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

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We continued our journey without stopping any more until noon, when we
came to a large tree, called by the natives Neema Tula. It had a very
singular appearance, being decorated with innumerable rags or scraps of
cloth, which persons travelling across the wilderness had, at different
times, tied to the branches; probably, at first, to inform the traveller
that water was to be found near it; but the custom has become so
sanctioned by time, that nobody now presumes to pass without hanging up
something. I followed the example, and suspended a handsome piece of
cloth on one of the boughs; and being told that either a well or pool of
water was at no great distance, I ordered the Negroes to unload the asses
that we might give them corn, and regale ourselves with the provisions we
had brought. In the meantime, I sent one of the elephant-hunters to look
for the well, intending, if water was to be obtained, to rest here for
the night. A pool was found, but the water was thick and muddy, and the
Negro discovered near it the remains of a fire recently extinguished, and
the fragments of provisions, which afforded a proof that it had been
lately visited, either by travellers or banditti. The fears of my
attendants supposed the latter; and believing that robbers lurked near
us, I was persuaded to change my resolution of resting here all night,
and proceed to another watering place, which I was assured we might reach
early in the evening.

We departed accordingly, but it was eight o'clock at night before we came
to the watering place; and being now sufficiently fatigued with so long a
day's journey, we kindled a large fire, and lay down, surrounded by our
cattle, on the bare ground, more than a gun-shot from any bush; the
Negroes agreeing to keep watch by turns to prevent surprise.

I know not indeed that any danger was justly to be dreaded, but the
Negroes were unaccountably apprehensive of banditti during the whole of
the journey. As soon, therefore, as day light appeared, we filled our
_soofroos_ (skins) and calabashes at the pool, and set out for Tallika,
the first town in Bondou, which we reached about eleven o'clock in the
forenoon, (the 13th of December.) I cannot, however, take leave of
Woolli, without observing that I was every where well received by the
natives; and that the fatigues of the day were generally alleviated by a
hearty welcome at night; and although the African mode of living was at
first unpleasant to me, yet I found, at length, that custom surmounted
trifling inconveniences, and made every thing palatable and easy.

CHAPTER IV.

_Some account of the inhabitants of Tallika.--The Author proceeds for
Fatteconda--incidents on the road.--Crosses the Neriko, arrives at
Koorkarany--reaches the River Faleme--Fishery on that river--proceeds
along its bank to Naye or Nayemow--crosses the Faleme, and arrives at
Fatteconda.--Has an interview with Almami, the Sovereign of
Bondou.--Description of the King's dwelling--has a second interview with
the King, who begs the Author's Coat--Author visits the King's wives--is
permitted to depart on friendly, terms.--Journey by night--arrives at
Joag.--Some account of Bondou and its inhabitants, the Foulahs._

Tallika, the frontier town of Bondou towards Woolli, is inhabited chiefly
by Foulahs of the Mahomedan religion, who live in considerable affluence,
partly by furnishing provisions to the _coffles_, or caravans, that pass
through the town, and partly by the sale of ivory, obtained by hunting
elephants; in which employment the young men are generally very
successful. Here, an officer belonging to the King of Bondou constantly
resides, whose business it is to give timely information of the arrival
of the caravans; which are taxed according to the number of loaded asses
that arrive at Tallika.

I took up my residence at this officer's house, and agreed with him to
accompany me to Fatteconda, the residence of the king, for which he was
to receive five bars; and before my departure I wrote a few lines to Dr
Laidley, and gave my letter to the master of a caravan bound for the
Gambia. This caravan consisted of nine or ten people with five asses
loaded with ivory. The large teeth are conveyed in nets, two on each side
of the ass; the small ones are wrapped up in skins, and secured with
ropes.

December 14th. We left Tallika, and rode on very peaceably for
about two miles, when a violent quarrel arose between two of my
fellow-travellers,--one of whom was the blacksmith,--in the course of
which they bestowed some opprobrious terms upon each other; and it is
worthy of remark, that an African will sooner forgive a blow than a term
of reproach applied to his ancestors: "Strike me, but do not curse my
mother," is a common expression even among the slaves. This sort of
abuse, therefore, so enraged one of the disputants, that he drew his
cutlass upon the blacksmith, and would certainly have ended the dispute
in a very serious manner, if the others had not laid hold of him, and
wrested the cutlass from him. I was obliged to interfere, and put an end
to this disagreeable business, by desiring the blacksmith to be silent,
and telling the other who I thought was in the wrong, that if he
attempted in future to draw his cutlass, or molest any of my attendants,
I should look upon him as a robber, and shoot him without further
ceremony. This threat had the desired effect, and we marched sullenly
along till the afternoon, when we arrived at a number of small villages
scattered over an open and fertile plain: At one of these, called Ganado,
we took up our residence for the night; here an exchange of presents and
a good supper terminated all animosities among my attendants; and the
night was far advanced before any of us thought of going to sleep. We
were amused by an itinerant _singing man_,[7] who told a number of
diverting stories, and played some sweet airs, by blowing his breath upon
a bowstring, and striking it at the same time with a stick.

[7] These are a sort of travelling bards and musicians, who sing
extempore songs in praise of those who employ them. A fuller
account of them will be given hereafter.

December 15th. At daybreak my fellow-travellers, the Serawoollies, took
leave of me, with many prayers for my safety. About a mile from Ganado,
we crossed a considerable branch of the Gambia called Neriko. The banks
were steep, and covered with _mimosas_; and I observed in the mud a
number of large muscles, but the natives do not eat them. About noon, the
sun being exceedingly hot, we rested two hours in the shade of a tree,
and purchased some milk and pounded corn from some Foulah herdsmen, and
at sunset reached a town called Koorkarany, where the blacksmith had some
relations; and here we rested two days.

Koorkarany is a Mahomedan town, surrounded by a high wall, and is
provided with a mosque. Here I was shown a number of Arabic manuscripts,
particularly a copy of the book before mentioned, called _Al Shara_. The
_Maraboo_ or priest, in whose possession it was, read and explained to me
in Mandingo, many of the most remarkable passages; and in return I showed
him Richardson's Arabic grammar which he very much admired. On the
evening of the second day (Dec. 17th) we departed from Koorkarany. We
were joined by a young man who was travelling to Fatteconda for salt; and
as night set in we reached Dooggi, a small village about three miles from
Koorkarany.

Provisions were here so cheap that I purchased a bullock for six small
stones of amber; for I found my company increase or diminish according to
the good fare they met with.

Dec. 18th. Early in the morning we departed from Dooggi, and being joined
by a number of Foulahs and other people, made a formidable appearance;
and were under no apprehension of being plundered in the woods. About
eleven o'clock one of the asses proving very refractory, the Negroes took
a curious method to make him tractable. They cut a forked stick, and
putting the forked part into the ass's mouth, like the bit of a bridle,
tied the two smaller parts together above his head, leaving the lower
part of the stick of sufficient length to strike against the ground if
the ass should attempt to put his head down. After this, the ass walked
along quietly, and gravely enough, taking care, after some practice, to
hold his head sufficiently high to prevent the stones or roots of trees
from striking against the end of the stick, which experience had taught
him would give a severe shock to his teeth. This contrivance produced a
ludicrous appearance, but my fellow-travellers told me it was constantly
adopted by the Slatees, and always proved effectual.

In the evening we arrived at a few scattered villages, surrounded with
extensive cultivation; a tone of which, called Buggil, we passed the
night in a miserable hut, having no other bed than a bundle of corn
stalks, and no provisions but what we brought with us. The wells here are
dug with great ingenuity, and are very deep. I measured one of the
bucket-ropes, and found the depth of the well to be 28 fathoms.

Dec. 19th. We departed from Buggil, and travelled along a dry, stony
height, covered with _mimosas_ till mid-day; when the land sloped towards
the east, and we descended into a deep valley, in which I observed
abundance of whin stone and white quartz. Pursuing our course to the
eastward, along this valley, in the bed of an exhausted river course, we
came to a large village, where we intended to lodge. We found many of the
natives dressed in a thin French gauze, which they call _Byqui_; this
being a light airy dress, and well calculated to display the shape of
their persons, is much esteemed by the ladies. The manners of these
females, however, did not correspond with their dress; for they were rude
and troublesome in the highest degree; they surrounded me in numbers,
begging for amber, beads, &c.; and were so vehement in their
solicitations, that I found it impossible to resist them. They tore my
cloak, cut the buttons from my boy's clothes, and were proceeding to
other outrages, when I mounted my horse and rode off, followed for half a
mile by a body of these harpies.

In the evening we reached Soobrudooka, and as my company was numerous,
(being fourteen,) I purchased a sheep, and abundance of corn for supper
after which we lay down by the bundles, and passed an uncomfortable night
in a heavy dew.

Dec. 20th. We departed from Soobrudooka, and at two o'clock reached a
large village situated on the banks of the Faleme River, which is here
rapid and rocky. The natives were employed in fishing in various ways.
The large fish were taken in long baskets made of split cane, and placed
in a strong current which was created by walls of stone built across the
stream, certain open places being left, through which the water rushed
with great force. Some of these baskets were more than 20 feet long, and
when once the fish had entered one of them, the force of the stream
prevented it from returning. The small fish were taken in great numbers
in hand-nets, which the natives weave of cotton, and use with great
dexterity. The fish last mentioned are about the size of sprats, and are
prepared for sale in different ways; the most common is by pounding them
entire as they come from the stream in a wooden mortar, and exposing them
to dry in the sun, in large lumps like sugar loaves. It may be supposed
that the smell is not very agreeable; but in the Moorish countries to the
north of the Senegal, where fish is scarcely known, this preparation is
esteemed as a luxury, and sold to considerable advantage. The manner of
using it by the natives is, by dissolving a piece of this blackloaf in
boiling water, and mixing it with their kouskous.

I thought it very singular at this season of the year, to find the banks
of the Faleme every where covered with large and beautiful fields of
corn, but on examination I found it was not the same species of grain as
is commonly cultivated on the Gambia; it is called by the natives Mania,
and grows in the dry season; is very prolific, and is reaped in the month
of January. It is the same which, from the depending position of the ear,
is called by botanical writers _holcus cernuus_.

On returning to the village, after an excursion to the river side, to
inspect the fishery, an old Moorish shereeff came to bestow his blessing
upon me, and beg some paper to write saphies upon. This man had seen
Major Houghton in the kingdom of Kaarta, and told me that he died in the
country of the Moors. I gave him a few sheets of paper, and he levied a
similar tribute from the blacksmith; for it is customary for young
Mussulmen to make presents to the old ones, in order to obtain their
blessing, which is pronounced in Arabic, and received with great
humility.

About three in the afternoon we continued our course along the bank of
the river, to the northward, till eight o clock, when we reached Nayemow;
here the hospitable master of the town received us kindly, and presented
us with a bullock. In return, I gave him some amber and beads.

Dec. 21st. In the morning, having agreed for a canoe to carry over my
bundles, I crossed the river, which came up to my knees as I sat on my
horse; but the water is so clear, that from the high bank the bottom is
visible all the way over.

About noon we entered Fatteconda, the capital of Bondou; and in a little
time received an invitation to the house of a respectable Slatee: for, as
there are no public houses in Africa, it is customary for strangers to
stand at the Bentang, or some other place of public resort, till they are
invited to a lodging by some of the inhabitants. We accepted the offer;
and in an hour afterwards, a person came and told me that he was sent on
purpose to conduct me to the king, who was very desirous of seeing me
immediately, if I was not too much fatigued.

I took my interpreter with me, and followed the messenger till we got
quite out of the town, and crossed some corn fields; when, suspecting
some trick, I stopped, and asked the guide whither he was going. Upon
which he pointed to a man sitting under a tree at some little distance;
and told me that the king frequently gave audiences in that retired
manner, in order to avoid a crowd of people; and that nobody but myself
and my interpreter must approach him. When I advanced, the king desired
me to come and sit by him upon the mat; and after hearing my story, on
which he made no observation, he asked if I wished to purchase any slaves
or gold: being answered in the negative, he seemed rather surprised; but
desired me to come to him in the evening, and he would give me some
provisions.

This monarch was called Almami; a Moorish name, though I was told that he
was not a Mahomedan, but a Kafir, or Pagan. I had heard that he had acted
towards Major Houghton with great unkindness, and caused him to be
plundered. His behaviour, therefore, towards myself at this interview,
though much more civil than I expected, was far from freeing me from
uneasiness. I still apprehended some double dealing; and as I was now
entirely in his power, I thought it best to smooth the way by a present:
Accordingly, I took with me in the evening one canister of gunpowder,
some amber, tobacco, and my umbrella: and as I considered that my bundles
would inevitably be searched, I concealed some few articles in the roof
of the hut where I lodged, and I put on my new blue coat, in order to
preserve it.

All the houses belonging to the king and his family are surrounded by a
lofty mud wall, which converts the whole into a kind of citadel. The
interior is subdivided into different courts. At the first place of
entrance I observed a man standing with a musket on his shoulder; and I
found the way to his presence very intricate, leading through many
passages, with sentinels placed at the different doors. When we came to
the entrance of the court in which the king resides, both my guide and
interpreter, according to custom, took off their sandals; and the former
pronounced the king's name aloud, repeating it till he was answered from
within. We found the monarch sitting upon a mat, and two attendants with
him. I repeated what I had before told him concerning the object of my
journey, and my reasons for passing through his country. He seemed,
however, but half satisfied. The notion of travelling for curiosity was
quite new to him. He thought it impossible, he said, that any man in his
senses would undertake so dangerous a journey, merely to look at the
country and its inhabitants: however, when I offered to show him the
contents of my portmanteau, and every thing belonging to me, he was
convinced: and it was evident that his suspicion had arisen from a
belief, that every white man must of necessity be a trader. When I had
delivered my presents, he seemed well pleased, and was particularly
delighted with the umbrella, which he repeatedly furled and unfurled, to
the great admiration of himself and his two attendants, who could not for
some time comprehend the use of this wonderful machine. After this I was
about to take my leave, when the king, desiring me to stop awhile, began
along preamble in favour of the whites; extolling their immense wealth
and good dispositions. He next proceeded to an eulogium on my blue coat,
of which the yellow buttons seemed particularly to catch his fancy; and
he concluded by entreating me to present him with it; assuring me, for my
consolation under the loss of it, that he would wear it on all public
occasions, and inform every one who saw it of my great liberality towards
him. The request of an African prince, in his own dominions, particularly
when made to a stranger, comes little short of a command. It is only a
way of obtaining by gentle means what he can, if he pleases, take by
force; and as it was against my interest to offend him by a refusal, I
very quietly took off my coat, the only good one in my possession, and
laid it at his feet.

In return for my compliance, he presented me with great plenty of
provisions, and desired to see me again in the morning. I accordingly
attended, and found him sitting upon his bed. He told me he was sick; and
wished to have a little blood taken from him; but I had no sooner tied up
his arm, and displayed the lancet, than his courage failed; and he begged
me to postpone the operation till the afternoon, as he felt himself, he
said, much better than he had been, and thanked me kindly for my
readiness to serve him. He then observed that his women were very
desirous to see me, and requested that I would favour them with a visit.
An attendant was ordered to conduct me; and I had no sooner entered the
court appropriated to the ladies, than the whole seraglio surrounded me:
some begging for physic, some for amber; and all of them desirous of
trying that great African specific, _blood-letting_. They were ten or
twelve in number, most of them young and handsome, and wearing on their
heads ornaments of gold, and beads of amber.

They rallied me with a good deal of gaiety on different subjects;
particularly upon the whiteness of my skin, and the prominency of my
nose. They insisted that both were artificial. The first, they said, was
produced when I was an infant, by dipping me in milk; and they insisted
that my nose had been pinched every day, till it had acquired its present
unsightly and unnatural conformation. On my part, without disputing my
own deformity, I paid them many compliments on African beauty, I praised
the glossy jet of their skins, and the lovely depression of their noses;
but they said that flattery, or (as they emphatically termed it)
_honey-mouth_, was not esteemed in Bondou. In return, however, for my
company or my compliments, (to which, by the way, they seemed not so
insensible as they affected to be), they presented me with a jar of honey
and some fish, which were sent to my lodging; and I was desired to come
again to the king a little before sunset.

I carried with me some beads and writing paper, it being usual to present
some small offering on taking leave; in return for which, the king gave
me five drachms of gold; observing that it was but a trifle, and given
out of pure friendship; but would be of use to me in travelling, for the
purchase of provision. He seconded this act of kindness by one still
greater; politely telling me, that though it was customary to examine the
baggage of every traveller passing through his country, yet, in the
present instance, he would dispense with that ceremony; adding, that I
was at liberty to depart when I pleased.

Accordingly, on the morning of the 23d, we left Fatteconda, and about
eleven o'clock came to a small village, where we determined to stop for
the rest of the day.

In the afternoon my fellow-travellers informed me, that as this was the
boundary between Bondou and Kajaaga, and dangerous for travellers, it
would be necessary to continue our journey by night, until we should
reach a more hospitable part of the country. I agreed to the proposal,
and hired two people for guides through the woods; and as soon as the
people of the village were gone to sleep, (the moon shining bright,) we
set out. The stillness of the air, the howling of the wild beasts, and
the deep solitude of the forest, made the scene solemn and impressive.
Not a word was uttered by any of us, but in a whisper; all were
attentive, and every one anxious to show his sagacity, by pointing out to
me the wolves and hyaenas as they glided, like shadows, from one thicket
to another.--Towards morning we arrived at a village called Kimmoo,
where our guides awakened one of their acquaintances, and we stopped to
give the asses some corn and roast a few groundnuts for ourselves. At
daylight we resumed our journey, and in the afternoon arrived at Joag in
the kingdom of Kajaaga.

Being now in a country, and among a people, differing in many respects
from those that have as yet fallen under our observation, I shall, before
I proceed further, give some account of Bondou, (the territory we have
left,) and its inhabitants, the Foulahs, the description of whom I
purposely reserved for this part of my work.

Bondou is bounded on the east by Bambouk; on the south-east, and south,
by Tenda, and the Simbani Wilderness; on the south-west by Woolli; on the
west by Foota Torra; and on the north by Kajaaga.

The country, like that of Woolli, is very generally covered with woods,
but the land is more elevated, and towards the Faleme river, rises into
considerable hills. In native fertility the soil is not surpassed, I
believe, by any part of Africa.

From the central situation of Bondou between the Gambia and Senegal
rivers, it is become a place of great resort; both for the Slatees, who
generally pass through it, in going from the coast to the interior
countries, and for occasional traders, who frequently come hither from
the inland countries to purchase salt.

These different branches of commerce are conducted principally by
Mandingoes and Serawoollies, who have settled in the country. These
merchants likewise carry on a considerable trade with Gedumah, and other
Moorish countries, bartering corn and blue cotton cloths for salt; which
they again barter in Dentila and other districts for iron, shea-butter,
and small quantities of gold-dust. They likewise sell a variety of
sweet-smelling gums packed up in small bags, containing each about a
pound. These gums, being thrown on hot embers, produce a very pleasant
odour, and are used by the Mandingoes for perfuming their huts and
clothes.

The customs, or duties on travellers, are very heavy; in almost every
town an ass-load pays a bar of European merchandize; and at Fatteconda,
the residence of the king, one Indian baft, or a musket, and six bottles
of gunpowder, are exacted as a common tribute. By means of these duties,
the King of Bondou is well supplied with arms and ammunition; a
circumstance which makes him formidable to the neighbouring states.

The inhabitants differ in their complexions and national manners from the
Mandingoes and Serawoollies, with whom they are frequently at war. Some
years ago the King of Bondou crossed the Faleme river with a numerous
army, and after a short and bloody campaign, totally defeated the forces
of Samboo,

King of Bambouk, who was obliged to sue for peace, and surrender to him
all the towns along the eastern bank of the Faleme.

The Foulahs, in general, (as has been observed in a former chapter,) are
of a tawny complexion, with small features, and soft silky hair; next to
the Mandingoes they are undoubtedly the most considerable of all the
nations in this part of Africa. Their original country is said to be
Fooladoo, (which signifies the country of the Foulahs,) but they possess
at present many other kingdoms at a great distance from each other; their
complexion, however, is not exactly the same in the different districts;
in Bondou, and the other kingdoms which are situated in the vicinity of
the Moorish territories, they are of a more yellow complexion than in the
southern states.

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