FOOTNOTES:[15]This is composed of a large wooden bowl, nearly three feet diameter, covered with three skins, one of which is said to be that of a human being, another a hyena’s, and the third, or outside one, a monkey’s; this latter is covered with Arabic characters and passages from the Koran. See fig. 2,pl. 9.[16]The town of Bondoo, where Abdoolghader had been sojourning.[17]A measure used in Africa for corn, and containing about two quarts.[18]Park’s First Travels.[19]Samba Congole’s Town.
FOOTNOTES:
[15]This is composed of a large wooden bowl, nearly three feet diameter, covered with three skins, one of which is said to be that of a human being, another a hyena’s, and the third, or outside one, a monkey’s; this latter is covered with Arabic characters and passages from the Koran. See fig. 2,pl. 9.
[15]This is composed of a large wooden bowl, nearly three feet diameter, covered with three skins, one of which is said to be that of a human being, another a hyena’s, and the third, or outside one, a monkey’s; this latter is covered with Arabic characters and passages from the Koran. See fig. 2,pl. 9.
[16]The town of Bondoo, where Abdoolghader had been sojourning.
[16]The town of Bondoo, where Abdoolghader had been sojourning.
[17]A measure used in Africa for corn, and containing about two quarts.
[17]A measure used in Africa for corn, and containing about two quarts.
[18]Park’s First Travels.
[18]Park’s First Travels.
[19]Samba Congole’s Town.
[19]Samba Congole’s Town.
Message from Almamy — My Visit to Boolibany — Subject of Interview with him — His hostile Conduct and peremptory Demand for my leaving Samba Contaye — The Necessity of my Compliance — Return to the Camp accompanied by an Escort — Preparations for the March — Departure for Boolibany — Arrival there — Almamy endeavours to make us enter the Town — My Refusal, and Selection of a Position for the Camp — Return of my first Messenger to Mr. Dochard — His Misfortune and Failure — False Alarm at the Capital, and its Consequences — Indecision of Almamy and the Chiefs.
Themonth of January, 1819, also rolled over without any intelligence from either Mr. Dochard or Mr. Partarrieau, and what could detain the latter from joining me, or prevent the former from sending some person to make me acquainted with his proceedings and their result at Sego, I was at a loss to conjecture. Had the latter, however, either joined or forwarded the supplies which I was so much in want of, I would have endeavoured to reach Sego with the whole expedition, and try if it were not possible, by some means or other, to obtain Dha’s permission to erect boats, and embark on the Niger, but tohave gone there without the means necessary to induce him and his chiefs to forward my views would have been fruitless work.
Another reason, too, prevented me taking this step without waiting Mr. Partarrieau’s return, namely, the impossibility of leaving Bondoo without paying to Almamy the articles promised his predecessor, and which, even with the assistance of the French officers at Galam, I could not have accomplished.
To add to these difficulties, one of a still more unpleasant nature, and attended with circumstances which clearly evinced a change in Almamy’s intentions towards us, occurred early in February.
One evening, on my return from Baquelle, where I had gone to procure some beads from the French merchants for the purchase of provisions, I found at the camp a messenger from Almamy to request my immediate attendance at Boolibany, where he had some business of such importance to communicate that he could not entrust it with any of his people.
What this might have been I could not readily imagine, but from some words that escaped from the messenger, I was inclined to think it was some information he had received concerning Mr. Dochard, and which appeared the more likely, as at that very time a large coffle of travellingmerchants with slaves arrived at the capital from Sego.
My anxiety for Mr. Dochard’s safety, added to an intention I had of proposing to Almamy to be allowed to remove my camp to Baquelle, induced me to obey the summons without delay, but my surprise and disappointment may be more easily conceived than I can possibly express, when, on being admitted into the royal presence, where were assembled all the ministers, chiefs, &c., Almamy told me that I must, without delay, remove my camp from Samba Contaye to the capital, where, as he was in daily expectation of the arrival of the Kartan army, I would be more secure under his own protection than I possibly could be elsewhere.
Although I must acknowledge that this speech conveyed to my mind a very different idea from that which he intended it to do, I nevertheless endeavoured to hide any effect it might have had on the expression of my countenance, and, at the same time that I thanked him for his consideration for my safety, expressed a wish, in apparent good humour, to be allowed to remain where I was; as it would put me to much inconvenience indeed, both to remove my baggage which was then all open, and to form a new camp which would probably not be finished before Mr. Partarrieau would return from the coast.
In answer to these remonstrances on my part, he said that he would afford me every assistance I might require, both in removing my baggage and forming a new camp, if I did not wish to take up my quarters within the walls of the town, where I should be accommodated with as much room as I might want.
This I decidedly objected to, from a conviction that I would find much difficulty in again getting out of it, and was about making some further objections to the move he proposed, or rather dictated, when he ordered me to leave him, and, in a very angry tone indeed, said he would take no excuse whatever, as if I did not immediately comply, he would force me to it.
A refusal at that moment would have been highly imprudent as I was in his power, and which he said he should exercise by keeping me where I was until I should write to myhead manat Samba Contaye, and direct him to join me without delay with all the men and baggage. This I positively refused to do, but, as the only means left in my power of getting out of his hands, I promised to comply with his wishes of moving my camp, on condition that he should allow me to return there immediately to make the necessary preparations. To this he made some objections, but finding I was determined not to comply on any other terms, he at length consented,adding, however, that I should be accompanied by a strong detachment to enforce the fulfilment of the promise I had made. This surprised me much indeed, as in all our former transactions he had implicitly relied on my word; but I must acknowledge in this instance I did not purpose keeping it, as I had formed a determination to make a forced march to Baquelle the night of my return to the camp, and thereby put it out of Almamy’s power to serve me such a trick again. But he was too well aware of the advantage he now possessed over me to trust any longer to my word, and therefore had recourse to the most efficacious means of forcing me to compliance.
I really cannot give an idea of the state of my mind during the remainder of that night; suffice it to say that, for the first time since leaving the coast, I began to suspect treachery, and a predetermination on the part of Almamy and his chiefs to oppose our further progress. I still however had hopes, faint ones indeed, that time, patience, large presents, and explanatory conversation with Almamy in private, would obtain the desired permission to proceed eastward.
The following morning, after waiting nearly an hour for his highness Saada, who undertook to carry Almamy’s orders into effect, we left Boolibany, accompanied by a party of about onehundred horse and foot, which augmented at every village we passed through. When about half way, Saada, who complained much of being fatigued from the heat of the sun!!! halted, and wished me to follow his example, to which, as I would not consent, he sent forward some of his party with me.
Two days were spent in the preparations necessary for the march, which we commenced at five o’clock in the morning of the 13th of February. We halted that night at Gamby, and reached the capital the following morning at half after eight. Almamy, who, with some of his train, came out to meet us, wished us to enter the town and remain there, as he said, till huts could be prepared for us; but, as I would not listen to his proposal under any pretence whatever, he proceeded with me to select a site for our camp convenient to water. A little eminence, the summit of which was shaded by a large tamarind tree, and within a few yards of some wells, west of the town, from which it was distant about two musket shots, offered more advantages than any other spot around Boolibany. We therefore, having unloaded the animals, and arranged the baggage under the tree, commenced, on the following morning, to surround our post with a strong fence of stakes and thorny bushes, which, with our huts and the additionof a new well about fifteen feet deep, we completed in a few days; during which his majesty paid me some visits, and made us a present of a bullock, asking, however, in return, a piece of baft to make a dress which was double its value.
We had not been long here when Alley Lowe, the man I had sent from Samba Contaye with the dollars and other articles to Mr. Dochard, returned, not having been able to pass Kasson, where he was robbed, and from where he with difficulty escaped with his life. Dheangina, the man who accompanied him, was taken ill with the Guinea worm at a very early part of their march, in which state he remained so long unable to move, that Alley Lowe endeavoured to prosecute the journey alone, but in which he unfortunately failed. He had neither seen nor heard any thing of Bakoro or the man I sent with him; I was therefore in hopes they had been able to pass; but alas! those hopes soon vanished, and I had the mortification of seeing them return in a short time equally unsuccessful. Their case however was not that of Alley Lowe, who would have got on if the possibility of his doing so had existed.
They had idled so much of their time at the towns and villages they passed on the road, that their stock of articles for the purchase of provisions was soon exhausted, and they were reducedto the necessity of selling one of their horses to procure subsistence. Ismena, too, had been ill some time; but Bakoro, who was well and might have gone on without him, had he felt the least inclination to do so, squandered both his time and money until the means of proceeding were completely exhausted.
This second failure in the attainment of an object I had so much at heart, and the impossibility which presented itself of inducing any of the natives of the country to undertake such a voyage, had I even promised them the whole baggage of the expedition, added to my anxiety for the arrival of Mr. Partarrieau, had such an effect on my spirits that I could with difficulty at times force myself to take the exercise necessary for my health, which, in spite of all those annoyances and the effects of the late season, continued unimpaired.
The month of March was spent in anxious suspense on these subjects, and in visiting the country about Boolibany, which is beautifully diversified by hill and dale thinly covered with wood.
Almamy during this month received a hasty report from the north-east frontier that the Kartan army was within a day’s march of the capital, where the utmost confusion prevailed in consequence of the inhabitants from all theneighbouring villages having fled to it for protection. So great was the crowd that many could not find room to lie down in the streets.
On one occasion when all the women were busily employed drawing water from the wells, where were also many of the men endeavouring to procure for their horses a share of the scanty and muddy supply they afforded, the alarm was given by some people who had been attending herds of cattle to the eastward of the town, from which direction they were seen running in the utmost confusion, the altercations at the wells, and the busy scene going on there, soon closed by one of a still more extraordinary and confused nature. The supposed approach of the enemy was no sooner made known amongst them, than they all, as if by magic, dropped their jars, calabashes, and leather bags, and ran with all their might to the nearest gate of the town, which, being rather narrow, was so much crowded, that an old man and a girl about eight years of age were trampled to death.
A council of war, composed of some of the princes and their followers, with Almamy at their head, assembled between our camp and the town. I attended to witness their proceedings, which were carried on with the utmost contempt to the rules of order or regularity; every one present proposing some plan of his own, and rejectingthat of his companions. I had been all this time sitting on horseback unobserved by Almamy, who had scarcely said a word on the subject. When he perceived that I was present he beckoned me to approach him, and, with much earnestness and anxiety depicted on his countenance, asked my opinion, which I hesitated in giving; but being requested by the whole council to do so, I said that I thought it would be advisable, previous to deciding on any plan either of attack or defence, to reconnoitre for the purpose of ascertaining beyond a doubt the enemy’s strength and position, in case they were really in the country, but which I much doubted.
My opinion was favourably received by the whole assembly, but nobody could be found to undertake the task which to them was a new one. Saada, although a young man, and better mounted than any other person in the town, was the first to refuse. At length a Joloff man, one of Almamy’s suite, offered to undertake it, if his majesty would provide him with a horse, and appoint some person to accompany him. The horse was brought, but not even one of the king’s slaves could be found willing to go—the Joloff man therefore set off alone. He had not been gone an hour when it was found that the alarm had been given by Saada’s herdsman, who,seeing such crowds about the wells, knew if he did not adopt that means of driving them away, he should not be able to procure water for the cattle during the day, and, although the death of the man and girl killed at the gate was, in addition to the false alarm, the consequence of his cleverness, he was nevertheless permitted to escape with impunity—nay, he was not so much as called to an account for his conduct. Saada was so pleased with his slave’s adroit stratagem, that he not only laughed at the affair, but, when spoken to by the friends of the deceased, told them they were rightly served. The scene of confusion and uproar which for several days existed at Boolibany, from the immense numbers of people who flocked to it for security from the unwalled towns, was beyond any thing I had ever witnessed. It, however, ended in a scarcity of provisions which necessitated them to return to their homes.
Arrival of Mr. Partarrieau from the Coast — Interview with Almamy — Arrangements with, and Presents made to him — His false and deceitful conduct — My Determination and Retreat from Boolibany — Difficulties on the March — Want of Water, and breach of oath on the part of our Guides — Enter Foota Toro — Difficulties there — My March to, and Return from, Baquelle — Affair with the Foolahs — My Captivity — Departure of the Party for Baquelle — My disappointment on finding the Camp deserted — My own Return to Baquelle.
Onthe 30th of April I received a letter from Mr. Partarrieau, announcing his arrival at Balla, whence he could not move in consequence of the loss of a great many of the camels, until I should send some men and asses to his assistance. I therefore despatched without delay eleven men with thirty of the latter, and, having obtained from Almamy one of his nephews as a guide for them, they left the camp at an early hour the following morning.
About nine o’clock that night, Almamy paid me a private visit, and, after many congratulatory words on the safe arrival of my friend (as he called him), said he wished to be informed whether the articles I had promised to the lateAlmamy were to become his property or that of Saada, who contested that he alone had a right to them. When I had told him that it was to the Almamy of Bondoo I had promised them, and to whom only I could give them, he took me by the hand, and said that he then felt convinced I was really his friend, and he should therefore forward my views in every way he could, adding that if I remained two days in Bondoo after Mr. Partarrieau’s arrival, it should be my own fault. This last speech however said nothing more than if I satisfied his avarice he would be my friend; but to me this was nothing new, for ever since I had entered the country I found that those people were actuated by no other principle than that of self-interest and ingratitude.
As I had found some difficulty in procuring a sufficient supply of provisions at the capital, on the 3rd of May I sent a sergeant and one man to Samba Contaye to purchase corn, rice, and cattle, and went myself with four men to assist in bringing up the caravan with Mr. Partarrieau. On the following morning I met them at Patako, a small village about thirty milesWSW.from the capital, which place we reached on the 6th at 9P.M.During Mr. Partarrieau’s march from the coast he experienced the kindest treatment from the kings of Kayor and Joloff, and was accompanied by a chief from the latter.
On the morning of the 7th we waited on Almamy, whom we found seated in a small store-room attended by only two of his slaves. After the usual exchange of compliments, I informed him of Mr. Partarrieau’s arrival, and that of the present I had promised to his predecessor, which, together with one I purposed giving himself, I wished to deliver without delay, and in a few days continue my journey, adding, that I trusted he would now prove himself to be the friend he so often professed; to which he answered that he was ready to forward my views in any way I might require.
The Joloff chief then addressed Almamy, saying he was directed by the Bourba Joloff to tell him, that in handing us over to his care and protection he requested we might be treated in the same manner by him (Almamy), as Mr. Partarrieau was by his master and Damel, the king of Kayor, and at the same time to inform him that we were the messengers of a very great white king, who had it in his power to reward those handsomely who merited it from him, or to punish any who should ill-treat his messengers, whose only object in visiting Africa was the establishing of a friendly intercourse between the two countries. In answer to this, Almamy made a long speech, which he ended by promising that his conduct should be such towards us aswould merit not only the approbation of the white king, but of all the surrounding chiefs of Africa.
Having told Almamy that I wished him to send persons to receive the presents I intended giving him (which he promised to do without delay), we returned to the camp. Those persons did not however arrive till near midnight, when it was too late to begin such an affair, particularly as I had determined that not an article should be removed before I should be satisfied, by an agreement drawn up in Arabic and signed by Almamy, that the assistance and protection I might require, while in Bondoo and in the prosecution of my journey, would be afforded.
It was not till the 9th that I could arrange with them the amount of the presents and the form of agreement, when, the latter being signed by Almamy and some of his chiefs, the former were delivered[20], together with a handsome double barrelled gun, which was sent by his Excellency Sir Charles Mac Carthy as a pledge of his esteem for Almamy.
With this paper in my possession, and the hitherto apparent inclination of Almamy to comply with its contents, I conceived that nothing remained to prevent our departure, and thereforehaving made every preparation necessary, I went (on the evening of the 10th of May) to inform him that it was my wish to proceed the following morning to Baquelle, where, with some assistance from the French, in the way of paint, rope, &c., of which I was in want, to put my baggage in a proper state to withstand the rains, I intended making my final arrangements. But I was sadly disappointed when he told me that he could not allow me to go there, as the people of that country, although at peace with him, were not his friends. I endeavoured to no purpose to convince him that in going there my only object was what I had just stated, and not to interfere in the concerns of Bondoo, where I had already been but too long detained.
From that day until the 21st, every means which I conceived at all likely to obtain permission to proceed, were tried without effect; presents were given to all the chiefs[21]unknown to each other, in order to induce them to urge Almamy to compliance, and I even offered to leave hostages in his hands for my return (after I had arranged my baggage) to Boolibany, whence I would take my final departure for the Niger. All would not do. The only thing he would listen to was that of our immediately following a path inwhich we should not only have to contend with a number of petty princes, all his friends and in league with him to oppose our progress, but where it would have been impossible to procure provisions, and extremely difficult to travel, in consequence of the number of rivers to be crossed.
All this, added to his having assembled his army in front of our camp, and prevented us for a whole day from drawing water from the wells, and his having in every instance broken his promise, nay oath, bore such convincing proofs of his hostile intentions that I at length determined on endeavouring to gain my point by indirect means, and therefore told him it was my intention to return to the coast through the Foota Toro country.
My object in adopting this plan was the possibility that presented itself of being able (when I had once left Bondoo) to change the direction of march from west to north-east and thereby gain the Senegal, and, by crossing it, both get out of the power of Almamy, and reach Baquelle unmolested.
From Baquelle I could have travelled in safety to Karta, where I was in hopes of meeting some people from Mr. Dochard, and of receiving permission from Modiba, king of that country, to proceed to Sego.
In addition to Almamy’s other acts of injustice and falsehood, he had given orders that the people, whom I had sent to Samba Contaye to purchase provisions, should be arrested and put in irons, and I had much difficulty indeed in obtaining their release.
We left Boolibany on the 22d May at half after six in the morning. We were accompanied by Almamy and part of his suite as far as Lewa, a village, near which we halted for the night.
Here again we were to experience the duplicity and falsehood of this chief, who, not contented with the delays and inconveniences to which he had already subjected us, would not now give us the guides he at first named, and who were the only two of the princes we had found worthy of confidence, but appointed two men whom we had never before seen, and who (were we to judge from their appearance) were ready to comply with their sovereign’s order in any way. When I remonstrated on this further palpable breach of honour, he said that he could not then dispense with the presence of two of his war-men (generals) but would allow one of them to accompany the guides he had named, and directed the other (who was the very man we wanted) to quit our camp. This person, named Omar Moosa, a nephew of Almamy’s, was so indignant at this peremptory order, thathe told his royal uncle he should not be ordered by him or any other man in Bondoo, and would not leave our camp until he pleased, and then, coming to our tent, told us to be cautious as to the path we took, for it was Almamy’s instructions to the guides to conduct us into Upper Ferlo, a province of Bondoo on the south-west frontier, so badly supplied with water that the inhabitants were frequently obliged to leave it during that time of the year: he also advised us not to move from Lewa until Almamy should return to Boolibany, when all those who accompanied him, and were attracted by the hopes of being able to plunder us of something, would leave us. This timely information, and the loss of nearly all our camels, induced me to remain at Lewa until the morning of the 24th, having, the preceding night, destroyed all the men’s old clothing, and furnished them with new. Some musket-balls and other articles of little value, amongst which were nearly all my own and Mr. Partarrieau’s clothes, were also destroyed in order to lighten the baggage as much as possible.
Incredible as it may appear to a person unacquainted with those people, it is equally true that Almamy, when about leaving us on the evening of the 23d, came with all possible composure to wish us a safe journey, and requested me to give him a small present, which he couldkeep in remembrance of me. Such was the impudent and teasing importunity of this man that he obtained one from me merely to rid myself of such an unwelcome visitor. When gone, we found he had made free with a snuff-box of Mr. Partarrieau’s which was laid on the mat on which we were sitting: this, although of little value, evinced a disposition on his part to turn his abilities in that way to every possible advantage.
We left Lewa at six o’clock in the morning, and, having travelled west over a dreadfully parched and uncultivated country for twelve miles, we reached Giowele, a miserable village, at ten, where a scanty supply of water was, by means of a large price, purchased for ourselves and the animals.
At a late hour in the evening I called one of our new guides, named Doka, to my tent, and, having drawn from him an acknowledgement that he had received Almamy’s directions to conduct us by the path leading into Upper Ferlo, I pointed out to him another lying more northerly, through a village called Dindoody, whither, in case he would consent to conduct us in safety, I would make him a handsome present. He objected, on the ground that he feared the other guide would not listen to it, but we told him to leave that to us, which he did. Macca, who was one of those guides chosen by myself, readily consentedto our proposal, and, on the morning of the 25th, he led us into a path in the very opposite direction from the one pointed out for us. A march of eleven milesNW.brought us to the village of Gwina, where we halted close to the wells, which supplied us with excellent water without any difficulty.
Private Dohonoe, who had been affected with dysentery since his arrival from the coast with Mr. Partarrieau, was so ill during the last two days’ march as to be barely able to sit on horseback.
As we were about to move on the morning of the 26th, an armed party of about forty men came running into our camp. They were met by our guides, who conducted them to me, when their leader said they had been sent by Almamy to ascertain the truth or falsehood of a report which was in circulation of our having quarrelled with our guides, and refused to follow the path appointed by him. We referred them to Doka and Macca, who assured them the report was false. I did not believe they were sent by Almamy, but I had strong reason to suppose they were assembled by the guides with a view of deterring us from following the path we were pursuing. I was the more certain of this being the case from my having received information that they had set on foot a false report of one of theprinces having an army at a short distance watching our movements. An account was brought us in the afternoon by one of our own men (who had been at the village and overheard some conversation), that it was the intention of the men in this posse, headed by our guides, to attack us during the night. Improbable as it appeared, I placed triple centinels, and kept on foot myself the whole night, which we passed very quietly, and, at half after six the following morning, moved forward to the north. We had not proceeded, however, above three miles, when a tornado came on so rapidly and violently from theESE.that we had scarcely time to secure the baggage by covering it with green leafy boughs of trees. It continued raining nearly an hour and a half, when, having cleared a little, we resumed our march to the west of north for two hours; this brought us to a small miserable village called Gari-Eli, where we halted for the night. Dohonoe was so ill when we moved in the morning that he was unable to sit upright. I was therefore obliged to leave him in care of the chief of Gwina, with means of subsistence, and directions, in case of recovery, to send him to Baquelle.
We had not been long at our bivouac, when another nephew of Almamy’s, named Amady Samba, made his appearance, and said he was sent by his uncle to enforce compliance with hisorders respecting the path, but to which I only answered that I would not pursue any path but that I was then following. On this he went off apparently much displeased, for which I cared the less—as I was determined not to listen to the tales of those soi-disant messengers, who haunted our march, merely in hopes of exacting something from us, or plundering (if occasion presented itself) from our baggage.
We left Gari-Eli at half after six on the morning of the 28th, and travelled ten miles north by east, over an extremely close country to Bokey Guiley, a small village. There we halted for the night, and had considerable difficulty in obtaining a supply of muddy water, the only quality which the place afforded.
When loading the animals the following morning, Macca sent one of his satellites to say that as he was ill and could not accompany us if we moved; he requested us to remain at Bokey Guiley until the following morning. As I was aware that this was an excuse dictated by Amady Samba to detain us, so I refused to comply, and, having sent Mr. Partarrieau to urge Macca’s coming on, we moved forward at seven o’clock, but had not proceeded above a mile when one of the men who accompanied Mr. Partarrieau came running in a great hurry to let me know that the people of the village, at theinstigation of our guides, seemed inclined to oppose his following the caravan. I immediately selected one sergeant and fifteen men, and had proceeded about a quarter of a mile towards the village, when I met the guides and Amady Samba, (and, in a few minutes after, Mr. Partarrieau,) who informed me that many objections were made to his joining me, in accomplishing which he had nearly come to blows with the guides and villagers.
Shortly after this, a large bullock which had been bought at Gari-Eli, and conducted since it left that place by a Foolah hired for the purpose, having nearly killed one of our men, was ordered to be shot, which was not effected until many shots had been fired at him. This circumstance so trivial in itself was nearly the cause of very serious consequences, as the men of the villages in the vicinity of our road heard the shots, and, knowing that we had nearly fought with our guides in the morning, thought that such was then actually the case, and came running up from all quarters ready for action,—which they were with difficulty prevented from commencing by the intercession of Macca. Many of them, however, accompanied us to Dindoody, where we arrived at noon, having travelled ten milesNNE.
Although the day was excessively hot, and both men and animals were much in want of water, we were obliged to endure the privation, havinga well within a few yards of our bivouac; but this we were not allowed to touch before seven o’clock in the evening, and, having paid dearly for the indulgence, we found also, on returning from the well to tie up the asses for the night, that two of them had been stolen. Macca promised to have them restored, but we never saw them afterwards.
It appeared to me that our guides were at the bottom of all this hindrance from water and objections to the path, in which the inhabitants of all the towns we passed through joined them, (but particularly those of Dindoody, where we spent the whole of the 30th in palaver with them), I conceived it better to make them a large present[22]to induce their acting in compliance with our wishes, to which they consented, binding themselves by an oath on the Koran, to which, although little regard had been paid by Almamy, I trusted, however, that they would remain faithful.
We therefore again set forward to theNE., and, in about two hours, reached a small village called Loogoonoody, where we found that the oaths of our guides were of as little avail as that of their sovereign and his ministers, for we were again obliged to pay for water before the inhabitants would allow us to approach their wells.
We were met here by two men who stated themselves to be messengers sent by the chiefs of Foota Toro to conduct us into that country; but, as the path they pointed out led too much to the west to answer our purpose, we signified to them that it was our wish to proceed more eastward, to a town called Gawde Bofê, where we proposed remaining until a person whom we should send to consult with the chiefs of Toro could return. To this they would not consent, and intimated that if we did not comply with their wishes they had orders to oppose us.
As I was well aware of the difficulties we should experience in travelling through that part of Foota, at a moment when the lawless disposition of the inhabitants was completely divested of any restraint by the existence of an interregnum of some duration, which arose from dissensions among its chiefs, I thought it more adviseable to move back from Bokey Guiley, where I should be certainly out of the power at least of the people of Foota, who were even more to be dreaded by us than those of Bondoo: and I was also in hopes that my returning there, would by our appearing to have more confidence in our Bondoo guides, induce them to act more honourably towards us. I was however deceived, for, during the return to Bokey Guiley, which was partly performed by night, we were robbed by themof two asses with their loads and many small articles.
From the first to the fourth of June was spent in fruitless endeavours to arrange matters with these two parties, who at length became jealous of each other, and, by that means, afforded us an opportunity of turning their differences to our advantage. As it was from the Foota people we had most to apprehend, we proposed their conducting us to Gowde Bofê, where we promised to remain until the return of our messenger whom we intended sending from that place with them to their chiefs; but told them that in case they did not consent, I would destroy the whole of my baggage, and fight my way to Baquelle. This had the desired effect; they acceded to our proposal, and the Bondoo guides, finding that we would no longer listen to them, decamped.
Thereupon we left Bokey Guiley at half after five on the afternoon of the 4th, and, having halted for the night at Dindoody, at eight the following morning reached Loogoonoody, whence we despatched one of our own men, accompanied by two of the Foota people, with a small present[23]to the chiefs of that country, requesting them to appoint two or more of their respectablepersonages to meet us at Gowde Bofê, in order to make arrangements for our passing through their country; (which in truth was not at all my intention), but I took that step in order to make the Foota people suppose we really did purpose entering their country, and thereby lull their suspicions about our going to Baquelle. These people left us on the 5th, and on the following morning at five o’clock, we moved in an easterly direction over a parched and barren country until near ten, when we reached Siendoo, a considerable town, where we had as usual much difficulty in obtaining a supply of water, and where we were met by a strong detachment of armed men, whose chief informed us that he was sent by Thierno Bayla (the chief of Hourey, a district of Foota) to oblige us to take the path to his own town. This I positively refused to comply with, and told them if they felt inclined to carry their orders into effect I was ready to receive them. They removed to a short distance from our bivouac, and remained under arms all night, the greater part of which was spent by us in endeavours to arrange matters amicably with them, but which we found a most difficult affair; for what they at one moment consented to, they refused the next. At length it was settled that we should send one of our guides with one of them to Goude Bofê, to know if the chief ofthat village would allow us to remain there, as we had proposed, until the return of the messenger from Foota. They returned at a late hour the same evening, 7th, bringing for answer that Thierno Amadoo had consented to receive us as friends at his village, where we might remain as long as we wished. This did not appear to please the other chief and his party, who went off grumbling.
I made small presents to all who interested themselves in our behalf at Seindoo, and, having passed a comparatively quiet night, left it at half after six on the morning of the 8th June, and reached Looboogol at nine; but here we found such difficulty in obtaining a very limited supply indeed of water the first day, that the men had scarcely enough, and the animals none at all.
Thierno Bayla, the chief who had sent the party to Seindoo, came to Looboogol on the 9th, attended by a large body of horse and foot. He paid us a visit in the course of the day, and demanded to be made acquainted with our intentions in entering the country. I told him that having been deceived and plundered by Almamy and the princes of Bondoo, I had decided on returning to the coast through Foota; but, as there was no reigning Almamy in that country, I did not think it safe to enter it without permissionfrom the chiefs, to whom I had despatched messengers, whose return I intended awaiting at Gowde Bofê.
He objected to our going there, and expressed a wish that we should accompany him to his own town, which lay about twenty-five miles in the opposite direction to that we wished to pursue. On our refusal he went off to the village, and, having directed that none of the inhabitants should dare to supply us with a drop of water, stationed several small parties at short distances round our camp, to enforce the strictest compliance with this order, and to watch our movements.
A tornado with heavy rain, which would at any other time or under any other circumstances have been an unpleasant visitor, was now the thing most to be wished for, as it would have served the double office of supplying us with water, and of driving from their posts those parties, who, not supposing we would (or rather knowing we never did) travel during the rain, would still have abandoned their posts, and have gone to the village, in which case (having prepared every thing to enable us to move in a moment), we would have loaded the animals, and taken the direct road to Baquelle, which we computed to be distant about forty miles. Judge then our disappointment when a tornado, which boreevery appearance of an approaching deluge of rain, blew off without a drop. It was about sixP.M.when our situation became extremely unpleasant, not to say alarming. The animals had no water since the 7th, and the men who had but a scanty supply on the 8th, had none at all on that day, the 9th, and how to procure it without proceeding to extremities alone remained to be decided upon. I had too many invalids and weak animals to authorize my forcing my way to Baquelle with such incumbrances and in absolute want of water; and to destroy either the whole or even a proportion of my baggage and animals, was an act which I conceived should be my last resource.
In this dilemma I determined on going myself to Baquelle, in order to obtain twenty or thirty men from the French vessels then there, and return with them immediately, either to force our way to that place, or, by the appearance of such a reinforcement, to intimidate the natives into compliance with my wishes. I left Mr. Partarrieau in command of the party, with directions to endeavour by any means to keep those people at arm’s length, and procure a supply of water until my return, which I settled should be at a late hour on the evening of the 12th. I was accompanied by two of the native soldiers. We left the camp at half after seven, and, having passed two villages during the night and anotherat day-break, arrived at Tuabo, the capital of Lower Galam, at eight on the morning of the 10th, whence we proceeded without delay to Baquelle, which we found to be more than fifty miles from Looboogol.
I met a most cordial reception from the French officers and merchants, who, being informed of the object of my visit, said in the most handsome manner that I should have every assistance in their power.
At Baquelle I met Isaaco[24], the same individual who accompanied Mr. Park in his last attempt. He proposed accompanying me on my return to Looboogol and bringing with him three of his own men, whom I furnished with arms for the purpose. I received fifteen volunteers from his Most Christian Majesty’s brig Argus, and five from the Senegal Company’s vessel trading there, and, having hired eight moors with eleven carrying bullocks for the transport of water, left Baquelle in a boat at half after two in the evening of the 11th, and landed at Jowar, a town of Galam, on the south bank of the Senegal, at half after seven, having found much difficulty in passing the shallows, which had then only eighteen inches water. The moors and their bullockscrossed the river at Tuabo, and arrived about half an hour before us.
We remained at Jowar until two o’clock on the morning of the 12th, when, being favored by a fine moonlight night, and having loaded the bullocks with soofras of water, we commenced our march to the west of south until daylight, when we passed two small villages, and soon after arrived in sight of Gowde Bofê, where Isaaco (to whom being lame I lent my horse) proposed going to gain some information with respect to Mr. Partarrieau’s movements, and give water to the horse. I pointed out to him the improbability of his again finding us, as we did not pursue the beaten path, but he assured me he could, as he knew all that country well.
At half after nine we passed the village of Gangele, and soon entered a wood which I knew to be the same I had traversed the evening I left the camp, and which was not more by my reckoning than three or four miles from us. It was then noon, and exceedingly hot, but as, by continuing our march, we should reach the camp at too early an hour, we halted in the woods, and sent two men back to Gangele to procure some water, and, if possible, a guide to conduct us by the shortest path to the camp. We waited their return with impatience until half after three,when the atmosphere to the east became overspread, and bearing every appearance of an approaching tornado. I moved back slowly towards the village, with the hope of meeting them, but the tornado came on with such rapidity and violence, that all was soon complete darkness, and the path, which was previously not very distinctly marked, now became imperceptible. We continued marching east for some time without meeting the men, to whom I began to fear something unpleasant had happened; but nevertheless we marched on in hopes of meeting them as long as we could perceive our way by the compass. During the violence of the rain, four of the men with the moors, and three bullocks, separated themselves from the remainder of the party, and, although I fired several shots as soon as I discovered they were not with us, I did not again see them.
It being quite dark at eight o’clock, we halted in the woods and lighted a fire, at which we spent the night, and half dried our clothes which were completely drenched with the rain; and at daylight the following morning again moved forward to the east, and in about an hour heard the lowing of cattle in that direction; fifteen minutes more brought us clear of the wood, when we perceived a village at a short distance. On our arrival at it we were informed that Mr.Partarrieau had removed from Looboogol to a village about four miles from where we then were.
Having procured a guide we moved on at a smart pace, and soon arrived in front of the village, where were assembled a number of armed men apparently waiting our arrival; for on our approaching them, they desired us to keep off, and would have proceeded to force had not our guide told them our intentions were good. One of the villagers, apparently a chief, then came forward, and, offering me his hand, invited me to the shade of a tree, where we were no sooner arrived than surrounded by a crowd of armed men, who without further ceremony attempted to tear the clothes off my men’s backs, and their arms out of their hands. This sort of treatment was too rough to be borne with sang froid. My men, eleven in number, therefore made some resistance, and removed in a body to a short distance from where I was standing, but had scarcely moved when the war-cry was set up by the Foolahs, and a fire of musquetry opened by them on my men, whose arms were almost useless from the rain of the preceding night, and consequently they were unable to make the resistance they might otherwise have done. Three of them were already wounded, as were three of the Foolahs, when Thierno Bayla arrived from the village and offering me his handsaid, that if I would go quietly with him, no one should molest me. I complied, as resistance would have been vain; but notwithstanding all he could say or do, the rabble endeavoured to tear my clothes from my back, and my sword from my side. Bayla to no purpose endeavoured to keep them off. They were become so outrageous, that three of them snapped their guns at me, but, from the careless manner in which they did it, I doubted their being loaded.
On entering the town, we were conducted into a hut, and a man placed at the door to keep off the crowd. By that time Mr. Partarrieau had been informed of what had taken place, and came to the hut where we were. He informed me that Isaaco had arrived only the day before, and, having informed Bayla that I was coming with an army, and left my horse in his hands, returned to Baquelle. He next told me that he had agreed with Bayla to be allowed to go to the village of Fadgar, about ten miles from Gowde Bofê, and there await the return of our messengers from Foota. The first thing however to be thought of was my own release and that of the men with me, and for that purpose Bayla accompanied Mr. Partarrieau to the camp, where it was settled that we should be permitted to go that evening or the next morning, and that all thethings taken from me or the men would be restored on our arrival at Fadgar.
We left our prison at seven in the morning of the 14th, as I supposed to go to our camp, but were not a little surprised at finding that it was not the intention of Bayla to permit our doing so. I demanded of him the fulfilment of his promise, but the only answer I received was an order to mount a miserable looking horse, held by one of his followers. To refuse would have been useless. Bayla was mounted on mine, and attended by about one hundred armed men. We moved towards the camp, where all were ready to move, and apparently waiting our arrival; but we were not allowed to join them. Having marched at a very smart pace until twoP.M., we reached a large straggling village, which on enquiry I found to be called Samba Jamangele, and distant twelve miles west of Fadgar, the place agreed on, and whither Mr. Partarrieau was gone. This annoyed me a little, but there was now no remedy, except patiently awaiting the issue.
On our approach to the village, we were met by the women and children, who came forth in hundreds to welcome the return of their husbands, fathers, brothers, &c. Many of the young men and boys, who had never apparently seen awhite man before, approached me, and after examining my face with evident surprise and fear, favoured me with the epithets of ‘unbeliever’, ‘son of a hog’, ‘hater of God’, and ‘offspring of an unlawful connexion’. One old woman, apparently very short-sighted, and no doubt mistaking me for one of the people of the village, approached my horse’s side, and was in the act of giving me her hand, when she perceived mine to be white, and, shrieking, she almost fell to the ground with fright.
Bayla, who had gone to Fadgar with Mr. Partarrieau, called in the afternoon, and told me that he would call again the following morning, and allow me to return with my men to our camp. But his promises were made to be broken; I did not see him until the 16th, when he appointed a person to conduct us to Fadgar.
I left Samba Jamangele at two o’clock on the morning of the 17th of June, and arrived at the camp at half after five, which, to my astonishment, I found deserted. The tents were standing, and some weak asses, and other articles which would necessarily impede their march, were left behind.
The idea that they had gone for Baquelle, and what place they must at that hour have been near, could alone compensate for the disappointment I felt at their unexpected absence.
Bayla’s men, who appeared more taken up with searching the tents, and every thing else they could lay their hands on, in hopes of finding money, as they call it, than with the departure of the mission, wished me to follow Mr. Partarrieau’s steps, which I would willingly have done could I have prevailed on even one of them to accompany me. But the hope they entertained of finding some valuables in the camp, was too sanguine to admit of their leaving it; in consequence of which I declined doing so, as I was not only ignorant of the path, but aware that the inhabitants of the first village I might come to, finding me unattended by any of Bayla’s people, would stop me, and most probably treat me worse than he had done. I therefore proposed our immediate return to Samba Jamangele, where I should endeavour so to arrange matters with Bayla, as to obtain from him permission to proceed, and guides to conduct me to Baquelle.
It was some time before I could prevail on these people to return with me, they were so absorbed in their work of plunder, but that, not turning out as well as they expected, they gave up with much apparent disappointment.
On our return to Samba Jamangele, a man was sent to acquaint Bayla with what had taken place, and to request, at my desire, that he would come without delay to arrange matters for mydeparture and that of my men. He called on me in the evening on his return from Fadgar, whither he had gone to secure such things as were left behind by Mr. Partarrieau, and promised that he would appoint people to conduct us on the following morning to Baquelle, where he had been told, that Mr. Partarrieau with the whole party had arrived in safety.
In this, as in all other instances of promises made by this man, I was disappointed, but to which, from its almost daily occurrence, I was become nearly insensible.
I saw nothing of him until a very late hour on the night of the 20th June, when, by means of a small present of two gold rings which I had with me, and the promise of a few other things by the return of the man he should send with me to Baquelle, I induced him to name a person for that purpose, and to fix the following morning for our departure.