained his strength, his assistance has been required to minister to the wants of
the other.
Wednesday, May 5th.-Agreeably to the promise
my brother made yesterday, he left me to the care




BOOO.               149
of Pascoe and his wife this morning, and hastened
to pay his respects to the chiefs head-man or minister,
as he is called. It appears that this man has been
placed in his present situation by the King of Katunga
as a kind of spy on the actions of the governor, who
can do nothing of a public nature without in the first
place consulting him and obtaining his consent to
the measure. Yet he conducts himself so well in
his disagreeable office, that he has won the good-will,
not only of the governor of the town, but also of its
inhabitants. A kind of rivalry exists between the
minister and his master; but then it is a rivalry in good
and not in bad actions. Hearing that the governor
had given us a bullock, and something besides, he
presented my brother with a similar one, and a large
calabash of pitto (country beer), which he distributed
among those who had accompanied him. A bottle
of honey completed the list of presents, and they
were forthwith forwarded to our habitation, hut my
brother remained a considerable time afterward with
the chief. He was filled with amazement at the
formation and ticking of my brother's watch, which
he gazed on and listened to with transport; his spurs
also excited his eager curiosity, and he examined
them with the minutest attention.  He hoped, he
said, that God would bless us both, and that we had
his best wishes for our safety. He remarked, further,
that white men worshipped the Great God alone.and so did black men also; and that every blessing
of life was derived from that source.
On my brother's return I was very ill; I had been
so faint and sick during his absence, that my recovery
seemed doubtful, but a few hours afterward I'became
better. In the afternoon I sent to the governor and
his minister, who had behaved so handsomely to us,
three yards of fine red cloth, a common looking-glass,
tobacco-pipe, a pair of scissors, snuff-box, and a large
clasp-knife. The tobacco-pipe was much admired,
but the red cloth was most valued; with the whole




150                BOHOO.
however, they were both perfectly well pleased, and
were extravagant in expressions of gratitude. One
of the bullocks was slaughtered this morning, and
about two-thirds of it distributed by the governor
and his chief man to the poor of the town; the
remainder of the carcass was divided equally among
our-attendants, who are in no hurry to leave the
place while their present unusually good fare is to
be had.
Last evening two female acquaintances, who had
been separated from each other for a short time only
met in the yard adjoining ours, wherein one of thenr
constantly resides. The women burst into tears
directly they saw each other, and cried loud enough
to be heard distinctly by us during the whole of the
night; nor did they cease giving vent to their feelings till some time after sunrise this morning.
Thursday May 6th.-We were visited this morning
by a party of Falatahs of both sexes. They differ but
little either in colour or feature from the original natives of the soil. In dress and ornaments, however,
there is a slight distinction between them. They display more taste in their apparel, and wear a greater
number of ornaments round the neck and wrists: they
pay greater attention also to their hair, which the women plaitwith astonishing ingenuity. Like that of the
young woman we met at Jenna, their heads exactly
resemble a dragoon's helmet. The hair is much
longer, of course, than that of the negro, which enables the Falatahs to weave it' on both sides of the
head into a kind of queue, which, passing over each
cheek, is tied under the chin. Another company of
Falatahs came to us in the evening, for they had
never beheld a white man, and curiosity had led them
to our habitation. They brought us a present of a
little thick milk, which they begged us to accept,
and then went away highly gratified with the interview. The behaviour of the whole of them was
extremely reserved and respectful; nothing in our




MALOO-JAGUTA.              151
persons excited their merriment; on the contrary,
they seemed silently to admire our dress and complexion; and having looked well at us from a little
distance, seemed grateful for the treat. The kindness and generos;ty of the governor of B6hoo continues unabated: instead of diminishing, it seems to
strengthen; he literally inundates us with milk, and
he is equally lavish with other things.
Friday, May 7th.-After we had retired to rest last
night, aFalatah woman came to our dwelling, bringing with her a quantity of eggs of the Guinea-hen,
and a large bowl of milk fresh from the cow, as a
return for a few needles we had given her in the
afternoon. We relate this little circumstance simply
to show the difference between the Falatahs and the
Yarribeans, in point of gratitude for favours they
may have received.  The latter are very seldom
thankful, and never acknowledge gratitude as a virtue; the indifference, unconcern, and even contempt
which they often evince on receiving our.presents
is a proof of this;-and, with very few exceptions,
we never observed a Yarribean to be sincerely
thankful for any thing.
In the morning I was able to sit on horseback
and as we were setting off, the governor came out to
wish us farewell, and to present us with two thousand
cowries for the purpose of assisting us on our journey. We have said that B6hoo is about twenty
miles in circumference-perhaps we guessed considerably within bounds; for as we rode out of the
city, we were astonished at its vast extent. Two
hours after leaving B6hoo, we passed through an
agreeable, thinly inhabited village, called Maloo; and
in somewhat less than an hour after, arrived at.Taguta, which is a large and compact town, fortified
by a neater and more substantially-built wall than
any we have yet seen.
Jaguta lies E.S.E. of B6hoo, from which it is distant, as nearly as we can guess, from twelve to
I.-M




152               JAGUTA.
hirteen miles. In the course of the journey we met
a party of Nouffie traders from Coulfo, with asses
carrying trona for the Golja maiket. Among them
were two women, very neatly clad' in their native
costume, with (clean white tobes outside their other
apparel, resemblingas nearly as possible the chemise
of European ladies. These asses were the first
beasts we had observed employed in carrying burdens, for hitherto people of both sexes and of all
ages, especially women and female children', have
performed these laborious duties.
The governor of Jagqta came to apologize, in the
evening, for not having attended us the greater part
of the day, on the plea that he had been engaged in
the country with his people, in making a fetish for
the prosperity of the King'of Katunga. The return
of the governor and his procession to the town was
announced by a flourish of drums, fifes, &c., with the
usual accompaniments of singing and dancing. The
musicians are now performing before him in a yard
which is next to ours. It is between ten and eleven
P.M.; and it is likely that our ears will'be stunned
by a combination of the most barbarous sounds in
the world for the remainder of the nighlt. It is well
that 1 am so far recovered as not to care about it, or
this abominable din would drive me to distraction.
We are daily assuled that the path is rendered
exceedingly dangerous by banditti; and the governor
of this place' has been endeavouring,.ith a good
deal of earnestness, to persuade us that our, goods
will not be respected by them. It will scarcely be
believed, however, that this universal dread originates
from a few Borgoo desperadoes, who, although only
armed with powder' and a few broken muskets, can
put a whole legion of the timid natives to flight.
The inhabitants of the town have been firing repeat.
edly this evening, to deter this'formidable foe from
scaling their wall and taking possession of their town.
Saturday, May 8th.-Last night and the preceding




JAGU A —SHEA,             153
one. we were visited by thunder-storms, which did
not, however, annoy us. T'he natives as usual impute
the seasonable weather to our agency aloine; and in
consequence, our arrival at many places has been
hailed with transport, as the most fortunate thing
that could have happened. It is astonishing to find
how extremely partial the rains have been here. In
some districts the oground for this month past has
been literally drenched, while in others, only a few
miles distant from them, vegetation has been suffering from a want of water.
Extraordinary preparations were made by the
governor of JagPta to ensure our safety on the
dreaded pathway; and a horseman, armed with a
sword and spear, in company with four foot soldiers,
who were equipped with bows and several huge
quivers full of arrows, were in readiness to offer us
their protection this morning. The horseman pieceded our party, and played off a, variety of antics to
our great amusement. He seemed not a little satisfied with himself; lie flourished his naked sword
over his head; brandished his spear; made his horse
curvet, and bound, and gallop alternately; and his
dress being extremely grotesque, besides being old
and torn, gave him an appearance not unlike that of
a bundle of rags flying through the air. But with all
this display of activity and heroism, the man would
have fled with terror from his own shadow by moonlight'; and we really regretted that a few defenceless
women were the only individuals that crossed our
path to put his courage to the test, the formidable
"x war-men" being elsewhereo
Our journey to-day has been vexatiously short, not
having exceeded four miles; and it is utterly beyond
our power to persuade the superstitious natives, who
conform only to their fetish in these matters, that
the robbers would be afraid to think of attacking
white men. The town at which we are now haltii-g
is called Shea, and is defelded by a -wall.  It pIts




154                SHEA.
sesses a numero'r; population, if we may be allowed
to form an opiniori from the vast number of individuals
that gathered around us immediately on our entrance
through the gateway.- A stranger, however, cannot
give any thing like a correct estimate of the population of any inhabited place in this part of Africa, for
as he can only judge of it by the number of courtyards a town or village may contain, and as in one
courtyard there may be residing at least a hundred
people, and in the one next to it perhaps not more
than six or seven, the difficulty will be immediately
perceived. Generally speaking, the description of one
town in Yarriba would answer for the whole. Cleanliness and order may contribute to the superiority of
one place over another, which may likewise have the
advantages of a rich soil, a pleasant neighbourhood,
and be ornamented with fine spreading and shady
trees, but the form of the houses and squares is
everywhere the same: irregular and badly built clay
walls, ragged-looking thatched roofs, and floors of
mud polished with cow-dung, form the habitations
of the chief part of the natives of Yarriba, compared
to most of which a common English barn is a palace.
The only difference between the residence of a chief
and those of his subjects lies in the number and not
in the superiority of his courtyards; and these are
for the most part tenanted by women and slaves,
together with flocks of sheep and goats, and abundance of pigs and poultry mixed together indis.
criminately.
Yesterday we crossed two small rivers, and to-day
passed over a larger one, which were all flowing from
north to south. Shed lies four miles E. by S. of Jagita.
The governor of the town has presented us with a
pig, and a quantity of country beer, and we have also
received little presents of provisions from a few of
the people.
Sunday, May 9th.-WVe agreed, rather reluctantly,
o witness an exhibition of tumbling, &c., this morn



ARRIVE AT ESALAy.          155
ing, previous to quitting the town, and while we
were on horseback. This detained us a little; but
as soon as it was over, we were escorted out of
the town by beat of drum, preceded by anl armed
horseman and an unarmed drummer, and continued
our journey followed by a multitude of the inhabitants. We passed through a very large walled town
called Esalay, about six miles from Shea; but its
wall is dilapidated, and the habitations of the people
in ruins, and almost all deserted. This town, which
was not long since well inhabited, has been reduced
to its present desolate and miserable state by the
protection which its ruler granted to an infamous
robber, whose continued assaults on defenceless
travellers, and his cruelty to them, at length at.
tracted the notice of the King of Katunga. But
previous to this, the inhabitants of another town not
far off, many of whom had at different times suffered
from his bold attacks, called in a number of Borgoo
men, who bore no better reputation for honesty
than the robber himself, and resolved to attempt
the capture of the ruffian in his stronghold, without other assistance. Their efforts, however, were
unavailing. The governor, intrenched in his walled
town, and supported by his people, sheltered the mis
creant, and compelled his enemies to raise the siege
About this time a messenger arrived at Esalay fronm
the King of Katunga, with commands for the gov
ernor to deliver up the robber to punishment; but
instead of obeying then, he privately warned the
man of his danger, who took immediate advantage
of it, and made his escape to Nouffie.'The governor was suspected of aiding the escape of the
robber; and a second messenger soon after arrived
from Katunga, with orders for the guilty chief either
to pay a fine to the king of 120,000 cowries, or put
a period to his existence by taking poison. Neither
of these commands suiting the inclination of thl
governor of Esalay, lie appointed a deputy, and pr




156          OKISABBA-ATOOPA.
vately fled to the neighbouring town of Shea, there
to await the final determination of his enraged sovereign. We saw him at the latter town yesterday,
dressed in a fancifully-made tobe, on which a great
number of Arab characters were stitched.  He
walked about at perfect liberty, and did not seem to
take his condition much to heart. The inhabitants
of Esalay, finding that their ruler had deserted them,
that they were threatened by the King of Katunga,
and that the Borgoo men, imboldened by the encouragement they received from that monarch, were
also lurking about the neighbourhood, and ready to
do them any mischief, took the alarm, and imitating
the example of their'chief, most of them deserted
their huts, and scattered themselves among the different townls and villages in the neighbourhood.
Very few people now reside at Esalay; and this
town, lately so populous and flourishing, ix little
better than a heap of ruins.
After we had passed through Esalay, we crossed
a large morass and three rivers, which intersected
the road-way. The croaking from a multitude of
frogs which they contained, in addition to the noise
of our drum, produced so animating an effect on our
carriers, that they ran along with their burdens
doubly as quick as they did before. We then arrived
at an open village called Okisabba, where we halted
for two hours, under the shadow of a large tree, to
allow some of our men, who had been loitering
behind, to rejoin us, after which we again set forward, and did not stop till we arrived at the large
and handsome, walled town of Atoopa, which the
late Captain Clapperton passed through in the last
expedition. During our ride, we observed a range
of wooded hills running from N.N.E. to SS.W.;
and passed through a wilderness of stunted trees,
which was relieved at intervals by patches of cultivated land; but there is not so much cultivation as
one might expect to find near the capital of Yarriba.




ATOOPA.                157
Atoopa is about twenty miles N. by E. of Shea, the
town in which we slept last night.
Monday, May 10th. —Armed guides are no longer
considered necessary; and we set out this morning
only with our Badagry and Jenna messengers and
interpreters. On going out of Atoopa, we crossed
a river which flowed by the foot of that town, where
our carriers overtook us, and we travelled on
together. The country through which the path lies
Is uncommionly fine; it is partially cultivated, abounding in wood' and water, and appeared, by the number of villages which is scattered over its surface,
to be very populous. As we rode along, a place
was pointed out to us; where a murder had been
committed about seven years ago on the person of
a young man. He fell a victim to a party of Borgoo scoundrels, for refusing to give up his companion to them, a young girl, to whom he was shortly
to be married. They at first endeavoured to obtain
her from him by fair means; but he obstinately
refused to accede to their request, and contrived to
keep the marauders at bay till the young woman had
made her escape, when he als6 ran for his life. He
was closely pursued by them, and pierced by the
number of arrows which they shot at him, he at
length fell down and died in the path, after having
run more than a mile from the place where the first
arrow had struck him. By the care with which this
story is treasured up in their memories, and the
earnestness and horror with which it is related, we
are inclined to believe, that although there is so
great a fuss about the Borgoo robbers, and so manifest a dread of them, a murder on the'highway is
)f very rare occurrence. When this crime is perpetrated, the whole nation seems to be terror-struck,
and the people rise up in' arms as if a public enemy
were devastating their country, and slaughtering its
inhabitants without mercy. This is the only instance
we have heard of a young man entertaining a strong




158.LOOUADDA.
attachment for a female. Marriage is celebrated by
the natives as unconcernedly as possible; a Imn
thinks as little of taking a wife as of cutting an ear
of corn-affection is altogether out of the question.
A village in ruins, and a smalltown called l ndma,
where we halted for a short time, were the only
inhabited places we passed through during the day,
till our entrance into the town of Leoguadda, which is
surrounded by a double wall, and in which we intend
to pass the night. The governor happened to be in
his garden on our arrival, so that we were completely wearied with waiting for him; but as he did
not make his appearance, we ourselves found out a
convenient and comfortable hut, and though we were
assailed by a volley of abuse from the mouths of half
a dozen women, we succeeded in sending them
away, and we now remain in tranquil possession of
our quarters. In the centre of our yard is a circular enclosure without a roof, within which is an
alligator, that has been confined there seven years.
This voracious animal is fed with rats only, and he
generally devours five a day. One of the inhabitants, perceiving that I was rather inquisitive, volunteered to go to a river in the vicinity of the town,
and to return in a few minutes with as many young
crocodiles as I might wish for; but as I had no
opportunity of conveying -animals of this descrip
tion through the country, I declined the man's offer
The inhabitants of Leoguadda, having probably no
vegetable poison, make use of the venom of snakes
on the tips of their arrows. The heads of those
serpents from which they extract this deadly substance are exposed on the sticks which are thrust
into the inside of the thatch of their dwelling as a
kind of trophy.
Leoguadda; is almost surrounded by rugged hills,
formed by loose blocks of granite; these, added to
a quantity of tall trees, always green, and growing
within the walls, render the town inconceivably




ARRIVE AT EETCHO.          159
pleasant and romantic. Immense tracts of land are
cultivated in the vicinity of the town, with corn,
yams, &c., and abundance of swine, poultry, goats,
and sheep are bred by its inhabitants. Formerly,
also, herds of cattle were to be seen in the
meadows; but they belonged to Falatahs, who, we
were told, fled from Leoguadda some time since to
join their countrymen at Al6rie.
Tuesday, May 11th.-We left Leoguadda early in
the morning, and about the middle of the forenoon
reached a walled town of some extent, called Eelch6.
The place is of importance on account of a large
weekly market which is held in it. Eetch6 has
recently been more than half consumed by fire, and
will not, it is supposed, regain its former condition
for some time. Like most large trading towns, it
is in as unsettled and filthy a state as can be conceived. This day's journey has been highly agreeable; the path lay through a beautiful country,
varied in many places by hills of coarse granite,
which are formed of large single blocks, heaped on
each other. Trees and shrubs of a beautiful green
were growing from their interstices, and almost hid
the masses of stone from view.
The governor of Eetch6 welcomed us to his town
very civilly, but his kindness as yet has extended no
further; and although in all probability he is as
opulent as most chiefs on the road, yet he did not
follow their example in giving us provisions, but left
us to procure them ourselves in the best manner we
were able. About a stone's throw to the west of
the town is the main road to Borgoo, Nouffie, Hiussa,
Ydoorie, &c., six hours' ride on which would take us
out of Yarriba into the territories of the King of
Kiiama. It is a general custom here, when any
stranger of consequence approaches Katunga, to
send a messenger before him for the purpose of informing the king of the circumstance; and as we
are considered in that lig.ht, one of our Jenna guides




160               EETCH1O.
Will set out for the above purpose to-morrow, and
we are told that we must remain here till Thursday
morning, for an escort of soldiers, which will be
sent to meet us. We have no inclinatiofi for the
honour, as it would expose us to a thousand little
inconveniences, and we therefore intend to avoid it
by leaving this place by moonlight.
It will scarcely be believed, that not less than one
hundred' and sixty governors of towns and villages
between this place and the seacoast, all belonging
to Yarriba, have died from natural causes, or have
been slain in war, since I was last here; and that; of
the inhabited places through which we have passed,
not more than a half-dozen chiefs are alive at this
moment who received and entertained me on my
return to Badagry three years ago:.
Wednesday, Maay 12th.-We were visited last night
by a tornado; and it rained so heavily this morning,
that even if we had not been obliged to remain in
Eetch6 to-day, it would have been next to impossible to have pursued our journey. The celebrated
market of this place may be said to commence
about midday, at which time thousands of buyers
and sellers had assembled in a large open space in
the heart of the town, presenting the most busy,
bustling scene imaginable. To say nothing of the
hum and clatter of such a multitude of barbarians,
the incessant exertions of a horrid band of native
musicians rendered our own voices inaudible. People from Katunga and other towns-of less importance flocked into Eetch6 to attend the market to-day,
which, we are informed, was nevertheless not so
well attended as on former occasions; the rain that
had fallen, and the alleged danger which besets the
path, having prevented many thousands from leaving their own abodes. Country cloth, indigo, pro.
visions, &c. were offered for sale, but we observed
nothing in the market deserving particular notice.
The town is to be well guarded to-night, for fear of




ARRIVE AT EETCHOLEE.           161
its being attacked while we remain in it; and it is
given out that any one found loitering outside the
walls after sIuset will be seized without ceremony,
and his effects taken from him. A very ungallant
custom prevails at Eet;ch 6, whichl is, that every
woman who attends the marlket for the purpose of
sellillg any article is obliedl to pay a tax of ten
covwries to the goverlor; while any individuai of
thle other sex is allowed to enter the town and vend
i}is commodities publicly without paying any duty
whatever.
T'h/orsday, llaoy 13t/h.-We arose at a very early
hour this morni ll to undertake the journey to IKatunea, wvhich is ratller long; and we hopedl not only
to reach that city before the heat became oppressixe, but also to avoid, if possible, the escort which
we lhd; little doubt the Iking would send out to
meet us. Yet, notwithstandiig oulr most strenuous   i exertions, it was six o'clock before we were all
re ady to depart. The air was cooler than we have
felt it since landing from the Clinker, the thermometer being as low as 71~ in the shade. The natives
appeared to feel this severity of the weather most
keenly, for though they huddled themselves up in
their Mwarnest cotton dresses, tlhey were vet shiveri Ir witith cold. Hundreds of people, -ad perhaps if
I were to say tiousauds the number would not be
overrated, preceded and followed us on the pathway; and as they wound threough thick forests,
along narrow roads, their blue and white clothing,
contrasted with the deep green of the ancient trees,
produced tan eminently pleasing effect.  After a
1iasty ride of two hours we came in sight of the
town of Eetcholee, outside of whiclh are numerous
trees, and underneath theirwi dely-spreading branches
ve observed ivaarious groups of people seated on the
turf, ttakiir refreshient. We joined them, partook
of a little corn and water, wlich is our usual travelling fare, and then renewed our journey in good




162         ESCORT TO KATUNGA.
spirits. But we had not proceeded a great way,
when the escort about which we had been so uneay
was descried at a distance, and approaching us at a
rapid pace, joined the party in a very few minutes.
rhere was no great reason, after all, for our modesty.o be offended either at the splendour or number of
our retinue, for happily it consisted only of a few
ragged individuals on foot, and eight on horseback;
with the latter was a single drummer, but the former
could boast of having in their train men with whistles, drums, and trumpets.
I sounded my bugle, at which the natives were
astonished and pleased; but a black trumpeter, jealous of the performance, challenged a contest for the
superiority of the respective instruments, which terminated in the entire defeat of the African, who was
hooted and laughed at by his companiors for his
presumption, and gave up the trial in despair. He
hung down his head, remained silent, looked extremely silly, and did not venture to put his horn to
his mouth again till he imagined his companions had
either overlooked, or in some measure forgotten his
defeat. Among the instruments used on this memorable occasion was a piece of iron, in shape exactly
resembling the bottom of a parlour fire-shovel. It
was played on by a thick piece of wood, and produced sounds infinitely less harmonious than " marrow-bones and cleavers."
The leader of our escort was a strange-looking,
powerful fellow, and might very well serve the writer
of a romance as the hero of his tale, in the character of keeper of an enchanted castle, when fierce,
scowling looks, terrific frowns, and a peculiarly wild
expression of countenance are intended to be naturally described; for the man's stature was gigantic,
his eyes large, keen, piercing, and ever in motion,
his broad nose squatted over both cheeks-his lips
immensely large, exposing a fine set of teeth; the
beard was black, thick, and grisly, and covering all




ARRIVE AT KATUNGA.          163
the lower part of his face, reached to his bosom;
the famous Blue Beard was nothing to him; and in
gazing on his features one would almost be inclined
to believe that all the most iniquitous and depraved
passions of human nature were centred in his heart
Yet with so unlovely and forbidding an appearance
the man is in reality as innocent and docile as a
lamb. He wore on his head a small rush hat, in
shape like a common earthenware pan inverted, or
like the hats which are worn by the lower class of
Chinese. His breast was enveloped in a coarse
piece of blue cloth; from his left shoulder bung a
large quiver of arrows; and in his right hand he
held a bow, which he brandished like a lance; a
short pair of trousers covered his thighs, and fantastically-made leathern boots incased his feet and legs.
His skin was of jetty blackness, his forehead high;
but his tremendous beard, which was slightly tinged
with gray, contributed, perhaps more than any thing
else, to impart that wildness and fierceness to his
looks which at first inspired us with a kind of dread
of our leader.
Thus escorted we travelled onwards; and after a
hasty ride of six hours from Eetch6, beheld from a
little eminence those black, naked hills of granite
at whose base lies the metropolis of Yarriba. About
an hour afterward we entered the gates of that extensive city. As is the custom, we staid under a tree
just inside the walls, till the king and his eunuchs
were informed of our arrival, which having been
done, after a wearisome delay, we rode to the residence of Ebo, the chief eunuch, who, next to the
king, is the most influential man in the place. We
found this personage, a "great, fat, round, oily
man," airing himself under the verandah of his
dwelling.  Other eunuchs of similar appearance
were sitting on the ground with him, and joined him
in welcoming both of us (but myself more especially)
to Katunga, with every appearance of sincerity,
heartiness, and good-will. A conversation, not suffi



164                HATUNGA.
ciently interesting or important to relate, here tool,
place,-it lasted a long time; and we then walked
all together to the king's house, which is at the disu
tance of half a mile. fri'a that of Ebo
CHAPTER IV.
Kacunga-Matnsolah, King of Katunga —Precautions to avoid detention
by the King-Apathy of the natives-Markets of Katunga-Delayed
by neighbouring war-Custom relating to presents-Rcserve of the
people concerning their country-Their general character-Progress
of the Falttahs-Preparations for departure by a new route-Farewell'visit to the King.
INFORMATION of our coming had been previously
sent to the monarch, and we waited with much patience for a considerable period till he had put on
his robes of state. Meantime, to amuse us and be.
guile the hour away, the head drummer and his assistants, with the most benevolent intention, commenced a concert of the most bewitching melody;
and long drums, kettle drums, and horns were played
with little intermission till Mansolah made his appearance, when all noises were suddenly hushed,
and we were desired to draw nearer to pay our respects to his majesty. We did so after the English
manner, much to the entertainment and diversion of
the king, who endeavoured to imitate us, but it was
easy to perceive that he is but a novice in the European mode of salutation, bowing and shaking
handl.  We have no doubt that it was owing to the
rusticity and awkwardness of our address that Mansolah's risible faculties were so strongly excited;
but he laughed so long and heartily, and his wives
and eunuchs, and subjects of all sorts, joined him
with such good-will, and such power of lungs, that
we were constrained to unite our voices to the gene
eral burst of kindly feeling, dltlhoph if we had been




KATr'NGA.!b5
asked: the cause of such jollity and obstreperous
mirth, we should have been at a, loss for an answer.
Mansolah's headpiece was something like a bishop's mitre, profusely ornamented with strings. of
coral, onle of which answered the purpose of a riband, for it was tied under the chin, to prevent the
cap from being blown off. His tobe was of green
silk, crimson silk damask, and green silk velvet,
which were all sewn together like pieces of patchwork. He wore English cotton stockings, and neat
leathern sandals of native workmanship. A: large
piece of superfine light blue cloth, given the chief
by the late Captain Clapperton, he used for a carpiet.
The eunuchs, and other individuals who were present at the interview, prostrated themselves before
their prince, agreeably to the custom of the country,
and rubbed their heads with earth two separate
times, retreating at some distance to. perform. this
humiliating and degrading ceremony, and then drawing near the royal person, to lie again with their
faces in the dust. They saluted the ground also
near which. he was sitting, by kissing it fervently
and repeatedly, and by placing each cheek on it.
Then, and not till then, with their heads, and faces,
and lips, and breasts stained with the damp red soil,
which still clung to them, they were allowed to seat
themselves near their monarch, and to join il. the
conversation. Two or three of the inferior eunuchs,
not satisfied with this servile prostration, began to
sport and roll themselves about on the ground,; but
this could not be effected without immense labour
and difficulty, and panting and straining, for, like
Sir John Falstaff, they could be compared to nothing
so appropriately askAuge hills of flesh. There they
lay wallowing in the mire, like immense turtles
floundering in the sea, till Ebo desired them to rise,
We observed among the individuals present a very
Considerable number of bald-headed old men, their




166              kATUNGA.
hair, or rather wool, having most likely been rubbed
off by repeated applications of earth, sand, gravel,
filth, or whatever else may be at hand, when the
prince happens to make his appearance.
The conference having ended, a kid, a calabash of
caffas, and two thousand cowries in money were
presented to us; and, cheered by a flourish of music,
we laughed in concert, and shook hands with the
king, and walked away towards our own dwelling
which had been repaired and thoroughly cleaned out
for our sole use. Here we lay down to repose our
aching limbs.. In the evening the king returned our
visit, and immediately took a fancy to my brother's
bugle horn, which was readily given him. He was
vastly pleased with the present, and by smiles and
words, returned us many thanks for it; said that he
was quite delighted; and that it made his heart glad
to see us; hoped we should make ourselves comfortable while we remained in Katunga; shook
hands; made a bow, and " smiling in heart and soul
content," the sovereign departed, followed by a suite
of wives, eunuchs, and other attendants. The premises we occupy are the property of Ebo, who has,
we believe, done every thing in his power to render
our stay as agreeable as possible; they were formerly occupied by Captain Clapperton. The yard
adjoins his own, with which it communicates by a
doorway without a door; so that it will enable us
to have frequent opportunities of seeing his numerous unhappy wives, and a number of little boys and
girls, who are his personal attendants. The eunuch
has given us a very fat sheep as a further token of
his good-will.
Friday, May 14th.-Accompanied by Ebo, and the
other unwieldy eunuchs, my brother took a present
to the king this morning, which was pretty well re
ceived, Mansolah, out of compliment I suppose, re
marking that if we had not brought with us the valuf
of a single cowry, we should have been favourably




KATUNGA.              167
received at Katunga, and well entertained at his own
cost. We had previously sounded our friend Ebo
on the subject of our journey to the Niger; but he
strongly advised us by no means even to hint such
an intention to the king, whose suspicions, he assured
us, would immediately take the alarm, so that instead of being forwarded on our way thither, we
should either be detained in the town for an indefinite time, or sent back again to the coast. We
therefore conceived it prudent to give him the following statement only: —"That the King of England, anxious to procure the restoration of certain
papers which belonged to a countr) man of ours who
perished at Boossa about twenty years ago, which
papers were supposed to be in the possession of the
sultan of Yioorie, we had been despatched hither by
our sovereign, in the hope that the King of Katunga
would forward us to the latter state, for the purpose of obtaining them from the sultan of Yitoorie,
and taking then back with us to England." Mansolah displayed neither eager curiosity as to our object in coming to his country, nor surprise when yve
had informed him of it; but very promptly obsered,
that in two days' time he would send a messenger
to KiAma, Wouwou, Boossa, and Yaoorie, to acquaint the rulers of those provinces of our intention to pay them a visit; and that on the man's return we should have his permission to depart. This
was promised after my brother's repeated solicitations and importunities that we should not be detained here longer than necessary, because, in a very
short time, the violent rains will render the road to
those countries impassable; and in consequence we
shall be unable to travel till the return of the dry
sbason.
It has been expressly and repeatedly told us, that
ihe monarch of this empire is brother to the King of
Ben.; but notwithstanding this near relationship of
the two sovereigns, not the slightest intercourse or. -N




168              KATUNGA.
communication is maintained between Yarriba and
that power; so at least the inhabitants of this place
have informed us; and the reason they ascribe. for
it is, that the distance between the countries is too
great. Friends and acquaintances are oftentimes
called brothers in Yarriba; and to make a distinction
in the above instance, they assert that Mansolah and
the King of Benin " were of one father and one
mother." We interrogated Ebo on the subject, but
he soon silenced our remarks by observing that we
were too inquisitive, or, to use his own words, " hat
we talked too much." We intend, after leaving
Yaoorie, to proceed direct to Guarie, the prince of
which country will, noa doubt, send us to Funda,
whence we must endeavour to discover the terr.ination of the Niger, agreeably to our instructions.
Saturday, May.15th.-Instead of the jarring noise
of women's tongues,which has annoyed and followed us at every stage of our journey from Badagry, we at length enjoy as much of composure and
tranquillity as we can well desire, for Ebo's wives
residing at some distance from the part of our yard
which we occupy, the shrill sounds of their voices
are pleasant, contrasted with the former loud, discordant, and perpetual din which rang in our ears
from morning till night. Our male visiters, likewise
are few and select, and do not remain with us any
very considerable time together. An order has been
issued by the king, that if any impertinent individual
troubles us at any time with his company when it is
not desired, Ebo is at liberty to behead him; and no
one shall have the effrontery, says Mansolah, to tax
the eunuch with injustice or cruelty in the performance of his duties. This proclamation, if it may so
be termed, has had the desired effect, for dreading
the even-handed Ebo, who is public executioner as
well as chief eunuch, the inhabitants of Katunga
have hitherto repressed their curiosity, and have
confined themselves to itheir own abodes.




KATUNGA.               169
We have received a present of a sheep to-day
from the " master of the horse," an elderly person
who possesses some influence over his master; but
although his pompous title would lead one to infer
that his lofty situation is highly responsible and important, a few rough, ragged-looking ponies are the
only a" horse" of which he has the superintendence.
All seems quiet and peaceable in this large, dull
city; and one cannot help feeling rather melancholy
in wandering through streets almost deserted, and
over a vast extent of fertile land on which there is
no human habitation, and scarcely a living thing to
animate or cheer the prevailing solemnity. The
walls of the town have been suffered to fall into decay, and are now no better than a heap of dust and
ruins; and such unconcern and apathy pervade the
minds of the monarch and his ministry, that the
wandering and ambitious Falatah has penetrated into
the very heart of the country, made himself master
of two of its most important and flourishing towns,
with little, if any, opposition; and is gradually, but
very perceptibly, gaining on the lukewarm natives
of the soil, and sapping the foundations of the throne
of Yarriba. The people cannot, surely, be fully
aware of their own danger, or they never could be
unconcerned spectators of events which are rapidly
tending to root out their religion, customs, and institutions, and totally annihilate them as a nation.
But since they have neither foresight, nor wisdom,
nor resolution, to put themselves in a posture of defence, and make at least a show of resistance, when
danger, real or imaginary, menaces them; since neither the love of country, which stimulates almost
all nations to heroic achievements in defence of their
just and natural rights, and all that is truly dear to
them in the world; and since neither affection for
their defenceless wives and unprotected offspring
nor love of self, can awaken a single spark of courage
or patriotism in their bosoms, can scare away that




170         MARKETS OF KATUNGA.
demon sloth from among them, or induce them to
make a solitary exertion to save themselves and
posterity from a foreign yoke: why, then they are
surely unworthy to be called a people; they deserve
to be deprived of their effects, children, and personal
liberty, to have their habitual sloth and listlessness
converted into labour and usefulness, in tilling, improving, and beautifying for strangers that soil
which they have neither spirit nor inclination to cultivate for themselves.
A market is held daily in different parts of Katunga, but twice in the week it is much larger and
better attended than on either of the other days. I
visited one of the latter this morning, which is styled
the " Queen's market;" but as it is shifted to another
place towards evening, it is then called the " IKing's
market." The sellers were by far more numerous
than the buyers; and, on the whole, the articles exposed for sale by no means realized the expectations
which we had formed of them. Among them we observed three or four different kinds of corn; beans,
pease, and vegetables in abundance; the mi-cadania
butter; ground or Guinea-nuts; country cotton cloths,
indigo, red clay, salt, and different varieties of pepper; besides trona, snuff and tobacco, knives, barbs,
hooks, and needles, the latter of the rudest native
manufacture. There were also finger-rings of tin
and lead; and iron bracelets and armlets; old shells,
old bones, and other venerable things, which European antiquaries would gaze on with rapture; besides native soap, little cakes of cheese and butter;
an English common blue plate, a great variety of
beads both of native and European manufacture;
among the former of which we recognised the famous
Agra bead, which at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and
other places, is sold for its weight in gold, and which
has vainly been attempted to be imitated by the
Italians and our own countrymen. Provisions also
were offered for sale in abundance; and besides beef




HATUNGA.               171
and mutton, which were made up into little round
balls, weighing about an ounce and three-quarters
each, and presented not the most delicate or tempting appearance, we observed an immense quantity
of rats, mice, and lizards, dressed and undressed, all
having their skins on, and arranged in rows.
I met with and purchased a very curious and singular kind of stone in the market. The native Liformed us that it was dug from the earth, in a country called Iffie, which is stated to be " four moons'"
journey from Katunga, where, according to their tradition, their first parents were created, and from
whence all Africa has been peqpled. Ignorant of
mineralogy, as I am of most other sciences, I am
unacquainted with the nature and properties of the
stone alluded to, and therefore I grieve to say I am
incapable of giving a scientific description of it. It
consists of a variety of little transparent stones,
white, green, and every shade of blue, all imbedded
in a species of clayey earth, resembling rough mosaic work.
On my return from this visit, and since writing the
first part of to-day's journal, Ebo came to us with
the news that a body of Falatahs from Soccatoo had
arrived at the Moussa, which is a river dividing Yarriba from Borgoo, and that they had attacked a
town on its borders, through which our route lies.
Therefore, continued Ebo, the Yaoorie messenger
will of necessity be compelled to wait here till authentic intelligence be received of the truth or falsehood of the rumour before he sets out on his mission to Kiima; this will take three days, at the end
of which the fact will certainly transpire, and the
man will immediately be despatched on his errand,
It appears to us not a little strange, that the day
after our arrival here the Falatahs should so opportunely attempt the seizure of a town through which
we are to pass; and that information of the approach of an enemy so greatly dreaded should not




172              KATUNGA.
have reached this place at an earlier period, when
news of no moment whatever flies through the
country with the swiftness of an arrow from a bow.
We imagine that it is only a feint of Mansolah to
detain us here longer than we desire, and until the
rains shall have rendered the road impracticable.
It is possible that we may be unjust in our suspicion;
but many circumstances appear to confirm it.
Sunday, May 16th.-As it is the Sabbath, we have
confined ourselves to-day within doors, in order to
employ it in the most proper manner that circumstances permit. Ebo has visited us, under various
pretences, several, times since morning; and has
had the doorway which leads to the women's apartments closed up with mortar; alleging as a reason,
that he was convinced the curiosity of his women
was troublesome to us. But the truth of the matter
is, that he has been induced to block up the communication from the yard under an apprehension that
our attendants might interfere with his domestic
arrangements, by prying into the secrets of his seraglio. We have likewise been favoured with the
company of several Haussa mallams, who, notwithstanding the irksome restraint to which they are
subjected by the jealousy of the king and his people,
are content to remain so far from their native country, and reside among strangers and pagans as long
as they live. Whether the priests have taken this
step purely from religious motives, or, which is the
more likely reason of the two, that they have exiled
themselves from their home and families, for the
mere purpose of being enriched at the expense of the
credulity and ignorance of the inhabitants, we have
been unable to discover. At all events, the intentions of these missionaries are effectually concealed
under a cloak of piety and devotion; and thus they
are tolerated by the common consent of the monarch
and his subjects. It.rained incessantly for several
hours this morning.
Monday, May 17th.-Besides presents to the king




KATUNGA.               173
and his chief eunuch, it is expected that something
will be given to three "head-men," as they are styled,
who advise with the prince and lead his soldiers to
battle. Previous to visiting their habitations for this
purpose, Ebo informed me that it was necessary to
carry the intended presents for the inspection of his
master, that nothing might be given them but such
articles as would obtain his approbation and consent.
This was accordingly done, and Mansolah saw nothing objectionable in the goods which we have selected. As evening drew near, I rode to the- residence of the head-men, by each of whom I was well
received; and they accepted their presents with
abundance of thanks. Their huts were larger ant
more carefully built, and their yards more comnmo
dious than even those of the king,-all kept in excellent order, clean and neat. The head-men are in
much more affluent circumstances than their neigh
hours; —they have numerous wives, and large flocks
of sheep and goats, in which the wealth of the na
tives principally consists. A goat and two large
pots of country beer were laid at my feet; and
after expressing my acknowledgments I returnea
home.
We are of opinion that it would require a long
residence in this country, and a perfect acquaintance
with its language, to enable a foreigner to form a
correct judgment of its laws, manners, customs, and
institutions, as well as its religion and the form and
nature of its government. So innumerable'are the
mistakes which the smattering of ignorait native
interpreters never fails to occasion, that we despair
of getting much accurate information on any of these
heads. We can only answer for what we see. Perhaps few despots sully their dignity by condescending to consult the inclination of their subjects, in
personally communicating to them their most private as well as public concerns. Yet the sovereign
of Yarriba appears to be so obliging as to make this
a common practice. In return, however, the people




174        NaTIVE INTERPRETERS.
are expected and compelled to satisfy the curiosity
of their prince by adopting a similar line of conduct
towards him; and all the presents they receive from
strangers, how trifling soever they may ie, are, in
every instance, taken to his residence for inspection.
Every thing, indeed, that relates to their personal
interests, and all their domestic concerns, he listens
to with the most patriarchal gravity. Thus our
present to the king has been exhibited to his people
two or three times; Ebo's also, and those of the
head-men. have been shown to them as well as to
their sovereign. The common people were all
anxious to know whether, among the other things
they had received, we had given their king or his
ministers ary coral; and their curiosity was immediately gratified without hesitation or remark. If a
stranger from a remote part of the empire wishes
to visit Katunga, in order to pay his respects to his
sovereign, the chief or governor of every town
through which he ma.v lappen to pass is obliged to
furnish him with any nirnher of carriers he may'equire; and in this manner his goods are conveyed
from village to village, until be arrives at the capital.
A similar indulgence is likewise extended to any
governor who may have the like obie.t in view.
The most laughable mistakes ar' frequently made
here by one of our Badagrian messengerse,-who acts
also as interpreter,-as regards the gendel'. nd rela
tionship of individuals, such as father l;or ro.her
son for daughter, boy for girl, and vice voq Jd HI
informed us to-day that a brother of his, wun WV
the friend of Ebo, and resided with him, begged old
permission to come to see us: of course we expecle6
to see a gentleman of some consequence enter out
yaId; but to our surprise the brother proved to be an
old shrivelled woman, neither more nor less than
one of the eunuch's wives.
Tuesday, May 18th.-About three years ago,
Adooley, the Badigrian chiefr despatched a niessen



KATUNGA.               175
ger with a valuable present to the King of Katunga,
requesting the latter to forward him on his journey
to Benin, as he had some little business to transact
with the sovereign of that state. The man, however, purloining for his own use the principal part
of the articles intrusted to him, delivered a bottle
of rum only to Mansolah with a false messageand, instead of proceeding on his errand, took up his
abode in one of the towns between this city and
BadAgry. Adooley wondered at the silence and-extraordinary delay of his messenger, and sent a man
in our train to the king, to ascertain what was become of him. The preceding answer has been returned, with the addition that Mansolah had made
the man a present of fifteen sheep, and distinguished
him in a very particular manner. Every one here
appears uneasy at the very mention of Benin; and
though we have endeavoured by various indirect
means to ascertain the number of days it would take
a person to travel thither from Katunga, evasive or
equivocating answers are the utmost we can obtain;
one of the people asserting ttat the journey might
easily be accomplished in twelve days, and another
declaring, a moment afterward, that it would occupy
a period of not less than four months. As to the
reason of all this jealous apprehension we have not
been able exactly to m ike up our minds. These
particular evasions migl t be considered as a punishment which the Yarribe;ns thought fit to inflict upon
strangers when they evince more than usual curiosity for information respecting a rival and detested
power. But, in truth, nothing seems to be a greater
grievance to the natives than the answering of any
questions which are put to them, be they never so
familiar and unimportant. They dislike, nay, abhor
to do it; and instead of satisfying the inquirer, they
study to mislead him by falsehood or misrepresentation. This strange aversion is entertained by the
prince as well as by the meanest of his subjects
T.-O




176               KATUNGA.
but rather than offend us, when we are unconsciously
over-inquisitive about any little matter, Ebo answers
for his monarch and companions by shaking his
head, and saying, "Ask no questions."
~Katunga has by no means answered the expectations we had been led to form of it, either as regards
its prosperity, or the number of its inhabitants. T-he
vast plain also on which it stands, although exceedingly
fine, yields in verdure and fertility, and simple beauty
of appearance, to the delightful country surrounding
the less celebrated city of B6hoo,. Its market is
tolerably well supplied with provisions, which are,
however, exceedingly dear; i   cisomuch, that with the
exception of disgusting insects, reptiles, and vermin,
the lower classes of the people are- almost unacquainted with the taste of animal food.
Owing to the -short time we have been in the country, which has been employed chiefly in travelling
from town to town, the manners of the people have
not sufficiently unfolded themselves to our observation; so that we are unable to speak of them with
confidence: yet, the few opportunities we have had
of studying their characters and dispositions induce
us to believe that they are a simple, honest, inoffensive, but weak, timid, and cowardly race. They
seem to have no social tenderness, very few of those
amiable private virtues which would win our affection, and none of those I l-blic qualities that claim
respect or command admiit tion. The love of country is not strong enough in their bosoms to incite
them to defend it against the irregular incursions of
a despicable foe; and of the active energy, noble
sentiments, and contempt of danger which distinguish the North American tribes, and other savages,
no traces are to be found among this slothful people.
Regardless of the past as reckless of the future the
present alone influences their actions. In this respect they approach nearer to the nature of the brute
creation than perhaps any other people on the face




PROGRESS OF THE FALATAHS.       177
of the globe. Though the bare mention of an enemy
makes the pusillanimous Mansolah and his unwarlike
subjects tremble in every limb, they take no measures
toprevent whole bands of strangers from locating in
the finest provinces of the empire, much less do they
think of expelling them after they have made those
provinces their own. To this unpardonable indifference to the public interest, and neglect of all the rules
of prudence and common sense, is owing the pl ogress
which the Falatahs have made in gaining over to
themselves a powerful party, consisting of individuals from various nations in the interior, who had
emigrated to this country; and the great aad uniform
success which has attended all their ambitious projects. They are now effectually and firmly seated
in the very centre of the kingdom; they have intrenched themselves in strong walled towns; and
have recently forced from Mansolah a declaration
of their independence, while this negligent and imbecile monarch beholds them gnawing away the
very sinews of his strength, without making the
slightest -exertion to apply a remedy to the evil, or
prevent their future aggrandizement. Besides Raka,
which is peopled wholly by Falttahs, who have
strengthened it amazingly, and rendered it exceedingly populous, another town of prodigious size has
lately sprung into being, which already far surpasses
Katunga in wealth, population, and extent. It was
at first resorted to by a party of Falatahs, who
named it Al6rie, and encouraged all the slaves in the
country to flee from the oppression of their masters.
and join their standard. They reninded the slaves
of the constraint under which they laboured, and
tempted them by an offer of freedom and protection
and other promises of the most extravagant nature,
to declare themselves indepndednt of Yarriba. Accordingly, the discontented many miles round eagerly
flocked to A16rie in considerable numbers, where
they were well received. This took place as far back




178               KATUNGA.
as forty years, since which, other Falitahs have
joined their countrymen fronm Soccatoo and Rabta
and notwithstanding the wars (if mutual kidnapping
deserves the name) in which they have been engaged
in the support and maintenance of their cause, A6lrie
is become by far the largest and most flourishing
city in Yarriba, not even excepting the capital itself.
It is said to be two days' journey-that is, forty or
fifty miles, in circumference, and to be fortified by a
strong clay wall with moats. The inhabitants have
now vast herds and flocks, and upwards of three
thousand horses; which last will appear a very
considerable number, when it is considered that
Katunga does not contain more than as many
hundreds. The population of Alorie has never
been estimated, but it must be immense; lately, it
has been declared independent of Yarriba; and its
inhabitants are permitted to trade with the natives
of tire country, on condition that no more Falatahs
be suffered to enter its walls. It is governed by
twelve rulers, each of a different nation, and all of
equal power; the Falatah chief not having more influence or greater sway than the others. Rdka is
but one days' journey north-east of Katunga; and
Al6rie three days' journey to the south-west. The
party of Falatahs which was reported to have taken
possession of a Yarriba town on the banks of the
Moussa are said to have abandoned it, and to have
joined their countrymen in Raka. This intelligence
has been brought hither by market people, no one
having been sent by the king to ascertain the number
of the adventurers, or the object of their visit.
Wednesday, May 19th.-The king has sent us nothing since the day of our arrival; and the present
then given was disgraceful in the extreme, as coming
from the monarch of a large and mighty kingd)nm.
His treatment of the late Captain Clapperton was
altogethel the reverse of this: a bullock was sent
him immediately after the first interview, and a live




KATUNGA.               179
goat, or something equivalent, every day till his departure, which included a period little short of seven
weeks. Nor, in other respects, has the conduct oi
lansolah been such as to give us pleasure; but we
can no otherwise account for this than by supposing
our present to have fallen far short of his expectations, and so failed to awaken those good-natured
qualities which were displayed at sight of the infi.
nitely more valuable as well as showy one of Captain
Clapperton. But whatever may be the reason of it,
certain it is that Mansolah and his subjects have seen
quite enough of white men; and that the rapturous
exultation which glowed in the cheeks of the first
European that visited this country on being gazed at,
admired, caressed, and almost worshipped as a god,
-joined to the delightful consciousness of his own
unmeasurable superiority, will, in the present age at
least, never be experienced by any other. Alas!
what a misfortune! The eager curiosity of the natives has been glutted by satiety,-a European is
shamefully considered no more than a man! and
hereafter, without doubt, he will be treated entirely
as such; so that, on coming to this city, he must
make up his mind to sigh a bitter farewell to goat's
flesh and mutton, and familiarize his palate to greater
delicacies, such as lizards, rats, and locusts, caterpillars, and ottier dainties, which the natives roast,
grill, bake, and boil, ana which he may wash down,
if he pleases, with draughts of milk-white water,
the only beverage it will be in his power to obtain.
I was desired by a messenger this morning to visit
the king at his residence, and on my arrival there,
found a great number of people assembled together.
The object of this summons was explained by Ebo,
who said I had been sent for to see that the present
he (the eunuch) had received should be shown to
the people without any reservation whatever. It
was accordingly spread out on the floor, together
with the king's. Even a bit of English brown soap,




180              KATUNGA.
which we had just before given to Ebo, was exhibited
along with the other things; for so great a degree
of jealousy exists among the eunuchs and others
arising from the apprehension that one might have
received more than another, that Ebo himself, powerful as he is, would dread the effects of it on his
own person, should he be found to have concealed a
single thing. They all, in fact, endeavour to disarm
censure by an appearance of openness and sincerity.
Thursday, May 20th.-Last night, to our infinite
surprise and pleasure, Ebo entered our yard in a
great hurry, with the agreeable information that the
king had consented to our departure on Friday
morning, and that he would wish us to get our
things in readiness by that time. So confident had
we been that we should be lnable to start hence for
a month to cone, at the shortest, that we not only
sowed cress and onion-seed the day after our arrival,
which are already springing up, but had actually
made up our minds to abide here during the continuance of the rains. But now we are in hopes of
reaching Yaoorie in twelve or fourteen days; and
intend to remain in that city a short time, before
proceeding farther into the interior.  The only
drawback to our pleasure is the misfortune of having all our horses sick, which may seriously inconvenience us in our progress.
The old route to Kinma is considered so dangerous, that it is understood we are to be sent back to
Atoopa, which is two long days' journey from this
city, and thence proceed on a safer path.  Although we now require but five men, besides our
own, to carry the luggage, the king scruples and
hesitates to supply us even with these, and the
youngest of our Jenna messengers has been nominated to fill the place of one of them. We are told
that it is on account of the vast number of people
that have emigrated from Katunga to Raka and Al6rie
hat a sufficient number of carriers cannot be procured




FAREWELL VISIT.            181
tor us; but in so large a place as this, where twothirds of the population are slaves, this reason seems
quite ridiculous, and we suspect the real one is the
same original sin-the humble character of our present. The king, however, has promised to take his
farewell of us to-morrow morning; and, thank God!
our health is so far established that we hope soon to
accomplish the object of our undertaking, and return
in safety to old England.
Friday, May 2lst.-lnstead of a visit from the king,
which we were yesterday told he was to honour us
with, we were requested this morning to repair to
his residence. Accordingly, having first saddled our
horses and packed up the luggage, between six and
seven o'clock, A. M. we walked together to the
royal premises. On our arrival we were introduced,
without any ceremony, into a private yard, wherein
the king had been patiently waiting our coming for
some time previously.   He was rather plainly
dressed in the costume of the country,-namely, a
tobe, trousers, and sandals, with a cap very much
resembling in shape those which were worn by
elderly ladies in the time of Queen Elizabeth, and
which are still retained by some in the more remote
parts of England. On his right the eunuchs were
reposing their huge limbs on the ground, with several
of the elders of the people; and his left was graced
by a circle of his young wives, behind whom sat the
widows of more than one of his predecessors, many
of whom appeared aged. A performer on a whistle
was the only musician present, so that, during a very
long interview, a little whistling now and then was
the only amusement which the prince could afford
us. A good deal of discussion ensued, and much
serious whispering between the monarch and his
wives, in the course of which both parties quitted
the yard two or three times to hold a private conference, followed oy the eunuchs with their hands
clasped on their breasts.  Mansolah at length




rA82          FAREWELL VISIT.
scraped together two thousand cowries (about three
shillings and sixpence of our money), which he pre.
sented to the four men that had accompanied us
from Badagry and Jenna as messengers, guides,
&c., to enable them to purchase provisions on their
journey homeward. This sum had been collected
from among the king's wives, each having contributed a portion, because their lord and master did
not happen to be in a liberal mood. Poor souls!
they possess scarcely the shadow of royalty, much
less the substance; the exterior forms of respect
which they receive from the male portion of the
people alone distinguishing them from their less illustrious countrywomen. They are compelled to work
in order to provide themselves food and clothing,
and besides which part of the earnings is applied to
the king's use. To effect these objects they are necessitated to make long and painful journeys to distant parts of the empire, for the purpose of trading.
They have, however, the privilege of travelling fron
town to town without being subjected to the usual
duty, and can command the use of the governor's
house wherever they go. The boasted industry of
ancient queens and princesses in more classic regions sinks into nothing when compared to the
laborious life which is led by the female branch
of the royal family of Yarriba.
Mansolah, after some time, beckoned to us to draw
near him, for we were sitting at some distance on a
bundle of sticks, and with a most benevolent smile
playing upon his wrinkled features, he slowly and
with great solemnity placed a goora-nut in the right
hand of each of us, and then asked our names.
" Richard and John," we replied. "Richard-ee and
John-ee," said the king, for he was unable to pronounce our Christian names without affixing a vowel
to the end of them, "you may now sit down again."
We did so, and remained in that posture till we were
both completely wearied, when we desired Ebo to




DEPARTURE FROM KATUNGA.          183
ask the king's permission for us to go home to
breakfast, which was granted without reluctance.
So, having shaken hands heartily with the good old
man, and wished him a very long and happy reign, we
bade him farewell for the last time, bowed to the
ladies, and returned with all haste to our hut.
CHAPTER V.
te.parture from Katunga-Difficulties with the Carriers-Musicians of
Atoopa-Town of Keeshee-Curiosity of the Natives-The FalAtah
Town of Acba-Character of its Inhabitants-The Governor of Keesliee
and his Wife-Their Superstition -Leave Keeshee- Robbers —Cross
the Moussa-Change in the Country-Escort from the King of Kiama
-Arrival in that City.
CONSIDERABLE time elapsed before the carriers were
ready to take up their loads, and much murmuring
was occasioned by their size and weight. We then
left the city, and returned to Eetch6 by the way we
nad come. One of our horses became so weak on
the road, that he was unable to carry his rider (old
Pascoe), so that we were obliged to drive him along
before us, which was a tiresome and unpleasant occupation. The journey from Katunira is long, and,
owing to the rulggedness of the path, is very fatiguing; and as we were much in advance of the remainder of the party, we halted at Eetcholee until they
joined us. Here we let our horses graze, partook
of some beer and other refreshment; and sat down
on the turf to enjoy ourselves, for the day had been
sultry and the heat oppressive, and our whole party
were nearly exhausted.
Saturday, May 22d.-The Katunga carriers all
complained of pains in their limbs this morning, and
on reaching Leogadda, which lies midway between
Eetcho and Atoopa, they placed their burdens on




184              LOGUADDA.
the ground, and, to a man, stoutly refused to take
them any farther till to-morrow. Our own men
also, who were still more heavily laden than they,
had suffered so much from the long and irksome
journey of yesterday, particularly Jowdie, who is
the strongest and most athletic of them all, that we
gleatly feared they would have been taken seriously
ill on the road. We therefore lightened their burdens, and distributed a portion of what we had taken
out of them, into the boxes, &c., of their already
overladen Katunga associates, without, however,
permitting the latter to know any thling of the circumstance. Among the carriers was a very little man,
called Gazherie (small man) on account of his diminutive stature; he was, notwithstanding, very muscular, and possessed uncommon strength, activity, and
vigour of body, and bore a package containing our
tent, &c., which, though very heavy, was yet by far
the lightest load of the whole. Conceiving that
corporal strength, rather than bulk or height, should,
in this case, be taken into account, a bag of shot,
weighing 28 lbs. was extracted from Jowdie's burden, and clandestinely added to his. The little man
trudged along merrily without dreaming of the fraud
that had been practised on him, till we arrived within
a short distance of Leoguadda, when, imagining that
one ernd of the tent felt much heavier than the
other, he was induced to take it from his head, and
presently discovered the cheat, for the bag having
been thrust simply inside the covering, it could be
seen without unlacing the package. He was much
enraged at being thus deceived, and called his companions around him to witness the fact, and said he
was resolved to proceed no farther than Leoguadda.
FHe then succeeded in persuading them to follow his
example, aind thus a kind of combination was instantly
formed against us.
As is usual with us on entering a village, we rested
a little while under a shady tree in Leoguadda,




ATOOPA.                185
and here we were presently surrounded by the murmuring carriers, with the little man at their head.
They were furious at first, and gave us to understand
that they would go no farther, and were determined,
let the consequence be what it might, to remain
in the town all night. Leoguadda contained no accommodations whatever for us; a storm seemed to
be gathering over our heads; and Atoopa was the
town in which the KinR of Katunga had advised us
to spend the night. We resolved, therefore, to go
on to that town, and stenuiously endeavoured, by
gentle means, to bring over the carriers to our views;
but these failing, we resorted to their own mode of
argimnlent, n:mely, fierce looks, violent. action, vociferous bawling,, and expressive gesture, which intimidated them so much, that they snatched up their
burdens without saying a word, and ran away with
alacrity and good-humour. These carriers are to
accompany us as far as the frontier town of the kingdom.
It is market-day at Atoopa, and at a distance of
some miles from the town the hum of human voices
could be distinctly heard. Just after our arrival, a
man of note, who is a public singer and dancer, stood
before the door of our hut to entertain us with a
specimen of his abilities; and he entered with so
nuch warmth and agility into the spirit of his profession, that liis whimsical performance really afforded
us muech diversion. The musician had two assistant drummers in his train, whose instruments
were far from being unmusical, and likewise several
other men, whose part was to keep time by clapping
with their hands. The dancing was excellent of its
kind, and resembled more the Europiealn tyle than
any we had before seen in the counltly. The sing
ing was equally good, the voices of the men being
clear and agreeeale; they sang the responses, and
likewise accompanied the chanting of their master
with their voices; indeed, they performed their part




186          BU)IBUM-KEESHEE.
of the entertainment to admiration. A fatadie (a
smaller number than a gaffley) of merchants left
Atoopa yesterday for Kiiama, and it is likely that we
shall overtake them at the next town.
We omitted to mention in yesterday's journal,
that to our infinite astonishment we saw a middleagted woman sitting on the road-side, the colour of
whose skin was naturally as bright a red as a piece
of our own scarlet cloth. We were informed that
she was in good health; but we were in too great a
hurry to ask her any questions, or take a nearer
view of her person; indeed, our guide seemed miuch
disinclined to go within a hundred yards of her.
She was a most singular-looking being.
Sunday, May 23d.-Though our horses were this
morning in a very weak condition, and all looked
extremely sorrowful, yet we quitted Atoopa at an
early hour and in good spirits; and journeying in a
westerly direction, in two hours' time we entered a
lively little walled town, called Bumbunz. Here we
dismounted, and took a slight refreshment of parched
corn and water, on the trunk of a fallen tree.
Bumnbum is a great thoroughfare for fafJkies of merchants, trading from H alssa, Borgoo, and other
countries, to Gonja; and consequently a vast quantity of land is cultivated in its vicinity with corn and
yams, to supply them with provisions. On quitting
this town, our course altered to N. W., and contiined
so till our arrival at the large and important town
of Keeshee, which is on the frontiers of the kingdom,
and distant from Atoopa only about twelve miles.
It is surrounded by a double strong clay wall, and is
in an excellent situation, as a place of security from
the attacks of an enemy. Before entering this place,
tand at the distance of a mile from it, we passed
thrnu2h a clean, extensive, andt highly flourishing
Flatith vill-tie, called Acba, which, like most other
places in Yarriba inhabited by Falatahs, is well
stocked with sheep and cattle.




REESHEE.               187
A governor of Keeshee died only ten days ago;
and we were well received by his successor, who is
an elderly and respectable-looking man.  Shortly
after our arrivdl, he sent us a present of a fine young
bullock, a quantity of yams, and more than a gallon
of excellent strong beer. In the centre of the town
there is a high stony hill, almost covered with trees
of stunted growth, to which, in case of invasion by
an enemy, the inhabitants fly for refuge. As soon
as they have reached its summit, it is borne, say
they, by a supernatural power beyond the clouds,
where it remains till the danger is over. Some years
have elapsed since this miracle last took place, yet
the story is told with a serious belief of its truth, and
with the most anmusinr gravity. About a quarter of
a mile to the north-east of this marvellous hill rises
another, which very much resembles it in shape and
appearance; but the latter is rather larger and higher,
and overlooks the country for many miles round.
A great number of emigrants from different countries reside here: there are not a few from Borgoo,
Nouffie, Haussa, and Bornou, and two or three
Tuaricks, from the borders of the Great Desert. To
the west of the town is a picturesque hill of a gentle
ascent, on which are several small hamlets. These
hamlets have a rural and eminently beautiful appearance. In no town through which we have hitherto
travelled have we seen so many fine tall men and
good-looking women, as at this place; yet several
individuals of both sexes are to be met with who
have lost the sight of one eye, and others who have
unseemly wens on the throat, as large as cocoanuts.
We have likewise seen a cripple to-day for the first
time, and a female dwarf whose height scarcely exceeds thirty inches, and whose appearance bespeaks
her to be between thirty and forty years of age.
Her head is disproportionably large to the size of
her body; her features, like her voice, are harsh,
mnasculine, and unpleasant in the extreme. It would




188                KEESHEE.
be ridiculous to be afraid of such a diminutive thing;
yet there was an expression in her countenance so
peculiarly repulsive, unwomanly, and hideous, that
on her approaching our hut, I felt a very nIusual
and disagreeable sensation steal over me.  Descriptions of an elf or a black dwarf in the " Arabian
Nights' Entertainments," or modern European romances, would serve well to portray the form and
lineaments of this singular little being.
This is a market-day here, and I took a walk this
evening to the place where the market is held; but
the crowd that gathered round me was so great, as
to compel me to return home much sooner thanl I
had intended. If I happened to stand still even for
a moment, the people pressed by thousands to get
close to me; and if I attempted to go on, they tunbled one over another to get out of my way, overturned standings and calabashes, threw down their
owners, and scattered their property about in all directions. Smiths welcomed me by clashing their
iron tools against each other, and drummers by
thumping violently upon one end of their instruments. A few women and children ran from me in
a fright; but the majority, less timid, approachtd
as near as they could to catch a glhmpse of the fist
white man they had ever seen.  My appearance
seemed to interest them amazingly, for they tittered
and wished me well, and turned al iut to titter again.
On returning, the crowd became Snore dense than
ever, and drove all before them lik - a torrent. Dogs,
goats, sheep, and poultry were bo"ne along against
their will, which terrified them so much, that nothing
could be heard but noises of the most lamentable
description; children screamed, dogs yelled, sheep
and goats bleated most piteously, and fowls cackled
and futtered from among the crowd. And happy
indeed wais I to shelter myself from all this uproar
in our own yard, whither the multitude dared not
follow




FALATAH WOMEN.             189
The widows of the deceased chief of Keeshee
daily set apart a portion of the twenty-four hours to
cry for their bereavement, and pray to their gods.
They began this evening in the same sad, mournful
tone which is commonly heard on similar occasions,
all over the country. We asked our interpreter
why the women grieved so bitterly. He answered
quickly, "What matter? they laugh directly;" so I
suppose they cry from habit rather than from feeling; and that they can shed tears and be merry in
the same breath, whenever they please.  About
seven o'clock this evening, we heard a public crier
proclaiming with a loud voice, that should any one
be discovered straggling about the streets after that
hour, he would be seized and put to-death. Many
houses in the town have lately been set on fire by
incendiaries, and this most likely has given rise to
the above precautionary measure.
MIonday, May 24th. —We have been compelled to
remain here to-day, through the governor's inability
to procure us carriers for the luggage. The number
of people who have visited us to-day has been so
great, and their company so irksome, that we were
perplexed for some time how to get rid of them
without offence. One party in particular was so
unpleasant, and they so seriously incommoded us,
that we had recourse to the unusual expedient of
smoking them off, by kindling a fire at the door
of our hut, before which they were sitting. It succeeded agreeably to our wishes.
A company of women and girls from the Falatah
village of Acba, impelled by a curiosity so natural to
their sex, came likewise to see us in the afternoon;
but their society, instead of being disagreeable, as
the conpany of all our other visiters proved to be,
was hailed by us with pleasure. For these females
are so modest and so retiring, and evince so much
native delicacy in their whole behaviour, that they
excited in us the highest respect. Their personal




190      THE GOVERNOR OF KEESIIEE.
attractions are no less winning. They have fine
sparkling jetty eyes, with eyelashes dark and glossy
as the raven's plume. Their features are agreeable,
although their complexions are tawny. Their general form is elegant, their hands small and delicate;
and the peculiar cleanliness of their persons, and
neatness of dress added to these, rendered their society altogether as desirable as that of their neighbours was disagreeable.
The Falatahs inhabiting Acba were all born and
bred in that town. Their ancestors settled in the
country at so remote a period, that, although we
made inquiries respecting it, our questions were unavailing, and, in fact, not even a tradition has been
preserved on the subject. These " children of the
soil" lead a harmless, tranquil, and sober life, which
they never stffer passing events to disturb. They
have no ambition to join their more restless and enterprising countrymen who have made themselves
masters of Alorie and Raka, nor even to meddle in
the private or public concerns of their near neighbours of Keeshee. Indeed they have kept themselves apart and distinct from all; they have retained
the language of their fathers and the simplicity of
their manners, and their existence glides serenely
and happily away, in the enjoyment of the domestic
pleasures and social tenderness which are found in
civilized society, and which are unknown among
their roving countrymen.  They are on the best
possib'e terms with their neighbours, like the Falatahs at Bohoo, and by them they are held in great
respect.
The governor of Keeshee is a Borgoo man, and
boasts of being the bosom friend of Yarro, chief of
Kiaima; but as the old man told us many wonderful
stories of the number of towns under his sway, his
amazing power, great influence, and the entire subjection in which his own people were kept byhis own
good government, all of which we listened to with




KEESHEE                191
patlence, we are cincined to believe that the governor's pretensions are as hollow as they'are improba
ble  As to his government, he gave us a specimen
of it by bawling to a group of children that had fol
lowed our steps into the yard to go about their business. But every one in this country displays this
ridiculous vanity; and in most of the towns we have
visited, it was the first great care of their chiefs to
impress on our minds an idea of their vast importance, which in many instances was refuted by their
ragged tobes and squalid appearance. Yet, if their
own accounts are to be credited, their affluence and
power are unbounded. To this vainglorious feeling
they sacrifice truth, which in almost all cases they
highly reverence, and make themselves truly ridiculous by their absurdities. In our case, however
they had white men and strangers to deal with; and
perhaps it is natural, among simple barbarians, to
court admiration and applause, even though they employ no other means than exaggeration and falsehood. After a deal of talking, much more indeed
than we can now remember, the governor of Keeshee begged tle favour of a little rum and medicine
to heal his foot, which is inclined to swell and give
him pain; and requested that we would repair a gun
which had been deprived of its stock by fire. He
then sang us a ditty in praise of elephants and their
teeth, in which he was assisted by his cane-bearer,
and afterward took his leave. We have received
little presents of goora-nuts, salt, honey, mi-cadania
butter, &c., from several of the inhabitants of the
town. It was new moon on Saturday, and from the
rains which have since fallen, it is likely that hence
forth we shall have much wet weather.
Tuesday, May 25th. —Some mallams, and others
who wish to accompany us to Kitma, whither they
are going for the purposes of trade, persuaded the
easy-minded governor last night to defer getting us
carriers till to-morrow, because, forsooth, thev are
I.-P




192               KEESHEE.
not prepared to travel to-day. We are therefore
obliged to await the further pleasure of these influential merchants. Thus balked in our expectations,
after our luggage had all been packed up for our
starting, I endeavoured to amuse myself early ili
the morning, by scrambling to the top of the high
and steep hill which stands in the middle of the
4own. In my progress I disturbed a tiger-cat from
his retreat among the rocks, but was rewarded for
my labour by an extensive and agreeable prospect
from the summit of this mountain, which I found to
consist of large blocks of white marble. The town,
with its double wall, perforated with holes for bowmen to shoot through, lay at my feet, and several
little rural villages studded the country on every
side.
The governor of Keeshee is so old and infirm,
that it is evident lie has not many years to live. I
gave him a lotion yesterday for a swollen foot, which
greatly elated one or two of his attendants, and their
animated looks and gestures bespoke hearts overflowing with grateful feelings, so much so indeed
that we remarked the circumstance as being of rare
occurrence. This morning, a young man, one of
the number, visited us with a countenance so rueful,
and spoke in a tone so low and melancholy, that his
whole appearance was completely altered, insomuch
that we were desirous to learn what evil had befallen him. The cause of it was soon explained by
his informing us that he would be doomed to die
with two companions, as soon as their governor's
dissolution should take place; and as the old man
has already one foot in the grave, the poor fellow's
sadness was not to be wondered at. When this
same individual and his associates observed me giving the lotion to their master yesterday, they imagined it would prolong his existence, and consequently lengthen their own; and hence arose that
burst of feeling which had attracted our attention




KEESHEE.               193
The people here imagine we can do aly thing, but
more especially that we are acquainted with, and
can cure, all the complaints and disorders to which
man is liable.
The governor solicited a charm of us to-day, to
preserve his house from the effects of fire, and cause
him to become rich; while one of his elderly wives
made a doleful complaint of having been likely to
become a mother for the last thirty years, and,egged piteously for medicine to promote and assist
her accouchement. We could satisfy the old man
easily enough, but his wife's hypochbndriacal complaint we conceived too dangerous to be meddled
with by unprofessional hands. Poor woman, she is
much to be pitied, for the odd delusion under which
she has been labouring so long a time has given her
considerable uneasiness, so that life itself has become a burden to her. All that we could do for her,
was to sooth her mind, by telling her that her distemper was very.common, and not at all dangerous,
and promising, that on our return this way, should
nothing transpire in her favour in the mean time, we
would endeavour to remove the cause of her complaint. This comforted the aged matron exceedingly,
and, in the fulness of her heart, she burst into tears
of joy, dropped on her knees to express her acknowledgment, and pressed us to accept of a couple of
goora-nuts.
Our engaging female friends, the Falatahs, paid
us a second visit this morning, with bowls of milk
nd foorah; and in the evening a few of their male
companions also came, and remained with us a considerable time.  Both sexes displayed the same
timid reserve in our presence, and deported themselves in the same respectful manner that they did
yesterday. It appears that the Falitahs inhabiting
Arba, though very numerous, are but one family, for
we are told that their ancestor separated himself
from his friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and




194            LEAVE KEESHEE.
exiling himself for ever from his native country, he
travelled hither with his wives 2nd children, his
flocks and herds. The sons and daughters of hisdescendants intermarry only among their own kindred; and they are betrothed to each other in infancy
and childhood. The little that I have seen of Falatahs
in Yarriba has convinced me that in all things they
are much, very much superior to the loveless and
unsocial proprietors of the soil. Their countenances bespeak more intelligence, and their man.
ners display less roughness and barbarism. The do.
mestic virtues of the Falatahs are also more affectionate and endearing, and their family regulations
more chaste and binding.
Wednesday, May 26th.-We arose before sunrise
this morning, and lhaving little to do in the way of
preparation for setting out, we took a hasty breakfast, and afterward went to pay our respects to the
governor, and thank him for his hospitality and goodness to us. On returning to our lodgings, we had
the pleasure of receiving the morning salutation of
our fair friends the Falatahs on bended knee. Resolved to have another and a last chat with the white
strangers, these females had come for the purpose
of offering us two calabashes of new milk. This,
and former little acts of kindness, which we have
received from these dark-eyed maidens, have effectually won our regard, because we know they were
disinterestedly given; and the few minutes which
we have had the happiness of spending in their company, and that of their countrymen, have redeemed
many hours of listlessness and melancholy, which
absence from our native country, and thoughts of
home and friends, but too often excite in our breasts.
It was therefore not without a feeling of sorrow that
we bade them adieu. For my own part, when they
blessed me in the name of Alla and their prophet;
and implored blessings on my head, and when I
gazed upon the faces of the simple-hearted and innocent fema1^ who had so piously and ferventlv




ROBBERS.               195
invoked the benediction, with the consciousness of
beholding them no more in this life, my heart was
touched with sorrow; for of all reflections, this is
certainly the most melancholy and dispiriting!
" Ye, who have known what'tis to dote upon
A few dear objects, will in sadness feel
Such partings break the heart they fondly hoped to heal!"
There was less of feeling and tenderness, certainly,
though more words and much greater noise in taking
our farewell of the two old messengers that had accompanied us from Badagry, and who, with the
Jenna guides, will return homewards to-morrow.
They have behaved themselves throughout to our
hearts' desire; and because they had been our companions in a long and painful journey, and because
their faces had become familiarized to us, we left
them behind with sincere regret.
Although we left Keeshee between six and
seven in the morning, we were obliged to seat ourselves on a green turf in the outskirts of the town,
ind wait there till a quarter after nine before the
Carriers with the luggage made their appearance.
Here we were joined by a Borgoo fatlakie, and our
ears were saluted with the hoarse, dull sounds of
their drum, which was played by a ragged one-eyed
Yarribean long after we were on our journey. A
company of merchants trading through the country
has always a drummer in their pay, who walks at
the head of the party, and performs on his instrument continually, be the journey ever so long, for
the purpose of animating the slaves to quicken their
steps.
Our route lay through a vast and lonely forest,
infested by bands of robbers, and in which there is
not a single human habitation. My brother went
unarmed before tlie fatakie, and travelled alone,
while I remained behind to defend the carriers in
case of necessity. He had already rode some dis.




196        ARRIVE AT THE MOUSSA.
tance in advance of us, when about twenty very
suspicious-looking fellows. armed with lances and
bows and arrows, suddenly ntae'e their appearance
from behind the trees where they had concealed
themselves, and stood in the middle of the path hefore the men with the luggage, who were so terrified, that they were preparing to drop their burdens
and run away. My gun being loaded, I levelled it
at them, and had nearly discharged it at the leader,
which intimidated them all so much, that they retreated again into the heart of the forest. When
the people of Yarriba observe any one approaching
them on the road whose appearance inspires them
with apprehension as to the honesty of his intentions,
they fling off their loads without waiting the result
of the meeting, and take to their heels without venturing to look behind them. The robbers, therefore,
when they saw our people, no doubt, expected to
obtain an easy booty; not anticipating to find a
white man among themn, nor thinking that our carriers
would have made a stand.
We journeyed fifteen miles through this dreaded
forest, which occupied us five hours and three quarters, owing to the weakness of our horses and want
of water, but above all to the oppressive heat of the
weather, from which we all suflered more or less.
We then arrived at the Moussa, which is a rivulet
separating the kingdom of Yarriha from Borgoo.
Having satisfied our thirst and bathed, we crossed
the stream, and entered a little village on the northern
bank, where we halted for the day.
When travelling in the bush, several men in the
train of a fatdkie wear a large iron ring on the thumb
and middle finger. To the latter a piece of plate
iron is attached, with which they make signals to
each other and the fatakie when apart by clinking
the rings. This method of communication is very
significant, and it is understood as well, and is as
promptly answered or obeyed, as our boatswain's




MOUSSA                 197
whistle. The collision of the rings produces a harsh,
grating noise, loud enough to be heard at a considerable distance.
The mere crossing of a little stream, which a
person might almost jump over, has introduced us
into a country very different from Yarriba, which is
inhabited by a different people, who speak a different
language, profess a different religion, and whose
manners, customs, amusements, and pursuits are
altogether different. The village in which we are
stopping is called Moussa, after the river, and is distant from Keeshee, in a northerly direction, as nearly
as we can guess, about sixteen miles. We occupy
a large round hut, called by the natives of this country Cditamba, in the Iahussa language Zowley, and in
B)rnou Coozie. In the centre of it is the trunk of a
large tree, which supports the roof; it has two apertures for doors, which are opposite each other; and
directly over them, suspended from the wall, are a
couple of charms, written in the Arabic character
on bits of paper, which are to preserve the premises
from being destroyed by fire. It is now eleven
P. M.; our attendants, with several of their fellowtravellers, are reposing on mats and skins in various
parts of the hut. Bows and arrows, and quivers
ornamented with cows' tails, together with muskets,
pistols, swords, lances, and other weapons, are either
hanging on the wall or resting against it. The
scene is wild and singular, and quite romantic. Outside our but it is yet more striking. There, though
it rains and thunders, the remainder of the fatdkie,
consisting of men, women, and children, are sitting
on the ground in groups or sleeping near several large
fires, which are burning almost close to the hut,
while others are lying under the shelter of large
spreading trees in its immediate vicinity.  Their
only apparel is drawn over their half-naked persons;
their weapons are at their sides, and their horses are
grazing near them. Most or the people have gone




198            ROAD TO KIAMA.
to rest without food; yet they sleep soundly, and
appear quite happy and comfortable after their day's
exertion and fatigue. One of our men fainted on
the road to-day from exhaustion, and is now feverish
and unwell.
Thuursday, May 27th.-There is a sweetness in the
mountain air, and a dewy freshness in the morning,
which we experienced to-day with considerable
pleasure on ascending the hills which border the
northern side of the pretty little Moussa. When
wild beasts, tired with their nightly prowling, seek
retirement and repose in the lonely depths of these
primeval forests, and when birds, perched on the
branches of trees over our heads, warble forth
their morning song, it is the time that makes up for
the languid, wearisome hours in the heat of the day,
when nothing can amuse and nothing interest us.
It is in the earlier part of the morning, too, or in
the cool of the evening, that nature can be leisurely
contemplated and admired in the simple loveliness
of a verdant plain, a sequestered grotto, or a rippling
brook; or in the wilder and more mysterious features
of her beauty in the height of a craggy precipice,
the silence and gloom of vast shady woods, or when
those woods are gracefully bending to the passing
gale.
An hour s ride brought us near the site of' a town
which was formerly peopled only by robbers. It
was, however, destroyed some years ago, and its
inhabitants either slain or dispersed, by order of the
present spirited ruler of Kidma, since which time
the road has been less dreaded by travellers. Our
path lay through a rich country, covered with luxuriant grasses and fine trees, but very little underwood could be seen. It abounds plentifully with
deer and antelopes, and other wild animals of a
more ferocious nature, such as the lion, the leopard,
the elephant, the wild ass, &c.; but the solitary
lowing of a buffalo was th onlll sound that we dis



ROAD TO KIAMA.            199
tingnished in the forest, and we had not the pleasure
of meeting even with this animal.
At eleven o'clock we entered a very small and
cleanly-looking village, where we halted for the
day. Unfortunately, its governor, with most of the
people, were at work in the fields at some distance,
so that we could get nothing to eat till rather late
in the evening. It appears that these poor villagers
are forced to supply the soldiers of their sovereign
with provisions gratis, whenever business leads them
so far this way from the capital; and that in order to
avoid the rapacity of these men, they have built
another hamlet in the woods, far out of the way
of the path, whither they carry their goats, &c.,
and the corn of which they may not be in immediate
want.
On arriving, we were introduced into a small
grass hut, which smoke has changed into the most
glossy black we have ever seen; and the interior
of its roof is ingeniously decorated with large:tfes
toons of cobweb and dust, which must have been
acciumulating for a number of years. Its fetish is a
dried grasshopper, which is preserved in a little
calabash; but as if this were insufficient to protect
it from all the damages to which huts in this country are constantly exposed, auxiliary charms of blood
and feathers are likewise stuck on the inside of the
wall. At sunset, not having any thing to eat, I
went out into the wood with my gun, and was fortunate enough to shoot a few doves; and Pascoe,
who wenlt in a different direction, shot a Guinea
hen, which made us an excellent supper. Hunger
had driven back our Keeshee carriers, who were to
have accompanied us to Kiatna, and therefore we
have been obliged to send a messenger to Yarro
for men to supply their place. Late in the evenin-, the governor of the village returned from his
labour in the fields, and presented us with corn and
honey.




200               BENIKENNY.
Friday, May 28thw-In the forenoon, the musical
jingling of little bells announced the approach of a
body of horsemen, who in less than a minute galloped up to our hut, and saluted us one after
another with a martial air, by brandishing their
spears, to our great discomfiture, within a few feet
of our faces. To display their horsemanship the
more effectually, they caused their spirited steeds
to prance and rear in our presence; and when they
imagined we were convinced of their abilities, they
dismounted, to prostrate themselves before us, and
acqbaint us of the welfare of their prince.  The
carriers, who had arrived from Kifma, had preceded
them on the road, and the whole of the men now
sat down to partake of a little refreshment. It was
twelve o'clock exactly when we set out on our journey, and the lday being so far advanced, we wished
to make all the haste possible, but the weather was
extremely warm, and our horses were hardly strong
enough to carry their riders; so that we were obliged,
after all, to travel very slowly. At five P. M. we
reached the ruins of a small town. The path was
through the same forest as yesterday; but this part
of it is less thickly wooded. At one place we remarked two immensely large trees, springing up
almost close together; their mighty trunks and
branches were twisted and firmly clasped round
each other, like giants in the act of embracing, and
presented an appearance highly novel and singular.
Ant-hills were numerous in the road; and a few
paces from it, we observed, as we rode along, little
cone-shaped mud-buildings, erected by the natives
for the purpose of smelting iron ore, which is found
in abundance in different parts of the country. At
sunset we arrived at a village called Bentkenny,
which means, in the language of the people, "a cunning man;" and found there three w(rmen waiting
our arrival with corn and milk from the King of
Kiiina: this was very acceptable, for we had been




ARRIVE AT RfAMA.           201
without food thirteen hours. We rested at Benikenny a little, and fully expected to have slept there,
for the afternoon had been excessively warm, and
we were all much fatigued. But our armed escort
were not in the same way of thinking as ourselves,
and they encouraged us to proceed to another village,
which they said was at no great distance.,oc
therefore quitted Benikenny; yet no village could
be seen; and then the escort confessed that they
had deceived us, in order that we might arrive at
Kiama before night. The sun had gone down on
our quitting the halting-place; but the moon and
stars supplied us with a cooler and more agreeable
light; and we journeyed on through the forest more
slowly than before. In spite of our fatigue, we could
not help admiring the serenity and beauty of the
evening, nor be insensible to the delicious fragrance
shed around from trees and shrubs. The appearance
of our warlike and romantic escort was also highly
amusing. They were clad in the fashion of the
East, and sought their way between the trees on
our right and left; but sometimes they fell in our
rear, and then again dashed suddenly by us with
astonishing swiftness, looking as wild as the scenery
through which their chargers bounded. The effect
was rendered more imposing by the reflection of
the moonbeams from their polished spears and the
pieces of silver which are affixed to their caps, while
the luminous firefly appeared in the air like rising
and falling particles of flame.
My brother's horse was unable, from weakness
and exhaustion, to carry him farther than Benikenny,
so that he was obliged to walk the remainder of the
journey to Kiama, which is full six miles. About
eight o'clock Kiama appeared before us, and in a
few minutes we entered the city, and rode directly
to the king's house. He came out to receive us
after we had been waiting outside a very short time,
and welcomed us with much satisfaction and good




202                KIAA.,
will. He is an elderly man, almost toothless, and
has a beard as white as wool. We observed nothing remarkable in his dress or appearance. His
first question was concerning the health of our sovereign, and his second and last respecting our own
welfare. He seemed to be exceedingly well pleased
at seeing me again. We then took our leave, and
were conducted by one of his slaves to a hut, or
rather an assemblage of huts, adjoining his own
residence. But they were not entirely to our satisfaction, for many of them had only one aperture in
each, which was scarcely three feet square; so that
we could not get into them excepting on our hands
and knees. They were, besides, so very close and
warm, that we found great difficulty in breathing;
and we preferred a hut which was cooler and better
ventilated, though it had the inconvenience of a
thoroughfare. No sooner were we securely housed,
than half a dozen of the king's wives introduced
themselves with huge calabashes of sour milk, fried
pancakes, and beef stewed in rice, the first we
have yet seen. Various coloured mats of excellent
workmanship were afterward brought for our use 
and with thankful hearts and comfortable feelings
we lay down to rest.




KIAMA                   203
CHAPTER VI.
Kiima-Visit to the King-Wooden Figures-Yarro's Hut-ITis Ob.
iection to the former Route to Wowow being adopted by the Travellers-Instance of Native Friendship-Mohammedan Priests-Their
Character-Tradition of the Falitahs-Ceremonies of the Bebnn
Stlah- Celebration of the Festival —Native Horse-racing-The King's
Sons-Poisonous Lizard-Superstition of the Natives-Comparison
between the Natives of Borgoo and Yarriba-Traits of CbaracterFalaiahs-Law relating to them.
Saturday,.May 29th.-TIRED with yesterday's journey, we lay on our mats rather later than usual, and
before we had arisen, the king's messengers and
others entered our hut to give us the salutations of
the morning. I returned Yarro's compliment by
calling to see him at his own house, while my
brother remained at hone to take care of the goods.
The natives of the country having a very indifferent
reputation for honesty, compels us lo keep a watchful eye over all their actions. A number of mallams from Haussa paid us a visit about the middle
of the day; but a body of more ignorant Mohammedans, I should suppose, can nowhere be found,
for not one of them, even to their chief, who has a
youthful appearance, understands a word of Arabic.
Just before sunset, my brother selected a present,
consisting of the following articles, for the king,
viz. six yards of red cloth, a quantity of printed
cottons, a pair of silver bracelets, a looking-glass,
two pairs of scissors, a knife, two combs, and a
tobacco-pipe. The goods having been properly
secured, we repaired with this present to the king,
who received it with much apparent satisfaction.
Yarro professes the Mohammedan faith, yet it is
easy to perceive the very slender acquaintance he
has obtained of the precepts of the Koran, by th




204                KIAMA.
confidence which he still places in the religion of
his fathers, in placing fetishes to guard the entrance
of his houses, and adorn their half-naked walls.
In one of the huts we observed a stool of very curious workmanship. The form of it is nearly square;
the two principal sides are each supported by four
little wooden figures of men; and another of large
dimensions, seated on a clumsy representation of a
hippopotamus, is placed between them. These
images were subsequently presented to us by Yarro,
and we learned that the natives, before undertaking
any water excursion, applied for protection from the
hippopotami and other dangers of the river to the
principal figure, which is represented as mounted on
one of those creatures. This important personage
is attended by his musicians, and guarded by sol



XAMA.                  2O05
diers, som * armed with muskets, and others with
bows and arrows, who formed the legs of the stool.
In the sketch (p. ~05), which is about one-seventh
the size of the original, he has been placed on the
top of the stool, that the view of him might not be
interrupted.
In an inner apartment we discovered Yarro sitting
alone on buffalo hides; and we were desired to
place ourselves near him. The walls of this apartment were adorned with very good prints of our
most gracious sovereign George the Fourth, his late
royal brother the Duke of York, Lord Nelson, the
Duke of Wellington on horseback, together with an
officer in the light dragoons, in company with a




L~~~~~~~4
I          at
Vi'u~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i
I     BM~~~~~~~~~~I
pgll !~~~~~~~~
A:/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4I)




KIMA.                207
smartly dressed and happy-looking English lady.
Opposite to them were hung horse accoutrements;
and on each side were dirty scraps of paper containing select sentences from the Koran. On the floor
lay muskets, several handsomely ornamented lances,
and other weapons, all confusedly heaped together
by the side of a large granite stone used for pounding pepper. These were the most striking objects
we observed in the king's hut; adjoining which
were others, through whose diminutive doors Yarro's wives were straining their eyes to catch a
glimpse of our persons.
When we spoke of proceeding to Yaoorie by way
of Wowow and Boossa, the king objected to our
visiting the former state under any consideration,
alleging that three of the slaves who carried the
goods for Captain Clapperton had never returned to
him again, but had remained at Wowow, where
they were protected by the governor Mohammed;
and that if he should send others with us to that
place, they might do the same. He therefore promises to send us to Boossa in four days' time by
another road. Independently of the above consideration, the king is highly incensed against the ruler
of Wowow for harsh treatment of the widow Zuma,
who is his friend and relative, and who has lately
fled to Boossa for the purpose of claiming the pro
tection of the king of that country.
It is said that Yarro's father, the late king of
Kiamna, during his lifetime, enjoyed the friendship
of an Arab from the desert, which was returned
with equal warmth and sincerity. A similarity of
dispositions and pursuits produced a mutual interchange of kind actions; their friendship became so
great, that the king was never happy except when
in the Arab's company; and as a proof of his esteem
and confidence, he gave him his favourite daughter
in marriage. The fruit of this alliance is the restless widow Zuma, and hence her relationship to the
l.-Q




208               XMAMA.
present monarch of Kiama. To return to his
father and the Arab: their friendship lasted until the
death of the latter. The king, however, was inconI
solable for his loss, and looked around him in vain
for some one to supply the place of his friend; but
the ardour of his affections was too strong, and led
by the hope of following his frien'd to another
world, he committed suicide. This is the most
affe(ting instance of genuine friendship, and indeed
the only one, that has come to our hearing since
we have been in the country. Yarro is much
attached to the widow Zuma; and she would have
fled hither, instead of going to Boossa, if her inten
tions had not been suspected, and her actions nar
rowly watched by the ruler of Wowow.
Sun.dacy, May 30lh.-Unwilling as we always aie
to break the proper observance of the Sabbath, we
were nevertheless compelled this forenoon to submit to the mortification of cleaning and polishing a
sword and pistol, which were sent us for that purpose by the king, against the approaching Mohammedan festival. Yarro shortly afterward sent us a
t.urke'y, and one of his women presented us with a
roasted badger, a quantity of yams, &c., for the use
of one of our people. This evening the king's
wives unanimously bestowed a severe reprimand on
their husband for neglecting to offer them a portion
of a bottle of rum which we gave him yesterday;
and they scolded so lustily, that the noise was herrd
outside the wall surrounding their huts, which leli
us to make the discovery. To appease the indignation of these ladies, and to reconcile them to their
loss, I presented them with a few beads and some
other trifles; but ve much doubt their efficacy.
Monday, May/l3 31st. —It is supposed that the ruler
of Wowow will make war on this state as soon as
he sh-ll be nmade acquainted with the fact of our
being in Borngo without having visited him. Al
though it is within the dominions of the King of




KIAMA.               209
Boossb, who is acknowledged to be the greatest of
the sovereigns of Borgoo, Wowow is reported to
have lately received a body of Nouffie horse soldiers, consisting of eight hundred men, which has
rendered its chief more powerful than either of his
neighbours. These soldiers are the remnant of the
army of Ederesa (the Edrisi of Captain Clapperton),
who is the rightful heir to the throne of Nouffie:
they deserted him in his misfortunes, and sought a
refuge in Wowow from the fury of their successful
countrymen, leaving their leader to his fate. Shortly
after my return to England, it is reported that
Magia, who is a younger son of the late King of
Nouffie, was reinforced by soldiers from Soccatoo;
that he took immediate advantage of the panic into
which this intelligence had thrown his brother, by
attacking and routing his army, and expelling both
him and them from their native country. Ederesa
was for some time after a wanderer; but at length
he is said to have found an asylum with one of the
chiefs of a state near the kingdom of Benin, where
he now resides in tranquillity and retirement.
We receive visits almost every hour of the day
from a number of Mohammedan mallams residing
at Kiama, as well as from those merchants who
formed part of the fatakie that accompanied us
through the forest from Keeshee. The former sent
two young boys this afternoon to pray for us, in the
expectation we believe of obtaining something more
substantial than thanks for the good that might
result to us from their charitable remembrance of
the frailty of our nature.  The boys dropped on
their knees, and recited the lesson that they had been
taught without committing a blunder; but a few needles was the only recompense we thought proper to
make them, so that it is not likely their masters
will desire any mnore prayers to be offered at the
shrine of their prophet for Christianis so illiberal and
irreligious. Of all the vices of which these Mobam
S2




210                KIAMA.
medan priests are guilty (and by all accounts they
are not a few), slander and defamation of character
appear to be by far the most general. Never do
we hear a mallam speak of his neighbours in terms
of common respect. By his account they are all
the vilest creatures under the sun, not one escaping
the lash of his censure. "Avoid that man," said
a complacent and comfortable-looking old Mohammedan last night, pointing to one of his companions
as he quitted the hut (he had just blessed him in the
name of Alla), "; for, believe me, he will take every
opportunity of deceiving you; and if you go so far
as to trust him with any of your property, he will
cheat you of every cowrie." The venerable speaker
had a quantity of gilt buttons, nearly new, in his
possession, which we had given him to sell, for we
are frequently obliged to make such shifts for a
meal, and when his invective was finished, he arose
to take his leave: but the self-righteous priest had
neglected, in the hurry of discourse, to secure a
few buttons which he had purloined, for as he stood
up they dropped from the folds of his garment on
the floor. The man's confusion was immediately
apparent, but we did not wish to push him further
by increasing his shame, and we suffered him to go
about his business, in the belief that the circumstance had wholly escaped our observation. Gilt
buttons fetch a high price here (from two to three
hundred cowries each); and as we have a great
quantity of them, it is likely that from henceforth
they will be of infinite service to us. Women use
buttons to ornament their necks, fingers, and wrists;
and they imagine that the brightest of them are made
of gold.
A man arrived at the king's house this evening,
with the information that Doncasson, the ex-king of
Haussa, has recently retaken no less than twelve
towns in that empire from the Falatahs, in which
he was greatly assisted bv the sheik of Bornou.




KIAMA.               211
The Falitahs have a tradition that when Danfodio
(Bello's father, and the first King of Soccatoo) was
a simple shepherd, he made a vow to the great
author of evil, that if he would assist him in subjugating the kingdom of Haussa, he would be his
slave for ever aiter. Danfodio's request, they say,
was complied with on his own conditions, but for
no longer than thirty years, after which the aborigines of the country were to regain their liberty,
and re-establish their ancient laws and institutions.
The term is now nearly expired, and the Falatahs
begin already, say the Haussa men, to tremble with
apprehensions at the prospect of this tradition being
realized.
Tuesday, June lst.-This is the eve of the " Bebun
SMlah," or "Great Prayer Day," and is generally employed by the Mussulmans in Kiima in making
preparations for a festival which will commence
to-morrow, and be continued till the evening of the
next day.  Every one here who possesses the
means is obliged to slaughter either a bullock or
sheep on the anniversary of this day; and those
who may not have money sufficient to procure a
whole bullock or sheep are compelled to purchase
a portion of the latter, at least, for the purpose of
showing proper respect and reverence for the
"Bebun Salah." The Mohammedan mallams, on
this occasion, make a practice of slaughtering the
sheep which may have been their companion in their
peregrinations during the past year, and as soon as
the holydays are over, they procure another to supply its place, and at the return of the festival, to
undergo a similar fate. The company of one of
these animals is preferred by the natives to that of
a dog.
At sunrise to-morrow, all the Mussulmans in Kiama, with the king at their head, wvill repair to a
convenient spot, about a mile on the road to Wowow,
for the purpose of puhliclv Derforming their'levo



212                KIAMA.
tions. Presently after returning from thence, horse.
racing and other sports will be indulged in by all
classes of the inhabitants, who are already filled
with joy at the bare anticipation of the diversions.
A company of eight or ten drummers awoke us
this morning by the dismal noise of their drums, and
by the exclamation of —" Turawa awazhie!" signify.
ing, "White men! we wish you fortune;" which
was repeated in a high, shrill tone, every minute.
Last night KiAma was visited by a thunder-storm,
which continued with dreadful violence for manly
hours; and the torrents of rain which fell threatened
to overwhelm us in our hut. Before we were aware
of it, the water had rushed in at the door, and had
completely soaked our mats and bed-clothes, setting
every light article in the room afloat. After much
trouble we succeeded in draining it off, and preventing its farther ingress, when we lighted a large fire
in the centre of the hut, and laid ourselves down by
the side of it to sleep. It also rained heavily again
this morning; and-to all appearances the wet season has at length fairly set in. If this be the case,
it will be next to impossible to travel much farther;
and if we be fortunate enough to reach Yioorie, we
shall be obliged to remain there some time, till the
roads shall have become sufficiently hard:and dry for
our future progress. We have only to hope that the
rains may not be so incessant at their commencement as to render the path to Yioorie impassable.
Wednesday, June 2d.-The threatening appearance:
of the weather prevented the Mohammedans from
repairing to the spot which they had selected for the
purposes of devotion so early in the morning as
they could have wished; but the clouds having dis.
persed, they had all assembled there between the
hours of:nine and ten. The worshippers arranged
themselves in six lines or rows, the women forming
the last, and sat down on as many ridges of earth,
which had apparently beon thrown up for the pur




KIAMA.                213
pose. The chief mallam no sooner began a prayer,
than the talking and noise of the multitude immediately ceased, and the deepest attention seemed to
be paid by every one, though the substance of what
he said could only be guessed at, because it was in
Arabic, which none of them understand. The ceremony much resembled that which was performed at
Badgry; and the forms which are generally practised, I believe, on all public religious meetings in
Mohammedan countries, such as ablution, prostration, &c., were observed on this occasion. The
king, however, did not rise, as he should have done,
when the worshippers stood up, but satisfied himself
by uttering the name of Alla, and by simple prostration only. When the usual form of prayer had been
gone through, the head mallam placed himself on a
hillock, and for about five minutes read to the people a few loose pages of the Koran, which he held
in his hand. While thus engaged, two priests of inferior order knelt beside him to hold the hem of his
tobe, and a third, in the same position, held the
skirts from behind. After he had finished reading,
the priest descended from the hillock, and with the
help of his assistants, slaughtered a sheep which
had been bound and brought to him for sacrifice.
-The blood of the animal was caught in a calabash; and the king, and the more devoted of his
subjects washed their hands in it, and sprinkled
some of it on the ground. This conclusion of the
ceremony was announced by the discharge of a few
old muskets; and with drums beating and fifes playing the people returned to their respective homes.
Most of them were smartly dressed in all the finery
they could procure. About a hundred of the men
rode on horseback, with lances and other weapons
in their hands, which, with the gay trappings of
their horses, gave them a respectable appearance.
In the afternoon, all the inhabitants of the town,
and many from the little villages in its neighbour




214                KIAMA.
hood, assembled to witness the horse-racing, which
takes place always on the anniversary of the " Bebun
alah," and to which every one had been looking
forward with impatience.  Previous to its commencement, the king, with his principal attendants,
rode slowly round the town, more for the purpose
of receiving the admiration and plaudits of his
people than to observe where distress more particularly prevailed, which was his avowed intention. A
hint from the chief induced us to attend the course
with our pistols, to salute him as he rode by; and as
we felt a strong inclination to witness the amusements of the day, we were there rather sooner than
was necessary, which afforded us, however, a fairer
opportunity of observing the various groups of people which were flocking to the scene of amusement.
The race-course was bounded on the north by low
granite hills; on the south by a forest; and on the
east and west by tall shady trees, among which were
habitations of the people. Under the shadow of
these magnificent trees the spectators were asselnbled, and testified their happiness by their noisy
mirth and animated gestures. When we arrived the
king had not made his appearance on the course;
but his absence was fully compensated by the pleasure we derived from watching the anxious and animated countenances of the multitude, and in passing our opinions oh the taste of the women in the
choice and adjustment of their fanciful and manycoloured dresses. The chief's wives and younger
children sat near us in a group by themselves; and
were distinguished from their companions by their
superior dress. Manchester cloths of inferior quality,
but of the most showy pitterns, and dresses made
of common English bed-furniture, were fastened
round the waist of several sooty naidens, who, for
the sake of fluttering a short hour in the gaze of
their countrymen, had sacrificed in clothes the earnings of a twelvemonth's labour. All the women had




KIAMA.               215
ornamented their necks with strings of beads, and
their wrists with bracelets of various patterns, some
made of glass beads, some of brass, others of copper, and some again of a mixture of both metals:
their ankles also were adorned with different sorts
of rings, of neat workmanship.
The distant sound of drums gave notice of the
king's approach, and every eye was immediately directed to the quarter from whence he was expected.
The cavalcade shortly appeared, and four horsemen
first drew up in front of. the chief's house, which
was near the centre of the course, and close to the
spot where his wives and children and ourselves
were sitting. Several men, bearing on their heads
an immense quantity of arrows in huge quivers of
leopard's skin, came next, followed by two persons,
who, by their extraordinary antics and gestures, we
concluded to be buffoons. These last two were employed in throwing sticks into the air as they went
on, and adroitly catching them in falling, besides
performing many whimsical and ridiculous feats.
Behind these, and immediately preceding the king, a
group of little boys, nearly naked, came dancing
merrily along, flourishing cows' tails over theil
heads in all directions. The king rode onwards,
followed by a number of fine-looking men on handsome steeds; and the motley cavalcade all drew up
in front of his house, where they awaited his further
orders without dismounting. This we thought was
the proper time to give the first salute, so we ac,
cordingly fired three rounds; and our example was
immnediately followed by two soldiers, with muskets
which were made at least a century and a half ago.
Preparations in the mean time had been going on
for the race, and the horses with their riders made
their appearance. The men were dressed in caps
and loose tobes and trousers of every colour; boots
of red morocco leather, and turbans of white and
blue cotton. The horses were gaylv capurisoned:
I.-R




21 8t              KIAMA.
strings of little brass bells covered their heads; thelt
breasts were ornamented with bright red cloth and
tassels of silk and cotton; a large quilted pad of
neat embroidered patchwork was placed under the
saddle of each; and little charms, enclosed in red and
yellow cloth, were attached to the bridle with bits
of tinsel. The Arab saddle and stirrup were in commonl use; and the whole group presented an imposing appearance.
The signal for starting was made, and the impatient animals sprang forward and set off at a full gallop. The riders brandished their spears, the little
boys flourished their cows' tails, the buffoons performedtheir antics, muskets were discharged, and
the chief himself, mounted on the finest horse on
the ground, watched the progress of the race, while
tears of delight were starting from his eyes. The
sun shone gloriously on the tobes of green, white,
yellow, blue, and crimson, as they fluttered in the
breeze; and with the fanciful caps, the glittering
spears, the jingling of the horses' bells, the animated
looks and warlike bearing of' their riders, presented
one of the most extraordinary and pleasing sights that
we have ever witnessed. The race was well contested, and terminated only by the horses being fatigued and out of breath; but though every one was
emulous to outstrip his companion, honour and fame
were the only reward of the competitors.
A few naked boys, on ponies without saddles, then
rode over the course, after which the second and
last heat commenced. This was not by any means
so good as the first, owing to the greater anxiety
which the horsemen evinced to display their skill in
the use of the. spear and the management of their
animals. The king maintained his seat on horseback during these amusements, without even once
dismounting to converse with his wives and childien, who were sitting on the ground on each side
of him. His dress was showy rather than rich, con



KIAMA.               217
sistiig of a red cap, enveloped in the large folds: of
a white muslin turban; two under tobes of blue and
scarlet cloth, and an outer one of white muslin; red
trousers, and boots of scarlet and yellow leather.
His horse seemed distressed by the weight of his
rider, and the various ornaments and trappings with
which his head, breast, and body were bedecked.
The chief's eldest and youngest sons were near his
women and other children, mounted on two noblelooking horses. The eldest of these youths was
about eleven years of age. The youngest, being not
more than three, was held on the back of his animal
by a male attendant, as he was unable to sit upright
in the saddle without this assistance. The child's
dress was ill suited to his age. He wore on his
head a tight cap of Manchester cotton, but it overhung the upper part of his face, and together with
its ends, which flapped over each cheek, hid nearly
the whole-of his countenance from view; his tobe
and trousers were made exactly in the same fashion
as those of a man, and two large belts of blue cotton, which crossed each other, confined the tobe to
his body. The little legs of the child were swallowed up in-clum sy yellow boots, big enough for his
father; and though he was rather pretty, his whimsical dress gave him altogether so odd an appearance, that he might have been taken for any thing
but what he really was. A few of the women on
the ground by the side of the king wore large white
dresses, which covered their persons like a windingsheet. Young virgins, according to custom, appeared in a state of nudity; many of them had wild
flowers stuck behind their ears, and strings of beads,
&c. round their loins; but want of clothing did not
seem to damp their pleasure in the entertainment,
for they appeared to enter into it with as much zest
as any of their companions. Of the different coloured tobes worn by the men, none looked so well
as those of a deep crimson colour on some of the




218                KIAMA.
horsemen; but the clean white tobes of the Mohamm.edan priests, of whom not less than a hundred
were present on the occasion, were extremely neat
and becoming. The sport terminated without the
slightest accident, and the king's dismounting was a
signal for the people to disperse.
We then paid our respects to the chief as usual,
but our reception was formal and chilling, though
nothing could have been more gratifying to him than
our attendance on the present occasion. We had
half a mind to be vexed at this mortifying repulse,
but consoled ourselves with the reflection that we
had no right to expect any thing more than common
courtesy and politeness. Besides this, he was surrounded by the loveliest of his women and the most
warlike of his subjects, and being a rigid Mohammedan when it suits his convenience, he might have
considered us as the enemies of his religion. To
have shown, therefore, too great familiarity with us
in the sight of his people would perhaps have been
unbecoming the dignity of the Chief of Kiama.
We have here endeavoured, to the best of our
ability, to describe an African horse-race, but it is
impossible to convey a correct idea of the singular
and fantastic appearance of the numerous groups of
people that met our view on all sides, or to describe
their animation and delight; the martial equipment
of the soldiers and their noble steeds, and the wild,
romantic, and overpowering interest of the whole
mass. Singing and dancing have been kept up all
night, and the revellers will not think of retiring to
rest till morning.
Thursday, June 3d.-Our hostess is a poor, but
kind, pleasant, and comfortable-looking widow, rather
stricken in years. To be sincerely grateful for favours received is not in the disposition of her country-people generally; yet this poor woman has given
us an affecting instance of this virtue, although our
presents to her were so poor and trifling, that we




KlAMA.                219
were almost ashamed to orter them. This little
specimen of genlume gratitude repays us for hundreds of sour looks and discontented countenances
which of late we have been compelled to witness.
Behind our hut grows a tall and beautiful tree; on
the branches and shoots of which reside a whole
commonwealth of sparrows, in their ingenious pendant nests. The constant noise of these little creatures, and the twittering of swallows, which remain
here all the year round, form our usual morning's
entertainment. This sparrow is a very handsome
bird, and belongs to a species which at Sierra Leone
and other places is called the "rice-bird." We are
also favoured by the visits of turtle-doves and woodpigeons. A few days ago, one of the latter, trusting too much to the forbearance of our people, ventured into one of their huts, and was there taken and
destroyed. The disconsolate mate witnessed the
act; he has been lingering about our habitations ever
since, and is Wasting himself away in mourning the
loss of his companion. His fidelity has called foith
our sympathy, and we do not suffer him to be molested.
Lizards, in great number and variety, infest the
walls and roofs of our huts, among which is one of
a black species, whose bite is considered fatal.*
This reptile is very rare, and is dreaded by every
one, not on account of the venomous properties
which are ascribed to it, so much as from the belief
that the person who sees one and suffers it to escape
im will soon after experience some heavy calamity.'he natives also believe that if a black lizard be destroyed as soon as it is found, fifes are played and
drums beat in the celestial regions, where there is
great rejoicing at the circumstance; and that good
fortune is sure to be the reward of the person who
* It is deemed as dious by the natives as the toad in England, or the
tarantula in Italy, which is also a kind of lizard




220                KIAMA.
may rid the world of such a nuisance. We ob
served a lizard yesterday with two tails, which pieinornenon, we are toll, is not uncommon here. Other
lizards, of every species and colour, are numerous.
As this is a holyday at KiAina, it has been spent
by its inhabitants in visiting each other, in walking
up and down the public places to display their finery,
or in singing, dancing, and musical parties. Little
boys and young men have been on their knees praying for us to-day; and as they were not impertinent,
but, on the contrary, evinced gentleness and modesty in their demeanour, we would not suffer them
to leave us without rewarding each with a darningneedle.
We have been detained in Kiama thus long by
reason, it is alleged, of the holydays; and as to-morrow will be the Mohammedan Sabbath, we shall not
be able to procure carriers till the following morniag. We expected, naturally enough, that plenty of
good provender and a few days' rest would recruit
the strength of our horses; but, unfortunately, a contrary effect has been produced. My brother's, more
especially, has fallen away to a perfect skeleton;
certainly, with the exception of Rosinante, no horse,
either in ancient or modern times, ever presented a
spectacle more piteous and wo-begone; it is quite
painful even to look at his fleshless carcass.
Friday, June 4th.-Perhaps no two people in the
universe, residing so near each other, differ more:widoly in their habits and customs, and even in their
natures, than the natives of Yarriba and Borgoo
The former are perpetually engaged in trading with
each other from town to town; the latter never quit
their towns except in case of war, or when engaged
in predatory excursions: the former are pusillanimous and cowardly; the latter are bold and courageous, full of spirit and energy, and never seem happier than when engaged in martial exercises: theformer are generally mild, unassuming, humble, and




KIAIA.               221
honest, but cold and passionless; the latter are
proud and haughty; too vain to be civil, and too
shrewd to be honest; yet they appear to understand
somewhat of the nature of love and the social affections; are warm in their attachments, and keen in
their resentments.
The king visited us at our hut this morning, attended by three or four of his younger wives. The
object of his coming was to get something from us;
therefore we considered it no compliment.
Yarro has seen all the articles which we have
given to his people,-a custom which prevails here as
well as in Yarriba; but, unlike the monarch of that
country, he has converted to his own use those
among them with which he was best pleased. Even
his brother, who is a very good young man, and
who accompanied us from Keeshee as messenger,
has suffered from his selfishness, having been deprived of half the few things we had given him for
his services.
The king's eldest son is governor of a town
through which we shall have to pass on our way to
Boossa, and it is agreed that he shall accompany us
to that city. It is customary to give the messengers
a present proportionate to the services they may
have rendered us; and in the course of conversation this morning with the king, he wished to see
the present it was our intention to offer his son.
This was presently shown him, and he took from it
the only piece of cloth which it"contained, and
which we are unable to replace. He then begged a
little medicine for weak eyes; and my brother presented him with a quantity of Epsom salts and a
small syringe. The king immediately began trying
experiments on the instrument by spirting water into
the faces of his wives, who did not appear to enjoy
the diversion so well as himself. After a long but
uninteresting conversation, Yarro took his leave,
followed )v his women, and it is not likely that we




222                KIAMA.
shall see him again till the time of our departure to
morrow morning
I have given him my fowling-piece and a pistol,
having promised him this present when I left, if I
should live to return to Kiama; the king has also had
some of our best new gilt buttons.
In the evening, a very old and respectable Falatah, the chief of a village at a short distance from
Kiama, came to see us with several of his people.
This singular race are dispersed all over the Borgoo
territories, where they have resided from time immemorial. They are generally styled Foulinie; but
although this word is evidently derived from Foulch,
and although they speak the same language and follow the same pursuits as the Foulahs near Sierra
Leone, who are supposed to be the white Ethiopians
of Ptolemy and Pliny, yet they have not the slightest idea of their origin, nor of the period when their
ancestors first emigrated from their native land. The
Falatahs in Borgoo maintain no intercourse whatever with their countrymen in Haussa; and in order
to prevent mischief and disturbances from taking
place, none of them are permitted, on any consideration, to wear a sword, or carry about his person
any offensive weapon.
A few years ago there stood a village not many
miles from Kiama, which was inhabited solely by
emigrants from Nouffie; but it is said to have been
lately plundered and destroyed by Yarro's subjects
who first broke faith with the unfortunate people
and afterward made them slaves.
The mean state of the thermometer of Fahren
heit has been 84; the extremes 75 and 94 in our hut




DEPARTURE FROM XlAMA,           223
CHAPTER VII.
Departure from Kima-Native Gratitude-Village of Kakafungi-Na
tive Dance-John Lander taken ill-Deserted Route-Cross the River
Oly-Story of the Falitahs —Encampment Tornado-lllness of John
Lander-Messengers from Coobly with Assistance-Arrival in that
Town-Reception —Presents from Booss —Mount Cornwall-Recov.
ery of John lander —Leave Coobly-Ruins-Town of Zulee-Arrival
at Boossa-Reception.
Saturday, June 5th. —THE adieu of an African
prince is the most unceremonious piece of business
in the world; whatever expressions may be used,
little regret is felt. Such at least is our opinion, from
the coolness we have almost invariably experienced
in parting from the principal people of the towns and
villages through which we have passed. We were
on horseback between seven and eight o'clock this
morning, having previously paid our last visit to the
king, and taken our farewell of him; and proceeded
in good health and spirits through the northern gateway of the city, towards a town called Kakafun,
followed by a number of the lower class of people,
who sneered at my brother's horsemanship as he
rode by, and diverted themselves by laughing heartily
at the sorry appearance of his poor beast.
We had travelled about half a mile from the wall
of Kiarna, when looking behind us, we observed a
great fat woman running after us at her full speed.
She soon overtook us, almost breathless with the
exertion. We then found that the object of her care
was to present us with a bowl of new milk, which
she had neglected to bring in time for us to drink before we set out. From the violence of her exertions, her whole person was thrown into the utmost
disorder imaginable. This woman is a favourite




224         ARRIVE AT.KKAAFUNGL
singer to the king, and had supplied us with milk
and provisions two or three days before our departure, for which we gave her a few trifling articles in
payment; these, it appears, had produced so sensible an effect on her, that, when taking leave of us
last evening, she began: -to shed -tears, and sobbed
aloud. This was now renewed, and we were obliged
to spur on- our horses to spare our feelings. We
were afterward told that the woman's sorrow was
only feignied ii our presence for the purpose of obtainiing a reward, and that she has always an abun
dance of tears at command.
Three or four Falatah villages lay to the right and
eft of our path, one of which is of some extent; but
we did not see a single inhabitant belonging to either
of them. The greater part of the road lay through
a thickly wooded forest, by the side of a very gentle
rangre of hills; and excepting a fine plantation of
yams, which we passed outside the walls of Kiama,
and which belongs to Yarro, we did not see a foot
of cultivated ground during the whole journey. We
arrived at Kakafungi, the halting-place, shortly after
ten o'clock in the morning. This town is distant
from Kiama about nine or ten miles; yet if an opinion may be formed from the nature of the path,
which is uncommonly narrow, and almost hidden
with rank grass, the intercourse between the two
places is very little. Kakafungi is a straggling, but
extensive and populous town, and is delightfully
situated on an even piece of ground. The inhabitants are so clean and well-behaved, and their dwellings so neat and comfortable, that before we had
spoken many words to one of them, we were prepossessed in favour of all. Nor was this opinion in
any degree lessened when, after we had been intro.
duced into a commodious and excellent hut, we received the congratulations of the principal people.
They came to us in a body, followed by boys and
girls,carrying a present of two kids, with milk, and




LEAVE K AKAFUNGI.          225
an abundance of pounded corn, and have remained
with us the greater part of the day.
Late in the evening, when olr people were asleep,
the sound of singing tempted my brother to go out
alone, andl he soon discovered a little group of
thoughtless, happy creatures, amusing themselves
by dancing in the moonlight to the sound.f a large
drum. He described their dance as being very different from that practised in Yarriba; their motions
being sonetimes swift and violent, and sometimes
slow and graceful: their gestures expressive of mild
delight rather than vehement passion, and remarkable for propriety. They appeared. to be singing
something very comic in recitative, and kept time by
clapping their hands. My brother's intrusion was
of no importance to them, for the party still kept up
their dance with as much spirit and good-lumour as
before. In returning homeward he missed his way,
and wandered among several deserted, empty huts
and yards, and others guarded by dogs, before he
discovered the right, his total ignorance of the Borgoo language disqualifying him from askingquestions of the inhabitants.
Sunday, June 6th.-I found my brother in a high
fever this morning, and so ill that he was obliged to
lie on his mat till the carriers were ready to depart.
In consequence of the length of the journey from
Kakafungi to Boossa, and there being no town or
village on the road beyond a few miles' ride from
hence, the carriers were employed till-the afternoon
in obtaining provisiols sufficient for three or four
days' consumption. A crowd of people assembled
round our hut to take leave of us, by whom we were
loudly cheered. ~My brother was so ill that he could
not mount his horse without assistance.
We quitted Kakafungi about two P. M., by a path
which lay in a northerly direction, through a perfect
wildeiness, some part of which was more stony and
barren than any thing we remember to have seen




226            THE RIVER OLY.
The footmarks of various wild animals appeared to
be freshly imprinted in the path; but we observed
only a very few antelopes, which would not suffer
us to come near them, but scampered away the moment they saw us. The few stunted trees that we
found afforded us a very indifferent shelter from the
heat of the sun, which was almost insufferable; and
this, with the length of the journey, and the speed
with which we were obliged to travel, greatly increased my brother's fever. He was occasionally
obliged to dismount, and lie down on the ground for
relief, being lifted off and replaced on his horse by
our attendants. We saw the sun set behind some
magnificent clouds, while we had yet a great way to
go; and the narrow footpath, which was here overgrown with bushes and rank grass, was hardly discernible by the light of the moon. In the afternoon
all had been silent in the forest; but in the evening
the jackal, the hyena, and the baboon had forsaken
their retreats, and mingled their dismal howl with
the sprightly chirping of innumerable insects.
My brother and I were far behind the rest of the
party, because he had been unable to keep pace with
them; and we discharged a pistol every now and
then as a signal to the carriers of our approach. As
each report echoed through the forest, it was answered by the increased howling of wild animals,
till at length we gladly saw the gleam of a large fire,
and arrived at the encampment which had been prepared for us.  Here we took possession for the
night of a few deserted huts, which were falling to
decay. A quantity of broken earthenware pots,
calabashes, &c. were lying about, indicating that
these abodes had been occupied at no very distant
period; and on the trees which grew near them we
discovered several immense buffalo horns, and those
of a very large kind of antelope.
The river Oly, which is said to take its rise in
Ashantee is at a short distance to the northward of




MURDER OF SLAVES.           *t:
our encampment. It appears that.not long ago this
path was much frequented by merchants from the
interior, trading to the westward, in order to avoid
paying the accustomed duty on the Wowow road.
But the chief of that state threatening to punish
theni if they did not pass through his city, their own
interest induced then to conform to his wishes, and
from that time the route through this forest hasbeen
entirely deserted, and the poor ferrymen who formerly inhabited these huts were thus compelled to
seek a livelihood elsewhere.
Monday, June 7th.-The rest which my brother
had obtained during the night seemed to have revived him, and he appeared in better spirits, with an
abatement of fever this morning. At eight A. M.,
after bathing, we crossed the Oly in a canoe which
we found tied to a tree. This pretty little river was
here about forty paces inl breadth, and about seven
or eight feet deep in the middle, but gradually shallowing to each bank. It wound very romantically
through tile overhanging woods; and its current was
so sluggish, and its surface so smooth, that it was
for some time doubtful which way it ran. In the
forenoon we passed near a spot where our guides
informed us a party of Falatahs a short time ago
had murdered twenty of their slaves, because they
had not food sufficient for their support. These
same Falatahs are already spoken of as having taken
possession of a Yarriba town on the borders of the
river Moussa. They had been despatched by Bello
from  Soccatoo to collect the accustomed tribute
from the towns of Rakah and Alorie (in Yarriba);
but it is said that the inhabitants of the latter town
shut their gates against them, and declared themselfes independent of the Falatahs. On the return
of the disappointed party through Borgoo, the King
of Kiama forbade any of his people from selling
them provisions, and they were consequently obliged
to find their way through this long and dreary wil.




228            VIOLENT STORM.
derness without food. We remarked a great many
holes which had been dug by these unfortunate men
in the hope of finding a kind of wild yamn that
abounds in the forest, besides the remains of fires
which they had kindled to dress this scanty fare.
No doubt they had been reduced to a dreadful extremity before they would kill their slaves; and perhaps the number of victims has been greatly exaggerated; for the natives, their enenies, are fond of
impressing strangers with the most unfavouratle
idea of. their characters and dispositions, so that
their stories ought to be received with cautioi., We
observed the skeleton of one of the slaves by the
wayside.
After a long and tiresome journey under a burning sun, we pitched our tent in the evening near a
small stream. My brother was very ill, his feverl
having returned with increased violence; but he.
took no other medicine than a common soda powt.
der, as I was fearful of our progress being retarded.
A storm gathered over our heads a few minutes after
the tent had been fixed, and presently burst with terrifi( violence. While it lasted we were occupied
with the thoughts of our forlorn condition. The
deafening noise of the thunder as it echoed among
the hills, the overpowering glare ol the lightning,
the torrents of rain, and the violence of the wind
were truly awful. The whole of our party, amounting to twenty, were collected in the tent for shelter
from the storm, and in spite of the water which ran
through it, contrived to sleep till, morning.
Tuesday, June 8th.-We were obliged to lie in our
wet clothes all night, and the effects of this were
visible on my brother this morning. I endeavoured.
in vain, to rally him, but he was scarcely able to
stand. The tent was packed up in its wet state, and
the carriers hastened onwards as fast as they could,
for the provisions were consumed, and: wewere
anxious to get to our journey's end with6ut:delay.




MY BRjOTHER'S ILLNESS.       229
This proceeds from Pascoe's negligence in having
obtained only provisions enough for one day instead
of three. My brother and I lingered behind with
old Pascoe and another of our men, and proceeded
on at a very slow pace, for our horses were worn
hut with fatigue, and my brother's was quite lame.
As we advanced he became worse, till at length he
was completely overcome, and, to prevent falling
off his horse, dismounted, and lay down.  There
was no tree near us that would afford shelter from
the sun; so with the assistance of our people I obtained some few branches, and formed a sort of
bower, our horses' pads answering the purpose of a
bed. The croaking of frogs indicated that water
was not far distant; and we soon procured some.
During the rest of the day my brother became
worse, but the coolness of the evening appeared to
revive him a little. Our medicine-chest had been
sent with the other things; I despatched Pascoe for
it, but do not expect his return till to-morrow. In
the mean time 1 went into the wood, and shot the
only bird I saw, which was about the size of a sparrow. With this I returned, made a fire, and prepared a little soup in a half-pint cup, which we had
reserved for the purpose of getting water from the
streans, instead of a calabash. The soup was rather
unsavoury, from want of salt, nevertheless it was of
service to my brother; the flesh of the bird I divided
between myself and my man, as we were both weak
from want of food. We contrived to make a more
substantial habitation for my brother in the evening,of some stout branches of trees, and thatched it with
long grass; -and lighted large fires round it to keep
away the wild beasts. But neither of us could sleep.
for, independent of his illness, we were attacked by
myriads of mosquitoes and buzzing flies. A prowl
ing tiger was the only savage animal that approached
near enough to be seen during the night.
Wednesday,. June 9th. —Notwithstanding his bad




230          ARRIVE AT COOBLY.
night's rest, my brother had little fever on him this
morning; in fact, he found himself so much refreshed
and strengthened as to be able to go in search of
our horses, which had strayed from us in the night.
Having found them, we immediately made the necessary preparations, and proceeded on our journey;
and in an hour's time we descried Pascoe approaching us with five men, who brought us corn and milk,
and little cakes made of pounded corn and honey.
The Governor of Coobly, the town to which we were
going, had also kindly sent us a horse and a hamni
mock for my brother. The animal was to carry my
brother over some rivulets which we should have to
cross, whose banks were too steep and rugged for
the hammock-men to perform that service. He
thought himself strong enough to dispense with their
assistance altogether, but accepted the horse with
thankfilness. We all set forward together in good
spirits about half-past ten in the morning; and with occasional halting for my brother to rest himself, we arrived near Coobly shortly after sunset, without experiencing the extraordinary fatigue we had anticipated.
Outside the town is a vast number of straggling
Falatah hamlets, which are built on marshy ground,
Our attention was attracted by a vast number of fireflies, which were sporting over a swamp, and, together with numerous little lights from the huts of
the Falatahs, had a very pleasing appearance. During the journey we crossed several rivulets, and
travelled over three or four hills. The soil on the
latter is scanty and steril, but the valleys appeared
fertile. The exhalations from decaying vegetable
substances near Coobly were highly offensive; and
the air, being likewise impregnated in many places
with a strong odour similar to that of musk, rendered
it very disagreeable.
Having waited on the governor to thank him for
his attention, we were detained but a few moments,
and without having seen him we repaired to a hut




COOBLY.                231
that was assigned to us, where soon after my brother
was seized with a return of the fever, more severe
than the former.
Thursday, June 10th.-The governor sent us a bowl
of rice, one of milk, two calabashes of butter, and a
fine fat bullock. I was too anxiously and intently
employed about my brother to make a return for his
present, or to bestow my attention on any other
matter, and therefore promised to visit him to-morrow. 1 administered ten grains of calomel to my
brother, after which he fell into a kind of stupor and
an insensibility to surrounding objects, which did not
leave him till this afternoon, when his reason returned.
Towards the evening he became worse, and I expected every moment was his last.   During the
few intervals he had from delirium he seemed to be
aware of his danger, and entered into arrangements
respecting his family concerns. At this moment my
feelings were of too painful a nature to be described.
The unhappy fate of my late master Captain Clapperton came forcibly to my mind. I had followed
him into this country, where he perished; I had attended him in his parting moments; I had performed
the last mournful office for him which our nature requires, and the thought that I should have to go
through the same sad ceremonies for my brother
overwhelmed me with grief.
Friday, June 11th.-Between eleven and twelve
last night I rejoiced to find that my brother's illness
seemed to take a favourable turn, and towards the
morning he became tranquil and free from pain.
Two messengers arrived fiom Boossa last night,
and another on horseback this morning, with a quantity of onions as a present from the queen. They
were commanded by the king to await our departure
from this town, and escort us to the city of Boossk,
which is said to be two days' journey from Coobly,
though we had been given to understand it was no
more than a few hundred Vyads
J.-S




232                COOBLY.
The governor has been very importunate in his
desire for my brother to sell him one of his pistols;
and as we are in want of nothing so much as a horse,
he offered it in exchange for the one my brother rode
on Wednesday. He would rather have given us a
boy instead of the horse, but this did not satisfy us;
and at last he consented to part with the animal, on
condition that some trifling articles should be given
with the pistol, which was agreed to, and the bargain concluded.
Saturday, June 12th.-My brother's health is rapidly
returning. An old woman applied to our lodgings
to-day for medicine that would produce her an entire
new set of teeth; or, said she, " If I can only be supplied with two large and strong ones, I shall be satisfied with them." The woman was becoming rather
impertinent, when I recommended her to procure
two iron ones from a blacksmith, which so much
displeased her that she went away in a pet. The
governor supplies us every day with abundance of
milk and rice.
Coobly is situated on the slope of a cone-shaped
mountain, with a very broad base; and maybe plainly
distinguished to the westward at the distance of
above thirty miles. We huae named this mountain,
after our own country, Mount Cornwall. The town
is fortified by a strong fence, made by driving stakes
frmly into the earth, and placing them closely together; but notwithstanding this defence, the Falatahs attacked and entered it about four years ago;
since which period, it is said, the governor has been
in the habit of paying an annual tribute to King
Bello. The inhabitants grow quantities of rice and
corn, though none of the latter is now to be procured at any price, owing to the treachery and rapacity of the Faltahs, who, when they quitted the
town, not only carried away all the corn that was in
store, but tore up and destroyed all that was growing
in the fields. The people, therefore, are but just re



COOBLY.               233
covering from the effects of this malicious act. Above
a thousand Falatahs, it is conjectured, reside with
the flocks and herds on the plains near the town of
Coobly; but they are very different in their manners
front their marauding countrymen, and maintain a
friendly intercourse with their neighbours.
Sunday, June 13th.-Last night we were visited by
a thunder-storm, and the rain entered the roofs of
ourdwellings, and nearly inundated us. My brother's
health still continues to improve. Although this is
the Sabbath, I was obliged to send Pascoe in the
morning to endeavour to shoot a Guinea hen, because
we were unable to procure any description of fowl
from the inhabitants, on religious considerations:
the old man speedily returned, having been successful; great numbers of those birds abounding in the
fields and woods near the town.
Monday, June 14th.-The governor's old wife returned from Boossa this morning, whither she had
gone in quest of three female slaves who had fled
from her about a fortnight since. She has brought
the fugitives back with her, and they are now confined in irons. As soon as she heard of our being
in the town, the old lady sent us a sheep and a calabash of honey, which we accepted; and she shortly
afterward paid us a visit in person, when we took
the opportunity of returning her present. The old
matron's establishment is separate and distinct from
that of her husband, the governor, who has not the
slightest control over it. She is reported to have a
multitude of slaves, and to be, in other respects, extremely opulent. No one can surpass the governor
in benevolence and general good-humour.
Tuesday, June 15th.-My brother, by the blessing
of God, is now perfectly recovered from an illness
that had nearly proved fatal to him. At an early
hour this morning we paid our respects to the hospitable governor, and quitted the town of Coobly




234             LEAVE COOBLY.
Our route was in a south-easterly direction; and we
travelled through a thick forest, over hills and through
deep valleys till noon, when we halted for the day
amid the ruins of a large town, which, we are told,
has recently been deserted by its inhabitants. Near
the remains of a wall we perceived a human scull,
and other bones, which had been bleached white by
the sun. rhis circumstance excited in us a desire
to learn the fate of the former inhabitants of the
town, and the reason of its present ruinous state.
One of our messengers soon satisfied our curiosity,
by informing us, that a short time ago the town was
taken by surprise and pillaged by a large party of
Falatahs, who put to the sword all that:made any
resistance, and carried the remainder away with
them as slaves. The ruins are vry extensive, and
the population of the town must have been consid.
erable. The plain whereon it stood is large, verdant,
and eminently beautiful, and is ornamented with
fine trees. The ruins are at present inhabited by a
variety of birds, and a large troop of monkeys; the
latter walked away very composedly' on hearing the
report of one of our guns. Here one of the horses
died; the poor animal had beeii our fellow-traveller
fiom Jenna: another is too weak to walk with us a
mile farther, so that we shall be compelled to leave
him behind, for we cannot make up our minds to
destroy him; and the third cannot live many days
The affection of these poor brutes towards each
other is most extraordinary. The Bloossk messenger rode to a little village at a short distance from
the ruins this afternoon, and returned in about four
hours with an excellent mare, which he had borrowed
of the governor for our use. In the evening we
pitched the tent; and our men, with the carrier
and messengers, having constructed little temporary
grass huts for themselves, made large fires all round
them, and retired to rest.
Wednesday, June 16th.-A man on horseback air




ZALEE.                235
rived a* our -encampment before sunrise this morning, and looked round for a minute or two without
dismounting. He neither explained his intentions,
nor even uttered a syllable; but when we wished to
address him, he galloped off again the same way he
had come. We rather suppose this horseman to
have been despatched by the King of Boossa for the
purpose of ascertaining whether or not we were on
the road, for we hear he awaits our coming with
much anxiety. - At six A. M. we quitted our encampment among the ruins, and continued our journey in excellent spirits. The country was as woody
as any which we remember to have seen, and the
soil, generally speaking, as dry and steril.  We
passed the ruins of two or three deserted villages
which originally stood near the pathway; and
between nine and ten in the morning, we entered a
unug, pretty little town called Zalee, which, in the
language of the country, means "thread."  This
town is surrounded by an excellent and well-built
clay wall with turrets, which is by far the best that
we have anywhere seen, and outside of it is a
broad and deep moat. Zalee lies in a rich and romantic valley, formed by a gap in a triple range of
elevated hills, which run from east to west. The
Falatahs, in hopes of plunder, entered the town a
year or two since, while the male portion of its inhabitants were chiefly at work in the bush; but the
women having given the alarm, they returned to
their homes in a body, and succeeded in expelling
the intruders before they had time to do any mischief.
The governor sent us a goat, a fowl, a catabash
of rice; and a quantity of corn for the horses.
Zalee contains about a thousand inhabitants.
Thursday, June 17th.-At the usual hour this morning we were on horseback, but the tardiness of our
messengers occasioned some little delay after we
had got beyond the walls. A heavy shower lasted




236          ARRIVE AT BOOSSA.
for some hours during the night, which filled the
path through the valleys with water, so that travel.
ling was neither so safe nor pleasant as we have
found it to be. We saw a surprising number of
land-crabs on the road; these animals are esteemed
as excellent eating by the natives. At nine A. M.
we observed from an eminence the Sugar-loaf
Mountain, near Wowow, lying to the right of our
path, which, if we are not mistaken, was naned
"George the Fourth" by the late Captain Clap.
perton. One of the guides pointed out two hills on
our left which could hardly be distinguished in con
sequence of their distance, and informed us that the
city of Ydoorie stands at their base. Our course
from Zalee was in a south-easterly direction.
Shortly after this we came to a fine extensive plain,
on which stood a few venerable. and magnificent
trees. Numerous herds of antelopes were feeding,
which, on hearing the report of our guns, bounded
over the plain in all directions. From hence we
first beheld the city of Boossa; it lay directly
before us, at the distance of two or three miles, and
appeared to be formed of straggling clusters of huts.
But what was our astonishment, on a nearer approach, to find Boossa standing on the mainland,
and not an island' in the Niger, as represented by
Captain Clapperton! We could discover nothing
that could warrant such an assertion.  At ten
o'clock we entered the city by the western gateway, and discharged our pieces as the signal of our
arrival.
After having waited a few minutes, we were introduced to the king, whom we found in an interior
apartment of his residence, in company with the
midikie, the title bestowed on his principal wife, or
queen. They welcomed us to Boossh with every
appearance of cordiality. They told us very gravely,
and with rueful countenances, that they had both
been weeping in the morning for the death of Cap



THE WIDOW   ZUMA.           237
tain Clapperton, whose untimely end they would
never cease to lament. They might, it is true, have
been thus engaged; but as on our entrance we observed no outward signs of tears, we rather mistrusted their assertion.  Pascoe having loitered
behind, our conversation was limited to a few
general remarks only; and having taken our leave
of them, we repaired to a hut which had been selected for us. In the evening, rice and corn, with
several dishes of meat, fish, &c., were sent us for
supper.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Widow Zuma-Present to the King-Visit to the Niger-The
King of Boosrd and thie Midikie —-Object of the Mission explainedThe Tobe of Park reco' ered-Park's Papers — ooPss describel —Resources of the C'ountry-One of Park's Books discovered-Equity ( f
the King —The Hostess- Departure from Booss —Kagogie-CanoesEmbark on the Niger-Description of the River-Village of SoolooRocky Barrier-Arrival at Yaoorie.
Friday,June 18th.-THE noted widow Zuma visited
us to-day without the slightest pretensions to finery
of any kind, either in her dress or ornaments, for
she was clad in very humlble apparel of country
cloth. She related to us, with great good-humour,
her quarrels with her prince, the ruler of Wowow,
and her consequent flight from that city to escape
his resentment. It appears, that in order to effect
this, she was actually obliged to climb over the city
wall in the night, and travel on foot to Boossa, which
is a very long journey, and to a womrn of her size
must have been an arduous task. She alleged that
she had done nothing whatever to merit the displeasure of the Wowow chief, notwithstanding
which he had robbed her of all her household furniture and;i number of her slaves. But, from another




238           VISIT THE NIGER.
quarter, we learn that one of her sons had conmmitted a theft in the city, for which he would have
suffered death, if he had not made his escape with
his mother, who, it is said, had instigated him to the
dee 1. The widow complained sadly of poverty and
the hardness of the times; she had fought with the
Yarribmans against Alorie; but instead of receiving
recompense for her bravery, she had lost half her
laves in an engagement, which so disgusted her
with the military profession that she immediately
abandoned it and returned home. Yet, in spite of
all her losses and misfortunes, she has gained so
much in corpulency, that it was with the utmost difficulty she could squeeze herself into the doorway
of our hut, although it is by no means small. The
widow Zuma is a very good-looking, elderly person
of matronly appearance.  Her skin is of a light
copper colour.
After the widow had left us, I carried the presents
which had been selected to the king and queen.
Each appeared delighted with them, and the former
iore especially was extravagant in expressions of
admiration and thankfulness. A pair of silver bracelets, a tobacco-pipe, and a looking-glass seemed to
rivet the attention of the king, who could not take
his eves off them for a full half-hour, so much was
he pleased with them.
This morning we visited the far-famed Niger or
Quorra, which flows by the city, about a mile from
our residence, and were greatly disappointed at the
appearance of this celebrated river. Black rugged
rocks rose abruptly from the centre of the stream,
causing strong ripples and eddies on its surface. It
is said that a few miles above Boossa, the river is
divided into three branches, by two small fertile
islands, and that it flows from hence in one continued stream to Funda. The Niger here, in its
widest part, is not more than a stone's throw across
at present. The rock on which we sat overlooks




THE KING AND QUEEN.          239
the spot where Mr. Park and his associates met
their unhappy fate; we could not help meditating
on that circumstance, and on the number of valuable lives which have been sacrificed in attempting to
explore this river, and secretly implored the Almighty
that we might be the humble means of setting at
rest for ever the great question of its course and teriination.
Saturday, June 19th.-This morning the king, accompanied by his consort, who is said to be his
counsellor and only confidant, honoured us with a
visit at our hut. They came without any kind of
state or ceremony, and were both dressed more
plainly than many of their subjects. The king wore
a white cotton tobe over another of blue and white,
a cap of red cloth, and leathern sandals of the same
colour. The midikie was clad in a common check
shirt, of Nouffie manufacture; a plain piece of blue
cotton was fastened round her head, wholly concealing the hair; a larzer piece of the samne kind
was thrown over the left shoulder, and a third, tied
round her waist, reached so far as the middle of the
leg. Her feet were bare, as were likewise her arms
up to the elbow; a brass ring ornamented each great
toe, and eight silver bracelets each wrist, the least
of them weighing little less than a quarter of a
pound. Besides these or)aments, the queen wore
a necklace of coral and bits of gold, and small
pieces of pipe coral were stuck in the lobe of each
ear.
We had almost forgotten to mention that the
Sultan of Bornon is considered the most powerful
chief of Northern, as the King of Boossa is of
Western Africa. The queen is the daughter of the
last and sister of the present ruler of Wowow.
The demand for coral has been very great in
every town of consequence which we have visited.
All ranks of people appear passionately fond of
wearing it, and it is preferred to every other orna.




240        OBJECT OF THE MISSION.
ment whatever. The midikie asked us this morning if we had brought any coral with us, and seemed
rather disappointed, though not displeased, on being
answered in the negative. She then pulled out a
little box, made of sheep-skin, which was filled with
coral beads and little gold.en trinkets, and requested
me to polish the latter for her. We offered her a
few plated buttons, which we had just before been
cleaning, and they were accepted with transport;
but, as their brightness had excited the admiration
of her consort, a scramble took place as to which of
the two should have them. After a long struggle,
it ended in the triumph of the king, who first chose
the largest and best for his own use, and then gave
his spouse the remainder, taking care, however, to
show her the inside of the buttons he had selected
for himself, which were tarnished by use, and to
display those intended for her to the greatest advantage. The royal couple were like two great
children, yet they were each well pleased with their
own, and expressed their thankfulness with much
warmth.
We imagined that it would have been bad policy
to have stated the true reason of our visiting this
country knowing the jealousy (f most of the people with regard to the Niger; and therefore, in answer to the king's inquiries, I was obliged to deceive
him with the assertion that our object was to go to
Bornou by way of Yaoorie, requesting at the same
time a safe conveyance through his territories.
This answer satisfied the king, and he promised us
every assistance in his power.  Our visiters remained with us a considerable time, and in the course
of conversation, one of them observed that they
had in their possession a tobe which belonged to a
white man who came from the north many years
ago, and from whom it had been purchased by the
king's father. We expressed great curiosity to see
this tobe, and it was sent us as a present a short




MR. PARK'S PAPERS.         241
time after their departure. Contrary to our expectations, we found it to be made of rich crimson damask, and very heavy from the immense quantity of
gold embroidery with which it was covered. As the
time when the late king is said to have purchased
this tobe corresponds very nearly to the supposed
period of Mr. Park's death, and as we never heard
of any other white man having come from the north
so far south as Boossa, we are inclined to believe it to
be part of the spoil obtained from the canoe of that illfated traveller. Whether Mr. Park wore the tobe himself, which is scarcely probable on account of its
weight, or whether he intended it as a present to a
native chief, we are at a loss to determine. At all
events, the article is a curiosity in itself; and if we
should live to return to England, we shall easily learn
whether it was made there or not. The chief himself
has never worn the tobe, nor did his predecessor, from
a superstitious feeling; " besides," observed the king,
" it might excite the cupidity of the neighbouring
powers."
Sunday, June 20th.-The king sent a messenger
this morning to inform us that he was a tailor, and
that he would thank us for some thread and a few
needles for his own' private use. By this man he
likewise sent a musket formus to repair; but as it is
Sunday, we have declined doing it till to-morrow.
Eager as we are to obtain even the slightest information relative to the unhappy fate of Mr. Park and
his companions, as well as to ascertain if any of
their books or papers are now in existence at this
place, we had almost made up our minds to refrain
from asking any questions on the subject, because
we were apprehensive that it might be displeasing
to the king, and involve us in many perplexities.
Familiarity, however, having in some measure worn
off this impresion, and the king being an affable,
obliging, and good-natured person, we were imboldened to send Pascoe to him this morning, with a




242           MR. PARK*S PAPERS.
nmessage expressive of the interest we felt on the
subject, in common with all our countrymen; and
say ng, that if any books or papers which belonged
to Mr. Park were yet in his possession, he would do
us a great service by delivering them into our
hands, or at least by granting us permission to see
them. To this the king returned for answer, that
when Mr. Park was lost in the Niger, he was a very
Little boy, and that he knew not what had become
of his effects; that the deplorable event had occurred
in the reign of the late king's predecessor, who
died shortly after; and that all traces of the white
mlan-had been lost with him. This answer disappointed our hopes, for to us it appeared final and decisive. But in the evening they were again raised
by a hint from our host, who is the king's drummer,
and one of the principal men in the country: he assured us that there was certainly one book at least
saved from Mr. Park's canoe, which is now in the
possession of a very poor man in the service of his
master, to whom it had been intrusted by the late
king during his last illness. He said, moreover, that
if but one application were made to the king, on
any subject whatever, very little was thought of it;
but if a second were made, the matter would be considered of sufficient importance to demand his whole
attention,-such being the custom of the country.
The drummer therefore recommended us to persevere in our inquiries, for he had no doubt that something to our satisfaction would be elicited. At his
own request, we sent him to the king immediately,
desiring him to repeat our former statement, and to
assure the king, that should he be successful in recovering the book we wanted, our monarch would
reward him handsomely. He desired the drummer
to inform us that he would use every exertion, and
examine the man who was reported to have the
white man's book in his possession, at an early hour
to-morrow. Here the matter at present rests.




BOossA.               243
In the afternoon the king came alone to see- us
and wished to know when we were inclined to de
part: we answered, that we were quite ready; that
we were only waiting his pleasure, and would gladly
proceed on our journey whenever he would give us
permission. He said, if the King of Yt&oorie should
not have a canoe for us by Monday evening, we
should have the use of one of his own, and that w
should have liberty to embark on the following morn
ing. We thanked him for his kindness, and took the
opportunity of paying him and his spouse a compliment, which their treatment of us has really deserved. The king took it in good part, was extremely affable and obliging, and quitted us in an
excellent humour.
I have been very unwell during the last day or
two, but am now much better.
Monday, June 21st.-The city of Boossa, as we
have before observed, consists of a great number
of groups or clusters of huts, all within a short distance of each other. It is bounded on one side by
the river Quorra or Niger, and on the other by an
extensive turreted wall, with moats, forming a comRlete semicircle.  Notwithstanding, however, its
natural and artificial defences, Boossa was taken by
the Falitahs many years ago; on which occasion
its inhabitants fled, with their children and effects,
to one of those little islands in the Niger which we
have already mentioned. But the chiefs of Niki,
Wowow, and Kiima, having been made acquainted
with the circumstance, assembled together, and having joined their forces with those of BoossA, drove
the FalUtahs, their common enemy, into the Niger,
where many of them perished. Since that period
the city has never been invaded, nor threatened with
attack. 1 he soil of Boossa is, for the most part,
very fertile, and produces rice, corn, yams, &c. in
great abundance. -Dowah, a kind of corn, is obtainejd here in the greatest perfection; it yields five




244                BOOSSA.
hundred fold, and forms the principal food of the
inhabitants, both rich and poor. Another variety
of corn grows here, which has eight ears on a single stem; the grain is very small and sweet, but it
is not cultivated to any extent.  The butter-tree
flourishes in and near the town; and palm oil is imported from Nouffie; but the latter is only used as
an article of food, because it is very scarce and
dear, and is purchased only by the king and a few
of the principal inhabitants. The king and his midikie have each great numbers of fine cattle, but none
of their subjects are in possession of a single bullock; they have, however, flocks of sheep and goats,
and obtain immense quantities of fish from the Niger. Very good salt is brought from a salt lake on
the borders of the river, which is about ten days'
journey to the northward of this place; and pepper
grows in every part of the country. Guinea-fowl,
pheasants, partridges, and a variety of aquatic birds
are found here in the greatest plenty, and have afforded us excellent sport. The natives sometimes
endeavour to shoot them with their arrows, but this
method of procuring game is at all times very precarious and difficult; and two birds only have been
thus killed during several years past. Deer and antelopes also abound near the city; but they are
timid and shy, and rarely, if ever, caught by the inhabitants. The fish, with which the river abounds
so plentifully, are eaten by all classes of people:
they are tough, dry, and unsavoury; yet they form
part of the daily food of the inhabitants, who appear exceedingly fond of them.
The Hhussa language is understood by the gene-'rality of the natives of Borgoo, both young and old,
almost as well as their mother-tongue, and it is
spoken by the majority of them with considerable
fluency. The government of the country is despotic; but this unlimited power, which is vested in
the monarch, is almost invariably exercised with




MR. PARK'S PAPERS.         245
enity and forbearance. All private disputes are
settled by the king, and he punishes misdemeanours
just as his inclination may lead him. It was reported that the queen ruled her husband, and influenced his conduct in all matters; but the affair of
the buttons shows the rumour to be ill-founded.
The king's address is superior; and his whole demeanour, in our presence, though mild and unassuming, displays a good deal of natural dignity. He
sent us a fine turkey this morning, which was acknowledged on our part by a couple of Guinea-fowl
and two brace of partridges, which my brother had
shot.
In the afternoon, the king came to see us, followed by a man with a book under his arm, which
was said to have been picked up in the Niger after
the loss of our countryman. It was enveloped in a
large cotton cloth, and our hearts beat high with expectation as the man was slowly unfolding it, for by
its size we guessed it to be Mr. Park's journal; but
our disappointment and chagrin were great, when,
on opening the book, we discovered it to be an old
nautical publication of the last century. The titlepage was missing, but its contents were chiefly tables of logarithms. It was a thick royal- quarto,
which led us to conjecture that it was a journal; between the leaves we found a few loose papers of
very little consequence indeed; one of them contained two or three observations on the height of the
water in the Gambia; one was a tailor's bill on a
Mr. Anderson; and another was addressed to Mr.
Mungo Park, and contained an invitation to dinner,
-the following is a copy of it:" Mr. and Mrs. Watson would be happy to have
the pleasure of Mr. Park's company at dinner on
I'uesday next, at haif-past five o clotk.
"' An answer is requested.
" Strand, 9th Nov. 1804."




24d         PASCOE AND HIS SLAVE.
The king, as well as the owner of the book, looked
asgreatly mortified as ourselves,:when they were told
that the one produced was not that of which we
were in quest, because the reward promised would
not of course be obtained. As soon as our curiosity
had been fully satisfied, the papers were carefully
collected and placed again between the leaves, and
the book as carefully folded in its envelope as before, and taken away by its owner, who values it as
much as a household god. Thus all our hopes of
obtaining Mr. Park's journal or papers, in this city,
are entirely defeated. The inquiry, on our part, has
not been prosecuted without muich trouble and anxiety, and some little personal sacrifices likewise,
which, had the'y been ten times as great, we would
gladly have made while a single hope remained of
their being effectual.
Tuesday/, June'2d.-When Captain Clapperton
was at Wowow on the former expedition, Pascoe
purchased a slave of the widow Zuma to be his wife.
but for some reason or other the bargain was not completed, and the woman remained with her mistress.
A part of the purchase-money only was given back
to Pascoe, and he was obliged to quit the town with
his master without having had an opportunity of recovering the remainder. The widow's late change
of residence from Wowow to Boossa seemed to
offer a fair chance for Pascoe to obtain his money,
and he accordingly made an early application for it;
but though she acknowledged the debt, she refused
payment, on the ground that, as the prince of Wowow had forcibly obtained possession of the girl in
question, he had no. right whatever to the money.
Pascoe, unwilling to lose so large a sum, then laid
the matter before the King of Boossa, for his decision; and, in consequence, the widow has undergone
two or three:examinations, without producing any
good whatever. The monarch has declared that he
sees the justice of his demand, but as the woman




PIESENTS.             247
obstinately refuses to pay the debt, he cannot think
of forcing her to do so against her inclination.
Pascoe subsequently offered the whole of the money
which the widow owed him to the king, provided the
latter could obtain it. But this was altogether repugnant to the monarch's notions of right and wrong.
He replied, "The widow came here to me alone, and
in distress, to claim nly protection, which I granted
her without hesitation; it would therefore ill become
me to break my faith, and turn my back on an object so utterly defenceless and unprotected, by exacting from her the money of another for my own
use, in the recovery of which I had previously refused to interfere. I cannot break my word-I cannot grant you your request,"
It is amusing to discover the shifts to which the
people of Boossa and other places have resorted, in
the hope of obtaining a little present of some sort
from us. The day after our arrival here, a man,
who represented himself as brother to the King of
Nouffie, sent us a large bowl of dried fish and
onions; and another individual has sold his only
tobe, for the purpose of obtaining a little money to
purchase some bunm, which is a fermented liquor extracted from the palm-tree and the bamboo, and
which he is about to present to us. The former of
these presents was rejected, because such kind of
things had become, by their frequency, so serious an
inconvenience, that we have determined to accept
of nothing for the future in the shape of a gift, except from the chiefs and governors themselves. Yet
we have repented of our resolution in this instance,
having been informed yesterday that the pretended
brother of the King of Nouffib wds not long ago
taken prisoner by the Falatahs, and his only son
with him, and that they were both sold by them to a
company of Haussa merchants; that the father had
redeemed himself from slavery by his own exertions,
and that he had had recourse to the above expedient
i.-T




248               Bi00SSA.
of sending us a quantity of dried fish and onions, m
the expectation of obtaining a little money from us
towards emancipating his son. The poor man went
away quite crest-fallen and unhappy at the ill success of his project, and quitted the city immediately
after, to visit his enslaved son, who is at Koolfu, so
that when we were made acquainted with the circumstance it was too late to relieve him, and we
very much regretted it.
Our hostess is an agreeable and good-natured wo
man, but she is excessively vain of her person; so
much so, indeed, that she employs several hours in
the day in dressing her hair, which hangs down below the face in three plaited queues, one of them
from the forehead, and one from each side of the
head; after which she affixes ornaments on different
parts of her body, stains her lips and teeth a shining
red colour with hennah (a species of myrtle); and
when all this is done, she admires herself in a broken
looking-glass which we have given her. This is
the most whimsical and diverting part of the ceremony: she approaches the glass and retreats from
it again, smiles when she fancies that she looks
pretty; and distorts her features and throws her
body into all manner of comical attitudes, to ascertain which is the most engaging. Although only a
drummer's wife, our hostess is considered as a person of respectability, for her husband's situation is
one of the most important in the kingdom; and all
the more respectable females of Borgoo adorn their
persons in much the same manner as she does, and
have an almost equal share of affectation and vanity.
The men sometimes stain their lips and teeth, and
finger and toe-ndils, like their wives; but this custom is by no means general among them. The King
an] Queen of Boossa disregard it altogether.
We brought three horses with us to Coobly from
Jenna; two of them have died from fatigue, and the
third is in so miserable a state, that he can be of no




LEAVE BOOSSA.            249
further service to us. The king paid us a visit this
afternoon, and informed us that every thing will be
in readiness for our departure to-morrow. On this
occasion he presented us with an excellent and
handsome horse, which is the more acceptable, as
we have only one, which we fortunately purchased
a few days ago from the governor of Coobly. The
monarch strongly enjoined us to accept of no provisions, particularly milk and honey, from any person whatever, excepting the governors of towns
through which we may pass, for he was apprehensive that poison would be mixed with them. He
did not explain to us on what grounds he entertained
)iis suspicion, but left us to form our own conjece
tures on his unexpected advice. If we are not mistaken, the king warned Captain Clapperton of a
similar danger.
During the whole course of our journey we have
nowhere experienced greater kindness, attention,
and hospitality than from the amiable ruler of this
place, and his no less amiable companion, and we
shall have occasion to remember their civility to us
as long as we live.
Since we have been here the king has given us a
horse, bullock, sheep, and turkey, which were all
very valuable; while our present to him is considerably less than that which the King of Kiima
received.
Wednesday, June 23d.-Last night Boossa: was
visited by a tornado, which did a little mischief to
the town. At an early hour in the morning the king
and queen paid us a farewell visit, when the former
again cautioned us to beware of poison. We then
expressed our acknowledgments to both for all their
favours; and an hour or two after they had taken
their departure we rode out of the city, accompanied
by two horsemen as an escort and a foot-messenger
to the Sultan of Yaoorie. Not far from the walls
of Boossa we came to a spot where the herds of the




250               KAGOGIE.
king and midikie were grazing: finer cattle can no
where be seen; they are under the care of Falatah
slaves, because the natives do not understand their
management. From hence we journeyed along the
banks of the Niger at an easy pace, owing to the
hollows in the path, and two hours afterward entered a pleasant little walled town, called Kagogie,
where we were desired to halt till to-morrow. The
town is peopled solely by the King of Boussa's
slaves; and is distant, in a northerly direction, from
the capital about eight or nine miles. We have been
sent hither by land, because a canoe could not be
paddled up the river without the greatest difficulty
and danger on account of the rocks. The inhabitants of Kagogie appear to enjoy an easy kind of life.
The chief part of their time is employed in husbandry, fishing, and taking care of the king's horses;
and though but indifferently clad, they all seem well
fed, contented, and comfortable.
In the afternoon a young woman presented herself
with a few loose leaves of " Thomson's Seasons,"
which we had thrown away at Booss.. She had
been despatched purposely by the king, her master,
who imagined that they were valuable to us, and that
we had overlooked them in the hurry of departure.
Even here, in this insignificant and sequestered
place, the Arabic language is professed to be taught
in schools, and boys are put under the tuition of
men who can only teach them a few very short Mohammedai prayers, and who do not themselves understand a single Arabic character.
Our nights were spent most unpleasantly at
Boossa, by reason of the swarms of mosquitoes and
black ants which infested our dwelling and whose
sting is keener than a needle's point; the latter insect, in particular, is a great nuisance, and we are
told that there is not a town on the banks of the
Niger that is free from either.
Thursday, June 24th.-Though the governor (f




THE NIGER.              251
Kagogie had been made acquainted with our intentions no less than three days before our arrival, yet
no canoe had been got ready for our use; and this
morning, when we expected to embark, the "king
of the canoe," as the person who has the care of it
is ridiculously styled, informed us with the utmost
unconcern that it was out of repair, and that it would
not be fit for our reception for some hours at least.
This intelligence was very disagreeable and provoking; for we were so anxious to embark on the
Niger, that the shortest delay was painful to us
Besides, the appearance of the morning foretold a
hot day, and as we had neither awning nor umbrellas
to screen us from the burning sun, this circumstance
tended to increase our uneasiness. The natives
have no forethought, and imagine that all men value
time as little as themselves; every thing is deferred
till the very last moment, and they look up into
one's face with wonder when they see one anywise
impatient.
In the course of the forenoon we repaired to the
side of the river, which is about twenty or thirty
paces from the town, for the purpose of endeavouring to encourage and hurry the workmen in their
labour about the canoe. Promises and threats were
employed to effect this object, but the men would
neither be coaxed nor intimidated,-they would not
overwork themselves, they said, for all the riches in
our possession; so that we were obliged to leave
them, and exercise our patience. The branch of the
Niger which flows by Kagogie is about a mile in
width; but it is rendered so shallow by large sandbanks that, except in one very narrow place, a child
might wade across it without difficulty. Mr. Park
chose a deeper and safer branch, though it led to
the same dangers.
Our horses were conveyed across from here to
the opposite side of the river, from whence they will
be taken to Yaoorie by land, because the canoes of




252        EMBARK ON THE NIGER.
the natives would be too frail a conveyance for
them. These canoes are of great length, but the
workmanship employed in making and fashioning
them is exceedingly rude and careless. Owing perhaps to the want of proper trees of sufficient magnitude, they are made of ttwo blocks of wood, which
are sewn together by a thick cord, under which a
quantity of straw is placed, both inside and out, to
prevent the admission of water; but the whole is
altogether so clumsily executed, that every canoe in
the country is always leaky.
About midday, the workmen having finished our
canoe, the luggage was presently put into it, and between twelve and one we embarked with our people,
and were launched out into the river. The direction of this branch was nearly east and west; and
we proceeded some distance down the stream for
the purpose of getting into the main branch of the
Niger, where there is deeper water. This object
was soon attained, and we found it flowing from
north to south, through a rich and charming country,
which seemed to improve in appearance the farther
we advanced. We were propelled at a good rate
up a channel, which, from half a mile in breadth,
gradually widened to rather better than a mile.
Beautiful, spreading, and spiry trees adorned the
country on each side of the river, like a park; corn,
nearly ripe, waved over the water's edge; large
open villages appeared every half-hour; and herds
of spotted cattle were observed grazing and enjoying
the cool of the shade. The appearance of the river
for several miles was no less enchanting than its
borders; it was as smooth as a lake; canoes, laden
with sheep and goats, were paddled by women down
its almost imperceptible current; swallows and a
variety of aquatic birds were sporting over its glassy
surface, which was ornamented by a number of
pretty little islands.
The heat of the weather distressed us greatly till




THE NIGER.              253
the approach of evening, when large sandbanks and
shallows engaged our attention. A little after eight
P. M. we landed on the eastern bank of the river, not
far from a small village, where we fixed our tent on
a plot of rising corn, and, having nothing to eat,
went supperless to rest.
Friday, June 25th,-The most remarkable object
which we saw on rising this morning was a rugged
and romantic range of hills, appearing to the eastward of our encampment: it is called Engarskie,
from a country of the same name in which the hills
are situated, and which was formerly an independent
kingdom, but is now become a province of Yaoorie.
At a little before seven A. M. our canoe was pushed
off the sandy beach on which it had been secured,ast evening, and propelled down a very narrow
channel between a large sandbank and the shore.
This conducted us into the main branch of the Niger, and we again admired its delightful and magnificent appearance.
We had proceeded only a few hundred yards when
the river gradually widened to two miles, and continued so as far as the eye could reach. It looked
very much like an artificial canal; the banks having
the appearance of a dwarf wall, with vegetation beyond. In most places the water was extremely
shallow, but in others it was deep enough to float a
frigate. During the first two'hours of the day the
scenery was as interesting and picturesque as can
be imagined. The banks were literally covered
with hamlets and villages; fine trees, bending under
the weight of their dark and impenetrable foliage,
everywhere relieved the eye from the glare of the
sun's rays, and, contrasted with the lively verdure
~f the little hills and plains, produced the most
pleasing effect. Afterward, however, there was a
decided change; the banks, which before consisted
of dark earth, clay, or sand, were now composed of
black rugged rocks; large sandbanks and islands




254             FROM BOOSSA
were'scattered in the river, which diverted it into a
variety of little channels, and effectually destroyed
its appearance.
About eleven o'clock, dark clouds from the west
foretold an approaching storm; and our boatmen
used their utmost exertions in endeavouring to reach
a village, or some place of security, before it should
burst upon us; but in this hope we were disappointed, for in a very few minutes it blew a hurricane, accompanied by thunder and lightning of the
most awful description, and the rain fell in torrents.
It became, besides, so dark, that notning could be
clearly distinguished at the distance of only a few
yards. We were wetted to the skin in a moment;
and our canoe was in danger of sinking as we came
abreast of a little fishing village, on an island, close
to the water's edge. We jumped on shore as soon
as possible, and ran without shoes or hats into the
first hut we came to for protection from the storm.
Here our unlooked-for intrusion frightened away a
poor woman, who rushed out of the hut as we entered it; but we commenced throwing off our dripping clothes, and displacing a pot of fish which was
stewing over a few expiring embers, heaped up all
the dry wood we could find. Not till then did we
discover that our situation was little better than it
had been in the canoe; the hut had two large open
doorways opposite each other, through which the
wind swept the rain, and filled it with pools of water.
This was too much for us, and sallying out irnmediately, half-dressed, we hurried towards a hut which
we perceived at a short distance; but this was no
better than that which we had left,-all seemed
alike; and rushing back again through the pelting
rain, we regained our deserted hut, and resigned
ourselves to all its inconveniences. Our people
shortly afterward came up to us, quite benumbed
with cold and wet; and, notwithstanding their dis.
tress and our own comfortless condition, we could




TO YAOORIE.             255
not forbear laughing at their comical and ragged appearance. Meantime the hostess and her husband,
with several of the other villagers, summoned up
resolution enough to visit us; and by way of a
peace-offering, they brought with them firewood
and a small quantity of provisions. This enabled
us to kindle two large fires in the hut, which, as the
storm was abating, soon dried up the water; but we
were unavoidably obliged to lie down in damp
clothes. My brother and I sat up during the best
part of the night, for we found it impossible to sleep,
not only on account of myriads of mosquitoes, but
the groaning and snoring of men, the barking and
growling of dogs, an incessant drumming at an
adjacent village, and the startling roar of a lion,
which was prowling about our quarters near the
whole of the night.
Saturday, June 26th.-The tempest of yesterday
was succeeded by a cool evening, and a remarkably
clear night. In the morning, on leaving the village,
we were followed to the beach by a few of its inhabitants, and when the canoe was pushed off at seven
o'clock, they cheered us loudly. These people are
harmless and good-natured, but dirty in their persons
and singular in their manners. Their language is
different from that spoken at Boossa. Most of the
villages on the islands, as far as Yaoorie, it is said,
are inhabited by the same race of people, and they
are also scattered on the banks of the river. The
women daub their hair with red clay, but they are
too poor to purchase many personal ornaments, and
the men use none whatever. They appear to have
the necessaries of life in abundance; they are partial to agriculture, and cultivate large portions of
land with corn, rice, and onions; besides which
fishing is carried on by them on an extensive scale,
and numbers of the men go three days' journey up
the Niger to catch fish. Most of their huts are sup.
ported on cla y pillars, which are wonderful'y small:
I. U




256             FROM BOOSSA
or on stone slabs not more than an inch in thickness.
The walls of the huts are only two or three inches
in thickness; but these have no large doorways like
that which we occupied; and instead of them, they
are furnished with a small single aperture near the
roof, to which their owners are obliged to climb; and
even then they cannot enter without great exertion.
These huts approach nearer to the shape of a common English oven than any thing else we have ever
seen. Situated between Boossa and Yaoorie, the
inhabitants of most of the islands speak the language
of' those countries, but they have also one of their
own, which none but themselves understand: a
smattering of the Haussa tongue, which they have
attained, is the only method of communication which
is adopted in their trading transactions.
We had passed the island whereon we slept last
night but a few minutes, and had just entered into
the main river, when we came to a spot where it
spreads again into branches, and each channel was
literally filled with dangerous rocks, sandbanks, and
low islands covered with tall rank grass. The appearance of them was extremely disheartening. We
were conducted up the main branch of the river, but
were soon obliged to land with our people in order
to lighten the canoe, which, after a deal of exertion,
was lifted over a:ridge of rocks into deeper water.
During the greater part of the morning, indeed, our
canoe was continually striking against concealed
rocks, or running on hidden sandbanks, but sustained no apparent damage by the concussion; the
only inconvenience we experienced from it was the
fatiguing one of being obliged to get out and in whenever it was found necessary. It therefore afforded
us much pleasure to be landed, about two o'clock in
the afternoon, on the left bank of the river, for we
were heartily tired of our morning's work, and felt
highly gratified that it was over.
At a short distance from the water's edge the




TO YAOORIE.             257
country was thickly studded with clusters of huts,
which all together are called the village of Sooloo 
and we took up our quarters in a large one, which is
nearest the landing-place. The inhabitants resemble very much the islanders already spoken of; they
cultivate much land, and catch vaslquantities of fish;
but though they live well, they are clothed very
indifferently. The only ornaments they wear are
made of the back-bone of a certain species of fish,
which are tied round the loins and other parts of the
body. Besides corn, &c., the inhabitants also grow
immense quantities of onions, and they have large
storehouses full of these ready to be exported to
different parts of the continent. The price of an
onion here is two cowries; at Katunga forty, and at
Badagry they fetch so high a price as a hundred
cowries each.
We were treated this afternoon with much hospitality by them, and they did all in their power to
render our short stay as agreeable as possible.:Sunday, June 27th.-Both of us awoke this morning rather unwell, which was most likely occasioned
by our exposure to the tempest of Friday. The old
chief of the village accompanied us to the water's
edge when we quitted our hut for the purpose of
embarking, and enjoined the "king of the canoe" to
be particularly careful of his charge. " Careful!"
answered the man; "to be sure I will; do I not
know that white men are more precious than a boat.'oad of eggs, and require as much care to be taken
of them?" We- entreated the same man a short
time afterward to be more active and diligent in the
management of his canoe, for he was rather inclined
to be lazy, and Suffered every one to go before ours;
but he replied gravely, "Kings do not travel so fast
as- common men;: must convey you along as
slowly as possible."
We had heard so unfavourable an account of the
state of the river at one particular place which we




258             FROM BOOSSA
should have to pass, that our people were compelled
to disembark and walk along the banks a considerable way, till we had passed it, when we took them in
again  We found the description to be in nowise
exaggerated; it presented a most forbidding appearaice, and yields only to the state of the Niger near
Boossa in difficulty and danger. On our arrival at
this formidable place, we discovered a range of black
rocks running directly across the stream, and the
water, finding only one narrow passage, rushed
through it with great impetuosity, overturning and
carrying away every thing in its course. Our boatmen, with the assistance of a number of the natives,
who planted themselves on the rocks on each side
of the only channel, and in the stream at the stern
of the canoe, lifted it by main force into smoother
and safer water. The last difficulty with respect to
rocks and sandbanks was now overcome, and in a
very little time we came to the termination of all the
islands, after which, it is said, there is not a single
dangerous place up the Niger. The river here presented its noblest appearance; not a single rock nor
sandbank was anywhere perceptible; its borders
resumed their beauty, and a strong, refreshing breeze,
which had blown during the whole of the morning,
now gave it the motion of a slightly-agitated sea.
In the course of the morning we passed two lovely
little islands, clothed in verdure, which at a short
distance looked as charming as the fabled gardens
of Ifesperia; indeed no spot on earth can excel them
in beauty of appearance.  These islands are inhabited by a few individuals.
About eleven A. M. we landed at the foot of a
little village on the east bank of the river, where our
horses and men had arrived before us. Here a little
milk was presented to us by a Falitah in the service
of the Sultan of Yaoorie, and we rested under a large
tree an hour or two, awaiting the arrival of carriers
from the'city of Yaoorie, who had been sent for




TO YAOORIE.             259
yesterday by one of the Boossa messengers that had
charge of our horses. These men arrived at the village between one and two o'clock in the afternoon,
and we immediately mounted and rode onwards.
The path was in a N. N. E. direction, and we
travelled over a steril country, which was gradually
rising at every step, and abounded plentifully in game.
The weather was oppressively warm, and we were
obliged to refresh ourselves by halting occasionally
and resting in the shade. The soil, which at first
was so indifferent and barren, improved greatly as
we drew near Yaoorie; and immense patches of
land, cultivated with a variety of corn, also with rice,
indigo, cotton, &c., were visible on every side.
Labourers were employed in these plantations,
attended by a drummer, that they might be excited
by the sound of his instrument to wprk well and
briskly. On attaining the summit of a steep hill, we
rode over a very narrow pathway, so much overhung by an impenetrable thorny shrub that there
was not room for more than one man to walk. This
led us to the wall of Yaoorie, and we entered the
city through an amazingly strong passage, in which
was an immense door covered with plates of iron,
rudely fastenedto the wood-work. We were almost
exhausted with fatigue on our arrival, insomuch that
we excused ourselves from visiting and paying our
respects to the sultan, and we were conducted to a
convenient habitation, which had been prepared for
us. Y~oorie is about eight miles N. N. E. from the
village at which we landed.




260               THE NIGER.
CHAPTER IX.
Remarks on the River-Intelligence of the Fate of Mr. Park-His Gun
obtained-Visit to the Sultan-Unsuccessful Application for Mr.
Park's Papers-The Kingdom and City cf Ytoorie and its NativesThe Sultan's Son-Insurgents-The Sultan's Daughters-Mischief
of the Widow Zuma-Application of the Travellers to the King of
Boossa —Wars in Nouffie-Provinces of flAussa-Detention of the
Travellers-The Sultan of Yioorie-H-is Character-Farewell Visit.
WITH the exception of the dangerous rocks at
Boossa, we are informed that during our four days'
passage up the river, we have passed all the most
difficult places in it; neither rocks norsandbanks, it
is said, being either above Yaoorie, or below Boossa
We have said nothing of the course of the river,
because it is pretty well understood that this city
lies nearly due north of Boossa; and also, that notwithstanding its windings and the number and variety
of its channels, the Niger or Quorra flows past
Boossa in a single undivided channel. In its natural
bed, when uninterrupted by rocks and other impediments, the river runs at this time of the year at the
rate of between one and two miles in an hour; whenever it is obstructed by them, however, the velocity
of the current is considerably increased. Although
during the dry season, no communication or intercourse is maintained by water between Boossa and
the countries or states lower down the river, by reason of the dangerous rocks which have been already
alluded to more than once; yet in the wet season,
after the " Malca" (or fourteen days' incessant rain)
has set in, when all the rivers which are dry during
the remainder of the year pour their overplus intQ
the " Great Father of Waters," as the Niger is enl-'hatically styled, then canoes, it is said, pass to and
o between YBoorie, Nouffie, Boossa, and Funda.




AN ARAB VISITER.         -261
It is immediately after the " Malca," also, that the
Niger, by the depth and velocity of its current,
sweeps off the rank grass which springs up annually
on its borders. Every rock and every low island is
then completely covered, and may be passed overin
canoes without difficulty, or even apprehension of
danger. The enterprising Mr. Park must have had
a thousand difficulties to overcome in his voyage
down the Niger. It was about this time of the year
that he arrived at Yaoorie, and the river, it is said,
was then about the same height as it is at present.
The canoemen, who in all probability were his
slaves, were said to be chained to the canoe, in order
to prevent their running away; his pilot was unacquainted with the river any farther, and therefore he
received his wages here in Yaoorie and returned to
his own country; and Mr. Park, with a companion,
and three white boys, continued their journey down
the Niger, without any person whatever to point out
the safest channel, or warn them of their danger.
When the accident happened at Boossa' by which
they lost their lives, it is said they preferred being
drowned to avoid as they imagined a more dreadful
death,
Many years ago, a large boat arrived at Yaoorie
on a trading voyage from Timbuctoo. Having disposed of their merchandise, the boatmen returned to
their country by land, because they asserted that the
exertion of working their vessel back so great a dis
tance against the stream was too much for them,
and therefore they left it behind at Yaoorie.
Monday, June 28th.-This morning we were visited
by the chief of the Arabs of this city, who (if such a
title can be used with propriety) is prime minister to
the sultan. He is a very old man, as dark as a
native; and was dressed in the costume of his countrymen, which is very becoming. His beard was
long, and as white as snow, and a singular tuft of
hair which was directly under the lower lip-did not




262         VISITED BY A TRADER.
look much unlike the tail of a white mouse. Though
toothless, the old man was yet very communicative
and intelligent, and among other things he informed
us that Mr. Park did not visit the city of Yaoorie, but
remained in his canoe at the village where we landed
yesterday, and despatched a messenger in his stead
to the sultan, with a suitable present. This Arab
had been sent by the sultan to the village with presents in return, and by his description of Mr. Park's
dress, he must have worn the laced tobe that we
received of the King of Boossa, and which may
account for the facility with which we obtained it,
as well as the reluctance of the king to enter into
an explanation of the manner in which his ancestor
had got possession of it. Mr. Park is stated to have
been drowned in this same dress. The Arab informed
us, that he had in his possession a cutlass and a
double-barrelled gun, which was part of Mr. Park's
present to the sultan. We expressed a wish to look
at these weapons, and they were immediately sent
for. The gun was very excellent, and handsomely
mounted; and we offered our own fowling-piece in
exchange for it, which was cheerfully agreed to, but
not till after the sultan's consent had in the first place
been obtained.
Not long after the old Arab had taken his leave of
us, several of his country-people, of much fairer complexions, came to pay their respects; and among
them was a young man named Ali, who arrived in
this city yesterday, in ten days from Soccatoo, having
stopped to trade on the road.
The journey from hence to the city of Soccatoo,
when no stoppage is made on the road, may easily be
accomplished in five days only; and this is the regular time the natives take to go there. Koolfu is two
days'journey from Yioorie. He represented himself
as one of the Arabs that accompanied Major Denham,
Captain Clapperton, and their party over the desert
from Mourzuck, in Fezzan, to Bornou.




VISIT THE SULTAN.          263
Last night the sultan sent us a bullock, a fine large
sheep of a peculiar species, the handsomest we ever
saw; a great quantity of milk, and several hundred
weight of rice; and this evening we received a large
turkey and a bowl of rice from the chief of the Arabs.
Tuesday, June 29th.-This evening, by desire, we
went to pay our respects to the sultan. We soon
arrived at the palace, which is a very large building,
or rather a group of buildings enclosed by a high
wall; and dismounting, we were presently conducted
through a low avenue formed by pillars, which was
as dark as a subterraneous passage. This led to a
large square yard, which we entered, and found it to
communicate with the sultan's apartments, by the
number of domestics that were hurrying about.
Several people were sitting on the ground, but we
were obliged to stand a long time, during which a
profound silence was preserved, and no one was
polite enough to offer us a mat to sit on. At length
we received a summons to advance, and were introduced into another square, very much resembling a
clean farm-yard. Here we discovered the sultan
sitting alone in the centre of the square, on a plain
piece of carpeting with a pillow on each side of him,
and a neat brass pan in front. His appearance was
not only mean, but absolutely squalid and dirty. He
is a big-headed, corpulent, and jolly-looking man,
well stricken in years; and though there it something
harsh and forbidding in his countenance, yet he was
generally smiling during the conference. The conversation commenced in the usual complimentary
way; and then our object in visiting Yaoorie was
briefly and indirectly hinted at. When we asked
him whether he did not send a letter to the late Captain Clapperton while that officer was at Koolfu, in
which he had affirmed that he had certain books and
papers in his possession which belonged to Mr. Park,
he appeared very much confused. After thinking
and hesitating a good while, he answered with an




264          VISIT THE SULTAN.
affected laugh, " How do you think that I could have
the books of a person that was lost at Boossa? and
this was all he said on the subject. He subsequently
wished to know the reason that Captain Clapperton
refused to visit him when he, passed through the
country; but more especially why, after his death,
[ had not paid him that mark of respect on my return
to, the coast from Soccatoo. My reply to him was,
that I had been told he was the greatest monarch in
the country, and therefore I should have felt ashamed
to have visited him with the trifling present which I
had to offer, as he might consider it an insult to his
dignity. A frown of disapprobation settled on his
countenance at hearing this, and he sharply rejoined,
that he was perfectly well acquainted with the nature
and value of the presents which had been made to
the various chiefs I had visited; but that if I had
nothing to offer him, it was my duty, and should
have been my first care, to have paid my respects to
him at Yaooie. Here the conversation was abruptly
endd the sultan as ore than half-inclined h ltn ore hn hlto be
angry with us; and we were not at all sorry to be
reconducted to the open air.
Wednesday, June 30th.-This morning I carried the
sultan's present to him; but it was very coldly received. I stated, that by reason of the selfishness
and bad faith of the chief at the seaside, and the
length of the journey from thence, the presents we
had brought from England were nearly all expended;
insomuch that we found it would be impossible to
reach Bornou without receiving an additional supply
of goods, which in our present situation we had no
opportunity of obtaining; and that this being the case,
we had no other resource left but to get to the salt
water, when our wants would be promptly supplied.
I observed that going down the river in a canoe would
be the easiest and best means of effecting this object,
to which the sultan replied that the price of a canoe
would be a hundred dollars; but he was told that




YAOORIE.               265
we had not property enough to purchase one. The
road overland to Funda, by way of Koolfu or Guarie,
was then mentioned, and the sultan promised to send
us thither in two or three days. Here the conversation ended, and I took my leave.
The young Arab from Soccatoo visited us again
to-day, and presented us with dried dates which he
had brought from Fezzan, and a quantity of trona.
Ali is a handsome and intelligent young man, and is
extremely open and communicative. But all his good
qualities are cast in the shade by a mean and rapacious
habit of begging, which he displays in common with
his countrymen who reside here, and which has disgusted and displeased us more than once. He tells
us that he is on his way to A16ire in Yarriba with
goods and horses for sale; but he is suspected to be
a spy sent by Bello to examine the fortifications and
ascertain the state of public feeling in the city, with
intelligence of which he is to return to him.
Thursday, July lst. —Yesterday nothing occurred
worthy of observation, nor has any thing taken place
to-day which requires more than a passing remark
The sultan sent us ten old guns to clean and repair
this morning; we are unable to execute the latter
part of his commands, but fortunately the mulatto
who accompanied us from Badagry is fully competent
to the task, and in such cases always acts in our
stead. The sultan sent for Pascoe two hours afterward, and desired him to ask us for medicine to cure
sore eyes, and complaints in the bowels. We are
pestered with such applications as these all day long.
Pascoe embraced the opportunity of making inquiries
of the sultan concerning the lost papers of Mr. Park,
as we had desired him; but he shook his. head, and
would say nothing about the matter, and immediately
shifted the conversation to another subject. This
prince assumes more consequence than any chief or
monarch that we have yet seen; he never receives a
visit but he exacts from the visiter the most humili



266               YAOORIE.
ating forms of address; and even when the Arabs
themselves obtain an audience, they are obliged to
deliver what they have to say to him on their knees.
Perhaps he expected a similar servile position from
us, for such his countenance seemed to indicate, but
whatever might have been his expectation, we had
no notion of demeaning ourselves so grossly in his
presence. Since our arrival in this city, my brother
and I have been very seriously indisposed, as might
be expected, for the air is humid and unwholesome,
being impregnated with all manner of noxious effluvia, from the swampy nature of the soil at this season
of the year, and the' number of large pools of impure
water which exist more or less in every quarter of
the town.
Friday, July 2d.-It is lather unfortunate for us
that so immense a quantity of needles was distributed
through the country by the last mission; the market
here is even now completely overstocked with them,
so that we find it difficult to -dispose of ours for a
quarter of their value. In Yarriba and elsewhere it
was a general practice with us to pay the carriers of
our luggage with needles only, but here we are
endeavouring to dispose of them in order to purchase
provisions for our people. We brought with us from
England nearly a hundred thousand needles, of various sizes, and among them was a great quantity of' Whitechapel sharps," warranted " superfine and not
to cut in the eye!" Thus highly recommended, we
imagined that these needles must have been excellent
indeed; but what was our surprise some time ago,
when a number of them which we had disposed of
were returned to us with a complaint that they were
all eyeless, thus redeeming with a vengeance the
pledge of the manufacturer, that they " would not
cut in the eye." On an examination afterward, we
found the same fault with the remainder of the
" Whitechapel sharps," so that to save our credit we
tlave been obliged to throw them away. Our best




YAOORIE.              287
and almost only resource has been in the metal
buttons attached to our English clothes. These,
when polished brightly, look well, and have completely won the people of all ranks, from the sultan
to the slave, who freely offer three or four hundred
cowries each for those with silver gilt, and double
that sum for one with gold gilt; whereas, for a good
looking-glass we can only obtain three hundred
cowries. Our clothes are nearly all stripped of their
buttons; and we now place our dependence for future
support principally on a quantity of livery and soldiers' buttons, which are, however, rather dull and
dirty, and will require many hours' labour before
they attain any degree of brightness.
Sunday, July 4th.-Yesterday was barren of incident of any kind. To-day I visited the sultan to
make a last application for Mr. Park's papers. He
would give no decisive answer; but in the course
of the day, he said he would tell the chief of the
Arabs every thing relative to them, and would send
him to us with the information. Accordingly, in
the afternoon the old man came as commanded;
but instead of delivering the expected communication, he said that we should certainly inspect the
books to-morrow; and in the mean time the sultan
would thank us to sell him some gunpowder, and
whatever red cloth we might have left. This refinement in begging, or, in other words, this mean
rapaciousness on-the part of the sultan, was never
more apparent than in this instance. He had pre.
viously requested us to sell him a quantity of beads,
&c., to which he expressed a wish that we should
affix our own price. We did so; but on applying
for payment, he has uniformly returned for answer
that we had asked too large a sun for those articles.
Notwithstanding this, we gave the Arab the powder
and red cloth which he had requested in the name
of his master, with a message that the sultan was at
liberty to give whatever he thought proper for them.




2~t'6         MR. PARK'S PAPERS.
Instead,.lowever, of returning us the money, he has
kept the goods without making the slightest ace
knowledgment; and sent a eunuch in the evening
to beg a few needles, which of course it would be
impolitic to refuse.
Monday, July 6th.-It has rained very heavily
all day, insomuch that on our parts we could not
visit the sultan, nor could a messenger come from
him to us.
Tuesday, July 5th.-This forenoon we sent Pascoe
with a message to the sultan, that we earnestly
wished to receive a final and decisive answer with
regard to the restoration of Mr. Park's papers, which
we declared to have been the sole object of our
visiting him, and that it was our desire to quit
Yaoorie immediately. This bold and to us unusual
language seemed to have surprised and startled the
sultan, and he instantly despatched the old Arab to
inform us, that "he declared to God, in the most
solemn manner, that he had never had in his possession, nor seen, any books or papers of the white
travellers that perished at Boossa."  The Arab
likewise assured us that we were at liberty to proceed on our journey whenever we should think
proper. Thus, notwithstanding all the false hopes
which the sultan artfully held out to us that Mr.
Park's papers were actually in his possession, his
letter to Captain Clapperton, which expressly stated
this to be the case, and the pitiful shuffling which
he has displayed to keep us so long in suspense
with respect to any true information, it appears
then, without doubt, that he has not, and never has
had, a single book or paper in the English lang age.
His only motive for the dastardly conduct he has
displayed could have been neither more nor less
than the hope of getting us into his power by misrepresentation and falsehood, in order to obtain
some of the European articles which we had in our
possession. That the sultan has succeeded so well




YAOORIE.               269.with us has not been our fault entirely; but even
lhow he is by no means satisfied, nor is it likely that
he will ba while we remain with him. It is a satisfaction at least for us to know that the long-sought
papers are at present nowhere in existence.
Wednesday, July 7th.-Yaoorie is a large, flourishing, and united kingdom. It is bounded on the east
by Haussa, on the west by Borgoo, on the north by
Cubbie, and on the south by the kingdom of Nouffie.
The crown is hereditary, and the government an absolute despotism. The former sultan was deposed
by his subjects for his violent measures and general
bad conduct; and the present ruler, who succeeded
him, has reigned for the long period of thirty-nine
years.  The sultan has a strong military force,
which has successfully repelled, it is said, the repeated attacks which the ever-restless Falatahs for
a number of years past made on the city and king
dom of Yaoorie; it is now employed in a remote
province in quelling a rising insurrection, occasioned
partly from the inability of the natives to pay their
accustomed tribute, and partly from the harsh measures adopted by the sultan to compel them to do
so. 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 are
well fortified after the manner of the country. The
inhabitants manufacture a very coarse and inferior
sort of gunpowder, which, however, is the best and,
we believe, the only manufactory of the kind in this
part of the country; besides which they make very
neat saddles, country cloth, &c.; and they grow indigo, tobacco, onions, wheat, and different kinds of
grain, and vast quantities of rice of superior quality
The inhabitants have ikewise horses, bullocks, goats,




270                YAOORIE.
&c., but notwithstanding their industry and the ad.
vantages which they enjoy, they are very poorly
clad, have little money, and are perpetually complaining of their bad condition.  An indifferent
market is held in the city daily under commodious
sheds. in which the above articles are offered for
sale.
The better sort of women, or those that can afford
time and money for the purpose, wear their hair
plaited very ingeniously, and died blue with indigo;
their lips are likewise stained yellow and blue, which
gives them an inexpressibly odd appearance; and
their eyes are blackened with powdered antimony,
or something of the same nature and properties,
which is imported from a place called Jacoba. This
is in general use, not only here, but in every other
place which we have visited.
The use of hennah is as general at Yaoorie as
elsewhere; the more opulent females make use of
this most beautiful die in profusion; they simply
apply the pounded leaves of this plant to the teeth,
and to the finger and toe-nails; for the latter it is
made into a kind of poultice, and in the evening is
put on those parts, and remains till next morning.
The poorer sort of females, however, from necessity, we suppose, rather than from inclination, make
use of neither of these ornaments to enhance their
natural charms; and, save tattooing, they have no
personaJ embellishments whatever.
The sultan's residence, 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 doorways sufficiently large to
enable a person to enter them without putting himself to the inconvenience of stooping. The principal
part of the houses are built in the circular or coozie
fashion, but the inhabitants have a few square ones;




YAOORIE.              271
and the sultan's are of no regular form whatever.
It may be considered somewhat singular that the
generality of the natives of Western and Central;
and, we believe, 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 a
European, this keeps the interior of a dwelling as
cool as it is dark." We should have thought that
Dr. Johnson, from whom this quotation is taken,
was speaking of the native dwellings of this part
of the world, instead of those of the East Indies,
so exactly does he describe them.
Between the clusters or assemblages of huts in
Yaoorie there is a considerable quantity of fertile
land, which is left for cattle to graze on, or for the
purposes of husbandry and agriculture.
There is a great variety of trees within the walls
of the city, consisting of the lime, the palm, the
mi-cadania, and the date; but the latter, though it
appears very luxuriant, never was known to bear
frmit. The palm-tree adorns the banks of the Niger,
and increases in quantity the farther we advance
up the river; yet that variety of it which bears the
cocoanut is nowhere to be seen, owing, most likely,
to the distance from the sea. For a reason already
given in a preceding part of this journal, no proper
estimation can be formed of the number of inhabitants which Yaoorie contains, but it is surprisingly
great.
Thursday and Friday, July 8th and th. —During
both these days we have been honoured with long
visits from the sultan's daughters, eldest son, and
sister; the faces of the former are familiar, because
they come to see us every day. The old Arab also
visited us on Thursday morning, to pay his respects,
according to his custom; but when he entered the
apartment and discovered the heir-appalent in conI.-X




272               YAOORIE.
versation with us, he seemed surprised and displeased, and immediately ordered the young man to
quit the apartment with his suite, which was instantly obeyed by the prince, without a syllable of
complaint or disapprobation at this peremptory
command. We subsequently desired an explanation
of such arbitrary conduct on the part of the Arab,
and he informed us, in answer, that it was done in
order to prevent the young man from soliciting us
for poison, which he might employ in the destruction of his father's life,-so suspicious are the sove
reigns of this country of the intentions of even thei
own children.
The sultan has sent to inform us that he will be
occupied three days in writing to the King of Eng
land an explanation of his conduct with respect to
Mr. Park's papers; and he would therefore thank
us to remain in Yaoorie till the expiration of that
period.
A fatdkie, which left this city for Koolfu this
(Fridav) morning, had orders from the sultan to
return while they were on their journey; and they
accordingly re-entered Yaoorie in the afternoon.
It is reported that the ringleader of the insurgents in
Engarski, the province in which the customary
tribute was refused to be paid, left the rebels a short
time ago to fight for themselves, and fled to the kingdom of Nouffie. On his arrival he besought the Magia
to assist him against the soldiers of Yaoorie, and
succeeded so far, that assistance was promised him
by the Nouffie king; but as soon as this news had
reached Engarski, the sultan's soldiers all deserted
their posts, and returned to him without delay.
Both these days the men have been entering the
city; and they have brought with them only between forty and fifty slaves. This is the reason
that the iatakie were stopped on their way to
Koolfu; and in all probability, if the news be true,
it will likewise affect our journey thither.




WARS IN NOUFFIE.          273
This evening the war-drum was sounded outside
the sultan's house; the noise of which is not peculiarly loud or dissonant, and is a much more civilized
kind of sound than the startling war-cry of the people
of Yarriba and Borgoo. The sultan has just sent
word that he wishes to see us to-morrow morning
concerning the price of the red cloth which he recently purchased of us; and at the same time he desires to see a specimen of each kind of button in our
possession, because he has a great inclination to
purchase a quantity, or the whole of them, for the
use of himself and family. By the man that brought
us this message he sent us for the first time a number of goora-nuts, alleging, as an excuse for not
offering us any before, that he did not imagine that
Christians liked them.
Saturday, July 10th.-Horse-soldiers are continuing to arrive by one and two at a time from Engarski,
and the dead body of one of their captains has likewise been brought into the city. This individual
came by his death in rather a mysterious manner,
insomuch that the public opinion is divided on the
subject; some saying that he fell by an arrow, and
others asserting with equal confidence that he was
poisoned by his wife, who, after the consummation
of her crime, fled to the embraces of an Arab who
had been her lover before her marriage with the deceased.
During the war, which has continued these four
months, the loss on the part of Yaoorie has been
about a half-dozen men killed, and the slaughter on
the part of the rebels, it is said, has been no less.
This sanguinary contest is a specimen of their warfare, so that there will never be any great danger of
depopulation from foreign wars or domestic broils.
The sultan has been shut up in his house all day,
and will not be spoken to, owing to the ill success
of the Engarski expedition; but though this circumstance is publicly known, the inhabitants of the city




274               YAOORIE.
have shown no inclination to mourn with their sove.
reign; on the contrary, they have been employed in
making a " berka" (blessing) for the safe return of
the warriors, and feasting, rejoicing, and merriment
were freely indulged in this evening in consequence.
In the midst of their jollity, however, the people
were thrown into confusion by a rumour that the
" clashing of arms was heard in Koolfu," or, in other
words, that preparations were making in that city
for a great war; that Falatahs and Nouffie men were
assembling there from all quarters; and that they
were on the eve of making a fierce attack either on
Wowow or the metropolis of Engarski; but which
of these cities is to be devoted to destruction no one
can tell. Groups of people are expressing their
hopes and fears in whispers in every part of the
city.
Sunday, July lth.-Having been sent for, I visited
the sultan to-day with a piece of red cloth, two pair
of scissors, a quantity of buttons, and a canister of
powder. When introduced, I found him cheerful
and merry, and his good-humour continued throughout our interview. He observed that the war which
was just terminated had cost him a great deal of
money, so that he regretted his inability to pay so
large a sum for the articles as I had demanded. At
length, after a little civil contention on both sides, a
bargain was made by the sultan's agreeing to give
twenty-five thousand cowries for the powder, scissors, and red cloth, and two hundred cowries for
every little button that we have, which he prefers to
the larger ones. Four hundred were asked; but as
these little buttons are the commonest sort, and
have been besides much worn, I did not long hesitate in acceding to his terms. In allusion to our departure, the sultan observed that the path was dangerous, but when the obstacles should be removed,
which would doubtless be in a few days, and when
his letter to the monarch of England should be




THE WIDOW ZUMA.            275
written, we might quit the city without further delay,
for which intelligence I thanked him and took my
leave.
The sultan sent us a large ostrich a day or two
ago to look at, and subsequently offered to give it to
us, but as this immense bird would require two or
three men to take care of him on the road homeward, we declined to take him, and could only thank
the sultan for his intended kindness.
Monday, July 12th.-Nothing of consequence has
occurred to-day in the city. The greater part of the
morning was employed in cleaning and polishing the
buttons promised to the sultan, who had sent for
them before they were finished. Two or three of
his daughters are our daily visiters, and they trifle
a good deal of their time away in our company.
They sometimes bring with them a pleasant intoxicating liquor called " booza" (a kind of beer), which
they offer us to drink; but they contrive to get tipsy
with it themselves. These ladies are occasionally
so troublesome, that we are obliged to frighten them
away with our pistols.
Tuesday, July 13th.-The "great war," for which
theie was said to have been such mighty preparations in Nouffie, and which caused so much consternation in this city an evening or two ago, has
terminated in the capture of a herd of the King of
Wowow's bullocks near the walls of his town. The
plunderers, it is said, were incited to undertake this
predatory excursion by the representations of that
wicked and turbulent woman, widow Zuma, through
the agency of her son, who, since his elopement
from Wowow, has been residing in some part of
Nouffie. The widow imagined that she was not
safe in Boossa after this malicious act, and she left
that city and fled to a town in the province of Engarski. But the governor refused her his protection.
and sent her back again to Boossa with an escort;
-and the king, in all probability, will either deliver




276  APPLICATION TO THE KING OF BOOSSA.
her into the hands of the monarch of Wowow, in
which case she will lose her head, or he will have
her severely punished at Boosst.
The sultan told us to-day, in plain and decisive
terms, that he can send us neither by way of Koolfu
nor Guarie, because the Falatahs, he affirms, are in
both those places. He wishes, however, to be expressly understood that it is from no disinclination
on his part to send us to either of those places, but
that his great regard for us will not permit him to
lead us into danger. Now we know very well that
the Falatahs have neither the upper hand at Koolfu
nor Guarie. The natives of the latter state in particular not long since cut off the heads of all the
Falatahs that could be found in their country, and
from that time they have enjoyed the most perfect
independence. The Sultan of Yaoorie said further,
that the best thing he could do was to send us back
again to Boossa, and from thence he was sure we
might have liberty to go anywhere. The moment
we found that this was his intention we returned to
our house; and, having formed our resolution, we
instantly despatched one of our men with a message
to the King of Boossa, to the following effect:"That, finding our presents insufficient to defray
our expenses on the road to Guarie and Bornou, we
were under the necessity of returning to the saltwater to obtain more. That the chief of Badagry,
who is governor of that part of the coast at which
we had landed, had treated us so very ill while we
were with him, that he would detain us in his town
for the remainder of our lives if we were to return
by the way we had come; and, by so doing, that we
should be unable to avoid falling into his power
Besides which, the journey thither is so long that we
should experience the same or even greater inconvenience than if we were to proceed to Bornou
through Catsheenah. Under these circumstances,
we were extremely desirous of travelling to the




WARS IN NOUFFIE.           277
salt-water by a shorter and safer route, and would
therefore prefer going by Funda as the easiest and
likeliest means of accomplishing that end. But as
we had heard that the road to that kingdom by land
is infested with Falktahs who live by plunder and
violence, we should feel infinitely obliged to him"
(the King of Boossa), "if he could either sell or lend
us a canoe to proceed thither by water; and if so,
that we would remunerate him to the utmost of our
ability."
We sent away the messenger this morning on his
errand, and shall await his return with considerable
anxiety. If an unfavourable answer be returned, we
are resolved, instead of. proceeding to Boossa, to
proceed on to Guarie, and thence to Funda, as we
originally intended, whatever may be the consequence.
Wednesday, July 14th.-W- e were favoured with
visits this morning from several respectable females,
the wives and daughters of a number of distinguished
chiefs, whom they had accompanied to the late war.
The inhabitants of this place, as well as of many
other towns, are of opinion that it is in our power to
cure every disorder under the sun. Applications are
daily made to us for medicine to cure a variety of
complaints; and more than one married lady has
been entreating us to remove the cause of barrenness
from them. Other requests, equally serious and
equally absurd, have been made, with which of course
it is wholly out of our power to comply; but the applicants do not readily believe our assertions, nor
can we induce or compel them to leave our house
till something in the shape of medicine has been
given them.
Thursday, July 15th.-Falitahs, it is said, have
pillaged and burnt the city of Engarski, and taken
Koolfu, so that the road to Boossa is also for the
present denied us. These " setters up and pullers
down of kings," for some reason, are offended with




278           WARS IN NOUFFIE.
the magia, the present monarch of Nouffie, and have
determined to appoint his elder brother, the exiled
Ederesa, as ruler in his stead. Several revolutions
have already taken place in Nouffie through the instrumentality of these ambitious Falatahs, which
have all terminated in the confusion of the greater
part of that distracted country, and to the advancement of their deadliest foes, who have now gained a
footing in the land.
We have been repeatedly informed that Ederesa
succeeded his father in the government of Nouffie,
and was acknowledged their legitimate monarch by
the whole nation. A rebellion, however, headed by
the magia (Ederesa's younger brother), broke out
shortly after his accession; and to aid his ambitious
designs upon the liberties of the people, the former
made a journey to Soccatoo, to request the assistance of Bello. This wily chief eagerly seized so
fair an opportunity of promoting the interests of his
country, by meddling with the domestic policy of
the government of Nouffie; he had wisdom enough
to foresee the advantages which would in all probability accrue to him by granting the inagia his request and taking him under his protection; and he
immediately reinforced the rebels by a choice body
of soldiers. This first civil war was not of long continuance; Ederesa's army was defeated by the
mercenary troops and their adherents; the whole
country was soon overrun and subjugated by these
soldiers; Ederesa was obliged to flee from his do
minions, and the magia governed Nouffie in his stead
The chief benefits resulting to Bello from the success of the rebels were a half-yearly tribute which
the magia agreed to pay him in slaves and handsome
tobes of native manufacture; and, what was of more
consequence, he gained a footing for his people in a
flourishing and beautiful kingdom, which may be
styled the granary of this part of the continent.
The Falitah soldiers remained in Nouffie to de




WARS IN NOUFFIE.           279
fend and support the interests of the new king; but
the country did not long enjoy peace and tranquillity, for the foreigners, observing their influence and
numbers considerably augmenting, found occasion
to quarrel with the magia, which was the occasion
of another civil war. Turning from him whom
they had elevated to the throne, they recalled Ederesa, and succeeded, after an ineffectual resistance
on the part of his brother, in restoring him to the
dignity, of which they themselves had so eagerly
stripped him only a short time before. Ederesa
subsequently formed the patriotic and laudable resolution of expelling these dangerous and intriguing
strangers from his dominions; for he was convinced
that his country would never be at peace while they
were suffered to remain in it. No sooner, however,
did he set about putting this project into execution,
than his watchful brother raised a party in opposition to it, and the Falatahs of course flew to his
assistance. The fruit of this combination was the
total defeat of the king's party, and the reinstitution of the magia into his former usurped rights.
Meantime the Falatahs increased fast in Nouffie,
they inhabited towns which they had not built, and
subsisted by the labour of others. The head of
their party was a cousin of Bello, named Mallam
Dendo, who resided on the banks of the Niger, in a
large city of his own, which is called Rabba. He
and the magia divided the sovereignty of the kingdom between them till very recently, and remained
at peace with each other; but now, they say, there
has been a third quarrel, and the Falatahs have
taken possession of Koolfu, till Ederesa shall have
been made acquainted with the revolution in his
favour. The magia is too helpless and insignificant
to offer the slightest resistance to this intended
change in his estate, and is living in retirement at
a town about a day and a half's journey from
Koolfu. These domestic broils have been very




280         PROVINCES OF. HAUSSA.
prejudicial to the interests of Nouffie, and the people
greatly lament their misfortunes. The Falatahs
are the only gainers by them; they are now in
actual possession of more than half of the kingdom,
and have enslaved a very large portion of its industrious population. Some of the finest and most
opulent of their towns have been sacked and destroyed, and others they have taken for themselves.
In this distracted state of affairs, Nouffie, whose
inhabitants, it is everywhere acknowledged, are the
most ingenious and industrious in all these parts, is
fast falling to decay, and is become a prey to all
manner of abuses, and to every species of crime.
Friday, July 16th.-Although the Falatahs have
been so successful in Nouffie, and are gradually
spreading themselves throughout the countries
composing Western Africa, so as to be near the sea,
where it is the great object of their ambition to get,
they have within this year or two suffered many
defeats, and lost much ground in Haussa, which is
the scene of their first operations, and they are
likely to lose much more. The following are the
names of the kingdoms or states which form the
country called Haussa.  With the exception of
Kotonkora and Womba, they were all conquered by
Danfodid shortly after his first appearance with the
Falatahs; but those marked with an asterisk have
regained their independence since his decease.
That marked with an F. is now in the occupation
of the conquerors; and those with F. and H. partly
belong to the Falatahs and partly to the original
natives. Catsheenah was the head or principal
state, and all the others used to pay a small tribute
to its sovereign.
1. Catsheenah F. H.  5. Kano,  F.
2. Cubbie,  *   6. Gober,  *
3. GuArie,  *    7. Kotonkora, Natives.
4. Zumfra. F..  8. Womba, Natives.
Catsheenah, the capital of Haussa, in the state or




DONCASSA.              281
kingdom of Catsheenah, together with an inSignificant town, are the only two places at present in the
possession of the Falatahs in that country. Soccatoo stands on the extreme borders of Cubbie, yet it
is not considered as being in that province.
The natives of Guarie lately rose simultaneously,
and cut off their oppressors to a man, nor has Bello
yet been able to revenge their loss.
Zulamee, and other towns of consideration in
Zumfra, have within these few months been retaken
from the Falatahs. Properly speaking, the province
of Kano is in Haussa; but previous to its conquest
by the Falhtahs, it had, from time immemorial, been
tributary to Bornou, so that it is considered by
many as belonging to that empire. The inhabitants
of the city and state of Gober, against which Bello
was directing all his power at the period of Captain
Clapperton's last visit to Soccatoo, have successfully resisted every attack that has been made
against them, and are now enjoying tranquillity
and independence. Doncassa, who is the present
king of Catsheenah, resides at a place called Marldie.
Doncassa is the hereditary prince of Haussa, and
notwithstanding his former misfortunes and reverses,
he is still very powerful, and his strength daily increases. The sheikh of Bornou assists him with
men and horses; and his son is also with him, fighting against the common enemy. Doncassa, it is
said, can bring no less than forty thousand horsemen into the field at one time. Recently his military operations have been attended with better success and Bello, despairing of vanquishing hin and:
of subjugating the whole of his. country, is turning
his thoughts to the conquest of Yarriba. His soldiers have already spread a panic: through that kingdom, and frightened the timid natives out of two or
three of their most important towns, and they will
have very little difficulty in depriving them of the
whole. It is said that after the rains the Falatah




282       THE SULTAN'S DAUGHTERS.
monarch will send a strong military force to complete the conquest of Yarriba, and that experienced
captains are already nominated to accompany the
expedition. In the mean time Bello is at war with
Bornou and some of the states of Haussa; and
many thousands of his men, fearing no law, and
having no ostensible, employment, are scattered
over the whole face of the country. They commit
all sorts of crimes; they plunder, they burn, they
destroy, and even murder, and are not amenable to
any earthly tribunal for their actions.
The boasted good government of Bello does not
extend beyond the precincts of Soccatoo. In other
parts of his empire the civil department of his administration is most wretchedly conducted, and
hence the predatory bands of Falatahs which annually go forth to ravage the country.
Saturday, July 17th.-The sultan's daughters are
very numerous; and in accordance with the usual
custom of the country, we have been obliged to
make them a present of a button, or a string of
beads, or some such trifle. Many of these ladies
are not very young, for they have passed the meridian of life; but notwithstanding their seniority,
they have had bitter disputes and quarrels with
their sisters for the fancied better place which the
latter have in our good graces, and the consequent
kinder treatment which they have experienced at
our hands. A breach is thus made in the affections
of the royal sisters towards each other, and it may
be years before domestic harmony is re-established
among them. One or other of these females complains to us every day of having been engaged in
wrangling or fighting with a sister, on the score of
jealousy; and we are obliged to muster all our
patience and condole with them in their little misfortunes, without, however, having the ability to
relieve them. The Arab, who appears to be the
sultan's factotum, came to see us this morning




YAOORIE.               283
agreeably to his usual practice; and with joy sparkling in his countenance, he informed us that his master had been inquiring for a canoe in which we may
return to Boossa. We wished to know when the
sultan would be inclined to give us permission to
leave Yaoorie. " What," said he, "is not the news
I have told you sufficient for one day?"
The Arabs in this place (Yaoorie) and all those
that have passed through the city since our arrival in
it, who have had no connexion whatever with each
other, have assured us that the Niger flows from a
place called Musser, (query, Mesr?) where silks and
other fine articles are manufactured, and that the
natives of that country trade to Timbuctoo in large
vessels, carrying thither their silks and manufactures.
We have neither been able to ascertain the European name of Musser, nor its distance from Timbuctoo; we can only learn that the space between
the two cities is very great indeed.
In this part of Africa not the slightest jealousy
exists in respect to the Niger or any other river,
for the people cheerfully answer every inquiry
concerning what they may happen to know of its
course, &c.
Sunday, July'18th.-Our man has not yet returned
from Boossa, and nothing has taken place to-day
worthy of observation or remark.
Monday, July 19th.-The premises which we
occupy are situated at the northern end of the city,
and are the property of one of the sultan's married
daughters, who, with her family, accompanied her
husband to the late war, and returned from thence
only a few days ago.
They form a little circular enclosure of huts, one
of which is two stories high; and it has the con.
venience of three small yards, in which is good
stabling for the horses. From the distance of time
which elapsed after the departure of the sultan's
warlike daughter to the period of our arrival at




284               YAOORIE.
Yaoorie, the houses had fallen fast to decay, so
that when we were introduced into them, one or
two of the roofs were entirely wanting, and the
rain, which fell daily, was freely admitted into all
the remainder for want of repair, that with two
stories alone being an exception. For our own
comfort, therefore, we took possession of the upper
room of this hut, which is a long, narrow, and
gloomy apartment, having a solid clay floor, and
five or six small apertures, like pigeon-holes, for
the purpose of admitting light and air.
As we have been unable, from the almost constant
rain and the marshy nature of the soil of Yaoorie,
to walk abroad, this room has been, in a great measure, our prison, for we have rarely stirred out of it.
During ihe first, few days and nights after our arrival we were pretty comfortable, and, every thing
considered, we liked our quarters tolerably well;
but an envious wind having blown a swarm of mosquitoes into our apartment, we have ever since been
deprived of sleep at night. And as if this were not
an evil sufficiently annoying, we are likewise visited
by myriads of gnats, cockroaches, black ants, &c.;
besides a number of bats, which flutter even in our
faces, and cause us much uneasiness. Other descriptions of animals and insectsintrude into our
apartment in the night season, which however do
not molest us. Under this pressure of grievances,
my brother and I, finding it impossible to sleep,
either sit up or lie awake, and employ ourselves in
doling away the long and wearisome hours of the
night in chatting about indifferent matters, or in
reading aloud, by lamplight, some moral or religious
work. As soon as the light or dawn of the morning
penetrates our dismal chamber, our tormentors
cease to molest us, and we generally find this the
most favou able time for procuring a little sleep.
But.then the whole world is awake and abroad; and
human visiters, whose society is scarcely less toler



FALATAHS.              285
able than the visitation of our nightly companions,
intrude their unwelcome persons on our sleeping
moments, and compel us to listen and answer to
their vexatious nonsense. Deprived of our natural
rest, the day is spent with scarcely more enjoyment
than the night;-we are heavy, languid, peevish, and
uncomfortable, and wholly unfit for exertion of any
kind. The happy freedom from such torture as this
in Old England can only be appreciated by those
who have experienced it:; even an hour of such relief
now would be worth more than we could express.
This forenoon our Boossa messenger returned,
and, to our unspeakable joy, informed us that the
king had consented to procure for us a canoe to
proceed to Funda, provided the road by land could
not be depended on. He candidly stated, however,
his inability to protect our persons from insult and
danger beyond his own territories; and that we must
solicit the good-will of the prince of Wowow and
the other rulers on the banks of the Niger; and further, that our own men alone must manage the canoe, because no one at Boossa would be willing, for
various reasons, to accompany us in this journey.
We are therefore in a fair way of accomplishing the
object of the expedition; and though we are convinced that we shall be beset with dangers from the
shore, yet we are in high spirits, and humbly hope
that, by attending to the necessary precautions, we
shall be able to overcome them.
Tuesday, July 20th.-The news of the day is very
agreeable to all ranks of the good people of this city.
A body of Faldtahs, amounting to about two hundred
in number, which left Koolfu a few days since for
the purpose of attacking Engarski, or rather the remains of that body, returned yesterday morning to
that town,,having been completely unsuccessful in
the object of their expedition, owing to the jealousy
and apprehension of the rebels. It appears, that
while they were besieging an insignificant Cimnbrie




286         TORNADO AT YAOORIE.
town in the above province, a contagious disease
broke out among them, and reduced fifty of their
number to a state of the greatest misery and helplessness. The remainder, becoming alarmed at this
frightful disorder, fled with the utmost precipitation,
and left their sick and languid companions to the
mercy of their enemies, who, however, showed
them none; for as soon as they became acquainted
with the departure of their besiegers, a number of
them came out armed, and with savage coolness deliberately cut off the heads of their helpless and
prostrate foes, and immediately despatched intelligence of the bloody exploit to the Sultan of Yaoorie.
The road to Boossa is by this means once more declared to be open, and we shall leave hence as soon
as we receive permission. The sultan has not yet
paid the money he owed us, nor, since the sale of
the buttons, &c., have we heard a single sentence
about the matter. Our cowries, likewise, are nearly
expended; and for this fortnight past we have depended for subsistence on Pascoe's success in shooting. Happily, Guinea-fowl of the most delicious
flavour, and large doves, abound here in amazing
numbers; and a large species of wild duck, besides
geese, cranes, widgeons, herons, and other aquatic
fowl, are most plentiful.
Wednesday, July 21st.-Last night we were visited
by an awful and terrible tornado, which lasted for
two or three hours. It commenced about midnight
with a gust of wind which threatened to overturn
our dwelling-house. Never since we have been in
the country have we heard thunder so loud and tremendous, nor seen lightning so excessively vivid.
Our hut rocked as if it had been shaken by an earthquake, and we were in momentary apprehension of
its falling with us to the ground; the tempest, however, became less and less violent in the midst of
our fears, and soon after it ceased altogether, and a
universal stillness prevailed.




YAOORtb                287
Owing to the wet weather and the moist state of
the atmosphere, most of our friends the sultan's
daughters have caught slight colds, and they have
been very importunate to-day in their entreaties for
medicine. We hardly knew what to give them to
ease their complaints, and we hesitated a good deal
about complying with their wishes; but as they are
not very delicate ladies, being stout withal, and mas.
culine as Hercules, we at length resolved to risk the
consequences, and accordingly administered to each
of them a powerful dose of jalap.
The Falatahs in Nouffie are thrown into the utmost consternation by the reported death of their
chief and leader Mallam Dendo, which is said to
have taken place at Rabba two or three days ago.
The deceased was much esteemed by Bello, and
reverenced by his countrymen. A successor will
be immediately appointed, to counteract any fresh
disturbance which may take place in the country.
The sultan of this place puts off our departure
from day to day, and from week to week, under a
variety of nonsensical excuses; and we are persuaded that it is his intention to detain us here till
he has drained us of every thing we have.
Monday, July 26th.-For the last five days my
brother has been laid up with intermittent fever,
which totally disqualified him from making the
slightest exertion whatever till this morning. The
sultan continuing, day after day, for so long a time
to refuse his permission for us to quit Yaoorie, on
grounds the most inconsistent and contradictory
that can be imagined, we became rather apprehensive that he would detain us for an indefinite period
-much longer indeed than might suit our convenience: but to-day, to our surprise and pleasure,
a messenger from the King of Boossa arrived in this
city, to ascertain the reason of such unwarrantable;oudduct on the part of the sultan, and to request our
mnmediate release, so that it is supposed we shall'._ _




288        THE SULTAN OF YAOORIE.
leave hence in a day or two at the latest. One of
the inducements urged by this monarch for our longer
stay with him is rather whimsical. He has made
us a present of a quantity of worthless feathers,
which he had caused to be plucked from the body
of a live ostrich; and because he entertained an
opinion, that if others were added to them they
would altogether form a very acceptable present to
our gracious sovereign, he informed us that it would
be necessary we should wait till such time as the
ostrich should regain its plumage, in order for that
part of its body which had not been previously
plucked to undergo a similar operation; for the
weather, he asserted, was much too cold for the bird
to lose all its feathers at one and the same time.
And further to encourage their growth, he would
order that two thousand cowries' worth of butter
(about twelve pounds weight) should be diligently
rubbed into the skin of the animal. This money
has actually been deducted by the sultan for this express purpose from the sum which he was indebted
to us; because, he said, he did not approve of paying
for the butter from his own pocket.
When a person entertains fear or suspicion of the
intentions of another towards him, it very commonly
happens that every little thing which he might have
heard unfavourable to the character or prejudicial
to the manners of the latter at any former period,
rises fresh in his memory, though he might have
taken no notice of it at the time, and leads to the
establishment and confirmation of an opinion which
had before been unsettled and wavering in his mind.
This has been very nearly our case in regard to the
Sultan of Yaoorie; and owing most likely to ill
health, rather than any other cause, we had not only
come to a conclusion, before the arrival of the
Boossa ambassador, that we were in " durance vile"
here, but had conceived a thousand ways and means
of making our escape privately from the city! The




TlHE SULTAN - OF VAOOR1E.     289
violent detention of the six Dahoman messengers
within the walls of Yaoorie for a whole six months,
without any cause being assigned for it, has already
been alluded to in Captain Clapperton's last narra.
tive; and many similar injurious actions on the part
of the sultan have been related to us by some of his
own people. But he has been guilty of more
treacherous and criminal deeds than these, both to
native merchants and to Arabs who have visited this
city for the purposes of trade; and the following
story, if it be true, argues very unfavourably for
the monarch's sentiments of feeling, honesty, and
justice:An Arab, it is said, arrived here many years ago
with three camel-loads of merchandise from Tripoli,
and according to the custom of the country he displayed them all before the Sultan of Yaoorie. His
admiration of them was very soon raised, and he
purchased the whole of the Arab's goods on credit.
The poor merchant made repeated and pressing applications for his money, but in vain; and month
after month, and year after year passed away without his ever having received a farthing, the sultan
deceiving him with promises continually. The Arab
became at length very uneasy at the sultan's prevarication, and imagined that he should never receive payment for his goods. He was, therefore,
unable to exercise his forbearance any longer, but
was constrained to demand of his creditor the restitution of his property, or the payment of his debt,
that he might depart from the city and return to his
family. But the covetous sultan pertinaciously refused his request, and sent him away with abuse;
and the Arab shortly after died of a broken heart, or,
as many say, of poison. He left behind him, however, at Yaoorie, his eldest son, who had accompanied his father hither from Fezzan. This person
the sultan deluded with promises similar to those by
which his father had been deceiv'ed; and the young




290       THE SULTAN OF YAOORIE.
man abode in the city several years, in the anticipa.
tion of being able to procure the property which had
devolved to him on the Arab's decease. He also
died not long ago, and the boy's uncle (Moussa, of'Ioolfu), who was employed by Captain Clapperton,
is now the only surviving creditor. He has sent
several messengers here with the view of having the
debt cancelled by the sultan; but up to this day the
money has never been paid, nor have the Arab's
camels, nor any part of his property, been restored
to his surviving relative.
During our own short stay, even the sultan has
been guilty of several petty offences, such as defrauding individuals of small sums, and the like;
and one poor fellow, belonging to a fatakie from
Haussa, has had the imprudence to let him have
some of his property, on the faith of his word, in
return for which he has met with nothing but
promises and refusals. The sultan did, indeed, com.
mand him to purchase whatever things he might
want at the market, and refer the seller to him for
payment; independent of this, as a mark of his
favour, he sold the merchant one of his own bullocks, which is however found to be diseased and
worth nothing.  By such mean subterfuges does
this great prince procure the property of others;
and in this manner does he treat every merchant
that may have occasion to pass through the city.
All these circumstances considered, it was with
much pleasure that we received notice of the King
of Boossa's kind interposition in our behalf, which
will at least accelerate our departure; for though,
when soberly considered, the behaviour of the
Yaoorie monarch towards us has not been on the
whole unkind, forming a strange compound of generosity and meanness, yet he might have been
inclined to detain us here till the only favourable
moment at which we could descend the Niger should
have passed aw, in which case we should have to




THE SULTAN OF YAOORIE.        291
retrace our steps the way we have come without
having accomplished the object for which we left
England.
We have now only to arrange matters with this
singular old chieftain, which we foresee will be no
very easy task. It is confidently affirmed, that a
canoe has been prepared for us, and two days
hence, we have little doubt, permission will be
granted for us to leave this city to return to
Boossa.
Thursday, July 29th.-The sultan has been complaining sadly of poverty these two days, and has
begged us to accept a female slave of him in lien of
the money he owed us, and which he has declared
his inability to pay. We hesitated a good deal at
first about the matter, but we soon felt convinced it
would be useless to demur, for the sultan was fixed
in his determination, and we have taken the girl,
who is become Pascoe's wife. This unpleasant
affair was not settled till this morning, owing to the
above cause.
We brought a quantity of new shillings with us
from England, which are vastly admired by all
classes of people here, on account of their shining
property; and while the Spanish dollar sells for
fifteen hundred cowries only, one of these little
pieces is purchased willingly at a thousand. Each
of these coins is attached to a ring, and worn on the
finger of a lady as an ornament.
Yhoorie has been visited with so much rain lately,
that the corn is rotting on the stalk, and it is by no
means likely that the dry weather will commence
for some time to come. The corn is fully ripe, and
only wants a little sun to harden the grain in the ear;
and the people are sorely lamenting that they cannot obtain even this. Nevertheless, the rice crops
look well, and promise an abundant harvest; and
the onions, of which vast quantities are grown here,
are also expected to produce plentifully. At present




292     FAREWELL VISIT TO THE SULTAN.
Y'ioorie is little better than a complete swamp; and,
if possible, it will be worse after the malca, which
is daily looked for, shall have set in.
Sunday, August lst.-This morning the sultan
sent a messenger to inform us that we were at liberty to pay our respects and take our farewell of
him previous to our departure from the city, which
we have been assured will take place to-morrow
without any further procrastination or delay. We
presently obeyed the summons, for such we considered it; and on our arrival at the sultan's residence, we were introduced into a large, gloomy,
uncomfortable apartment, wherein the monarch
generally receives his more distinguished visiters.
A number of naked girls and boys, his domestics,
were continually passing through it to other parts
of the building, carrying dirty calabashes in their
hands; a quantity of swallows' nests were attached
to the ceiling of the room (for neither here nor
elsewhere are these birds ever molested), and their
twittering owners, which were flying about in all
directions, fed their young without interruption, and
added not a little filthiness to the unswept and unclean apartment. In the centre and opposite the
doorway, the ruler of Yaoorie was squatting on a
platform, which was covered with faded damask,
and smoking from a pipe of huge dimensions. Or
each side of him was a large pillow; and behind
him, affixed to the wall, was a large square piece of
ancient-looking figured silk, very rich and of various
colours, with a beautiful deep fringe. It was, however, a little tarnished, owing to the length of time
it has been in the sultan's possession. This once
splendid and valuable article is said to have been
brought from the celebrated Musser,* a place of
which every one here speaks in the most rapturous
and extravagant terms. The dress of the sultan
* Mesr, as the Arabs pronounce the word, is the Cairo of Europeans




FAREWELL VISII TO THE SULTAN.    293
corresponded with the dirtiness of the apartment.
Just before our introduction we had been cautioned
not to offer to shake hands with him, for that would
be considered too familiar on our parts, and would
be rejected. by the monarch.  Our compliments
were therefore confined to simple inquiries after his
health. The conversation during the interview was
as uninteresting and spiritless as our conversations
with other native rulers have always been-a de
scription of one being a sample of the whole. The
most important points were an urgent request on
the part of the sultan for one of our lancets which
he had seen, and the promise of a calabash of honey,
which we received in the evening. We then took
our leave and returned home. Here we were soon
intruded upon by the sultan's daughters and friends,
who, finding that we were actually to go on the
morrow, had come to purchase buttons, beg medicine, and pay their last' sladsal and we were not
only subjected to the most wearisome and provoking
ceremonies in the world during the remainder of
the Sabbath, but we were likewise compelled to be
bartering and wrangling with a parcel of noisy
women til sunset, when we ungallantly drove them
away.
During our stay at Yaoorie, the thermometer of
Fahrenheit has ranged from 75 to 94 in our dwel
ling.




294              LEAVE YAOORIE.
CHAPTER X.
Leave Y~oorie-Method of watching the Corn-The Cumbrie PeopleTheir Treatment-Sleeping Huts and Spear of the Cumbrie-Arrive
at Warree-Garnicassa-Ignorance of the Natives concerning the
Course of the River-Their A.nusements-Return to Booss4-Visit to
Wowow recommended-Tlhe River consulted by the King of Booss&
-Kings of this City-Scarcity of Provisions-Journey to Wowow —
First Interview with the King
Monday, August 2d.-ALL was hurry, bustle, noise,
and confusion at a very early hour in the morning,
in getting our things ready for starting; but in spite
of our exertions we had to wait a long time outside
our house, after the beasts had been laden, and our
people had their burdens on their heads, for the
sultan's long-expected letter to our most gracious
-sovereign. A mallam was at length perceived hurrying towards us with it; and after him   came,
mounted on a large bony horse, and extremely well
dressed in the costume of his country, the venerable
Arab chief to honour us with his company a little
way on our journey. His appearance was stately
and patriarchal in the extreme. But this crafty old
man was not our friend, for he had used us deceitfully, and misrepresented us and our goods to his
master; and we had enjoyed an innocent kind of
revenge, in administering to him, after repeated applications, a powerful dose of medicine, which,
harmless in its effects, had yet been very troublesome to him. Indeed it was not till we had "jalaped"
the sultan, his sister, and all the royal family, that
we were permitted to take our farewell of Yaoorie.
The city was literally covered with water on oui
passing through it, and the deep hollows formed by
the rains were very numerous, and dangerous by




LEAVE YAOOR1E.            295
being invisible; nevertheless, with care and patience,
we all got outside the gates in safety.
It is pleasant, very pleasant, after an imprison.
ment of five weeks in a close, dark, and unwholesome chamber, subject to every kind of inconvenience and much ahxiety, to be set at liberty; to
know and feel that one is free; to admire again the
beauties of God's creation, and enjoy once more the
cheering freshness of the country.  It is only in
health that such feelings can either be excited or
indulged. Objects ever so charming are looked on
with indifference by an invalid. For our parts, we
had entered Yaoorie in sickness and had suffered
much in that city; but we left it in all the strength
and vigour of health. During our residence there,
the growth of vegetation had been astonishingly
rapid; the face of the country wore an aspect entirely different and improved; the trees and shrubs
had put on a greener and lovelier "livery;" the
grasses, stunted as they were before for want of
moisture, had sprung up to the surprising height of
ten or twelve feet; and the corn and rice had grown
up with no less vigour.
Owing to the reputed badness of the path, that by
which we had entered Yaoorie was rejected for a
more northerly one, leading in almost a direct line
to the river Cubbie. About a mile or two from the
walls of Yaoorie the old Arab stopped suddenly,
and we imitating his example, he offered up a short
though animated Mohammedan prayer for our suc.
cess, and bidding us an affectionate farewell, he
turned his horse about and returned to the city. In
the anticipation of journeying to Guarie, we had
purchased an ass of All, the Arab; and this animal,
as well as the horses, suffered greatly from the attacks of a species of large fly, which is to them by
day what mosquitoes are to mankind by night; and
this evil, combined with the ruggedness and inequality of the road, which was intercepted by det,.
I.-Z




296             FROM YAOORIE
and rapid rivulets, caused us much delay and annoy.
ance. About midday we arrived at the walls of a
pretty considerable town, called Guada, and halted
near a small creek of a river flowing from Cubbie,
and entering the Niger a little. lower down. Here,
as soon as we had taken a slight refreshment, we
sent our beasts across the Niger to proceed by land
to Boossa, and embarked in two canoes, which were
each paddled by four men. These canoes are about
eighteen or twenty feet long, and formed from a single log of wood, unlike those of Boossa. When
we got into the main body of the Cubbie river, the
canoemen kept us exposed to the sun for a considerable time, waiting the arrival of two companions,
because the men with whom we had, been supplied
were unable to manage both canoes by themselves.
Though we entreated the four men to go a little way
with us, or at least to convey us into a cool and
shady place, which we pointed out to them, for protection from the sun's rays, they would not hearken
to us; we found scolding, threats, and supplication
to be all equally unavailing; they maintained the
same calm yet mortifying placidity of countenance,
than which in such a case nothing can be more vexing. At length we were fain to hoid our peace, and
patiently resigned ourselves to the inconvenience.
The Cubbie river falls into the Niger about four
miles from the creek where we had embarked; and
on entering the Niger, we found it running from two
to three miles an hour, and with trifling labour on
the part of the canoenien, we could have journeyed
very rapidly; but though we had taken on board
their two companions, the whole of them were so
obstinately indolent, that we travelled very slowly
indeed, insomuch that we did not expect to arrive at
the appointed halting-place for the night.  The
canoes, however, were passing along almost close
to the shore, and we saw a woman at the water's
edge who had a quantity of cheap country beer for




TO BOOSSA.            297
sale, and thinking it might animate the men to a
little more exertion, we purchased as much as they
could drink, which in a few minutes completely
metamorphosed them. The meekness, innocence,
and composure of their listless countenances soon
passed away; their heavy eyes sparkled with fire
and animation; they trembled all over with anxiety
to display their strength, dexterity, and vigour; and
each being emulous to rival his companion, they
snatched up their paddles, and by their united efforts
the canoes glided through the water with inconceivable velocity, even to the danger of upsetting. Thus
we proceeded down the river till the sun had set, and
the moon was shining beautifully on the water, as we
drew near to a small Cunrbrie village on the borders
of the river, where we landed,and pitched our tent.
The thermometer to-day has varied from 75~ to 02~.
Tuesday, August 3d.-Arising at an early hour, we
shot a partridge and Guinea-fowl, and breakfasted in
the open air, under the intense scrutiny of a hundred
bright black eyes; then, striking our tent, we hastened to the canoes which we had left secured, and
embarked on the river while it was yet morning, and
the air cool and pleasant. Though the lowering appearance of the firmament seemed to betoken a violent storm, the black clouds dispersed as the sun
gathered strength, and lie burst out on us, an hour
after our departure, with peculiar heat and splendour.
On all the borders of the numerous branches of
the river, as well as on its small islands, vast quantities of corn were growing; and it being near the
time of harvest, it was nearly ripe, and waved over
the water's edge very prettily.  Platforms were
everywhere erected to the height of, ort rther above
the corn, which grows as high as ten or twelve feet.
People were stationed on these to scare away the
numerous flights of small birds, which do great mischief, and would, without this precaution, destroy
the hopes of the cultivator. A boy or gill, and in




298         THE CUMBRIE PEOPLE.
many cases a woman with a child at her breast, and
even a whole family together, we observed on the
platforms, amusing themselves in this manner, without the slightest shade or covering of any kind to
shelter them from the fierceness of the sunbeams.
Standing erect and motionless, mary of them looked
like statues of black marble rather than living human beings; but others, particularly the women, dis.
regarding their duty, were industriously employed ill
plaiting straw, supplying the wants of their children,
manufacturing mats, dressing provisions, &c. in
order the more effectually to frighten away the birds,
several of the watchers were furnished with slings
and stones, in the use of which they seem to be very
skilful besides these, pieces of rope were fastened
from the platform to a tree at some distance, to
which large calabashes were suspended, with holes
in them, through which sticks were passed, so that
when the rope is pulled they make a loud clattering
noise.  The calabashes are sometimes fastened
whole to the rope, containing about a handful of
stones, which answer the purpose of making a noise
when put in motion as well as the sticks. To. this is
often added the hallooing and screaming of the
watchers, which is dismal enough to frighten an evil
spirit, and it rarely fails to produce the desired
effect.




THE CUMBRIE PEOPLE.         299
The inhabitants of many of the numerous walled
towns and open villages on the banks of the Niger,
and also of the islands, we find, are for the most part
Cumbrie people-a poor, despised, and abused, but
industrious and hard-working race. They are but
too often oppressed and persecuted by their more
fortunate and powerfil neighbours, who affirm that
they are fitted by nature only for slaves, and are
therefore invariably treated by them as such.
The Cumbrie also inhabit many parts of HAussa
and other countries; they speak different languages,
but they have all the same pursuits, superstitions,
amusements, and peculiar manners, to which they
firmly and scrupulously adhere, both in good
and bad fortune, in sickness and in health, in freedom and slavery, at home and in foreign countries,
notwithstanding the scorn and derision to which it
subjects them; and they are known to cherish and
maintain them to the end of life, with as much pertinacity as the Hebrew does his faith and national
customs. Inheriting from their ancestors a peaceful, timid, passionless, incurious disposition, they
fall an easy prey to all who choose to molest them;
they bow their necks to the yoke of slavery without
a murmur, and think it a matter of course; and perhaps no people in the world are to be found who are
less susceptible of intense feeling and the finer emotions of the human mind, on being stolen away from
their favourite amusements and pursuits, and from
the bosom of their wives and families, than these
Cumbrie people, who are held in such general disesteem.' T'housands of them reside in the kingdom
of Yaoorie and its province of Engarski; and most
of the slaves in the capital have been taken from
among them.
The tribute, or rather rent, which they pay to the
sultan for the land they cultivate, consists of a quantity of corn, about the size of a bundle as much as a
man can carry, for every plot of land, whether it be




300         THE CUMBRIE PEOPLE.
large or small. When, however, the harvest fails,
they are at liberty to give a certain number of cowries in lieu of the accustomed duty of corn. If
the poor have no means of paying their rent when
it becomes due, the sultan immediately despatches
a body of horsemen to their villages, with a command to seize and carry away as many of the people as they may think proper. It sometimes happens,
however, that the sultan of Yaoorie pulls the reins
of oppression with too tight a hand; and as cowards,
when driven to desperation, often give specimens of
extraordinary courage and resolution, so the negligent and despised Cumbrie, writhing under the lash
of injuries which they have never deserved, defend
themselves with extraordinary determination and
bravery, and not unfrequently come off victorious
from the conflict. The benefit which results to them
from these advantages is an exemption from the
payment of rent for two or three subsequent years.
During'our residence in Yioorie, an expedition
despatched by the sultan for the above purpose returned unsuccessful from Engarski. The most unfavourable trait in the character of the Cumbrie is
the extreme dirtiness they display in their habits
generally, from which not one of them appears to
be free. They are generally considered good agriculturists and expert fishermen: they grow abundance of corn and onions, but a great part of the
former is disposed of to the natives of Boossa and
Yaoorie, to whose monarchs they are subject. Most
of them are rather slovenly about their persons, and
make use of few ornaments, and even these are of
the commonest description.  They bore immense
holes in the lobe of the ear for the admission of bits
of fine coloured wood; and the soft part of the septum of the nose is perforated in like manner, throiurh
which is thrust a long piece of blue glass. Whan
the females have a mind to appear with unusulal
smartness and effect, a crocodile's tooth is inseitvd




TIE CUMBRIE PEOPLE.        301
through both lips, and projects upwards as far ds the
nose. These useless, unbecoming, and singular
ornaments impart to the countenance an unnatural
and barbarous expression, which is very far from
agreeable, and produces an unpleasant and painful
emotion in the mind of the beholder. In our intercourse with the Cumbrie, they appeared mild, innocent, and even amiable in their manners; and they
behaved to us with all the civility, hospitality, and
kindness of their natures, untinctured by insincerity
or lukewarmness.
The annexed sketch is a representation of the
sleeping huts of these people (Cumbrie), which we
alluded to on our passage up the river. The door
way, which is the only opening they have, is closed
by a mat which is suspended inside. They have no
steps to enter by, but scramble into it as well as
they can. The common coozie hut is used by them
for ordinary purposes, such as cooking, &c., during
the day, but never at night. These sleeping huts
are about seven or eight feet wide, they are nearly
circular, are made of clay, and thatched with the
palm leaf; they are elevated above the ground so as
to secure the inmates from the annoyance of ants,




30 2             THE NIGER.
snakes, and the wet ground, and even for protection
from the alligators which prowl about at night in
search of prey. We were informed of instances
where these creatures have carried off the legs and
irnns of natives, who have incautiously exposed
themselves to their attacks. The huts will hold
about half a dozen people. Sometimes the pillars
supporting the hut are walled round, but this is not
often done, and they generally appear as in the
sketch.
The natives frequently kill the alligators by means
of a heavy spear about ten feet long, like the sketch.
One end is furnished with a heavy piece of iron-wood
to give it force, and the other with a sharp-pointed
barbed iron. It is attached to the bow of their canoe by a piece of grass rope, which is fastened to
the upper end, and is a formidable weapon. A smaller
spear of the same description is used by these people for killing fish, in which occupation they are very
expert.
As we proceeded down the Niger by a different
channel from that by which we had ascended it to
Yaoorie, we had fresh opportunities of remarking
the more striking features on its banks. The river,
as might naturally have been expected, is much
swollen, and its current more impetuous than when
we passed up on our voyage to Yaoorie; and many
of the stones and rocks which then annoyed us are
now under water,' and completely hidden. In the
earlier part of the evening we landed at a small Cumbrie village, and our canoes were pulled upon a sandy
beach for the night in security. The thermometer
has been at 95~ to-day.
Wednesday, August 4th.-The inhabitants of the




THE NIGER.            303
village wherein we slept last night had nothing to
offer us to eat, either then or this morning; but we
had the good fortune to shoot a partridge, and we
had it dressed for breakfast. But it was, like many
others, a most unsavoury repast, for we had nothing
to eat with it, not even a little salt; the people of
the village, as well as most of their countrymen,
making use of a quantity of woodashes instead,
which contain saline particles, because salt is too
expensive an article for these simple villagers to
purchase for their own consumption! We had every
thing conveyed to the canoes at an early hour, and
at seven o'clock A. M. we were once more upon the
Niger. The canoemen, as well as our own people,
had forecast and contrivance enough to supply themselves with a few ears of Indian corn last night,
which they thought themselves warranted to pluck
from a field at no great distance from their sleeping
quarters; yet all of them complained of hunger this
morning, and left the village in a very ill-humour.
To satisfy their appetites, our canoes were pulled
on shore repeatedly during the forenoon, for the men
to steal some of the corn which overhung the margin of the river. They were, however, perceived
by the more diligent of the watchers, but they did
not take any measures to prevent them, because
they saw that they were the sultan's servants, and
the whole of these have the privilege of stealing as
much corn from the Cumbrie as they may have occasion for. One poor man had a canoe laden with
new corn, which was pounced upon by these hungry
plunderers, who compelled its reluctant owner to
transfer it from his canoe into their own, without
remunerating him in anywise for the loss he thus
sustained. Another individual who happened to be
in a canoe was chased a considerable distance down
the river, under the impression that he had likewise
corn with him, the robbers endeavouring to palliate
their conduct by saying, that as the man paid no




304          ARRIVE AT WARREE.
tribute to the sultan, his effects were at all times
liable to be seized. The man, however, exerted all
his strength, and happily succeeded in making his
escape.
About noon we observed a herd of Faldtah cows
grazing on the banks of the river; and in the water
a little way from them we saw an immense crocodile floating on the surface like a long canoe, for
which it was at first mistaken, and watching an
opportunity to seize one of them and destroy it by
dragging it into the river. As soon as he was perceived by the canoemen, they paddled as softly as
possible towards him, intending to wait at a short
distance till the crocodile should have accomplished
his object, when they agreed to pull rapidly towards
the shore and reap the fruits of the reptile's amazing
strength, by scaring him off from his prey, or destroying him with harpoons, for the skin of a crocodile is not considered impenetrable here. Their intentions, however, were frustrated by the sudden
disappearance of the crocodile, which dived the moment he perceived the canoe so near him, making a
loud plashing noise, and agitating the water in a remarkable manner in his descent. We waited in vain
for him to rise again. A very short time after this
the canoemen landed at Warree, which is the most
celebrated market-town in the dependency of Engarski, and consists of several clusters of huts encircled by a dwarf clay wall. The market is attended by many thousands of people from different
parts of the country, besides Yaoorie, Boossa, and
Wowow, yet nothing peculiar to Engarski is exposed for sale in it; and the cheapness at which the
productions of the country are disposed of is most
likely the principal inducement for buyers to resort to
Warree. Vast numbers of canoes, filled with people and goods, were passing from one side of the
Niger to the other during our limited stay outside
the town, and the countenances of botlt buyers and




GARNICASSA.             305
sellers betrayed a very anxious and business-like ex.
pression. As soon as our curiosity was fully satisfied, we also crossed over to the Boossa side of the
river, and landed at a small walled town called Garnicassa, which is inhabited by the Cumbrie, and situated about five miles north of the city of Boossa.
At no great distance from this place, and within
sight of it, all the branches of the Niger meet and
form a beautiful and magnificent body of water, at
least seven or eight miles in width; and it is truly
astonishing what becomes of it, for at Boossa the
river is no more than a stone's throw across, and its
depth is in proportion to its narrowness. But about
an hour's walk from thence it again becomes a noble river, and maintains its width, it is said, even to
Funda. This singular fact favours the opinion, that
a large portion of the waters of the Niger is conveyedby subterraneous passages from the town of
Garnicassa to a few miles below Boossa.
Shortly after our arrival, when we were making
some allusion to the river to one of the inhabitants,
a Falatah hearing us came forward and made the
extraordinary assertion, that instead of running to
Funda, it took a turn to the eastward, and disembogued itself into the lake Tshad in Bornou. But
theories respecting the Niger are even more various
and contrary in this country than the hypotheses
of the learned of, Europe on the subject. Scarcely
two people are to be found that agree in the same
opinion,.nd their suppositions are not confined to
the course and terni nation, but include also the source
of this nysterio's river; yet, with all their talk, it
is easy to perceive that the natives are all entirely
ignorant of the matter.
The earlier part of the evening, after our arrival
at Garnicassa, was calm, serene, and delightful; and
the silvery moon shone with unusual resplendence.
It was a favourable time for the inhabitants of the
Town to enjoy themselves; and accordingly they




306              GARNICASSA.
were thus employed in good earnest.  Singing,
dancing, and music-playing are the only divertisements with which the generality of the Cumbrie
are acquainted; and though this people are even
nore despised than the slothful Hottentots of the
southern part of the continent,-though their rights
are unheeded and their liberties abused, yet these
considerations do not seem to impress them with
gloomy reflections; and they trifle away their leisure hours in play, with as much zest and thoughtless jollity as though they were the most favoured
people in the world.
A sudden and confused noise of merriment awoke
me from a pleasing kind of revery in which I was
indulging in the moonshine. I went out instantly
to ascertain the cause of such obstreperous mirth,
and discovered a number of young girls, and married women with children on their backs, dancing,
singing, romping, and clapping their hands, after the
manner of the country; and a group of their male
relatives standing beside them as judges and spectators of their proceedings. A female would spring
suddenly from amid her companions, and after skipping and dancing with great animation till she became quite exhausted, would fall backwards into the
arms of her associates, who, anxiously watching her
movements, had put themselves into a suitable attitude to receive her. Another would then supply her
place, and then another, till all the festive party had
danced in turn; and this amusement was kept up
with so much spirit, that screams of laughter and
other violent tokens of delight continued as long as
it lasted. The dance (if it deserve the name) commenced with the whole of the females, married and
single. They first formed themselves into a circle,
holding fast of each other's arms, and then they
moved round very slowly without lifting their feet
from the ground. This exercise seemed to have oc.
sasioned them much exertion and difficulty, if we




GARNICASSA              307
might be allowed  judge from the violent and pe
culiar manner in which they shook and twisted their
bodies, as well as from the failure of several of the.
younger girls, who were obliged to quit the ring almost as soon as it wa, formed. This slowness of
motion was gradually succeeded by a sprightlier
movement, till they ran round so swiftly, that the
circle was suddenly broken, and many of the wo.
men were thrown with violence to the ground. Tile
singing, or rather screaming, and clapping of hands,
together with other noises, more vociferous and wild
than these, were continued till the approach of
morning, when a heavy shower drove every one
home. Nothing, perhaps, in this country is more
capable of producing a wild, romantic, and pleasing
effect than such a spectacle as this, and at such a
time. In front of us lay the celebrated Niger, reflecting from its unruffled surface th-e splendid canopy
over our heads, with the radiant clouds of departing
day. On each side of the river Nature had scattered with a lavish hand the most lovely of her gifts;
and verdant trees cast their tall shadows on the
water. Allnost close to the place where we stood
was a circle of naked savage women, all black as a
coal, who were performing the oddest antics imaginable; and still nearer stood a wild-looking group
of their male companions, resting on their tall
spears and participating in the frolic with all their
hearts. A three-cornered rush or straw hat, having
a high peak, but without a brim, was the only article
of dress worn by these men. Altogether, as we
have already said, the scene was such as to fill the
mind with the highest gratification and delight. To
us it was irresistibly charming, and we contemplated
it a long time with emotions of the most pleasing
description.
Thursday, August 5th.-It rained incessantly till
between eleven and twelve o'clock in the forenoon,
when the sun made his appearance at intervals, and




308          ARRIVE AT BOOSSA.
the weather became fine, which we promptly av-..ed
ourselves of, in pursuing our journey along the
banks of the Niger to Boossa. The path wa tPiled
with water, and broken up by the force of the rains.
After an hour's ride we drew near to the wa,:s of
the city, and soon arrived at the drunlmer'3 house,
which had been our former residence. Eere we
found the midiki on her knees to receive illd welcome us back again to Boossa in the name of the
king. But we were not permitted to enter and take
possession of our old apartments, for the queen conducted us to other huts, which form part of a cluster inhabited by Faldtahs, and emigrants of both
sexes from Yarriba and Nouffie, who are mostly
slaves to the king. A quantity of milk and large
calabashes of rice and fish, stewed in palm oil, were
sent us a few minutes after our arrival; and in the
evening we were visited by the monarch, who said
he had been apprehensive that we required a little
repose and quietness after our journey, and therefore he did not like to intrude on us before. He expressed the pleasure he felt on seeing us again, and
welcomed us with the utmost cordiality.  The
midiki, who had accompanied him to our house,
paid us a similar compliment. It has been told us
that the drummer's wife had excited the envy of the
queen by wearing'round her neck a smart gilt button which we had given her; and that this is the
only reason that we are not allowed to occupy our
former lodgings in her house. Yet, to be even with
herfair rival, the queen had extracted from her little
sheepskin box, wherein they had been confined for
a quarter of a century, a small number of round and
flat golden ornaments, with which she has adorned
her sable bosom, and thereby totally eclipsed the
transitory splendour of the button belonging to the
drummer's wife.
On our arrival at Boossh the face and hands of
both my brother and self were much swollen and




BOuSSA.               306
highly inflamed by exposure to the san, and this circumstance, simple as it was, excited the queen's
sympathy almost to tears.
Friday, Aug. 6th.-In a conversation with the king
this morning, he intimated that it would be necessary
for us to visit Wowow, previous to our going to
Funda, because the prince of that state, he said, h;ad
already made war on Kiama on our account, and
captured a few of its people. The king had been
induced, from the representations of the midiki, who
is sister to the chief of Wowow, to urge our taking
this step; and as we dare not raise objections, we
have promised to go thither in a day or two, although
we are well aware that the little present we shall be
necessitated to offer him will by no means answer
his expectations. The king has himself repeated to
us the promise which he made to our man, of furnishing us with a canoe sufficiently large to contain
the whole of our people and ourselves, and whatever goods we may have left; and. in order to bind
him to his word, we have given him our tent and the
horse which was lately his own; so that, deprived
of these, we shall not have the means of travelling
on land, and shall therefore of necessity be obliged
to proceed by water. To the queen also, whose influence over the mind and actions of her husband is
unbounded, we have made a present much greater
than our means warranted, with which she is more
than pleased. We have further endeavoured to win
her favour by kindness, compliment, and flattery
and these means are the most powerful and effective
in the world. The simple-hearted females of this
country are quite unable to resist them. Thus far
every thing is favourable to cur enterprise, yet doubts
sometimes arise in our minds; and should a canoe
be denied us after all that the monarch of this place
has said, we are determined, when the time draws
near for our departure, to take a canoe of our own
accord, and steal away from Boossi by night. " Falatahs," said the king to-dar vith much seriousness,




310         THE NIGER CONSULTED.
"reside on each side of the river in considerable
numbers, and I begin to fear that they will endanger
your personal safety."-" But," answers Pascoe,
out interpreter, "Englishmen are gods of the waters,
and no evil can befall them in boats, even though all
Africa, or the whole world, should fight against
themn."-" I will, however," said the king, in reply,
"go down and ask the becken rouah (dark or black
water, which the Niger is everywhere emphatically
styled) whether it will be prudent and safe for the
white men to embark on it or not, and I will be sure
to acquaint you and them of my success, be it good
or bad." To-morrow morning, we understand, he
intends making this singular experiment; and we
have only to hope that the Niger may return him a
favourable answer to his question.
To-day when we ascertained that it was the actual intention of the king to supply us with a canoe,
we thought proper to present him, in the name of
our sovereign, with one of those beautiful silver
medals which were cast during the American war,
for the purpose of distributing among those Indian
chiefs who were favourable to the English interests.
A large and valuable chain of the same metal was
attached to it, and nothing which we had previously
given the king seemed to have pleased him so much
as this medal and chain; he regarded it indeed with
childish admiration. We assured him that he might
now consider himself as the King of England's most
particular friend, and that he could not offer a more
grateful return, than by favouring and assisting us
in our plan of journeying to the salt-water by way
of the Niger.
Saturday, August 7th.-Just after we had arisen
this morning, the king came to us with joy beaming
in his countenance, and quickly informed us that
according to his promise, he had been down to the
Niger, with his mallam or priest, and that the result
of his visit was highly favourable to our wishes as




THE KING OF BOOSSA.          311
well as his own —" the river having promised to con,
duct us in safety to its termination." One of our
greatest apprehensions is by this means removed
He likewise observed that the canoes of the chief
of Wowow were much superior to his own, and he
should therefore request him to sell us a large and
good one, made of a single trunk, instead of one
joined in the middle, which he said would not be
either so strong or so safe.. We thanked him, and
expressed a desire to purchase such a one as he had
recommended without delay, that we might have
time to make whatever alterations we should deem
necessary, and procure a mast, awning, sail, &c.
before our departure.
Monday, August 9th.-The king told Pascoe this
morning, that neither himself nor the midiki had
tasted animal food for the last three weeks, and that
if we would make him a present of a Guinea-fowl he
would be greatly pleased, as he had been living upon
fish till he was tired of it. This was jocosely
spoken, and not intended for our ears, as the king
subsequently informed us; but when he knew, by
our compliance with his expressed wish, that Pascoe
had made us acquainted with it, his delicacy was so
much hurt that he was ashamed to visit us for a
whole day after.
The king is one of the tallest and finest men in
the country, as well as one of the most active and
industrious. He is oftentimes unwell, owing, according to his own account, to having, many years
ago, swallowed a quantity of poison, which had been
administered to him as an excellent medicine, by one
who sought his destruction. Other chiefs " and
great men," not only in Borgoo, but in every place
that we have visited, either doze and sleep away
the greatest part of their lifetime, or spend it in the
most childish and frivolous pursuits; whereas his
majesty of Boossh, when he is not engaged in public affairs, usefully employs all his leisure hours in
I.-    A




312               BOOSSA.
superintending the occupations of his household and
making his own clothes. The midiki and he have
distinct establishments, divided fortunes, and separate interests; indeed, they appear to have nothing
in common with each other, and yet we have never
seen so friendly a couple since leaving our native
country. The manners of the Africans, too, are
hostile to the interest and advancement of woman,
and she is very rarely indeed placed on an equality
with her husband. Perhaps the prevalence of polygamy, which the religion' of the people tolerates,
whether Mohammedan or pagan, is one of the chiet
causes of the disesteem in which females are generally held.
The kings of Boossi, as we have before had occasion to observe. have the reputation of being the
greatest monarchs, next to the sovereigns of Bornou,
between that empire and the sea; and this enviable
distinction is acknowledged by every rival chief.
Yet it cannot be owing either to their power, their
state, or their opulence; for of all the Borgoo rulers,
they are perhaps the poorest and feeblest. The
superior dignity of the kings of Boossa and the honour and reverence which are universally paid them,
have arisen, it is said, from the respectability of
their origin; for they are believed to be descendants
of the oldest family in Africa, which in ancient times,
long before the introduction of the Mohammedan religion, was the great head of the fetish; hence the
profound respect which is yet shown them by the
professors of the new faith, and those who still cling
to the superstitions of the old, and the influence
which they exercise as far as their name is known.
Tuesday, August 10th. —The midiki sends us a
bowl of bruised corn, boiled in water, which is called
tdah, twice a-day for our people; and the king
sepds daily a little rice and dried fish, seasoned with
pepper, salt, and palm-oil, for our own consumption.
But we find this insufficient for our people, who are




BOOSSA.              313
eight in number, and ourselves; their appetites are
extremely keen. Guinea-fowl and partridges, which
we used to shoot here in great quantities, and which
formed the principal part of our food, are now procured with the greatest difficulty and fatigue, owing
partly to the prevalence of heavy rains, which have
rendered the ground soft and boggy, and partly to
the surprising height and stiffness of the corn-stalks,
between which these birds always shelter themselves. We are, therefore, often much perplexed
about the means of procuring a meal. With buttons
the market is already overstocked; they have lost
all their powers to charm, because those we have
heretofore sold were of inferior quality, and not new,
so that they begin already to lose their polished lustre, and to look dull and black; needles are unsaleable; we have disposed of all our bits of coloured
cloth, and common red stuff, tea canisters, powder
canisters, and almost every thing indeed that would
sell, reserving the very few articles of greater value
which are left for presents to the different chiefs
along the banks of the Niger. Among other trifles
disposed of were several tin-cases, which contained
worthless and unpalatable portable soups, &c. These
were labelled with slips of tin, which, though rather
dull and dirty, nevertheless attracted the admiration
of many; and we have been highly diverted to see
one man in particular walking at large, and strutting
about with "Concentrated Gravy" stuck on his
head in no less than four places. He appeared quite
proud and vain of these ornaments, and was simpering with pleasure wherever he went.
Our men bear fatigue and hunger extremely well,
yet when they have food in abundance, they eat, or
rather devour it voraciously. One of them, who has
the appetite of a horse, but who is himself unconscious of it, understanding that any thing bitter would
sharpen this propensity, and enable him to consume
a greater quantity of provisions, has been in the con




314          DEPART FOR WOWOW.
stant habit of swallowing the contents of every
bullock's gall-bladder he could meet with! Six such
stomachs as his we have daily to satisfy, if we can;
and having also two women (Pascoe's wives) in our
train, we think it will be no easy matter, at a future
period, to supply them even with the bare necessaries of life, more especially after our embarkation
in the canoe.
Wednesday, August 11th.-By a previous intimation we prepared ourselves early this morning to
depart for Wowow; but because the road to that city
was supposed to be bad, we were obliged to wait on
horseback by the king's house for a considerable
time, in order that a person might be found to show
us the most proper path. However, wearied with
waiting, we left the city without him, and he overtook us about three or four hours after we had been
on our journey. The account of the badness of the
path we soon saw had not been exaggerated; it was
filled with holes and pits, and overgrown with grass
so tall that it reached far above our heads, and
sprinkled a shower of water on our persons. Thorny
shrubs tore our clothes and lacerated our flesh, and
the branches of decayed trees, which had fallen
across the pathway, made it every thing but impassable; while small rivers, rushing along with the im
petuosity of a torrent, and their rugged and almost
perpendicular sides, conduced to render travelling
pangerous and even dreadful. In crossing a large
and not very rapid stream my horse fell with me, but
my brother's refused to carry him over, and he was
obliged to wade through the water, which reached
above his armpits. The bed of the stream-was fille
with rocks, against which he struck himself several
times, and was thrown down more than once, but
without doing him any injury.
A few miles from Boossav we crossed in a canoe a
branch of the Niger forming a pretty little river, and
running nearly west, and which is said to encompass




ARRIVE AT WOWOW.            315
the whole of Wowow, and to fall into the parent
stream below that state. This is the Iiver v, hich
Captain Clapperton was informed encircled the city
and part of the kingdom of Boossa, whereas it takes
quite an opposite direction; and where that officer
supposed it returned to the Niger, it actually takes
its rise. It was likewise told us that this same river
joins the Oly; and if this be the case, the principalities of Kiama and Wowow must form an island of
themselves. Between one and two o'clock in the
afternoon, when the most difficult part of the journey
had been accomplished, we halted at a farm belonging to the King of Boossa, for we were all excessively
fatigued. Here we were regaled with parched corn
and water, and refreshed ourselves further with an.
hour's rest; and we again set forward with renewed
spirits and additional cheerfulness, and about sunset
entered a pleasant little village, encompassed with
flourishing plantations of corn and yams, which was
situated near Mount George the Fourth. We slept
here, and before we retired to rest we made an unsuccessful attempt to procure provisions for our
famishing attendants, yet they had wisdom enough
not to forget themselves, for they had recourse to
their old expedient of pilfering Indian corn in the
night-time; and though a watch was kept by the
inhabitants, who suspected their intentions, yet they
escaped detection. Fires were made in our hut,
which was very large, with branches of trees and a
large trunk, and around these sat our men dressing
and eating their ill-gotten food till morning. In the
course of the day's journey we observed traces of
lions and elephants. The latter animals infest the
woods between Boossa and Wowow in incredible
numbers, and by the impressions of their feet on the
pathway, their size must be prodigious.
Thursday, August 12th.-As soon as it was day
we were again on horseback, and after a very pleas.
ant ride over an excellent footway of somewhat less




316      INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.
than twelve miles, we entered the city of Wowow
through the western entrance. Here we found ourselves on the race-course, and by desire we galloped
swiftly towards the king's residence, and fired off a
couple of pistols as a signal of our arrival. He presently came out to see us; but as the messenger from
Boossa was not at hand, and as it is the custom
never to enter into any kind of conversation without
him, the old chief awaited his coming with much patience for more than half an hour, nor could we approach him during that time. Indeed, no foreigner
is permitted to do so, whatever may be his rank,
unless in presence of the representative of the chief
from whom lie last came. A number of well-dressed
mallams walked before the king on his coming out,
and a man bearing on his shoulder a heavy sword
came after them; and last of all followed a long train
of his wives and children, who squatted themselves
on the ground and filled up the doorway. In the
wall on each side of the entrance of the town is a
large niche, in one of which the king stood fixed and
motionless, with his hands clasped under his tobe,
and supported on his bosom; and round a pole which
had been placed erect in the other niche, a naked
youth had entwined his legs, remaining in breathless
anxiety to be a spectator of the approaching interview. No two human beings ever bore a more
striking resemblance to statues than these; the deception was indeed complete. For ourselves, we
had sent our horses to graze, and sat about a dozen
paces from the doorway, under a large tree;-the
mallams were sprawling on the earth between the
king and us; and at a respectful distance on each
side, groups of the inhabitants had assembled to
gratify their curiosity.
While the king remained in the above position,
without moving a single muscle, and which lasted
till our messenger had made his appearance, a singing-woman drew near the person of her sovereign,




INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.       317
and began to exercise her vocation in a tone of voice
that displayed any thing but sweetness or melody,
and so loud and shrill as to frighten away the birds
froln the trees near the spot. After this salutation
she fell on her knees, and repeatedly threw handfuls
of earth over her left shoulder down her back, &c.
The Boossa messenger, who had been so anxiously
expected, at length arrived, and the spell which had
bound every one to the spot was dissolved in a moment. We were then conducted to the king, and
formally introduced to him; but the grave, eccentric
old man shook hands with us without taking them
from the tobe in which they had been enveloped, or
even condescending to look in our faces, for he never
makes it a practice to raise his head above a certain
height; fearing he should discover the person to
whom he may be conversing gazing full in his countenance, to which he has a very strange but unconquerable antipathy. The interview lasted but a roment, and we were hastily conducted to the house
which was occupied by. the late Captain Clapperton;
and here we were soon visited by a number of the
principal people of the city. In the course of the
morning we received a quantity of eggs, milk, yams,
and a fat sheep, as a present from the king.




318               HORSE-RACING.
CHAPTER XI.
Horse-racing at Wowow on the Mohammedan Sabbath-Indignation.or
the King of Wowow against the Kian of Knima-Religious Proeessilo
of Females-Policy of the King of Woow-oRichard Lander taken ill
-Leaves his Brother at Wowow, and returnr. to Boossi-Narrative of
John Lander-The Blessinl of the Prits:ess-Reigiolus. Sects —l'heir
Creeds and Ideas of a- Future State-Funeral and Marriage Ceremnonies-Park's Books -The States of Borgoo-'l'he last of Park's Effects
-Farewell to the King of Wowow —Departure-Village-Apprelhe
sions of the Natives-The Travellers meet at Boossa,
Friday, August 13th.-To-day is the Mohammedan
Sabbath, which is constantly kept as a holvday by
the inhabitants for public recreations and festivities
The king's musicians were engaged in playing a very
few simple airs during the whole of tlhe morning.
For native music, it was certainly excellent; else.
where we have heard nothilng equal to it, not even
at Katun'ga, Kialna, or Yaoorie. Boossa seems to
have little music and few amusements of any kind;
no city is so dull and lifeless as that.  In the evening
the weekly horse-racing commenced by a run of
eight or ten ponies, as handsome as they were swift,
and the competition between them was most spirited.
It was not till after this contest had been concluded
that the king made his appearance at the lower end
of the race-course; and from thence he rode slowly
towards the starting-place, preceded by singing and
dancing women, who bawled and capered before
him. When he came up to it he was saluted with a
report from a few guns and pistols. The king was
more appropriately attired, or rather his clothes
seemed to sit more easily antd gracefully on his person, than those of any other prince we have seen.
His horse was gayly, if not richly caparisoned; it




THE KING'S DRUMMER.         319
was a noble beast, and both horse and rider looked
extremely well. As he passed us he neither turned
his head aside, nor even honoured us with a single
glance, from a desire to make an impression on our
minds by pomp and show; perhaps he thought it
would have been degrading to have given us a familiar look.
The weather was not so favourable as could have
been wished; and to this circumstance was owing
the few horses, comparatively speaking, which had
been brought to the sport. The horses were rode
chiefly by little boys, one of whom was the king's
son: when they galloped past their sovereign they
invariably doffed their caps as a mark of respect.
This race was by no means so well contested as the
former, and indeed was unworthy of the name; and
as soon as it was over the king returned to his residence, and his example was presently followed by the
prince and the other part of his household. But all
these were obliged to return by a different path, because it is against the rules of etiquette for any one
of the natives to attend the footsteps of his sovereign
on the celebration of any public amusement. After
their departure the music ceased, and terminated the
entertainments of the day.
The king's head-drummer, a little Nouffie ma:,
came to see us this afternoon. He stated, in answer
to our inquiries, that the Tshadda (Shary) flows into
the Niger at Funda, and a regular intercourse is kept
up with the natives on its banks, for the purposes of
trade, by means of very large canoes. The sheikh,
he said, resided very near the Tshadda, which, in
Bornou, spreads into a large body of water. He further inforned us, that canoes, capable of containing
five hundred men in each, and having "thatched
houses" in them, are taken to Binnie (Benin), with
great quantities of cotton cloths, &c., by his countrymen, who sell them to the natives; and that
Funda is very near the salt-water; yet the drumnipr




320        PRESENTS TO THE KING.
appeals to know nothing of any river which runs
to Bornou.
This morning I carried the few things, which we
had brought from Boossa for that purpose, to the
king. The monarch appeared well pleased and cheerful, and expressed himself perfectly satisfied with
the present, though in a few minutes afterward he
despatched a messenger to inquire if we had not
brought any coral beads with us from England. The
articles forming the present consisted of two pair
of silver bracelets, a piece of coarse muslin, sufficient for a couple of turbans, a tobacco-pipe, two
razors, a new gilt button, two small and inferior
looking-glasses, a clasp-knife, a pair of scissors, and
two combs. In compliance with my request, the
king informed me that he would sell us a canoe
with the greatest pleasure. He was convinced, he
said, that we should return in safety to our country
by way of the Niger, which did not contain a single
rock from Ing,-utzhilligee to Funda. He had heard
of the refustl of the prince of Kiama to send us by
the road of Wowow to his friend the King of Boossh,
and his recommending us a path through a dreary
wilderness, which had caused the destruction of all
our horses, and in which we ourselves had narrowly
escaped with life. He had felt for us in that situation, and his heart had been touched with grief at
the recital of our misfortunes.  After the rains
should be over, he was determined to resent the
affront which had been thus offered him by the ruler
of Kiama, and make him repent his cruelty. It had
been his intention, he continued, to despatch a body
of soldiers for the purpose of escorting us to his city
in a handsome and becoming manner, but he had
been deterred flom his purpose by the information
which he had received of our having plenty of guns
and ammunition with us, which he feared we might
have employed against the escort, under the nistaken opinion of its being a band of robbers. He




BARGAINING FOR A CANOE.       321
rejoiced, however, to see us, because it would convince his neighbours that the white men neither disliked nor despised him. "I am now infinitely happy,"
he concluded, "for surely I could not have left the'
world in peace if you had departed from the country
without having visited the old king of Wowow."
When this long explanation was concluded, I was
permitted to take my leave. Guns were subsequently
fired off in compliment of our arrival; and the king
and his wives, elated with joy, passed the day in
dancing, laughing, and singing.
In the evening, several of their daughters favoured
us with a visit; and after their departure the monarch's brother and his friend came to pay us the
compliments of the day, and salute us in the country
fashion. The avoikin sullikee (king's friend) is a very
important and influential personage in Borgoo and
other countries, and in point of rank is considered
the second man in the empire. He transacts all the
public business for the king when the latter is incapable of attending to it, from indisposition or any
other accidental cause.
Saturday, August 14th.-Yesterday morning a
messenger was despatched in haste to Inguazhilligee,
which is a town and ferry on the banks of the Niger,
where the king's boats are kept, to ascertain if a
large canoe can be appropriated toour use, without
interfering with or interrupting the business of the
ferry. He returned at a late hour last night, so
that we had no opportunity of speaking to him;
but this morning he informed us that we shall be
able to have the best and most commodious canoe
in the place, because a new canoe had very recently
been made for the ferry, on account of the old one,
which has since been recovered, having drifted
down the river. Another individual was sent by
the king this morning to settle the business about
the purchase-money, but he is not expected to re,
turn from Inguazhilligee till to-morrow.




322        tRELIGIOUS PROCESSION.
This day a long and gay procession, formed by
the female followers of the ancient religion of the
country, passed through the town, walking and
dancing alternately, with large spreading branches
of trees in their hands. The priestess, at the time
we saw her, had just swallowed fetish-water, and
was carried on the shoulders of one of the devotees,
who was assisted by two female companions, supporting the trembling hands and arms of their mistress. Her body was convulsed all over, and her
features shockingly distorted, while she stared wildly
and vacantly on the troop of enthusiasts and other
objects which surrounded her. The priestess was
then believed to be possessed with a demon; indeed,
to us they all appeared to be so, for not one of them
seemed in their sober senses, so indescribably fantastic were their actions, and so unseemly did they
deport themselves. A younger woman was likewise borne on the shoulders of a friend, and carried
along in the same manner as her nistress; but she
was by no means so uncouth a figure, nor was her
agitation so great as that of the priestess, by whom
she was preceded. The whole of the women forming this strange procession might amount to between ninety and a hundred; they were clad in
their " holyday best;" their motions were regulated
at times by the sound of drums and fifes, and to
this music theyjoined their wild shrill voices. They
were arranged in couples, and with the branches of
trees shaking in the air, presented one of the most
extraordinary and grotesque spectacles that the human nind can conceive.
The King of Wowow is making new roads and
repairing and widening the old ones leading to and
from the city. This is the only instance we have
yet seen wherein even the slightest attention has
been paid by a chief to the state of the public pathway, during the whole of the journey from Badagry
to Y&oorie; and the reason urged by the ruler of




POLICY OF THE IING.         323
this place for undertaking the business is somewhat
singular, though shrewd and just. " If," says he,
" an enemy were to come towards my gates with a
hostile intention, and find the roads broken up or
overgrown with weeds, would they not say among
themselves,'Oh, this King of Wowow is a careless,
slothful, cowardly governor; his town contains but
few inhabitants, for see, the path is green and untrodden by human feet; let us go and attack it, for
it will easily fall into our hands' But," he continued, " should they, find it of convenient width,
smooth, and free from grass, they would immediately say,'This road is trodden by the feet of
many people; the town must be populous, strong,
and flourishing, and its monarch watchful and brave;
if we venture to make an assault, we foresee that
we shall be overpowered and slain; it is better for
us all to turn back while we are yet undiscovered
and unharmed, lest some evil fall upon us when it is
too late to retreat.'"
Thus the talkative old king argues with his people,
that they may throw off that laziness which is
natural to them, and be animated to industry and
labour in the common cause.
A greater quantity of yams is cultivated in the
vicinity of Wowow than is grown in all the other
principalities of Borgoo put together. It is a common question on the path when the natives meet a
stranger, "What! are you going to Wowow to eat
yams." And the King of Boossh jocosely observed
to us in parting, "That after we had tasted of the
yams of his relative, he was apprehensive we should
be inclined to remain a longer period in Wowow
than he had proposed, for that they were a powerful
inducement."
Rice and corn are also cultivated to an unlimited
extent here, and two species of beans, so that the
necessaries of life are very plentiful and cheap.
Reaping has commenced, and the wet season, it is




324      NARRATIVE OF JOHN LANDER.
said, is nearly over. As in most other places, indigo and cotton are yearly produced at Wowow in
abundance.
Sunday, August 15th.-Yesterday and this morning
I was seized with giddiness of the head and other
symptoms, which are the usual precursors of fever
in this country. We nad left our medicine-chest
behind at Boossa, and as I was apprehensive that
I should be laid up in this city, if I remained in il
longer, my brother agreed with me in opinion that
it would be advisable for me to return without delay
to Boossa, and leave him here to settle the business
respecting the canoe, &c. I therefore got on horseback as soon as the vertigo had passed away, and
without stopping to bid adieu to the king, immediately departed on my journey with two attendants.
My brother furnished me afterward with the following account of the events which fell under his own
observation during the time we were absent from
each other.
"A very few minutes after my brother had departed from Wowow, the prince sent me a young
bullock and. a number of yams; and his brother likewise presented me with a quantity of milk, rice, and
a fatted goat.
"About midday the female worshippers of the
ancient gods, who have already been alluded to,
performed a second mystical ceremony, which is
enjoined by their religion, and afterward paraded
the streets in the same order as on the former occasion. When it was over and the procession had
dispersed, without intimating their intention, several
of them paid me a visit attended by musicians with
drums, flutes, and guitars, and a great number of
little boys and girls. I was sitting in a shed outside
our hut at the time, with a sheet spread before me
to keep off the eyes of the curious; and when it was
pulled up by the priestess herself, who was fantas




BLESSING OF THE PRIESTESS      325
tically dressed in man's apparel, and when, with her
large rolling eyes, and phrensied countenance and
manner, she performed her antics before me, uttering at the same time a piercing yell, more dismal
than a dog's at midnight, I started and shuddered a
moment, for I was quite unprepared to witness such
an object. But the poor enthusiast had no evil intention, for she fell down on her knees, gazed at
me with tears in her eyes, and with a look of tenderness, held out her hand as a token of friendship.
blessed me, and then arose and went out to make
room for her principal attendants, who shrieked like
her and offered their hand in the same manner. Our
Boossa messenger, and other individuals, who had
come in before this most singular method of saluta.
tion was ended, subsequently received the benediction of the devotees, which was bestowed on them
by the elder of the females. The method of doing
it was novel and peculiar; in the first place, the man
was placed in a stooping position, the female then
twisted his left arm, and pulled it over the back
with all her might; it was then let go, to the great
relief of the man; and she placed both her hands
on his shoulders, which she pressed down with
great energy, muttering between her teeth during
the time the blessing which he had sought; but this
was so inaudible that it could not be understood.
It was not the woman, said the bystanders, but a
spirit within her that spoke, and that influenced her
and her companions in all their actions. So the
people went away confirmed in this belief, and quite
happy.
"The religion which these enthusiasts profess,
and which was not long since the prevailing religion of the country, is still held in great reverence
here; so much so indeed, that the king's daughters
were early initiated into its mysteries, and invariably attend the celebration of all its superstitious
rites and ordinances; in fact, the priestess hersl'




326           RELIGIOUS CREEDS.
s one of tnem. Their parent also is still favourable towards the religion of his fathers, which is
blended with Arab fables and traditions (for the Mohammedan creed in its purity is unknown here), and
these form the foundation and superstructure of
his faith.
"The priestess and her followers believe in the
existence of a God, and a heaven wherein he resides; that this glorious and almighty Being superintends the destinies of man in this life, and in a
future one rewards or punishes him according to his
deserts. Yet of a hell, or a place of eternal torment,
they have no idea whatever. The souls of good
men, say they, ars translated into a tranquil, happy,
and beautiful region, wherein but one monkey is
permitted to reside, and where they remain for
ever; whereas the wicked, before they can he
allowed to participate in so much felicity and enjoy.
ment, are forced to endure sorrow, pain, and punishment:-a variety of tortures is in store for them,
such as scourging and beating, till it is considered
sufficient punishment has been inficted for their
misdeeds, when they are exalted to a happier state
of being.
"Others, who waver between the Mohammedan
religion and the ancient faith, believe that at the
end of the world a voice will sound from heaven to
invite ail black men to the world of bliss, but that
these will be too much unconcerned and too lazy
to embrace the offer; a second voice will then
proclaim the same invitation to white men, who
will spring up with alacrity and transport, and enter
the celestial regions before them, with books in
their hands. They profess to believe also that
two men were originally created, one black and the
other white, from whom the whole world is descended.
" The professors of the ancient superstition sacifice a bullock, a sheep, or a black goat to their




FUNERAL CEREMONIES.          327
divinities, but they shudder at the very idea of a
human offering. Instead of agreeing with us that
the world will be destroyed by fire, they suppose
that its Divine Maker will roll it up like a parchment
scroll, and put it aside for a fiture occasion.
"It is somewhat remarkable that in Haussa the
people have a tradition that the-name of our great
forefather was Adam (pronounced exactly in the same
manner as we pronounce the word). Da Adam, in
the same language, signifies an object when observed
indistinctly at a distance, bearing the least resemblance to a man. The mother of the human race is
called Ameenatoo in Haussa.
"Monday, August 16th.-The more respectable
classes of society in Wowow and Boossa, after
their decease, are buried in the yard of the house
in which they resided when alive; while the people
in the common walks of life'are interred in a spot
of ground selected for the purpose in a thick wood,
which is at some distance.from the city, and an.
swering to our own places of burial. The friends
of \the former, as soon as they are made acquainted
with his dissolution, resort to his house, and make
lamentation for him for the space of seven days,
wearing during that period their very worst apparel. But the relatives of a poor man attend his
remains to the burying ground, and abide in the
wood till their grief is assuaged and the time of
mourning expired.
"Marriage among free people is exceedingly
simple, and is attended with little mirth or festive
recreation of any kind. The intended husband is
allowed to have nothing to do in the affair, though
it concerns him so nearly, and the parents of the
girl are equally out of the question. When the
parties become attached to each other, the female
goes immediately to acquaint her grandmother of
the circumstance, and coaxes the old woman to
give her consent for her to live henceforward with
T.-B B




828         MARRIAGE CEREMONIES.
her suitor, for she alone has the power of giving
the maiden away. If it happens, however, that she
has no grandmother, the girl is at liberty to act as
she pleases. Several days are always allowed for
the old woman to reflect and ponder over the whole
matter in her mind; and this interval is generally
embraced by the man in making her trifling presents,
and doing her other little acts of kindness, in the
hope of gaining her over to his interests. When
a free man forms an affection for a female who is a
slave, and he has money sufficient for the purpose,
he goes to her master, whoever he may be, unbosoms his mind to him, and informs him of his intention of taking the woman to wife, if he will give
him permission. Should the owner of the girl approve of the connexion, the suitor pays him twenty
thousand cowries for his consent to the match,
though a smaller sum is oftentimes offered and accepted; and the object of his affections from that
time becomes his spouse. Yet the children which
she may bear him cannot be retained by the father,
but are considered the exclusive property of the
wife's master, who lays claim to them and takes
them away as soon as they are able to run about.
Nor does the marriage ceremony break the bonds
of the woman's slavery, for she is liable to be called
upon whenever the master thinks proper, when she
is obliged to serve him in the same manner as if she
had remained in a single state. The union of slaves
among each other depends entirely upon the will
and pleasure of their owners.
("A man is at liberty to return his wife to her
parents at any time, and without adducing any reason for his dislike and dissatisfaction. When this is
his intention, he treats his spouse with disrespect and
unkindness, which she soon understands the meaning of, and of her own accord she goes back to her
friends, and tells them of what has occurred. These
subsequently repair in a body to the husband's house,




BECOMES UNWELL.            329
and question him in a formal manner whether it is
his desire that his wife should continue to abide with
then. If so, the connexion is forthwith dissolved, and
she is again considered in the light of an unmarried
woman. The children (if any) the mother is by no
means permitted to take along with her, but they are
left behind with their father, who delivers them over
to the care of his other women.
"The King of Wowow daily inquires after my
health, and sends me a quantity of yams, milk, and
eggs, every morning. Although this old chief has
received a present infinitely smaller than we have
given any other ruler, yet his treatment of us has
been more generous than that of all of them together.
His brother, also, and one or two other respectable
individuals, have been equally kind, and have endeavoured all in their power to render our stay
among them  perfectly agreeable.  They expect
nothing in return for their hospitality, for we have
nothing but a few needles to offer them, and we
have told them so again and again; nevertheless their
attention and kindness do not diminish.
" Tuesday, August 17th.-I was taken extremely
unwell this morning with an indescribable and very
unpleasant sensation in the head, which made me so
lifeless and stupid that I could scarcely keep my
eyes open for the remainder of the day, and obliged
me to lie on my mat till evening, where I dozed
away the hours more uncomfortably than I can
describe. It is very remarkable that hitherto in the
evening preceding the day on which we have been
taken ill we have ever been surprisingly brisk and
lively, with an unnatural flow of spirits; and we are
so well aware of this that we always anticipated
what is sure to follow, when we find ourselves in this
merry mood, namely, an attack of illness on the
ensuing morning.
"The messenger sent by the king to procure us a
canoe is not yet returned from Inguazhilligee;




330        MUTNGO PARK'S BOOKS.
another was despatched after him yesterday, and
this morning a third, it is said, has left the town on
the same errand; so at least people have informed
us. The object of the first of these men is not confined to his visiting the ferry; but if he could not
meet with a canoe to his satisfaction there, he has
oeen desired to proceed farther down the Quorra
until he should see one that would answer our purpose. He is also to examine and report the appearance of a reef of rocks like that at Boossd, which runs
across the river below Ingudzhilligee,* and collect
moneys and duties owing to his master. It is therefore not much to be wondered at that he is not yet
returned to Wowow. In the evening one of our
men arrived from my brother at Boossa; he informed
me by letter of his convalescence, and of his intention of returning to this city yesterday, which however had been frustrated by desire of the'king. The
letter stated further that the midiki would settle with
her brother, the prince of Wowow, for the canoe
which he has promised to sell us; and therefore that
I was at liberty to take my leave of him whenever
I might think proper. Also in the evening I received an intimation from the king to remain in the
city till his messenger, who is hourly expected, shall
have returned from the banks of the Niger. Indeed
it is more than unlikely, if my present indisposition
continue, that I shall be able to undergo the fatigues
of a journey to Boossa, for a day or two at least; so
that this restraint of the king I shall scarcely feel.
"Wednesday, August 18th.-My curiosity has
again been highly and perhaps painfully excited by
hearing to-day that a certain man in the town was
known to have had in his possession several books
which he had piclgd up from the Niger at the period
of Mr. Park's dissolution. As soon as I had learned
this I instantly sent to the man's house to ascertain
* The same as Comie in the map




VISITERS.              331
the truth or falsehood of the rumour, but he hap.
pened to be from home, and it was not till night,
after his return from the bush, that I heard, with disappointment and sorrow, that the report was indeed
well founded, but that the books had all been recently destroyed.  The man said he had shown
them to the Arabs who were in the habit of visitiig
the town, but they could not understand the language
in which they were written, and merely conjectured
that their contents related to money matters, and
were therefore of no kind of use whatever to any one.
Yet notwithstanding their uselessness, the man is reported to have kept the books carefully concealed in
his house till the arrival of Captain Clapperton at
Wowow, but when he found that this officer made
no inquiries for such books, he neglected to pay any
further attention to them, and they were destroyed
shortly after; or, to use his own words, they' dropped or fell to pieces.' By the description which has
been given of one of the books alluded to, I am inclined to believe that it must have been either Mr.
Park's journal, or a book of manuscripts of some
sort. Thus have all our inquiries for the recovery
of the lost papers of this traveller ended in disappointment: even when we had made almost sure of
them, and bur feelings excited to their highest pitch
on more than one occasion, we have felt all the bitterness of hope suddenly extinguished.
" A number of visiters have called to see me today; but owing to my indisposition I have been unable to remain in a sitting posture longer than a very
few minutes at a time, and therefore these visits
have been agreeably short.' Thursday, August 19th.-I have learned with
some surprise to-day, that Boossa and Wowow are
not considered as being in the empire of Borgoo, but
that they actually form a separate and distinct country, where a different language is spoken, and different manners prevail. The principality of Ki/ima




332          STATES OF BORGOO.
howeve., is included by the natives in the former
country. but owing to the long-continued and unceasing intercourse which has been maintained be.
tween it and Boosst, &c., the original Borgoo language has given place to the Boossa and Wowow
tongue; and the customs and amusements of the
people likewise bear at this time so great a similarity
to those of their neighbours as not to be distinguished
from them. Yet a stranger can scarcely fail to remark a surprising difference between the demeanour
of the more respectable inhabitants of Kiama, and
the behaviour of the same class of people at Boossa
and Wowow. The former are bold, haughty, fierce,
and rapacious; the latter are mild, humble, and sedate:-the former are held in no better light by merchants and traders than a band of robbers; whereas
the latter are respected everywhere, and held in high
reputation for honesty, integrity, and honour. Kiama, it is said, formerly paid a tax to the King ot
Niki, but now it has sworn allegiance to the Falatahs.
"The following is a statement of the names of
the different states which form the extensive country
called Borgoo.
1. Niki      4. Sandero      7.'Loogoo
2. Buoy      5. Kingka       8. Pundi.
3. Kiina      6. Korokoo
"These follow in the order of the importance in
which they are held by the people. Niki pays a
small tribute to the King of Boossa as an acknowledgment of his superiority; Wowow does the same.'because,' said an intelligent man of that city,'in
the beginning of the world the Almighty appointed
his ancestor monarch of the whole of Western
Africa.' The present King of Boossa is, notwithstanding, too feeble to enforce- payment of this
tribute: it was originally offered voluntarily, and it
has been continued by courtesy to the present time




THEIR RELATIVE SITUATION.       333
though Niki and Wowow begin to be indifferent
about the matter.
" The relative position of the five first states of
Borgoo with respect to each other may be thus ex
pressed: the letters N, W, S, E, indicating the positions of the four cardinal points of the compass.
Buay.
N.
Kingka W.-Niki-E. Kiima
S.
Sandero.
"Nzkt is seven days' journey nearly west of
Wowow, and the four states surrounding it as above
are each three days' journey from it in the direction
in which they are placed.
"Korokoo is sixteen days'journey west of Wowow.
" Loogoo twenty days' journey south-west of
Wowow.
" Pundi twenty days' west of Wowow.
"It is, however, hardly possible for a native of
Wowow to give the exact situation of a country remote from his own, when it is considered that he has
neither a compass, nor indeed any instrument whatever, to assist him in his observations, the sun alone
being his guide in such cases. It is therefore likely
enough that the individuals who furnished me with
the preceding information might have erred, perhaps
as much as two or three points of the compass; and
consequently it would be better, instead of east,
west, north, &c., to read easterly, westerly, northerly, &c.
"Niki is the largest and most powerful of the
Borgoo states. Its capital, which is extremely populous, is of the same name, and though unwalled, it
is of immense extent, and said to be of equal size to
the city of Yaoorie. Its monarch has a thousand
horses, which are all his private property, and he is,
in other respects, wealthy and affluent. His soldiers,
who form a good part of the population of the capi



334          STATES OF BORGOO.
tal, are reputed to be brave, bold, and enterprising
men; those on foot have one side of the head
shaved to distinguish them from their fellow-subjects. These are like the' half-heads' of the King
of Dahomey. Niki is almost the only country in
the west against which the Falatahs have not yet
dared'to lift the spear.'
"There is reported to be not less than seventy conlsderable and important towns dependent on the
state of Niki, all of which have several smaller
towns and villages under their control and management. The chiefs of each of these large towns present to their sovereign, once in their lifetime, a
young and pretty woman to be his wife, by which
means his seraglio is always kept full. Yet if the
girl fail to win the affections of the king, and she be
not liked, or if, after she becomes his mistress, any
fault be found with her, or any personal blemish or
defect, she is instantly dismissed, and the chief of
the town from whom she had been received is
obliged to supply her place by sending another girl.
This is an odd and singular kind of tribute, but it is
slight, and the inhabitants of the' seventy' pay no
other. The next state in rank, extent, and importance to Niki, and the great rival to that country, is
BuToy, which, like the former, has seventy towns of
mu~ch consequence, that acknowledge its supremacy,
uad'pay a tax of ladies to the monarch in somewhat
the same manner as their neighbours of Niki. There
is great plenty of horses in the state of Buoy, and
in Sandero; but the states of Kingka, Loogoo, and
Korokoo are destitute of a single animal of this description.  With the exception of Loogoo; these
latter states are said to be excessively poor, and
their inhabitants to live in a pitiable state of penury
and wretchedness; but the people of Loogoo have
the necessaries of life in greater abundance, and
they are enriched by the thousands of merchants
who trade to Gonja for the goora-nut, &c., and who




THE WIDOW ZUMA'S SON.         335
pass annually through their country. Their chief
or king, is the most opulent ruler in the whole of
Borgoo, having obtained by this means more money
than the monarch of Niki or Buoy ever had in his
possession. Pundi was at one time a dependancy
of Niki, but the natives have recently thrown off the
yoke, and formed themselves into an independen
power; but with the acquisition of their liberty they
soon lost the little sense of right and wrong which
they once had; and having no leader for whom they
cared, and no law which they obeyed, they threw off
all manner of restraint, and from robYing each other
they turned to plundering the property of their
neighbours, and waylaying every unprotected stranger or traveller that had occasion to pass through
their country. The same unruly, outrageous, and
turbulent spirit, and desperate conduct prevail
among the natives of Pundi to the present time; and
similar acts of rapacity and violence are consummated by them every day, so that their country is
dreaded and shunned by every one acquainted with
their character and habits. Even among their bad
neighbours these people are regarded as the worst
in the world; but perhaps the fearsof strangers and
enemies cause them to misrepresent and exaggerate
the depraved manners of the people of Pundi.
" This evening the king's first messenger returned
from Inguazhilligee, and has succeeded in obtaining
a large new canoe for our use, which it is understood
will be sent up the river to Boossias soon as the queen
shall have paid the purchase-money to her brother,
the chief of Wowow. We had much rather bargain
for it ourselves, but the desires of the meddling midiki
are imperious, and it would not be prudent on our
part to balk her wishes.-Very unwell all day.
" Friday, August 20th.- The widow Zumahas left
a son at Wowow, who is about thirty years of age,
and is suffered to reside here only because he is at
varianc, witni his captious mother, and disapproves
T.-C c




336       BAG OF MR. PARK'S FOUND.
and condemns all her measures. This young man
has been a constant daily visiter to me, and brings
me occasionally a dish of pounded yam and palmoil, a few goora-nuts, or some such trifle. At our
request he has busied himself surprisingly in endeavouring to procure information respecting the papers
of Mr. Park. Though nearly blind, Abba (for that
is his name) is a handsome and intelligent young
man, of an equable temper, and of a mild, modest,
and amiable disposition, which has rendered him a
great favourite with us. From the information
with which he has supplied us, we learn that the
late King of Wowow, who was father to the present
ruler, became possessed of much of Mr. Park's
property, among which was a great quantity of
guns and ammunition, particularly musket-balls,
which we have seen. Before this monarch's dissolution, he left them to be divided among his sons.
Abba ascertained yesterday that a large fat woman
belonging to the king had a great pillow, which her
deceased husband had snatched, among other things,
from the Niger, near Boossa, and with which he
had fled to Wowow, where he continued to reside
till his death. This pillow, as it is called, had perhaps been used for a seat, for it was covered with
bullock's hide, and strengthened by ribs of iron;
but the covering having been worn, into holes with
age and use, it was yesterday pulled to pieces by
its owner, who found it to be stuffed with rags
and cloth cut into small bits. In the centre of the
pillow, however, to the woman's surprise, she dis.
covered- a little bag of striped satin, and feeling
something like a book, as she says, within it, she
was afraid to open it herself, but presently sent
word to Abba of the circumstance, who forthwith
came and imparted it to me, bringing the little bag
along with him. On opening it I found a little iror
frame, round which had been wound, with much in
genuity and care, a great quantity of cotton threa,




FAREWELL VISIT TO Till. KINO.    337
which encompassed it perhaps not less than ten
thousand times; and in consequence of its entangled
state, it was provokingly troublesome to take off.
Affixed to the little iron instrument, which is said
to be a child's handcuff of foreign manufacture, and
underneath the cotton, was an old manuscript,
which according to Abba's opinion is a native charm.
But as I mistrusted his knowledge of the Arabic
language, and doubted his ability to give a proper
interpretation of the contents of the paper, in my
own judgment, I was induced to believe it to be
neither more nor less than a charm of some kind.
Therefore I purchased the manuscript, because it
might be of greater consequence than I imagined,
and because the bag in which it had been enveloped
was of European satin, and the ink with which it
had been written very different from that which is
used by the Arabs, resembling our own so closely
that the difference in the colour of both cannot be
distinguished. We were advised by no means to
intimate to the king the nature of Abba's inquiries,
for the people are all afraid of him, and declare that
if he knew of any individual that had secreted ever
so trifling a part of Mr. Park's property, he would
be beheaded without mercy.
" I felt considerably better this morning, and
therefore determined to remain no longer in VWowow, but to leave as soon as my horse should be
got ready. Accordingly I went to the king to pay
my respects and take my farewell of him before
my departure. I expressed my acknowledgments
for the good reception and generous hospitality my
brother and I had experienced from him and his
subjects, and then requested permission to take my
leave. But the monarch was unwilling to part with
me so easily, and detained me in his company
rather longer than I liked, conversing on matters
foreign to my purpose. I related to him, at his
own reouest an account of the power, the riches,




338     FAREWELL VISIT TO THE KING.
and the glory of England, and kept him in an
ecstasy and silent wonderment for some time. " s
all this true!" said the old man to Pascoe, who was
at my side.-" It is true," answered Pascoe, "for I
have seen it."-'" Wonderful people!" said the king.
We then chatted for a long time about other things.
The canoe, he observed, which he had procured for
us was an excellent one; he much admired the appearance of the horse he had often seen me ride,
and said, that as that animal could be of no service
to us on the water, he had no objection to exchange
his excellent canoe for him; and if one should be
of greater value than the other, he would cheerfully give the difference in cowries, provided we
would consent to the same measure if the horse
was of less value. All this I told him was undoubtedly very fair, but as the midiki herself had
agreed to take all the trouble of making the bargain, it was useless on our parts to enter into any
arrangements with him; indeed lie was candid enough
to tell me so, yet he wished to beguile the time
away as well as he could, and he continued the conversation for no other purpose; whereas I was
weary of it, and impatient to be gone, for the sun
was already high, and the day promised to be oppressively hot.
"Before I was suffered to leave him, however,
he endeavoured with energy to impress upon my
mind the high sense he entertained of Europeans,
who were so widely different, he said, from the
Arabs; so much kinder, so much better, so much
superior in every way. He loved white men of the
west, because good fortune was always sure to attend their footsteps wherever they went; all lands
which they had visited had been blessed in them;
and he had no doubt that after our departure Wowow
would be similarly favoured. He would pray to
God, therefore, to prosper us in our undertaking
and he felt assured that we should reach our native




DEPARTURE FROM WOWOW.          339
country, and he should see us at Wowow again
before he died.  Th,,n thanking the old king again
for the various kindnesses he had shown us, and;lkewise for his good wishes, which I returned fourfold, we shook hands heartily, and having taken my
farewell, I rode out of the city.
"The journey was long and irksome, and the
weather proved, as we had prognosticated, inexpressibly warm; but at three o'clock in the afternoon we entered and halted for awhile under a
tree at a rural little village inibosomed in magnificent trees, which is peopled with emigrants
from Nouffie, and as I was exhausted by fatigue,
and too unwell to travel farther, we agreed to tarry
here for the night. The poor harmless villagers,
loving quiet and tranquillity rather than noise and
disturbance, fled some few years ago from the persecutions and exactions of the magia, and from all
the horrors of a civil war, which was ravaging their
country like a consuming fire, and desolating all the
most beautiful of her provinces, and sought refuge
in this peaceful village, which lies in one of the
most sequestered valleys in the world. They have
now solls and daughters, who seem to enjoy with
them the delights of privacy and retirement which
they had been so solicitous to obtain; for here
these simple blessings are in their fullest perfection.
They seldom see the face of a stranger, because
their hamlet is situated at a good distance from the
road-side, and because the way to it from thence is
dark, difficult, and lonely; nevertheless a traveller
sometimes strays to their dwellings, and when that
is the case they receive him with hospitality, and
endeavour to make him comfortable by kindness.
A river flows near the village, which is said to be
full of fish, and this is a source of employment to
solme of its inhabitants, and o? advantage to all
The men are not only skilful Fishermen, but they
nderstand husbandry as well Ls their neighbours;




340          EMIGRANTS VILLAGE.
they cultivate large quantities of grain, and grow
beans, indigo, and yams in abundance. They like.
wise keep poultry, and have flocks of sheep and
goats; so that though their dress be poor and mean,
yet they are rich as regards the necessaries of life,
and have the means of enjoying a few of what are
considered in this country as its luxuries.
" In the evening, when the sun was going down,
and when the birds, recovering from the sultry heat
of the day, had begun to warble in the coolness of
evening, the elders of the village assembled under
the spreading branches of a noble tree to spend an
hour or two in familiar chat, in pursuance of their
common practice. To promote their cheerfulness
and assist their conversation, large calabashes of
strong home-brewed beer were placed by the side
of them. Having swallowed two or three large
draughts, the old men drew close to each other, and
the venerable chronicler of the hamlet, in an under
tone, startel a conversation respecting their guest,
the fearful white man of the west; and various and
horrible were the conjectures of each on the cannibalism of his countrymen; their mysterious supernatural powers, and their partiality for the blood of
black men in particular. Their conversation became
more serious as the beer began to operate on the
old men, and as the dusk of evening came on they
drew still closer together; their legs, which had
before been stretched out carelessly and comfortably
at-full-length on the ground, were now gathered up
under them; and every now and then they ventured
to look back over their shoulders to steal a glance at
me, for I was not far off, but this only seemed to
inspire them with greater fear than before. The
younger natives were about this time returning to
the village from their usual occupations by the riverside and in the fields, and they stopped to join the
company of the old men. The latter were almost
naked, and the young men and girls were perfectly




PREJUDICES AGAINST WHITE MEN.    341
so, as well as the children of both sexes which
had'been attracted to the party, and stood listening
to the tales of horror which were related. One of
our men had been sitting all the while with them,
partaking of their beer, and had been sil.-nt till he
conceived it almost time to retire, when lie endeavoured to undeceive them in regard to their opinion
of the unnatural propensities of white men, and to
overthrow all the visions of bloody adventures
which they had imbibed in their infancy, and cherished in their old age, and which had this evening
been strengthened almost to realities by my presence, assisted by the effects of the beer they had
drunk. But their love for the marvellous could not
so easily be eradicated from their minds, and they
turned a deaf ear to his remarks. The children
shunned my hut as if it contained a serpent or a
scorpion, and one or two of them that met me by
accident, started, then looked anxiously, eagerly,
and entreatingly at me for a moment, as if overcome
by terror, and then shrieked aloud and ran away.
" The elderly men of the village perform no manner of work, but reserve it for their children and
grandchildren, who labour for them without reluctance.  The former lounge away their existence
chiefly under the large tree abovementioned, where
they may be seen at all hours of a fine day, sitting
in a group, the very picture of idolence, ease, peace,
and comfort, and where they chat away the hours as
thoughtlessly as if they were to live in this world
for ever. They have no troubles, no difficulties, and
no cares to interrupt their enjoyment. With what
tlraquillity and happiness-does their life pass away!
flow smoothly and serenely do they go down to the
grave!
Saturday, August 21st. —Ve breakfasted early
this morning on a cold fowl and yam, which was last
night sent me by a blacksmith; but we found it impossible to leave the village as early as could have




342          ARRIVE AT BOOSSA.
been wished, owing to a heavy shower which was
falling. As soon as the rain had ceased we set out
on our journey.  Four men sent by the King of
Wowow, and three other individuals, among whom
was his brother, accompanied us to Boossa for eyewater, which they had induced us to promise them
by their importunities and solicitations. Another
man was il our train, who was the bearer of a present from the King of Wowow to his sister, the
Queen of Boossa. This present consisted of seven
or eight yams, which are just the value of double the
number of kidney potatoes in England! Thus attended we journeyed to the river-side, which is only
a short distance from the village. A large quantity
of fish had just been enclosed, which was announced
by loud drumming from the fishermen, as a signal to
their companions at the hamlet to come and assist in
securing them. The river happened to be rather
shallow, but it was interspersed with dark projecting
rocks, that would render it impossible for any one to
proceed even in a canoe either up or down the
stream; yet we crossed it with little or no difficulty.
"We found the road to be overgrown with rank
grass and luxuriant vegetation, and so intricate, that
we were obliged to travel very slowly, and my horse
stumbled and fell with me repeatedly. In crossing
the next river, where there is a ferry, for the first
time since we have been in Africa we saw a mother
beating her child very unmercifully. The woman
was wild with passion, but we succeeded in reconciling her to the object of her cruelty. Between
eleven and twelve o'clock we came in sight of the
walls of Boossa; it was raining, and one of our men,
who had been sent by my brother for that purpose, met
us on the road with a change of apparel for myself.
I was rejoiced to find my brother perfectly recovered
from his indisposition, and we felt as much pleasure
in the meeting as friends that had long parted. On
my entrance he was busily engaged in making prepa



SCANDAL OF THE NATIVES.              343
rations for our voyage down the Niger. The King
of Boossa's messenger is expected here in a day or
two, when we hope and expect that every thing wil
se settled to our satisfaction."
CHAPTER XII.
Scandal of the Natives-Treaty for a Canoe-Defeats of the Falitats a
Catsheenah- and Zaria-Measures of the King of Boossi for the -a.
ture safety of the Travel' s -Artifiees for obtaining Presents from
tlernm-Preparations for celebrating the Mohmnamedan Festival-The
King's Drummer-The Hlorse-race, and the King's Speech-A troublesome Servant-Festivities at Boossi-The Eclipse-Version of it
by the Arab Priests-Effects on the People-Messengers from Borgoo
-Caffas-Mode of preparing them-Arrival of a Fatikie-The
Ashantees' Method of killing Elephants-Married Slaves-Their
Treatment-Permission for Departure requested-El Kanemee, the
Arab-The King assents to the Travellers leaving Boossa -The Messenger from Rabba, with the King's Son-Joy of the King of Boossa
at his Arrival-Opinion of his general Conduct towards the Travellers.
Monday, August 23d.-IT was the earnest and oftrepeated desire of the chief of Wowow, while we
resided in his town, that we should -return from
Boossa and spend the approaching holyday with him,
to which we thought proper to accede; indeed the
old man had behaved so well to us that we did not
like to make him an ungrateful return.    But his sister, the midiki, is already jealous of her brother, because, perhaps, we have given him so good a character, and she says that she is apprehensive he may
procure from us more than she is willing that he
should have; and so she has not only set her husband's mind against the measure, hut she has slan.
dered and defamed the character of her brother to
us most shamefully
This is positively the worst trait in the character
of the queen, for in other respects she is an amiable,
good kind of woman enouhg. In more civilized, or




844         TREATY FOR A CANOE.
rather more polished countries, among the reason.
able part of mankind, a mutual interchange of benevolent intentions produces a reciprocity of kind feeling, and we would hope that the present of yams
from her brother would excite tie midiki's more
generous and affectionate sentiments for him. Yet
this despicable vice of slander is universal in A frica;
the people all speak ill of each other, from the monarch to the slave.'We shall now be compelled to
remain in Boossa till the periodtrrives for our final
departure from the country.
This afternoon the expected messenger arrived
from Wowow, with full power to treat with the
midiki for the purchase of our canoe; and though
we are the parties most concerned in this business,
we are allowed to say nothing at all about it. We
have just learned that the bargain has been concluded; we are to give both our horses fori the
canoe; and if the King of Wowow should fancy the
animals to be more than equivalent to the value of
the boat, he has promised to send us the balance, in
money (cowries). This is infinitely better than we
could have done ourselves; we should not have contrived matters half so well, for the youngest of the
horses we had previously made a present of to the
King of Boossa, but most likely, owing to Pascoe's
misrepresentation, or misinterpretation, the monarch
was not made sensible of the circumstance. The
canoe will be sent here in a day or two, when we
shall begin to prepare her for the water without delay. Our men have made an attempt to drive the
bullock which was given us by the King of Wowow
from that city to Boossa, no less than four different
times, but each time the ungovernable and furious
animal has broken its ropes, gored the people, and
returned to Wowow. As we have no means of preserving its flesh,:should we slaughter the bullock before we leave, we intend to sell it here, if by any
means it can be brought into the town.




DEFEATS OF THE FALATAHS.        345
Tuesday, August 24th.-Accounts have reached
Boossa of the total discomfiture of the FalItahs in
the kingdom of Catsheenah, where, it is said, there
has lately been much fighting: and that every Falatah has been expelled from the city of Catsheenah,
which had been occupied by that singular people
ever since the first successes of their prophet and
general Danfodio.  Doncassa, who is the true and
legitimate King of Haussa, has been solicited to
quit Mdradie, wherein he has resided for many years,
and invited to return to his ancient capital.
The reverses of the Falatahs have not ended here,
for the people of the little but fertile kingdom of
Zaria, of which Zegzeg is the capital, have also,
with the assistance of the Bornouese, risen against
their conquerors, defeated them in two or three engagements, driven out the Falatahs, and returned to
the allegiance of their own native prince, who was
formerly, and will be again, tributary to the sheikh
of Bornou. Zaria is not in Haussa, but adjoins that
country; the natives also have a different language
from the people of Haussa. It appears that the faith
and confidence which the Falatahs had in the prophetic mission of Danfodio, and which infused in
them a degree of boldness, courage, and impetuosity,
which is not natural to their dispositions, has not
been extended to Bello, his son and successor, and
to this is attributed the serious reverses and defeats
which, they have lately experienced; for though they
considered themselves invincible, they are constitu.
tionally as spiritless and cowardly in war, and as indolent in peace, as the original inhabitants.
The sheikh of Bomou has recently issued a proclamation, that no slaves from the interior countries
are to be sent for sale farther west than Wowow, so
that none will be sent in future from thence to the
sea-side. The greatest and most profitable market
for slaves is said to be at Timbuctoo, whither their
owners at present transport them to sell to the Arabs,




346       PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFETY.
who take them over the deserts of Zahara and Libya,
to resell in the Barbary states. An Arab bhs informed us that many of his countrymen trade as far
as Turkey in Europe with their slaves, where they
dispose of them for two hundred and fifty dollars
each.
Wednesday, August 25th.-We despatched one of
our men, named Ibrahim, this morning, to Coulf6,
with our ass, and a quantity of needles to sell.
With him the king has sent a messenger, who has
been commissioned to visit all the towns and villakres on the Nouffie side of the Quorra, as far as the
Falitah town of Rabba, and to request their chiefs
and governors, in the name of the King of Boossa,
to suffer us to pass down the river without inquiry
or molestation.
Rabba is reported to be four days' journey from
hence by water, and seven by land. It is said to be
a fine handsome town, whose inhabitants are rich,
numerous, and powerful, and that it is embellished
all round with a vast quantity of graceful palm-trees.
Indeed, all the palni-oil which is used in this country
is brought from thence; and European salt is brought
from towns a little farther dowli the Niger, so that
Rahba cannot be a great way from the sea. The
old Prince of Wowow intends following the example of the king of this place, by despatching a messenger as far down the Yarriba side of the river as
he is acquainted with. Should any of the chiefs
be averse to our travelling by water through their
territories, they may have it in their power to annoy
us and impede our progress, but if the measure
should please them, they will be able to render us
the most essential service. The Falatahs will be
the most difficult people to deal with; they never
approve of a foreigner or stranger of consequence
coning into their dominions, unless he consent to
visit their monarch at Soccatoo. We intended passing Rabba by night, and so avoid meeting with any




PRESENT OF A SALT-BOX.        347
of its inhabitants; but now, as they will receive intelligence of the exact period of our departure from
Boossa, and our consequent approach to their town,
it is useless to think of shunning them. We never
dreamed of requesting such a thing from the king;
in fact, it met with our decided disapprobation; but
he would not listen to our objections, and observed
that no exertion should be spared on his part to ensure our safety and promote our intentions, which
he could not promise before he had officially acquainted the different chiefs on the banks of the
river that the white men were under his protection,
and had set out under his auspices, and therefore he
hoped and believed that our persons would be respected, and our property and people held sacred by
them all. The messenger is not expected to return
for a fortnight, for the journey is long and disagreeable; but whether we shall be obliged to wait till he
comes back we have not yet ascertained.
Friday, August 27th.-This forenoon we sent Pascoe's wife to the king for the favour of a little unadulterated salt, because there is such a great quantity of ashes and other spurious ingredients mixed
up with that which is publicly sold in the market,
that we could never eat it with pleasure. Both king
and queen embraced the opportunity of admirillg the
shape and beauty of the salt-box, and spoke in rap.
turous terms of the lustre of its appearance, and the
ingenuity o4 its contrivance. "Alla, how wondefil!" said they; " even the most trifling articles beloiaing to the white men are fit for the use of the
mightiest kings. Alas! Alla has given them all the
gl ry and riches of the world, and its knowledge,
anl left none whatever for black men!"
The k ng was affected! he thrust the vessel into
the po ket. of his tobe, smoothed it down with his
hind, looked melancholy, and said, " How nicely it
fits! what a beautiful thing! how convenient it
would be in travelling." lie then took it out again,




348      MANNER OF ASKING PRESENTS.
turned it round and round, opened and shut it re.
peatedly, and then bestowing on it a last commenda
tion, as outrageously as any of the former, it was
returned to us filled with genuine salt. Who could
not understand the meaning of all this? Now this
handsome salt-cellar is of latten, and was formerly
a common round tinder-box; and because we had
nothing better for the purpose, we deprived it of the
candlestick on its cover a short timne ago, and converted it to its present use. The tin, moreover, has
been burnt off from many parts of it, and Pascoe's
wife not being an admirer of cleanliness, it has lost
much of its original brightness. The king's encomiums were therefore nothing more than an indirect and ingenious solicitation of the article for his
own use, which was further apparent by desiring the
woman to relate to us no part of the conversation
that had passed between them, or, in other words,
that she should tell us every syllable. We could not
help admiring the delicacy of the king, and sent
back the tinder-box to him immediately.  The
bearer was rewarded handsomely for her trouble,
and we received as many thanks as when he accepted the silver medal and chain which we had
offered him.
It is by such means as this that the chiefs and
rulers of this country, ashamed of making a direct
application for any thing in our possession to which
they may have taken a fancy, endeavour to obtain
it. If, however, the hint does not succeedlin making
a visible impression, less delicate measures are
presently resorted to; and, when every other expe.
dient fails, they cast aside the reserve and bashfulness which had influenced them at first, and express
their meaning in language which cannot be nmisunderstood. In this respect the chiefs and governors are
all alike from Badfigry to the metropolis of Yaoorie.
Tuesday, August 3lst.-A messenger with a canoe
arrived to-day from the King of Wowow, but it is




APPR'OACH OF TIHE FESTIVAL.    349
so very sm;.l that it is wholly inadequate for our
purpose. This is a most provoking circumstance,
because a larger canoe must be procured, and this
will occasion much loss of time. Between the chief
of Wowow and his sister, the midiki, we have been
completely taken in. Boats of a considerable size
are kept, it is said, at a small town on the banks of
the Niger, called Lever, and thither we have resolved
to proceed as soon as the Boossa messenger shall
have returned from Rabba, and get a canoe prepared
with as much expedition as possible. The horses
given in exchange to the prince of Wowow are large,
handsome, and superior animals, worth in England
at least sixty pounds, and their value here is little
less'; yet this canoe which has been sent us is
scarcely worth as many pence. There is infinitely
more difficulty, and greater bustle and discussion, it
simply purchasing a canoe here, than there would he
in Europe in drawing up a treaty of peace, or in determining the boundaries of an empire; such vast
importance do the people attach to the most trifling
matters in the world.
A man also arrived in this city to-day fron a town
near Jenna, in Yarriba, whither the king had sent
him some time since. He reports that a vessel has
lately arrived at Badaigry, and by the man's account
she is in all probability a slaver, either from ttl,
Havana or from the Brazils.
This is the eve of the much-talked-of Mohammeda:i
festival, and the inhabitants of the neighbouring
towns and villages, resolving to enjoy themselves in
the holy.days, are already resorting here in great
numbers. The disposition of every one appears to
be softened into good-nature by the bare anticipation
of the festival, and joy beams from their counter
nances. The very dogs, which at other times re.
ceive unkind treatment, and are always badly used,
now run about wagging their tails with an air of
cheerfulness and courage which they assume only




350        CRIMINAL CONVERSATION.
on such important occasions as these, for they are
days of grace and respite to them, poor brutes. Men
and women, elated with the thoughts of the pleasure
which awaits them to-morrow, are enjoying themselves in singing and dancing, and are seen talking
and laughing in every corner; while the younger
children, quite naked, are as frolicsome as their
grandmothers, and are either rolling on the ground
or skipping along the turf like " little playful fawns."
On this extraordinary and momentous occasion a
bullock nearly half-grown has been slaughtered by
the midiki, to supply the wants of the good people
of Boossa, and those of a great influx of strangers
and visiters, so that every one who can afford it may
buy and eat. There has been also in the market a
more than usual quantity of corn and rice; indeed
nothing is wanting to please the taste and satisfy
the appetite of all, and to render the festivities and
rejoicings complete.
A circumstance, however, occurred this morning
which threw a damp and chill on the spirits of the
king, and threatened to turn a day of gayety and enjoyment into one of mourning and sorrow. It appears that a few weeks since, our quondam host, the
drummer, was guilty of criminal conversation with
the wife of the king's eldest son, who is governor
of a town a few miles from Boossa, and since the
affair happened, he has not visited the city till to
day. Nothing would either have been said or done
to the drummer by way of censure or punishment,
if he had not, like rakes of whiter faces, boasted of
his gallantry, and spoken in disrespectful terms of
his paramour. When this had reached the ears
of the elderly females of the town, in order to vin.
dicate the honour of their sex and chastise the calumniator, they arose in a body, waylaid the unfortunate musician, and applied their hands and fists so
vigorously to his face and person, that he will remember the drubbing as long as he lives. On the




THE DRUMIME.             851
arrival of the prince to-day, he sought the dunnmel
to slay him, for he felt his character injured mnd his
honour tarnished; and therefore commanded his attendants to lay violent hands upon himn the moment
they could find him. Now the drummer had recovered from the effects of the women's punishment,
and was exercising his profession outside the king's
house, totally absorbed in the inspiring music of his
instrument, when, by the sudden appearance of the
prince before him, he started as though he had lteen
in the folds of a serpent. He was self-convicted,
and trembled with fear; he knew and felt that no
time was to be lost, so uttering a faint cry, he sprang
from the spot, fled from the presence of his enemy,
drum and all, and ran with astonishing celerity towards a cornfield, where he endeavoured to elude
the vigilance of his pursuers. But his instrument
was large and clumsy, and becoming-entangled in the
cornstalks, he was confused and perplexed, and lost
much time in casting it from him. Meantime he
was chased by the prince's servants, who were all
armed with large heavy bludgeons, and by them he
was soon overtaken. These applied their weapons
with such good heart, and so effectually, on the person of the licentious, sinful drummer, that his hea6
was broken, his countenance disfigured, his hands
and arms rendered powerless, and the other parts
of his body almost pommeled to a mummy. When
they were tired of their task, the men desisted from
further punishment; and the drummer, covered with
blood, by the assistance of people that were passing
near at the time, dragged his limbs after him to the
king's house. Here he made a long and grievous
complaint to his master, who compassionated the
musician, and was so infuriated against his son, that
he commanded his servants to behead him instantly.
The monarch, however, was restrained from repe ating this sanguinary mandate by the supplications of
his principal people, who had sided with the prince,
I.-D D




832          MOHAMMEDAN FESTIVAL.
and now attempted tojustify his conduct, and, together
with every woman in the place, more especially his
own wife, declared that the drummer richly deserved
the chastisement which he had received. The
wounded man refused at first to be comforted, but
he was at length appeased by the condolence and
encouraging words of the king, who has made him
a present of a handsome tobe; and thus the affair
was compromised, and joy again reigned in Boossa.
/Wednesday, September lst.-Day was drawing to a
close, and evening fast approaching, when the king
came out of his residence to show himself to h!s
people. He was attended by a number of his head.
men, with whom he perambulated the town; and
afterward proceeded outside the gates to offer up a
short prayer with them to the gods of his religion,
for he is still a pagan, as all his fathers were, though
he employs Mohammedan priests to pray for his welfare, and intercede with their prophet in his behalf,
agreeably to their form of worship. Several musicians were in attendance with drums, fifes, and
long Arab trumpets of brass; these men preceded
their sovereign, and played lustily on their instruments all the while he was returning to his house.
He shortly came out again, and rode slowly up the
race-course, attended by people of both sexes most
uncouthly dressed, singing and dancing before him,
and followed by a party of well-dressed men mounted
on mettlesome horses, and equipped as if for war.
On our saluting him, the monarch stopped and sent
us a goora-nut, which, on such an occasion as this,
is considered as a mark of great condescension, and
a sign of peculia: favour; and he staid opposite us
at least ten minnLes, to give us a fair opportunity of
admiring his grandeur, and diverting ourselves by
the frolicsome gambols of his attendants. Smiling
at our wonderment, and gratified with the respect
we paid him by discharging our pistols close to his,:rson, he nodded and  tssed on. The king was




MOHAMMEDAN FESTIVAL.         5b3
mounted on a fine handsome grayhorse, sumptuously
caparisoned; while he himself is a noble and commanding figure on horseback, and was dressed ex
tremely well, in a red cap and large turban of the
same colour, a silk damask tobe of green and crimson made full and flowing, red cloth trousers, and
Arab boots. Groups of well-dressed individuals
were seated under every tree, with spears, quivers
of arrows, long bows, and ornamented cows' tails.
These latter were flourished about as the people
sang; their owners threw them high into the air,
and danced at the same time in the most extraordinary manner, and flung their limbs about as though
they had been actuated by a supernatural power.
Every one was exhilarated and in motion,-both
horseman and footman, woman and child. The
musicians also, not. satisfied by making the whole
of Boossa echo with the most grating and outrageous
sounds conceivable, both sung, or rather screamed
and danced, twisting their mouths, with their exertions, into all manner of wry and comical shapes.
The spectacle altogether was odd and grotesque beyond description, and such a one could never enter
into the dreams or waking visions of a European.
Guns were fired by the king's followers, and other
obstreperous and astounding noises were made by
the people. Never did we see the king in a happier
mood; his satisfaction seemed to be quite complete.
IHe smiled graciously on all around him; and bestowed many an arch and significant look upon us,'s if he would have said, "Can your sovereign boast
so splendid a retinue as mine, or display so much
regal splendour."
The ce) emony was long and fatiguing; and though
the king was screened from the sun's rays by two
large ponderous umbrellas, and though two men
were standing by, constantly fanning him, yet perspiration stood in large drops upon his forehead, and
he appeared nearly exhausted. After our curiosity




354            A HORSE-RACE.
had been amply gratified, the king rode away, preceded by his singing and dancing women, his musicians, his bo.wmen, and his spearmen, with all their
noise and clamour, and instantly began to make
preparations for a horse-race. The course was
short, rough, and uneven, and the competition between the riders by no means animated. Indeed, the
race was of short duration, and very inferior to the
horse-racing of either Kiama or Wowow. The king
is a graceful rider, and displayed his horsemanship
to much advantage by galloping up and down the
course; and, owing to his advantageous stature, his
appearance was very becoming. The sun was then
setting, and as soon as he had disappeared the amusements ceased. The people, both strangers and inhabitants, were then collected together before the
king's house, for the purpose of hearing an oration
from their monarch; for, in pursuance of an ancient
and established practice, the King of Boossa annually harangues his people on the celebration of this
festival. The sovereign is at least a head taller than
any of his subjects, so that he was a remarkable and
conspicuous object to every one of his audience.
If such a comparison may be ventured on, the commencement of his speech was in its nature not unlike that delivered on the opening of parliament by
his majesty of England. The King of Boosa began
by assuring his people of the internal tranquillity of
the empire, and of the friendly disposition of foreign
powers towards him. He then exhorted his hearers
to attend to the cultivation of the soil, to work diligently, and live temperately; and concluded with an
injunction for them all to be abstemious in the use
of beer. He declared that too much indulgence in
it was the source of much evil and wretchedness,
and the cause of most of the quarrels and disturbances that had taken place in the city. " Go; retire
to rest soberly and cheerfully," said the king, ",and
4o as I have requested you, when you will be an ex



A DRUNKEN RIOT.           355
ample to your neighbours, and win the good opinion
and applause of mankind." The king's speech lasted
for three-quarters of an hour. He spoke vehemently
and with much eloquence; his language was forcible
and impressive, and his action appropriate and commanding; and he dismissed the assembly with a
graceful and noble air. Instead of a sceptre the
monarch flourished the tuft of a lion's tail.
While the king was haranguing his subjects, and
while all of them were listening with respect and
attention to the precepts of morality and virtue
which he recommended, two of our own men, one
of whom was intoxicated, were fighting and blustering, and making a great uproar among the people:
my brother endeavoured to separate them, but all
his efforts were unavailing and abortive, and he only
received severe blows on tne breast for his pains.
The fight was observed by the king, who seemed
distressed and angry, and rode up to the men three
different times, and commanded them to forbear and
be quiet, but his interference was regarded with no
more respect than my brother's. My brother and I,
perceiving that the principal of the fellows would
not be pacified by any other means, gave directions
that he might immediately be secured. But the people of Booss. are gentle and compassionate in their
disposition, and they not only regretted that the man
was to receive punishment, but were actually afraid
to come near him, for he was wild as a maniac, and
our own men were obliged to lay hold of him, and
attempted to bind him with ropes. This was no
easy matter, for he struggled hard with them; but
after an hour's desperate resistance, they succeeded
in securing him, and he was subsequently confined
in irons for the night, much against the wishes of
the king and his people. This individual, whose
name I forbear to mention, is a mulatto, and was
born in the British colony of Nova Scotia, from
wktence he was removed in his childhood, with his




356        A TROUBLESOME SERVANT.
parents, to Sierra Leone. While yet a boy, he was
sent to sea; and before he had attained to maturity
he had filled the different characters of a slave, a
seaman, a pirate, and the master of a vessel. He
afterward volunteered into the British navy, and be
came a man-of-war's man; but for a serious niisdemeanour, he was flogged through the fleet in the
Mediterranean, and deserted in consequence. We
found him at Badagry, where he had suffered a fortnight's imprisonment, by order of Adooley, for theft.
When we first saw him, he told us a long and pitiful story, of his having been born a British subject,
but falling sick on board of a merchant vessel,
which was trading on the coast, he was set on shore
about five years ago by order of his captain, and
from that time up to the period of his joining our
party at Badagry, he had been a slave to Adooley,
for the captain had left him to his fate. As we knew
the man would be extremely useful in a canoe, to
the management of which he has been accustomed
from his infancy, and that he also understood the
cleaning and repairing of guns, besides other useful
matters, and as we likewise believed his artful tale,
we obtained the consent of the Badigrian chief,
whose slave he was, to part with him, provided we
would pledge ourselves to bring him back with us in
safety. In Yarriba we could by no means complain
of his general conduct; he was always willing to do
every thinf we required of him, and was by far the
most diligent and useful man of the party. At
Boossa and at Yaoorie, however, his evil propensities and bad conduct began to display themselves:
he became idle, drunken, and careless, and purloined
several little articles, which, intrinsically, were of
no value; but in the reduced state of our finances,
they were of great consequence to us. Besides
which, he is one of the most abandoned creatures
in the world; and it was a common practice with
rim to absent himself from our party several days




MORE FESTIVITIES.           357
together, so that we saw nothing of him, and when
he returned, was accompanied by complaints from
the native women. This man's conduct has given
us both much uneasiness, anxiety, and apprehension;
we scarcely know what to do with him, he is so
profligate and vicious: we thought of sending him
back to Yarriba by a party of men who will leave
hence for Keeshee in a day or two, but they dread
the thoughts of his company, and refuse to take him
along with them for any consideration. He has
already threatened the lives of more than one of
our men, and they begin to tremble with apprehension for their personal safety. In his sober moments
he is quiet, orderly, and good-natured; and it is only
when his furious passions are excited by drinking
that he becomes altogether ungovernable, and displays
all his fiend-like disposition, to the danger of our
lives. We are likewise apprehensive that the natives of the country will entertain but a despicable
opinion of us, when they reflect upon the outrageous
conduct of this man, for his features are cast in the
European mould; he dresses in the English costume,
like ourselves; he speaks our language with readiness, and writes it with facility.
Thursday, September 2d.-Yesterday was considered as a day of amusement and recreation for men
on horseback only; but this has been devoted almost
exclusively to dancing and singing, and other trifling
diversions, which are more generally relished by
people of all ranks, and of both sexes. At an early
hour in the morning, the people of the city, with
musicians in their train, assembled in large groups,
and continued parading the streets all day, and singing and dancing were kept up without intermission
till four o'clock in the afternoon. Nothii.g could
surpass the hilarity and general good-humour which
prevailed among the people during the day. The
features of every one were animated with joy.
Theirs was no ordinary mirth: for being naturally




3siM             FALATAHS.
of a warm-hearted, sanguine disposition, they entered into the sports of the day with a fervency
which displayed itself in all manner'of extraordinary
tricks, gestures, and movements. This was a holyday for all, from the king to the meanest of his subjects. The old seemed to have forgotten their weight
of years, the young knew no restraint, and those
who before had talked of love in secret, now openly
exchanged with each other
" Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles,
Nods and becks, and wreathed smiles.
A short relaxation from this tumultuous pastime
was now obtained by some in making preparations
for joining the king's party, which was fast collecting at his house. Such diversions as theirs, so
highly exciting and gratifying, are nevertheless
wearisome to the strongest frame, and in this sultry
climate must be particularly so to them. When
they had all assembled, they presented a singularly
grotesque and striking appearance. A cluster of
between sixty and seventy Falatahs, men, women,
and children, were some standing and some sitting
in front of the doorway leading to the interior
apartments. Their dresses were remarkably clean,
neat, varied, and becoming; the long black hair of the
women was ingeniously and prettily braided, and
confined in nets and caps; and their flowing garments of striped cotton swept along the ground: the
men wore red caps, loose white tobes, and full trouaers; and their little children were pleasingly clad,
and decorated with all the finery and ornaments
which their parents had been able to bestow on them.
These well-looking Falatahs formed the most interesting and agreeable assemblage of the whole; they
had likewise more vivacity intheir looks, and more
quickness of action, than any of their companions.
To the right of them, in an enclosure of mud, was
seated the Queen of BoossA, dressed loosely, though




NATIVE DANCING.            359
not inelegantly, in rich English silks, as spectatress
of the amusements; behind her were the kilg's other
wives, and her own female slaves, who were pretty
numerous. They formed also a cleanly, decent
group, inferior only to the former. On each side of
the Faldtahs and behind them was a great number
of other spectators, of all ranks, many of whom were
standing, and many sitting on the turf and reclining
against the trunks of trees. Most of the men were
clad in the Mohammedan costume, with cap, tobe, and
trousers; and the majority of the women were
dressed in neat and durable country-cloths, which
were carelessly thrown over the left shoulder, and
reached to the ground, leaving the right arm and
shoulder, and part of the right leg, uncovered. A
few among thrm, however, wore common Manchester cottons, of a large, showy, and vulgar pattern,
which were infinitely surpassed by their own country
cloth.
Although the king had not made his appearance,
the amusements were carried on with much animation; and the dancers, far from being tired, seemed
to imbibe fresh vigour and renewed activity; while
the drummers, eight in number, with a fifer as an
assistant, continued playing to them. A man first
started from the crowd with a bundle of rushes in
his hand, like a German broom, which he flourished
over his head with inconceivable dexterity. After
dancing awhile, he was joined by two Falatah women,
who imitated his actions, and partook of his glee,
One of them held a little girl by the hand; and the
whole four individuals, man, wonen, and child, continued the dancing till they were completely fa.
tigued, when they were succeeded by another party
of three or four, and then another in like manner, so
that there was not a moment's pause in the dance
at anv time. They kept good time with the music
and singing. But instead of the quick, lively nmio
tion which is generally observed on similar occa



360          THE KING'S ARRIVAL.
sions, the dancers moved with a slow and mea
sured step, in which there was nothing unbecoming
or improper, and all seemed consistent with the rules
of delicacy. For want of a proper fal, the females
used neat round mats of various colours; and it
afforded us no little entertainment to see them placed
before the month whenever they wished to hide
their faces, or attempt to conceal their laughter.
Meanwhile the king was expected by every one
with much anxiety and impatience, for as yet he had
not been present to witness the diversions of his
people; and it was not till past four in the afternoon
that he showed himself from one of his huts. His
arrival was welcomed by a spirited rally upon the
drums, while he took his seat on a stool between
the queen's station and the group of Falatahs, and
perceiving us among the crowd, he invited us to
place ourselves near his person. Several attendants
who had followed their master stood on each side of
him, forming, if it may so be called, a "guard of
honour." One of these men held two large bundles
of spears, whose points or barbs were confined in
caps of burnished brass, on which he rested his
head with much solemnity, and with a slight inclination of the body; while from his temples was suspended a huge and enormous hat, made either of
grass or rushes, which reached to the ground, and
covered him like a shield. Others held loose bundles of spears, fans, and arrows, with the two prodigious Arab trumpets which have before been casually alluded to. Thus attended, the king entered
into the spirit of the performances with a merry
heart, and a determination to be pleased with them.
lie appeared to be by far the most delighted spectator of the whole, and signified his approbation by
encouraging words and glances to those who danced
or sung to his satisfaction. A cheerful smile animated his countenance during the whole time, and
caused his features to assume an expression of good'




NATIVE DANCING.            361
humour which it is a particular custom in hitn never
to display so fully except on occasions of public
festivity and enjoyment, though he is one of the
pleasantest and best-tempered men that we have
met with in Africa.
There was an elderly female who danced alone
before the king, and by the peculiarity of her looks,
and her ludicrous and uncommon gestures, afforded
us very great amusement. This woman is a tall,
awkward, masculine, and uncomely figure; yet she
endeavoured to look so serious, at the same time
with so arch a countenance, and with a half-averted
glance smiled with so much artfulness and lovingkindness on her sovereign and his attendants, dancing at the same.time with such an extraordinary
motion of her person, that she obtained universal
applause. This was a fair challenge to the king;
and as soon as she lad finished, the monarch himself arose and stepped into the ring to display his
acquirements in the art. Every one stood on his
legs, out of respect to their sovereign, as well tc
applaud his dancing as to obtain a fairer opportunity of beholding his person; and a great press
was made by the crowd in consequence, that they
might gain a better view of him.. The king moved
with much stiffness and stateliness, which is at all
times unbecoming in a dance; but the populace expressed their admiration of his abilities in shouts of
joy, and certainly his attempts to please and amuse
them deserved the full extent of applause. To us,
however, it does not appear that Nature, which has
been so bountiful to this beloved monarch in other
respects, has fitted him for so active an amusement
as this; for though his size approaches to the majestic, though he walks and rides with equal ease,
and though the exercise by no means requires the
greatest flexibility of body, his dance, to us at least,
was a complete failure; for he has a foot which
may bp compared to that of a dromedary in point of




362           NATIVE DANCING.
size, and his toe is any thing but "light and fantastic." When his first dance, which was much the
same as that performed by his people, was concluded, the king began a second, by imitating the
canter of a native horse when going to war. This,
as may be supposed, was an inexpressibly odd and
whimsical experiment, but it lasted a short time
only; for in a very few minutes he disappeared
from the spectators by cantering into one of his
huts, followed by the cheers of admiration and the
acclamations of every one present.
The sun had now set, and with the departure of
the prince the singing and dancing ceased for the
evening; nevertheless all the people patiently awaited
his return to the spbt. Now, of all the celebrated
dancers in the country, none can excel or equal
the King of Wo wow in grace, elegance, and vivacity; and the fame of his skill in this amusement,
which is thought so much of in this country, is
gone abroad into all lands; every one, even his
enemies, acknowledge his superiority in this polite
accomplishment; and the envious and malicious
are compelled to own that he is without a rival
from Bornou to the sea. Yet, notwithstanding
his renown as a dancer, the chief is a. very aged
man, having a most solemn and forbidding aspect;
and though he has evidently, to use a common expression, one foot in the grave, he is as active as
a boy, and indulges largely in this his favourite
amusement every Friday. It was in order for us to
witness his elegant dancing, we have been told,
that he pressed us with so much earnestness and
importunity to spend the holydays at Wowow,
which we should certainly have consented to but
for the discouragement our project received from
the King of Boossh, who was envious of his celebrity, and therefore compelled, rather than enticed
us to remain here, that we might see his personal
accomplishments to advantage, witness the public




MONEY DISTRIBUTED.           363
gayety and festivities of his people, and in his imagination be struck with astonishment and admiration
at his own perfection in the art of dancing.
The BoossA people did not wait long for the reappearance of their monarch; for shortly after he
came out to them, followed by a boy with two
calabashes full of cowries, which were to be distributed among the multitude. But first of all the
king took up a handful, and gave to each of the
singers, dancers, and musicians that had contributed
so essentially to his entertainment; nor was the
tall old woman forgotten, who had danced alone
before him, for she received a double allowance.
We were rather pleased at this, for she is our nextdoor neighbour, a poor old woman, who is very
chatty and flippant, and has fallen in love with one
of our young men, named Antonio. This having
been done to the apparent satisfaction of all parties,
the remainder of the cowries were scattered by the
king's own hand among the crowd to be scrambled
for, which occasioned the most animating and amusing sight that can be conceived. Parents and childrtn, brothers and sisters, strangers and friends,
were scrambling and tumbling over each other,
some on their faces and some on their knees, both
giving and receiving cuffs and kicks in the scuffle to
get at the money. This scramble lasted about ten
minutes, when the party before the king's house
broke up; but the good-natured monarch, to shoiw
his affection for his subjects, whom he indeed regards with as much tenderness as if they were his
children, was unwilling to send them to their homes
without giving them another last treat, so he danced
sideways half-way up the race-course and back
again to his residence with much stateliness. This
was indeed a royal attempt; the midiki smiled with
delight that she had such a spouse; the people were
louder than ever in their shouts of approbation; all
was noise, tumult, and confusion; their sovereign




364             THE ECLIPSE.
was more beloved than ever he had been; and as
the evening closed in, silence was gradually restored, and the people retired to their homes. This
was the last of the holydays, and the proceedings
of this day have concluded their festivities.
About ten o'clock at night, when we were sleep
ing on our mats, we were suddenly awoke by a
great cry of distress from innumerable voices, at
tended by a horrid clashing and clattering noise,
which the hour of the night tended to make more
terrific. Before we had time to recover from our
surprise, old Pascoe rushed breathless into our hut,
and informed us with a trembling voice that "the
sun was dragging the moon across the heavens."
Wondering what could be the meaning of so strange
and ridiculous a story, we ran out of the hut halfdressed, and we discovered that the moon was
totally eclipsed. A number of people were gathered
together in our yard, in dreadful apprehension that
the world was at an end, and that this was but the
"beginning of sorrows." We learned from them
that the Mohammedan priests residing in the city,
having personified the sun and moon, had told the
king and the people that the eclipse was occasioned
through the obstinacy and disobedience of the latter
luminary. They said that for a long time previously the moon had been displeased with the path
she had been compelled to take through the heavens, because it was filled with thorns and briers,
and obstructed with a thousand other difficulties;
and therefore that, having watched for a favourable
opportunity, she had this evening deserted her usual
track, and entered into that of the sun. She had
not, however, travelled far up the sky, on the forbidden road, before the circumstance was discovered
by the sun, who immediately hastened to her in his
anger, and punished her dereliction by clothing her in
darkness, forcing her back to her own territories,
and forbidding her to shed her light upon the earth.




FEARS OF THE KINO AND QUEEN.     36.5
This story, whimsical as it may seem, was received
with implicit confidence in its truth by the king and
queen, and most of the people of Boossh; and the
cause of the noises which we had heard, and which
were still continuing with renewed vehemence, was
explained to us by the fact that they were all" assembled together in the hope of being able to frighten
away the sun to his proper sphere, and leave the
moon to enlighten the world as at other times."
This is much after the manner of many savage
nations.
While our informant was yet speaking to us, a
messenger arrived at our yard from the king, to
tell us the above tale, and with an invitation to
come to see him immediately. Therefore, slipping
on the remainder of our clothes, we followed the
man to the residence of his sovereign from outside
of which the cries proceeded, and here we found
the king and his timid partner sitting on the ground.
Their usual good spirits and cheerful behaviour had
forsaken them entirely; both appeared overwhelmed
with apprehension, and trembled at every joint.
Like all their subjects, in the hurry of fear and the
suddenness of the alarm, they had come out of their
dwellings half dressed, the head and legs, and the
upper part of their persons, being entirely exposed.
We soon succeeded in quelling their fears, or at
least in diminishing their apprehension. The king
then observed, that neither himself nor the oldest
of his subjects recollected seeing but one eclipse of
the moon besides the one he was gazing at; that it
had occurred exactly when the Fal6talls began to
be formidable in the country, and that it had forewarned them of all the wars, disasters, and calamities which subsequently took place.
We had seated ourselves opposite to the king and
queen, and within two or three feet of them, where
we could readily observe the moon and the people
without inconvenience. and carry on the conversa



306         FEARS OF THE PEOPLE.
tibn at tne same time. If the royal couple shud.
dered with terror on beholding the darkened moon,
we were scarcely less affected by the savage gestures of those within a few yards of us, and by their
repeated cries, so wild, so loud, and so piercing,
that an indescribable sensation of horror stole over
us, and rendered us almost as nervous as those
whom we had come to comfort. The earlier part
of the evening had been mild, serene, and remarkably pleasant; the moon had arisen with uncommon
lustre, and being at the full, her appearance was extremely delightful. It was the conclusion of the
holydays, and many of the people were enjoying
the delicious coolness of a serene night, and resting
from the laborious exertions of the day; but when
the moon became gradually obscured, fear overcame
every one. As the eclipse increased, they became
more terrified. All ran in great distress to inform
their sovereign of the circumstance, for there was
not a single cloud to cause so deep a shadow, and
they could not comprehend the nature or meaning
of an eclipse. The king was as easily frightened as
his people, being equally simple and ignorant; he
would not therefore suffer them to depart. Numbers sometimes beget courage and confidence, he
thought; so he commanded them to remain n'ear
his person, and to do all in their power to restore
the lost glory of the moon.
In front of the king's house, and almost close to
it, are a few magnificent cotton-trees, round which
the soil had been freed from grass, &c., for the celebration of the games. On this spot were the terri.
fied people assembled, with every instrument capable
of making a noise which could be procured in the
whole town. They had formed themselves into a
large treble circle, and continued running round
with amazing velocity, crying, shouting, and groaning with all their might. They tossed and flung
their heads about, twisted their bodies into all man



THE ECLIPSE.             867
ier of contortions, jumped into the air, stamped
with their feet on the ground, and flourished their
hands above their heads. No scene in the romance
of Robinson Crusoe was so wild and savage as this;
and a large wood-fire, with a few men spitted and
roasting before it, was alone wanting to render it
complete! Little boys and' girls were outside the
ring, running to and fro, clashing empty calabashes
against each other, and crying bitterly; groups of
men were blowing on trumpets, which produced a
harsh and discordant sound; some were employed
in beating old drums; others again were blowing
on bullocks' horns; and in the short intervals be.
tween the rapid succession of all these fiend-like
noises, was heard one more dismal than the rest,
proceeding from an iron tube, accompanied by the
clinking of chains. Indeed, every thing that could
increase the uproar was put in requisition on this
memorable occasion; nor did it cease till midnight,
when the eclipse had passed away. Never have
we witnessed so extraordinary a scene as this. The
diminished light, when the eclipse was complete,
was just sufficient to enable us to distinguish the
various groups of people, and contributed in no
small degree to render the scene still mrre impos.
ing. If a European, a stranger to Africa, were to
be placed on a sudden in the midst of the terrorstruck people, he would imagine himself to be among
a legion of demons, holding a revel over a fallen
spirit; so peculiarly unearthly, wild, and horrifying
was the appearance of tire dancing group, and the
clamour which they made. It was perhaps fortunate for us that we had an almanac with us, which
foretold the eclipse; for although we neglected to
inform the king of this circumstance, we were yet
enabled to tell him and his people the exact time
of its disappearance. This succeeded in some measure in suppressing their fears, for they would believe any thing we might tell them; and perhaps,
I.-E E




368       THE PENITENT OFFENDER.
also, it has procured for us a lasting reputation " and
a name." " Oh," said the king, " there will be sorrow and crying this night from Wowow to YBoorie.
The people will have no one to comfort or condole
with them; they will fancy this eclipse to be the
harbinger of something very dreadful; and they will
be in distress and trouble till the moon shall have
regained her brightness." It was nearly one o'clock
when we left the king and queen, to return to our
hut; every thing was then calm and silent, and we
lay down to rest in peace.
Friday, September 3d.-The king's messenger
came to us this morning with the intelligence that
his master had caught cold by exposing himself the
preceding night, and was confined to his apartment
with severe pains in the bowels. We have also to
complain of a similar indisposition.  One of our
men who offended so grossly at the horse-racing
two days ago has been liberated, and appears
ashamed of himself and truly penitent. He promises
to abstain from drink in future, to deport himself
soberly and orderly, to lay aside all thoughts of revenge, and to be ready and willing at all times to
do any thing which may be required of him. Notwithstanding his protestations, however, we are resolved to place our guns and ammunition beyond
his reach, together with all edged instruments whatsoever; for heretofore his tempei has been known
to be sullen, furious, and unforgiving whiqh may
yet lead to disaslrous consequences, and ma3 involve
us in difficulties.
Monday, September 6th.-The man we sent to
Coulf6, a fortnight since, to sell our ass, needles,
&c., is not yet returned to Boossh, though he has
exceeded the period we had specified for his absence
by three or four days. Fearing that something unpleasant may have happened to him, we this day
despatched one of the king's people to Coulf6, in
order to ascertain the cause of his delay; and if




STATE OF THE RIVER.         369
nothing detains him more than a want of sale for
his goods, he is to return instantly with this messenger, rather than put us to inconvenience by a longer
stay in that city.
The Niger is now completely full, and in many
places its banks are already overflowed, so that it
is extremely favourable for our proceeding down
the river. With the change in the moon,.however,
we have had a constant succession of heavy showers,
which have compelled us all day long to remain
within doors, in a close, black, and smoky hut*
having the disadvantage of damp, dirty walls, and
of being pestered with myriads of black and white
ants; and so long as the rains continue we shall be
able to take no other kind of exercise than that of
moving round this miserable abode, like prisoners
in a condemned cell. It is perhaps fortunate, after
all, that our canoe has not been got ready so soon
as we had anticipated, for constant exposure to the
rains upon the water, in an open boat, would be extremely unpleasant. Yet it is time that we should
leave Boossa, for in spite of the'friendship of the king
and queen, more especially of the latter, which is declining very fast indeed, their benevolent feelings are
growing colder every day; our resources at the
same time are diminishing rapidly, and when they
are gone, we know not what we shall do. We now
receive only a calabash of caffas (a kind of dough or
paste) from the king once in three days, so that we
are compelled to eat them, at times, either in a state
of putridity, or go without; and our men are halffamished, from the careless inattention, or perhaps
from the wilful negligence, of the midiki; we cannot, like the chameleon, live upon air, and we have
not a single cowrie to spare to purchase provisions.
Our powder is reduced to a very small quantity,
and in all probability we have not half so much
as we shall require on the Niger; so that for some
time past we have relinquished our sporting excur.




370       MESSENGERS FROM BORGOO.
sions altogether, though these once afforded us an
ample supply of game for the consumption of our
whole party.
Caffas are little cakes made of meal and water
boiled together. There are several different kinds
of corn at Boossa, all of which are also made into
caffas. The method of separating the grain from
the husk is by cutting the ears from the stalk and
placing them in a kind of wooden mortar, in which
they are subjected to pressure from a heavy piece
of wood. The whole is then exposed to the wind
on an elevated situation, by which the husk is blown
away. The process of grinding the corn is performed
on a large stone slab, with another heavy stone, which
is worked by the hand. The slab is placed, for the
sake of convenience, in an inclined position, and is
sufficiently large only for the person to perform the
operation on his knees, and it is one which requires
no little exertion. Their only method of cooking the
meal when thus prepared is by boiling it with water
to the consistency of thick paste, in which state it is
poured out in small portions on leaves, and laid by
for use.
Wednesday, September 8th.-Messengers from the
King of Borgoo arrived this morning in the city
from the metropolis of Niki, accompanied by a few
of the principal merchants of a large fatdkie, which
is now resting at Zaiee, a small town about two
hours' walk to the westward of Boossa, and which
we passed through on our journey. These men are
on their way to the more easterly parts of the continent. They say here, that about twelve months
since, a fathkie consisting of an extraordinary numjer of traders, with horses and other beasts of burden,
aden with merchandise, were travelling through'3orgoo, on their route to Gonja, whither they were
going to purchase the goora or kola-nut.  They
were attacked, however, and plundered by the soldiers of Niki and Kik&ma, who had laid in ambush for




NATIVE SUPERSTITION,        371
them; and rumour says that the princes of those
countries shared the booty between them. It happened that in the train of these merchants, and who
in fact formed part of the fatAkie, were six men
fiom Boossa; and when the news of their disaster
and enslavement was communicated to their king,
he is said to have been irritated in the highest degree, insomuch that he instantly despatched men
with a peremptory message to the Sultan of Borgoo,
to liberate his captured subjects, and restore to them
their horses and property, or prepare for the consequences of his resentment in case of a refusal.
This message was treated with contemptuous indifference by the Niki sovereign, and he returned
to the monarch of Boossa a haughty and disdainful
answer. But as soon as the latter heard it, he assembled the priests of the ancient religion of the
country of which he is the head, and by their joint
assistance, it is said, he made a powerful enchantment, by which the legs and arms of his enemy
became entirely useless. The King of Borgoo finding himself in this helpless state, and his conscience
reproaching him with the cause of it, he immediately liberated the Boossa merchants, restored to
them their horses and property, and forwarded the
messengers we have already spoken of as having
arrived to-day from Niki, to solicit forgiveness of
the King of Booss., for the crime which he had perpetrated, and implorethat the spell which bound
and was consuming him might be dissolved forthwith,
The men came loaded with presents of goora-nuts,
&c., and they have been joyfully received. Perhaps
the Borgoo monarch hastened to make restitution for
his offence, not on account of his enchantment, as
these people imagine, but rather from public and
political considerations; for, in consequence of the
above quarrel, several of his towns had been taken
possession of by the King of Boossa, which will noW
be abandoned, if the differences be amicably adjusted




872        ARRIVAL OF A FATAKIE.
between the parties, that their inhabitants may be
permitted to return to their former allegiance. The
King of Boossa was restrained from making further
conquests in Borgoo only by the interference of the
King of Wowow, who represented to him that the revenge he had already taken was more than proportionate to the offence that had been committed
against him, and that he ought to rest satisfied
therewith. The Niki messengers have been treated
with the greatest respect, and the most generous
hospitality.
Like all earthly things, the pleasure and satisfaction excited by the novelty of our persons have
passed away, and we are no longer either the objects
of care and attention from the king and his midiki,
or of curiosity among the natives. If we stay here
much longer, this neglect on the part of the former
will become alarming. No provisions have been
sent us to-day, and our wants have been entirely
lost sight of in the important arrival of these mes
sengers from Borgoo. All has been joy in consequence; music and its usual accompaniments of
discordant sounds have been going forward since;
and bustle and confusion prevail throughout the
city. Our people alone are sad, for they have nothing to eat.
Thursday, September 9th.-The fatakie mentioned
yesterday as being at Zalee on the road to this city
arrived here this forenoon, preceded by a drummer
on horseback, as usual, to animate the party by the
sound of his instrument. They entered Boossa one
by one, which is their usual method of travelling,
and formed a very long train, the chief merchant ot
the whole bringing up the rear. This company
consists of about four hundred individuals; and they
have a great number of fine horses, a few mules,
and two hundred asses, to carry their luggage. Their
chief, and in fact their only, merchandise is the




ASHANTEE WAR.            373
goora-nut, for whirh they have been to Gonja, a
place only a few days' journey from Accra.
Gonja was till very recently a province of Ashan,
tee, and inhabited by a people between whom and
the Ashantees there is no manner of difference whatever, the manners, language, religion, and pursuits
of both being precisely the same. But these goora
merchants report that it has lately been separated
from that empire, and is now an independent state.
They say, that preceding the commencement of
hostilities between the Ashantees and the British at
Cape Coast Castle, &c., and their allies the Fantees,
the former power requested the assistance of the
people of Gonja in a premeditated attack against
their enemies, which was objected to on the ground
that the British had not offended them, and therefore
they disliked coming to an open rupture with our
countrymen. Nothing was said at the time by the
King of Ashantee concerning the refusal of the men
of Gonja to assist him in the war; and when his
subjects returned to Coomassie in triumph, after
having defeated and slain Sir C. Macarthy, he
seemed to have forgotten it altogether. For some
time after his total defeat by the British at Cape
Coast Castle, he was still silent. But when he had
recovered from the wounds he had received at this
sanguinary battle, and the harmony of his subjects
had been completely restored, he considered that
then was the most proper time for punishing Gonja
for its disobedience.  For this purpose, say the
merchants, he assembled a body of ten thousand
men, most of whom were armed with muskets, and
sent them, under the command of chosen captains,
against the devoted province. But in the mean
time the people of Gonja had been by no means
inactive, for having heard of the great preparations
that were making at Coomassie, and being convinced that those preparations were designed against
their own lives and liberties, they formed a plan of




374           GONJA DESTROYED.
attacking their invaders and defeating their project,
which succeeded to the utmost of their wishes, and
even beyond their expectations.  When they had
learned from a swift-footed messenger of the departure of the Ashantee army from Coonlassie, and the
road which they had taken, they stationed large
bodies of stout well-armed men in ambuscade at
various places in the bush, close to the pathway,
and awaited the coming of the foe. While the
latter were drawing near to Gonja, not suspecting
danger of any kind, and straggling about in imagined
security, the men in ambush rushed out upon them,
made a sudden and desperate attack on their whole
force at the same moment, which threw the Ashantees into confusion, and the latter, dropping their
arms, fled into the woods. The carnage is reported
to have been dreadful. The conquerors gathered up
the arms of their enemies, sung a song of victory,
and returned in triumph to the city of Gonja.
The King of Ashantee, according to the accounts
of the merchants, on being informed of this disastrous and unlooked-for event, was more exasperated
than ever against the successful party, and vowed
revenge against them, their city, and their country.
He therefore, very shortly after the failure of the
first expedition, sent another army, stronger than
the former, with a command to destroy the rebellious city, and annihilate its inhabitants entirely.
This news. spread consternation among all classes
of people in Gonja, and alarmed the strangers that
had located in the country, insomuch that, on the
advance of this second formidable army, they could
not command sufficient resolution to go out against
it, but deserted their dwellings and dispersed themselves through all parts of the adjacent countries,
till such time as their enemies should think proper to
return to Coomassie. It is almost unnecessary to
add, that the city of Gonja was set on fire by the
Ashantee soldiers, in pursuance of their commando




BORGOO VISITERS.          875
and every house in it burnt to ashes. The people
however, fancying the king's wrath to be sufficiently
appeased, were beginning to return again from the
places of their concealment, on the departure of the
fatakie, and were busily engaged in reconstructing
their habitations.
We do not place entire confidence in this tale, for
almost every African is guilty of gross exaggeration in his statements, and too nlany of them are
confirmed liars; so that, after all, the above story
may only be founded on fact.
Friday, September 10th.-Ever since the arrival of
the Borgoo messengers, nothing else is heard in the
city but music, which is continued from sunrise to
sunset; and the long Arab trumpets are likewise
sounded constantly in the middle of the night, the
king taking this whimsical method of displaying his
consequence and grandeur to the foreigners, which
has amused us not a little. The dress of these Borgoo men differs but slightly from that which is
worn by the people of Boossa and the neighbouring
nations. We were favoured with a visit from them
to-day, and their behaviour was remarkably decorous, though at first somewhat reserved. In their
address they are extremely humble; and when they
accost a superior, they prostrate themselves on the
ground in the most abject and humiliating manner.
Their chief is an elderly, quiet, respectable man, and
professes the Mohammedan religion. On his entrance into our hut, this forenoon, he had so little
confidence in himself, and was so timorous, that he
could not speak; he shook like a leaf, and his lips
also quivered from fear; indeed, the poor man was
distressingly agitated,-perhaps he thought that we
were going to devour him: but he regained his assurance when he found that such was not our inten
tion, and in a very few minutes he became chatty
agreeable, and communicative.
We have received two messes from the king lately
I.-FF




376             El EPHANTS.
one consisting of a dish of stewed elephant's flesh,
and the other of the flesh of a hippopotamus,
which had been caught in the Niger a short time
before. The latter was rank and fat, and bore a
greater resemblance to pork than to any other meat
with which we are acquainted, yet it is considered
delicate and delicious eating.
The method adopted by the natiyes of destroying
the elephant is very simple. A large harpoon is
thrust into the ground, in the middle of a path which
they are known to frequent in their nightly excursions to the river for water, leaving the ragged
points of the instrument above the ground in an inclined position, and concealing them with straw or
stubble. The heavy beast, unsuspicious of danger,
pursues the usual track with his companions; he
comes in contact with the harpoon, which enters
his breast or belly, and having no sagacity to draw
back, the elephant, smarting with pain, forces himself forwards with all his might, which causes the
weapon to penetrate still more deeply into his body,
and he thus becomes a prey to his destroyers. Considering the vast number of elephants which inhabit
the woods on the banks of the Niger hereabouts, it
is singular that so few of them are annually destroyed
by the natives. Perhaps one reason is the little
encouragement they receive for their trouble; for
the flesh of these beasts, except when very young,
is almost unsaleable, by reason of its toughness and
rancid nature; their teeth also are valueless here, no
use whatever being made of them.
Saturday, September 11th.-Our ears were saluted
just after daybreak this morning by a dreadful
noise between a man and his wife, who were squabbling about some money matters, and, as is usual in
such cases, they were surrounded by all their feiale
neighbours, whose clatter exceeded, if possible,
their own. They are slaves of the midiki, and re.
side in our yard, within a door or two of our hut.




TREATMENT OF SLAVES.         377
The quarrel terminated in blows and tears, which
was instantly made known to the queen, who commanded the delinquents to appear before her, and
having entered into all the circumstances of the case,
the differences between them were adjusted on the
spot. The woman accused her husband of having
stolen from the place where she had concealed them
no less than four hundred cowries, which was the
original cause of the dispute.  The accusation
could not be denied; and the man endeavoured to
sooth his wife by gentle words, and bring her into
good-humour by flattery, and expressed contrition
for his offence; but this aroused the anger of the
furious woman, who abused her husband with all
the reproachful epithets she could make use of;
and though she was blubbering all the while, she
would have gone a still greater length, if he had
not stopped her mouth by a severe beating. So
little tenderness or sociability exists between a married couple, particularly if they should happen to be
slaves, that they have nothing in common; and
though they eat and sleep in the same hut, they
seek a separate livelihood.
Perhaps it would be speaking within compass to
say that four-fifths of the whole population, not only
in this country, but likewise every other hereabouts,
are slaves. Many of them are permitted to roam at
large, provided they attend upon their masters when
called upon; these procure their own subsistence,
and devote part of their time to the service of their
owners: others reside in the houses of their masters as domestic servants, and are likewise expected
to contribute towards their own support.  The
Queen oi Boossil has a great number of Falatah
slaves; the men are constantly employed in taking
care of her herds, and milking the cows, and the
females dispose of the milk; half of the money obtained by this means-the Falatahs keep to maintain
themselves. Thus are the slaves treated in their




378         MESSENGER RETtURNS
native country:-they enjoy much freedom; are
never overworked; have plenty of leisure time, and
are rarely punished, and even then but slightly. If
a slave run away from his master, and is afterward
taken and brought back, he is simply confined in
irons a day or two for his offence; but he is sold to
another the first opportunity. The natives have a
strong antipathy to flogging, or severe chastisement
of any kind, and very seldom have recourse to the
means of punishment which they have in their
power to inflict.
Sunday, September 12th., —Our man, who has been
expected with some anxiety and apprehension for
his safety, arrived this afternoon from the city
of Coulfo, but with very little money indeed, having
disposed of the ass for less than half its value, and
sold, comparatively speaking, a very small quantity
of needles. The remainder, which were valued at
thirty thousand cowries, were stolen from him, he
asserts, a few days before his departure; but we
strongly suspect that this is a falsehood, and that
the fellow has converted them to his own use. Since
the messenger to Rabba left Boossa on his errand,
we have heard no intelligence whatever concerning
him; and as every thing is now ripe for our enterprise, we begin to feel impatient and uneasy-at our
long, and to us unnecessary detention in this place,
and the irksomeness of our present dependent situation; for we are often troubled with painful apprehensions and surmises, that something unpleasant
may yet intervene to frustrate our intentions, embarrass us with difficulties, and extinguish all our
anticipations of success.
The king had not visited us for a fortnight, and
therefore we sent a message to him this forenoon,
intimating the great anxiety we felt to proceed on
our journey, and our earnest hope that he would
permit us to do so immediately, even before the re
turn of his messenger from Nouffie. We corn




MESSAGE TO THE KING.          379
plained that we were destitute of almost every thing;
that we were wearied out with repeated disappoints
ments, and with having nothing to do for so long a
time; that our health was fast declining, and our
life wasting away; and concluded by assuring him,
that if we did not quickly return to our country, the
worst consequences might ensue, and then what
would become of his good name? To this the king
made answer, that it was our future welfare alone
which had induced him to take those measures and
precautions which he perceived with sorrow we disapproved of and disliked so much; that we did not
display our wisdom by our impatience; and that to
attempt proceeding down the river before the return
of his ambassador, would, in his opinion, be not
only presumptuous and improper, but would likewise be highly injurious to our interests.
The king promised to come and see us in the
evening, and talk over the matter with us himself.
According to his promise, therefore, he paid us a
visit at the time appointed, and recapitulated that
which he had before told Pascoe, but added that it
would be absolutely necessary for us to make a
good present to the King of Nouffie, and another to
the Falitah Chief of Rabba. He then gave broad
hints for one of our pistols, which he admired in the
isual way; but as we were not obliged to compre.
hend his enigmas, and as we could ill spare the
pistol, we appeared very stupid, and would not understand his meaning. The king shortly afterward
took his leave, yet he was by no means angry at
the failure of his ingenious device. In respect to
his recommendation that we should endeavour all
in our power to make friends of the King of Nouffie
and the Chief of Rabba, we have nothing left'worthy of'their acceptance, and shall therefore attempt
to shun one of these rulers at least.
Tuesday, September 14th. —The same superstitious
notions and prejudices respelti:.g mitches, wizards,




380            SUPERSTITIONS.
and ill-wishers, and the same belief in necromancy,
prevail here at this day, as were current in ellightened Europe as recently as the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. The king sent a messenger
this morning to request the favour of a couple of
charges of powder, stating that two women had absconded to Foco, which is a town on the banks of
the Niger, a little way below Inguazhilligee, and
that if it should be found necessary, the powder
might be used to frighten the runagates into a compliance with the wishes of their pursuers. In the
evening the women, who had surrendered themselves at Foco, landed here from a canoe, and were
immediately put in confinement. We are told that
these two poor old creatures resided on an island a
little way up the Niger, and were lately accused by
their town's-people of the crime of witchcraft, and
with two old wizards, their neighbours and friends,
of " havin eaten the spirits of five individuals," who
all are said to have died by this means. The men,
aware of the persecution and the fate that awaited
them should they be taken, succeeded in making
their escape as soon as this crime was laid to their
charge; but the females were not quite so fortunate,
for the place of their concealment was made known
to the king, and he caused them to be apprehended,
as above mentioned. One of the reputed witches is
a very aged woman, but her companion is not quite
so old. The punishment that awaits them is perpetual slavery; whereas, if the men had been caught,
they would have been bound hand and foot, and flung
into the Niger, and there left to perish. All witches,
wizards, and ill-wishers are treated in the same
manner; the punishment of witches not being so
rigorous as that of their male associates in the black
art, in consideration of their sex.  The belief in
theii power is very general, and instances of people
fancying themselves bewitched, and suffering from
their malignant incantations, are by no means uncommon.




SIGNS OF DEPARTURE.          381
Saturday, September 18th.-During the last four
teen days my brother had been extremely indisposed
from a slight attack of bilious fever, which hat
brought him to a very low and languid state, insomuch that I urged the king on Wednesday to send us
away, to try if change of air and scene would not
produce a beneficial effect on his health. The monarch, after many scruples and much hesitation, at
length appointed the second day of the moon, that
being, he pronounced, the happiest and luckiest of
all days. He could not, however, forbear expressing his deep regret at our determination of leaving
Boossa before the return of his messenger from
Nouffie; it might be detrimental to our personal interests, and his own reputation would also suffer if
any thing should befall us on the river, but he had
already given his word for our departure, and from
this promise he could not swerve. To-day is the
second of the moon, but the Africans calculate
upon it as the first only, because they never see that
orb plainly.till the second time of her appearance.
This afternoon we wished to pay our respects to the
king, previous to our departure, which we understood was to take place to-morrow morning, but to
our surprise he asserted that the moon would not
be discernible that evening, and therefore that Monday next will be the day which was specified. The
moon, however, did shine fairly in sight of all the
people; nevertheless we have made no further remark to the prince on the subject, thinking it might
confuse and irritate him.
Sunday, September 19th. —This morning we were
so unlucky as to upset a large bowl of milk, one of
which we were daily supplied with from the king's
houne. We sent to have it replenished, because in
our present circumstances we could ill afford to lose
so great a luxury. Instead of gratifying us in this
particular, however, he expressed himself quite
overjoyed at the.circumstance, and asserted that it




382          & BREAKFAST LOST.
was the most happy omen in the world, and that w&
ought to consider ourselves as peculiarly favoured
and fortunate. So we were obliged to content ourselves without breakfast, of which the accident had
deprived us, because of the superstitious nonsense
of the monarch.
Every thing.is now got ready for starting. As it
is not our present intention to call at many inhabited
places on the banks of the Niger, we have provided
ourselves with a great quantity of provisions, which
consists chiefly of three large bags of corn and one
of beans. We have likewise a couple of fowls and
two sheep, so that we are of opinion we shall have
food enough for all hands for three weeks or a month
at least. To add to our stock, the king and midiki
between them have given us a considerable quantity
of rice, honey, corn, and onions; and two large pots
of vegetable butter, which weigh not less than a
hundred pounds.
This afternoon, to our unspeakable joy, the longexpected and wished-for messenger arrived in this
city from Rabba, accompanied by two messengers
from the King of Nouffie, one of whom, a modestlooking, respectable young man, is his own son.
These men are to be our guides as far as Rabba,
after we have passed which city, all the Nouffie territory to the southward is under the surveillance of
Ederesa and his partisans. " The magia," says the
Boossi ambassador, "was delighted with the intelligence that white men were to honour his dominions with their presence;" he showed me the presents
made him by Captain Clapperton three years ago,
and said a great deal in his favour and commendation. "And as a proof," continued the man, "of his
friendly disposition towards you, and his interest in
your welfare, he has not only sent his son as your
companion and guide, but he has likewise despatched
a messenger to every town on the banks of the
Niger either considerable or unimportant, even as




RABBA MESSENGER.           383
fa as Funda, which is beyond the limits of the empire; and he is commissioned to acquaint their inhtbl;ants of the fact of your intention of proceeding
down the river, and to desire them to assist you with
their encouragement and support, so far as it lies in
their power to do."
After soie little consideration, we knew not
whether we ought to feel pleasure or regret, thankfulness or indifference, at the arrival of these men,
and the occasion which brought them hither: at
present we can only foresee that they will be a
heavy burden on our funds; and as it happens that
we have the utmost difficulty in the world in supporting ourselves, it will cause us additional trouble,
expense, and uneasiness, in providing them with the
bare necessaries of life. The king, however, had
but one feeling on the subject, and that was unbounded
delight; he capered around his hut with transport, when he saw our guides and heard their
message; and after a burst of joy, he began to cry
like a child, his heart was so full. " Now," said he,
when he had become more composed, "whatever
may happen to the white men, my neighbours cannot but acknowledge that I have taken every care of
them, treated them as became a king, and done my
best to promote their happiness and interests. They
will not be able," continued the monarch with exultation, "they dare not have the effronetry to cast at
me a reproach like that which they bestowed upon
my ancestor. I can now safely intrust the white
men to the care, protection, and hospitality of a
neighbouring monarch, who, I am convinced, if not
for my sake, at least for his own, will receive and
entertain them with every mark of distinction and
kindness. I know and feel that towards them I
have done my duty, and let my neighbours see to it
that they do theirs." And so he has, for though we
have been his guests for so long a time, and been
occasionally not a little troublesome to him with our




384        A MOHAMMEDAN PRIEST.
importunity, yet we have observed nothing either fn
his manners or character to condemn, but nmuchl
very much, to approve of and admire. His disposi
tion is open and ingenuous, and his sentiments can
did andisincere; no child is more simple, innocent
and unsuspicious than he. The little we have had
to complain of is owing to our detention here longer
than we wished; but then, perhaps, we have been
a little too hasty and petulant, and it must likewise
be remembered that, in regard to us, the king's reputation and honour were at stake, and after all he
may be perfectly right in his opinions and conjectures.
This evening an old Mohammedan priest, whose
countenance seemed to radiate with meekness, simplicity, loving-kindness, and: good-nature, entered
our dwelling, and entreated us with earnest importunity to give him, before. our departure, a quantity
of deadly poison, a very small portion of which he
wished might destroy life in a few moments after it
should be taken. The hoary old villain did not hesitate to confess, in confidence, that his motive for
making this strange request arose from the desire he
felt to administer the poisonous drug to a neighbour,
whom he longed to put out of the world, because he
had done him some slight imaginary wrong. Of
course we execrated the horrid intention of the man,
who, rather than listen longer to our reproaehes,
turned his face and walked away. In the night
Boossa was visited by a thunder-storm. During the
time we have been at Boossa, the thermometer has
ranged between 76 and 93, but it has most generally
been between 80 and 70, and the weather very oppresive.
END OF VOL. J.