Life and Travels of Mungo Park in Central Africa by Mungo Park

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As my companions had thoughts of settling in this neighbourhood, they had
a fine sheep given them by the Dooty; and I was fortunate enough to
procure plenty of corn for my horse. Here they blow upon elephants' teeth
when they announce evening prayers, in the same manner as at Kemmoo.

Early next morning, (July 14th,) having first returned many thanks to our
landlord for his hospitality, while my fellow travellers offered up their
prayers that he might never want, we set forward, and about three o'clock
arrived at Moorja, a large town famous for its trade in salt, which the
Moors bring here in great quantities, to exchange for corn and cotton
cloth. As most of the people here are Mahomedans, it is not allowed to
the Kafirs to drink beer, which they call _Neo-dollo_ (corn spirit)
except in certain houses. In one of these I saw about twenty people
sitting round large vessels of this beer, with the greatest conviviality,
many of them in a state of intoxication. As corn is plentiful, the
inhabitants are very liberal to strangers. I believe we had as much corn
and milk sent us by different people as would have been sufficient for
three times our number; and though we remained here two days, we
experienced no diminution of their hospitality.

On the morning of the 16th we again set forward, accompanied by a coffle
of fourteen asses, loaded with salt, bound for Sansanding. The road was
particularly romantic, between two rocky hills; but the Moors sometimes
lie in wait here to plunder strangers. As soon as we had reached the open
country, the master of the salt coffle thanked us for having staid with
him so long, and now desired us to ride on. The sun was almost set before
we reached Datliboo. In the evening we had a most tremendous tornado. The
house in which we lodged, being flat-roofed, admitted the rain in
streams; the floor was soon ankle deep, the fire extinguished, and we
were left to pass the night upon some bundles of fire wood, that happened
to lie in a corner.

July 17th. We departed from Datliboo; and about ten o'clock passed a
large coffle returning from Sego, with corn hoes, mats, and other
household utensils. At five o'clock we came to a large village, where we
intended to pass the night, but the Dooty would not receive us. When we
departed from this place, my horse was so much fatigued that I was under
the necessity of driving him, and it was dark before we reached Fanimboo,
a small village; the Dooty of which no sooner heard that I was a white
man, than he brought out three old muskets, and was much disappointed,
when he was told that I could not repair them.

July 18th. We continued our journey, but, owing to a light supper the
preceding night, we felt ourselves rather hungry this morning, and
endeavoured to procure some corn at a village; but without success. The
towns were now more numerous, and the land that is not employed in
cultivation affords excellent pasturage for large herds of cattle; but
owing to the great concourse of people daily going to and returning from
Sego, the inhabitants are less hospitable to strangers.

My horse becoming weaker and weaker every day, was now of very little
service to me. I was obliged to drive him before me for the greater part
of the day; and did not reach Geosorro until eight o'clock in the
evening. I found my companions wrangling with the Dooty, who had
absolutely refused to give or sell them any provisions; and as none of us
had tasted victuals for the last twenty-four hours, we were by no means
disposed to fast another day if we could help it. But finding our
entreaties without effect, and being very much fatigued, I fell asleep,
from which I was awakened about midnight, with the joyful information
"_kinnenata_" (the victuals are come.) This made the remainder of the
night pass away pleasantly; and at daybreak, July 19th, we resumed our
journey, proposing to stop at a village called Doolinkeaboo, for the
night following. My fellow-travellers having better horses than myself,
soon left me, and I was walking barefoot, driving my horse, when I was
met by a coffle of slaves, about seventy in number, coming from Sego.
They were tied together by their necks with thongs of a bullock's hide
twisted like a rope; seven slaves upon a thong, and a man with a musket
between every seven. Many of the slaves were ill-conditioned, and a great
number of them women. In the rear came Sidi, Mahomed's servant, whom I
remembered to have seen at the camp of Benowm: he presently knew me, and
told me that these slaves were going to Morocco, by the way of Ludamar,
and the Great Desert.

In the afternoon, as I approached Doolinkeaboo, I met about twenty Moors
on horseback, the owners of the slaves I had seen in the morning; they
were well armed with muskets, and were very inquisitive concerning me,
but not so rude as their countrymen generally are. From them I learned
that Sidi Mahomed was not at Sego, but had gone to Kancaba for gold-dust.

When I arrived at Doolinkeaboo, I was informed that my fellow-travellers
had gone on; but my horse was so much fatigued that I could not possibly
proceed after them. The Dooty of the town, at my request, gave me a
draught of water, which is generally looked upon as an earnest of greater
hospitality, and I had no doubt of making up for the toils of the day by
a good supper and a sound sleep. Unfortunately, I had neither one nor the
other. The night was rainy and tempestuous, and the Dooty limited his
hospitality to the draught of water.

July 20th. In the morning I endeavoured, both by entreaties and threats,
to procure some victuals from the Dooty, but in vain. I even begged some
corn from one of his female slaves, as she was washing it at the well,
and had the mortification to be refused. However, when the Dooty was gone
to the fields, his wife sent me a handful of meal, which I mixed with
water and drank for breakfast. About eight o'clock I departed from
Doolinkeaboo, and at noon stopped a few minutes at a large Korree, where
I had some milk given me by the Foulahs. And hearing that two Negroes
were going from thence to Sego, I was happy to have their company, and we
set out immediately. About four o'clock we stopped at a small village,
where one of the Negroes met with an acquaintance who invited us to a
sort of public entertainment, which was conducted with more than common
propriety. A dish made of sour milk and meal, called _Sinkatoo_, and beer
made from their corn, was distributed with great liberality; and the
women were admitted into the society, a circumstance I had never before
observed in Africa. There was no compulsion, every one was at liberty to
drink as he pleased; they nodded to each other when about to drink, and
on setting down the calabash, commonly said _berka_, (thank you). Both
men and women appeared to be somewhat intoxicated, but they were far from
being quarrelsome.

Departing from thence, we passed several large villages, where I was
constantly taken for a Moor, and became the subject of much merriment to
the Bambarrans; who, seeing me drive my horse before me, laughed heartily
at my appearance. He has been at Mecca, says one, you may see that by his
clothes; another asked me if my horse was sick; a third wished to
purchase it, &c., so that I believe the very slaves were ashamed to be
seen in my company. Just before it was dark, we took up our lodging for
the night at a small village, where I procured some victuals for myself
and some corn for my horse, at the moderate price of a button; and was
told that I should see the Niger (which the Negroes call Joliba, or _the
great water_) early the next day. The lions are here very numerous. The
gates are shut a little after sunset, and nobody allowed to go out. The
thoughts of seeing the Niger in the morning, and the troublesome buzzing
of musketoes, prevented me from shutting my eyes during the night; and I
had saddled my horse and was in readiness before daylight; but, on
account of the wild beasts, we were obliged to wait until the people were
stirring, and the gates opened. This happened to be a market-day at Sego,
and the roads were every where filled with people carrying different
articles to sell. We passed four large villages, and at eight o'clock saw
the smoke over Sego.

As we approached the town, I was fortunate enough to overtake the
fugitive Kaartans, to whose kindness I had been so much indebted on my
journey through Bambarra. They readily agreed to introduce me to the
king; and we rode together through some marshy ground, where, as I was
anxiously looking around for the river, one of them called out _qeo
affili_, (see the water,) and looking forwards, I saw with infinite
pleasure the great object of my mission, the long sought for majestic
Niger glittering to the morning sun, as broad as the Thames at
Westminster, and flowing slowly _to the eastward_. I hastened to the
brink, and having drank of the water, lifted up my fervent thanks in
prayer to the Great Ruler of all things for having thus far crowned my
endeavours with success.

The circumstance of the Niger's flowing towards the east and its
collateral points did not, however, excite my surprise; for although I
had left Europe in great hesitation on this subject, and rather believed
that it ran in the contrary direction, I had made such frequent inquiries
during my progress concerning this river, and received from Negroes of
different nations such clear and decisive assurances that its general
course was _towards the rising sun_, as scarce left any doubt on my mind;
and more especially, as I knew that Major Houghton had collected similar
information in the same manner.

Sego, the capital of Bambarra, at which I had now arrived, consists,
properly speaking, of four distinct towns; two on the northern bank of
the Niger, called Sego Korro, and Sego Boo; and two on the southern bank,
called Sego Soo Korro, and Sego See Korro. They are all surrounded with
high mud walls; the houses are built of clay, of a square form, with flat
roofs; some of them have two stories, and many of them are white-washed.
Besides these buildings, Moorish mosques are seen in every quarter, and
the streets, though narrow, are broad enough for every useful purpose in
a country where wheel carriages are entirely unknown. From the best
inquiries I could make, I have reason to believe that Sego contains
altogether about thirty thousand inhabitants. The king of Bambarra
constantly resides at Sego See Korro; he employs a great many slaves in
conveying people over the river, and the money they receive (though the
fare is only ten Kowrie shells for each individual) furnishes a
considerable revenue to the king in the course of a year. The canoes are
of a singular construction, each of them being formed of the trunks of
two large trees, rendered concave, and joined together, not side by side,
but end-ways, the junction being exactly across the middle of the canoe;
they are, therefore, very long and disproportionately narrow, and have
neither decks nor masts. They are however, very roomy, for I observed in
one of them four horses and several people crossing over the river. When
we arrived at this ferry, with a view to pass over to that part of the
town in which the king resides, we found a great number waiting for a
passage; they looked at me with silent wonder, and I distinguished with
concern many Moors among them. There were three different places of
embarkation, and the ferrymen were very diligent and expeditious; but
from the crowd of people, I could not immediately obtain a passage, and
sat down upon the bank of the river to wait for a more favourable
opportunity. The view of this extensive city, the numerous canoes upon
the river, the crowded population, and the cultivated state of the
surrounding country, formed altogether a prospect of civilization and
magnificence, which I little expected to find in the bosom of Africa.

I waited more than two hours without having an opportunity of crossing
the river; during which time the people who had crossed carried
information to Mausong the King, that a white man was waiting for a
passage, and was coming to see him. He immediately sent over one of his
chief men, who informed me that the king could not possibly see me, until
he knew what had brought me into his country; and that I must not presume
to cross the river without the king's permission. He therefore advised me
to lodge at a distant village, to which he pointed, for the night; and
said that in the morning he would give me further instructions how to
conduct myself. This was very discouraging. However, as there was no
remedy, I set off for the village; where I found, to my great
mortification, that no person would admit me into his house. I was
regarded with astonishment and fear, and was obliged to sit all day
without victuals in the shade of a tree; and the night threatened to be
very uncomfortable, for the wind rose, and the was great appearance of a
heavy rain; and the wild beasts are so very numerous in the
neighbourhood, that I should have been under the necessity of climbing up
the tree and resting among the branches. About sunset, however, as I was
preparing to pass the night in this manner, and had turned my horse
loose, that he might graze at liberty, a woman, returning from the
labours of the field, stopped to observe me, and perceiving that I was
weary and dejected, inquired into my situation, which I briefly explained
to her: whereupon, with looks of great compassion, she took up my saddle
and bridle, and told me to follow her. Having conducted me into her hut,
she lighted up a lamp, spread a mat on the floor, and told me I might
remain there for the night. Finding that I was very hungry, she said she
would procure me something to eat. She accordingly went out, and returned
in a short time with a very fine fish; which having caused to be half
broiled upon some embers, she gave me for supper. The rites of
hospitality being thus performed towards a stranger in distress, my
worthy benefactress (pointing to the mat, and telling me I might sleep
there without apprehension) called to the female part of her family, who
had stood gazing on me all the while in fixed astonishment, to resume
their task of spinning cotton; in which they continued to employ
themselves great part of the night. They lightened their labour by songs,
one of which was composed extempore; for I was myself the subject of it.
It was sung by one of the young women, the rest joined in a sort of
chorus. The air was sweet and plaintive, and the words, literally
translated were these:

"The winds roared, and the rains fell.
The poor white man, faint and weary,
Came and sat under our tree.
He has no mother to bring him milk;
No wife to grind his corn."

_Chorus_, "Let us pity the white man:
No mother has he," &c. &c.

Trifling as this recital may appear to the reader, to a person in my
situation, the circumstance was affecting in the highest degree.

I was oppressed by such unexpected kindness, and sleep fled from my eyes.
In the morning I presented my compassionate landlady with two of the four
brass buttons which remained on my waistcoat; the only recompence I could
make her.

July 21st. I continued in the village all this day in conversation with
the natives, who came in crowds to see me; but was rather uneasy towards
evening, to find that no message had arrived from the king; the more so,
as the people began to whisper, that Mansong had received some very
unfavourable accounts of me, from the Moors and Slatees residing at Sego;
who it seems were exceedingly suspicious concerning the motives of my
journey. I learned that many consultations had been held with the king
concerning my reception and disposal; and some of the villagers frankly
told me, that I had many enemies, and must expect no favour.

July 22d. About eleven o'clock, a messenger arrived from the king, but he
gave me very little satisfaction. He inquired particularly if I had
brought any present; and seemed much disappointed when he was told that I
had been robbed of every thing by the Moors. When I proposed to go along
with him, he told me to stop until the afternoon, when the king would
send for me.

[Illustration: NEGRO SONG from Mr. PARK'S TRAVELS.

_THE WORDS BY THE DUTCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE_.

_THE MUSIC BY G.G. FERRARI_.

I.

The loud wind roar'd, the rain fell fast;
The White Man yielded to the blast:
He sat him down, beneath our tree;
For weary, sad, and faint was he;
And ah, no wife, or mother's care,
For him, the milk or corn prepare.

CHORUS.

_The White Man, shall our pity share;
Alas, no wife or mother's care,
For him, the milk or corn prepare._

II.

The storm is o'er; the tempest past;
And Mercy's voice has hush'd the blast,
The wind is heard in whispers low;
The White Man far away must go;--
But ever in his heart will bear
Remembrance of the Negro's care.

CHORUS.

_Go, White Man, go;--but with thee bear
The Negro's wish, the Negro's prayer;
Remembrance of the Negro's care._]

July 23d. In the afternoon another messenger arrived from Mansong, with a
bag in his hands. He told me it was the king's pleasure that I should
depart forthwith from the vicinage of Sego; but that Mansong, wishing to
relieve a white man in distress, had sent me five thousand Kowries,[12] to
enable me to purchase provisions in the course of my journey; the
messenger added, that if my intentions were really to proceed to Jenne,
he had orders to accompany me as a guide to Sansanding. I was, at first,
puzzled to account for this behaviour of the king; but from the
conversation I had with the guide, I had afterwards reason to believe
that Mansong would willingly have admitted me into his presence at Sego;
but was apprehensive he might not be able to protect me against the blind
and inveterate malice of the Moorish inhabitants. His conduct, therefore,
was at once prudent and liberal. The circumstances under which I made my
appearance at Sego were undoubtedly such as might create in the mind of
the king a well warranted suspicion that I wished to conceal the true
object of my journey. He argued, probably, as my guide argued, who, when
he was told that I had come from a great distance, and through many
dangers, to behold the Joliba river, naturally inquired, if there were no
rivers in my own country, and whether one river was not like another.
Notwithstanding this, and in spite of the jealous machinations of the
Moors, this benevolent prince thought it sufficient, that a white man was
found in his dominions, in a condition of extreme wretchedness; and that
no other plea was necessary to entitle the sufferer to his bounty.

[12] Mention has already been made of these little shells, (p. 23
[At the end of chapter II. Transcriber.]) which pass current as money
in many parts of the East Indies as well as Africa. In Bambarra, and
the adjacent countries, where the necessaries of life are very cheap,
one hundred of them would commonly purchase a day's provisions for
myself, and corn for my horse. I reckoned about two hundred and fifty
Kowries equal to one shilling.

CHAPTER XVI.

_Departure from Sego, and arrival at Kabba.--Description of the shea, or
vegetable butter tree.--The Author and his guide arrive at
Sansanding.--Behaviour of the Moors at that place.--The Author pursues
his journey to the eastward.--Incidents on the road.--Arrives at Modiboo,
and proceeds for Kea; but obliged to leave his horse by the way.--Embarks
at Kea in a fisherman's canoe for Moorzan; is conveyed from thence across
the Niger to Silla--determines to proceed no further eastward.--Some
account of the further course of the Niger, and the towns in its
vicinage, towards the East._

Being, in the manner that has been related; compelled to leave Sego, I
was conducted the same evening to a village about seven miles to the
eastward, with some of the inhabitants of which my guide was acquainted,
and by whom we were well received.[13] He was very friendly and
communicative, and spoke highly of the hospitality of his countrymen; but
withal told me, that if Jenne was the place of my destination, which he
seemed to have hitherto doubted, I had undertaken an enterprise of
greater danger than probably I was apprized of; for, although the town of
Jenne was nominally a part of the King of Bambarra's dominions, it was,
in fact, he said, a city of the Moors; the leading part of the
inhabitants being Bushreens, and even the governor himself, though
appointed by Mansong, of the same sect. Thus was I in danger of falling a
second time into the hands of men who would consider it not only
justifiable; but meritorious, to destroy me; and this reflection was
aggravated by the circumstance that the danger increased as I advanced in
my journey; for I learned that the places beyond Jenne were under the
Moorish influence, in a still greater degree than Jenne itself; and
Tombuctoo, the great object of my search, altogether in possession of
that savage and merciless people, who allow no Christian to live there.
But I had now advanced too far to think of returning to the westward, on
such vague and uncertain information, and determined to proceed; and
being accompanied by the guide, I departed from the village on the
morning of the 24th. About eight o'clock, we passed a large town called
Kabba, situated in the midst of a beautiful and highly cultivated
country; bearing a greater resemblance to the centre of England, than to
what I should have supposed had been the middle of Africa. The people
were everywhere employed in collecting the fruit of the Shea trees, from
which they prepare the vegetable butter, mentioned in former parts of
this work. These trees grow in great abundance all over this part of
Bambarra. They are not planted by the natives, but are found growing
naturally in the woods; and in clearing wood land for cultivation, every
tree is cut down but the Shea. The tree itself very much resembles the
American oak; and the fruit, from the kernel of which, being first dried
in the sun, the butter is prepared by boiling the kernel in water, has
somewhat the appearance of a Spanish olive. The kernel is enveloped in a
sweet pulp under a thin green rind; and the butter produced from it,
besides the advantage of its keeping the whole year without salt, is
whiter, firmer, and, to my palate, of a richer flavour than the best
butter I ever tasted made from cow's milk. The growth and preparation of
this commodity seem to be among the first objects of African industry in
this and the neighbouring states; and it constitutes a main article of
their inland commerce.

[13] I should have before observed, that I found the language of
Bambarra a sort of corrupted Mandingo. After a little practice, I
understood and spoke it without difficulty.

We passed, in the course of the day, a great many villages, inhabited
chiefly by fishermen; and in the evening about five o'clock arrived at
Sansanding, a very large town, containing, as I was told, from eight to
ten thousand inhabitants. This place is much resorted to by the Moors,
who bring salt from Beeroo, and beads and coral from the Mediterranean,
to exchange here for gold-dust and cotton-cloth. This cloth they sell to
great advantage in Beeroo, and other Moorish countries, where, on account
of the want of rain, no cotton is cultivated.

I desired my guide to conduct me to the house in which we were to lodge,
by the most private way possible. We accordingly rode along between the
town and the river, passing by a creek or harbour, in which I observed
twenty large canoes, most of them fully loaded, and covered with mats, to
prevent the rain from injuring the goods. As we proceeded, three other
canoes arrived, two with passengers, and one with goods. I was happy to
find that all the Negro inhabitants, took me for a Moor; under which
character I should probably have passed unmolested, had not a Moor, who
was sitting by the river side, discovered the mistake, and setting up a
loud exclamation, brought together a number of his countrymen.

When I arrived at the house of Counti Mamadi, the Dooty of the town, I
was surrounded with hundreds of people, speaking a variety of different
dialects, all equally unintelligible to me. At length, by the assistance
of my guide, who acted as interpreter, I understood that one of the
spectators pretended to have seen me at one place, and another at some
other place; and a Moorish woman absolutely swore that she had kept my
house three years at. Gallam, on the river Senegal. It was plain that
they mistook me for some other person; and I desired two of the most
confident to point towards the place where they had seen me. They pointed
due south; hence I think it probable that they came from Cape Coast,
where they might have seen many white men. Their language was different
from any I had yet heard. The Moors now assembled in great numbers; with
their usual arrogance, compelling the Negroes to stand at a distance.
They immediately began to question me concerning my religion; but finding
that I was not master of the Arabic, they sent for two men, whom they
call _Ilhuidi_ (Jews), in hopes that they might be able to converse with
me. These Jews, in dress and appearance, very much resemble the Arabs;
but though they so far conform to the religion of Mahomet, as to recite,
in public, prayers from the Koran, they are but little respected by the
Negroes; and even the Moors themselves allowed, that though I was a
Christian, I was a better man than a Jew. They, however, insisted that,
like the Jews, I must conform so far as to repeat the Mahomedan prayers;
and when I attempted to waive the subject, by telling them that I could
not speak Arabic, one of them, a Shereef from Tuat, in the Great Desert,
started up and swore by the Prophet, that if I refused to go to the
mosque, he would be one that would assist in carrying me thither. And
there is no doubt but this threat would have been immediately executed,
had not my landlord interposed in my behalf. He told them that I was the
king's stranger, and he could not see me ill treated, whilst I was under
his protection. He therefore advised them to let me alone for the night;
assuring them that in the morning I should be sent about my business.
This somewhat appeased their clamour; but they compelled me to ascend a
high seat, by the door of the mosque, in order that every body might see
me; for the people had assembled in such numbers as to be quite
ungovernable; climbing upon the houses, and squeezing each other, like
the spectators at an execution. Upon this seat I remained until sunset,
when I was conducted into a neat little hut, with a small court before
it; the door of which Counti Mamadi shut, to prevent any person from
disturbing me. But this precaution could not exclude the Moors. They
climbed over the top of the mud-wall, and came in crowds into the court,
in order, they said, to see me _perform my evening devotions, and eat
eggs_. The former of these ceremonies I did not think proper to comply
with; but I told them I had no objection to eat eggs, provided they would
bring me eggs to eat. My landlord immediately brought me seven hen's
eggs, and was much surprised to find that I could not eat them raw; for
it seems to be a prevalent opinion among the inhabitants of the interior,
that Europeans subsist almost entirely on this diet. When I had succeeded
in persuading my landlord that this opinion was without foundation, and
that I would gladly partake of any victuals which he might think proper
to send me, he ordered a sheep to be killed, and part of it to be dressed
for my supper. About midnight, when the Moors had left me, he paid me a
visit, and with much earnestness desired me to write him a saphie. "If a
Moor's saphie is good, (said this hospitable old man,) a white man's must
needs be better." I readily furnished him with one, possessed of all the
virtues I could concentrate; for it contained the Lord's Prayer. The pen
with which it was written was made of a reed; a little charcoal and
gum-water made very tolerable ink, and a thin board answered the purpose
of paper.

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