Chapter VII

Departure from Kiama — Native Gratitude — Village of Kakafungi — Native Dance — John Lander taken ill — Deserted Route — Cross the River Oly — Story of the Falátahs — Encampment — Tornado — Illness of John Lander — Messengers from Coobly with assistance — Arrival in that Town — Reception — Presents from Boossa — Mount Cornwall — Recovery of John Lander — Leave Coobly — Ruins — Town of Zalee — Arrival at Boossa — Reception.

_Saturday, June 5th._—The _adieu_ of an African prince is the most unceremonious piece of business in the world; whatever expressions may be used, little regret is felt. Such at least is our opinion from the coolness we have almost invariably experienced in parting from the principal people of the towns and villages through which we have passed. We were on horseback between seven and eight o’clock this morning, having previously paid our last visit to the king, and taken our farewell of him; and proceeded in good health and spirits through the northern gateway of the city, towards a town called _Kakafungi_, followed by a number of the lower class of people, who sneered at my brother’s horsemanship as he rode by, and diverted themselves by laughing heartily at the sorry appearance of his poor beast.

We had travelled about half a mile from the wall of Kiáma, when looking behind us, we observed a great fat woman running after us at her full speed. She soon overtook us, almost breathless with the exertion. We then found that the object of her care was to present us with a bowl of new milk, which she had neglected to bring in time for us to drink before we set out. From the violence of her exertions, her whole person was thrown into the utmost disorder imaginable. This woman is a favourite singer to the king, and had supplied us with milk and provisions two or three days before our departure, for which we gave her a few trifling articles in payment; these, it appears, had produced so sensible an effect on her, that, when taking leave of us last evening, she began to shed tears, and sobbed aloud. This was now renewed, and we were obliged to spur on our horses to spare our feelings. We were afterwards told, that the woman’s sorrow was only feigned in our presence for the purpose of obtaining a reward, and that she has always an abundance of tears at command.

Three or four Falátah villages lay to the right and left of our path, one of which is of some extent; but we did not see a single inhabitant belonging to either of them. The greater part of the road lay through a thickly-wooded forest, by the side of a very gentle range of hills; and, excepting a fine plantation of yams, which we passed outside the walls of Kiáma, and which belongs to Yarro, we did not see a foot of cultivated ground during the whole journey. We arrived at _Kakafungi_, the halting-place, shortly after ten o’clock in the morning. This town is distant from Kiáma about nine or ten miles; yet if an opinion may be formed from the nature of the path, which is uncommonly narrow, and almost hidden with rank grass, the intercourse between the two places is very little. Kakafungi is a straggling, but extensive and populous town, and is delightfully situated on an even piece of ground. The inhabitants are so clean and well-behaved, and their dwellings so neat and comfortable, that before we had spoken many words to one of them, we were prepossessed in favour of all. Nor was this opinion in any degree lessened, when, after we had been introduced into a commodious and excellent hut, we received the congratulations of the principal people. They came to us in a body, followed by boys and girls carrying a present of two kids, with milk and an abundance of pounded corn, and have remained with us the greater part of the day.

Late in the evening, when our people were asleep, the sound of singing tempted my brother to go out alone, and he soon discovered a little group of thoughtless, happy creatures, amusing themselves by dancing in the moonlight to the sound of a large drum. He described their dance as being very different from that practised in Yarriba; their motions being sometimes swift and violent, and sometimes slow and graceful; their gestures expressive of mild delight rather than vehement passion, and remarkable for propriety. They appeared to be singing something very comic in recitative, and kept time by clapping their hands. My brother’s intrusion was of no importance to them, for the party still kept up their dance with as much spirit and good humour as before. In returning homewards he missed his way, and wandered among several deserted, empty huts and yards, and others guarded by dogs, before he discovered the right, his total ignorance of the Borgoo language disqualifying him from asking questions of the inhabitants.

_Sunday, June 6th._—I found my brother in a high fever this morning, and so ill that he was obliged to lie on his mat till the carriers were ready to depart. In consequence of the length of the journey from Kakafungi to Boossà, and there being no town or village on the road beyond a few miles ride from hence, the carriers were employed till the afternoon in obtaining provisions sufficient for three or four days’ consumption. A crowd of people assembled round our hut to take leave of us, by whom we were loudly cheered. My brother was so ill that he could not mount his horse without assistance.

We quitted Kakafungi about two P.M., by a path which lay in a northerly direction, through a perfect wilderness, some part of which was more stony and barren than anything we remember to have seen. The foot-marks of various wild animals appeared to be freshly imprinted in the path; but we observed only a very few antelopes, which would not suffer us to come near them, but scampered away the moment they saw us. The few stunted trees that we found, afforded us a very indifferent shelter from the heat of the sun, which was almost insufferable; and this, with the length of the journey and the speed with which we were obliged to travel, greatly increased my brother’s fever. He was occasionally obliged to dismount and lie down on the ground for relief, being lifted off and replaced on his horse by our attendants. We saw the sun set behind some magnificent clouds, whilst we had yet a great way to go; and the narrow footpath, which was here overgrown with bushes and rank grass, was hardly discernible by the light of the moon. In the afternoon all had been silent in the forest; but in the evening the jackal, the hyena, and the baboon had forsaken their retreats, and mingled their dismal howl with the sprightly chirping of innumerable insects.

My brother and I were far behind the rest of the party, because he had been unable to keep pace with them; and we discharged a pistol every now and then as a signal to the carriers of our approach. As each report echoed through the forest, it was answered by the increased howling of wild animals, till at length we gladly saw the gleam of a large fire, and arrived at the encampment which had been prepared for us. Here we took possession for the night of a few deserted huts, which were falling to decay. A quantity of broken earthenware pots, calabashes, &c., were lying about, indicating that these abodes had been occupied at no very distant period; and on the trees which grew near them, we discovered several immense buffalo horns, and those of a very large kind of antelope.

The river _Oly_, which is said to take its rise in Ashantee, is at a short distance to the northward of our encampment. It appears, that not long ago this path was much frequented by merchants from the interior, trading to the westward, in order to avoid paying the accustomed duty on the Wowow road. But the chief of that state threatening to punish them if they did not pass through his city, their own interest induced them to conform to his wishes, and from that time, the route through this forest has been entirely deserted, and the poor ferrymen, who formerly inhabited these huts, were thus compelled to seek a livelihood elsewhere.

_Monday, June 7th._—The rest which my brother had obtained during the night seemed to have revived him, and he appeared in better spirits, with an abatement of fever this morning. At eight A.M., after bathing, we crossed the _Oly_ in a canoe, which we found tied to a tree. This pretty little river was here about forty paces in breadth, and about seven or eight feet deep in the middle, but gradually shallowing to each bank. It winded very romantically through the overhanging woods; and its current was so sluggish, and its surface so smooth, that it was for some time doubtful which way it ran. In the forenoon we passed near a spot where our guides informed us a party of Falátahs a short time ago had murdered twenty of their slaves, because they had not food sufficient for their support. These same Falátahs are already spoken of as having taken possession of a Yarriba town on the borders of the river Moussa. They had been despatched by Bello from Soccatoo to collect the accustomed tribute from the towns of Ràkah and Alòrie (in Yarriba); but it is said that the inhabitants of the latter town shut their gates against them, and declared themselves independent of the Falátahs. On the return of the disappointed party through Borgoo, the King of Kiáma forbade any of his people from selling them provisions, and they were consequently obliged to find their way through this long and dreary wilderness without food. We remarked a great many holes which had been dug by these unfortunate men in the hope of finding a kind of wild yam, that abounds in the forest, besides the remains of fires which they had kindled to dress this scanty fare. No doubt they had been reduced to a dreadful extremity before they could kill their slaves; and perhaps the number of victims has been greatly exaggerated; for the natives, their enemies, are fond of impressing strangers with the most unfavourable idea of their characters and dispositions, so that their stories are to be received with caution. We observed the skeleton of one of the slaves by the way-side.

After a long and tiresome journey under a burning sun, we pitched our tent in the evening near a small stream. My brother was very ill, his fever having returned with increased violence; but he took no other medicine than a common soda powder, as I was fearful of our progress being retarded. A storm gathered over our heads a few minutes after the tent had been fixed, and presently burst with terrific violence. While it lasted we were occupied with the thoughts of our forlorn condition. The deafening noise of the thunder as it echoed among the hills, the overpowering glare of the lightning, the torrents of rain and the violence of the wind, were truly awful. The whole of our party, amounting to twenty, were collected in the tent for shelter from the storm, and in spite of the water which ran through it, contrived to sleep till morning.

_Tuesday, June 8th._—We were obliged to lie in our wet clothes all night, and the effects of this were visible on my brother this morning. I endeavoured, in vain, to rally him, but he was scarcely able to stand. The tent was packed up in its wet state, and the carriers hastened onwards as fast as they could, for the provisions were consumed, and we were anxious to get to our journey’s end without delay. This proceeds from Paskoe’s negligence in having obtained only provisions enough for one day instead of three. My brother and I lingered behind with old Paskoe and another of our men, and proceeded on at a very slow pace, for our horses were worn out with fatigue, and my brother’s was quite lame. As we advanced he became worse, till at length he was completely overcome, and, to prevent falling off his horse, dismounted, and laid down. There was no tree near us that would afford shelter from the sun, so with the assistance of our people I obtained some few branches, and formed a sort of bower, our horses’ pads answering the purpose of a bed. The croaking of frogs indicated that water was not far distant; and we soon procured some. During the rest of the day my brother became worse, but the coolness of the evening appeared to revive him a little. Our medicine-chest had been sent with the other things; I despatched Paskoe for it, but do not expect his return till to-morrow. In the meantime I went into the wood, and shot the only bird I saw, which was about the size of a sparrow. With this I returned, made a fire, and prepared a little soup in a half-pint cup, which we had reserved for the purpose of getting water from the streams, instead of a calabash. The soup was rather unsavoury, from want of salt, nevertheless it was of service to my brother; the flesh of the bird I divided between myself and my man, as we were both weak from want of food. We contrived to make a more substantial habitation for my brother in the evening, of some stout branches of trees, and thatched it with long grass; and lighted large fires round it to keep away the wild beasts. But neither of us could sleep, for, independent of his illness, we were attacked by myriads of mosquitoes and buzzing flies. A prowling tiger was the only savage animal that approached near enough to be seen during the night.

_Wednesday, June 9th._—Notwithstanding his bad night’s rest, my brother had little fever on him this morning; in fact he found himself so much refreshed and strengthened, as to be able to go in search of our horses, which had strayed from us in the night. Having found them, we immediately made the necessary preparations, and proceeded on our journey; and in an hour’s time we descried Paskoe approaching us with five men, who brought us corn and milk, and little cakes made of pounded corn and honey. The Governor of _Coobly_, the town to which we were going, had also kindly sent us a horse and a hammock for my brother. The animal was to carry my brother over some rivulets which we should have to cross, whose banks were too steep and rugged for the hammock-men to perform that service. He thought himself strong enough to dispense with their assistance altogether, but accepted the horse with thankfulness. We all set forward together in good spirits about half-past ten in the morning; and with occasional halting for my brother to rest himself, we arrived near Coobly shortly after sunset, without experiencing the extraordinary fatigue we had anticipated.

Outside the town is a vast number of straggling Falátah hamlets, which are built on marshy ground. Our attention was attracted by a vast number of fire-flies, which were sporting over a swamp, and, together with numerous little lights from the huts of the Falátahs, had a very pleasing appearance. During the journey we crossed several rivulets, and travelled over three or four hills. The soil on the latter is scanty and sterile, but the valleys appeared fertile. The exhalations from decaying vegetable substances near Coobly were highly offensive; and the air being likewise impregnated in many places with a strong odour similar to that of musk, rendered it very disagreeable.

Having waited on the governor to thank him for his attention, we were detained but a few moments, and without having seen him we repaired to a hut that was assigned to us, where soon after my brother was seized with a return of the fever, more severe than the former.

_Thursday, June 10th._—The governor sent us a bowl of rice, one of milk, two calabashes of butter, and a fine fat bullock. I was too anxiously and intently employed about my brother to make a return for his present, or to bestow my attention on any other matter, and therefore promised to visit him to-morrow. I administered ten grains of calomel to my brother, after which he fell into a kind of stupor and an insensibility to surrounding objects, which did not leave him till this afternoon, when his reason returned. Towards the evening he became worse, and I expected every moment was his last. During the few intervals he had from delirium he seemed to be aware of his danger, and entered into arrangements respecting his family concerns. At this moment my feelings were of too painful a nature to be described. The unhappy fate of my late master, Captain Clapperton, came forcibly to my mind. I had followed him into this country where he perished; I had attended him in his parting moments; I had performed the last mournful office for him which our nature requires, and the thought that I should have to go through the same sad ceremonies for my brother overwhelmed me with grief.

_Friday, June 11th._—Between eleven and twelve last night I rejoiced to find that my brother’s illness seemed to take a favourable turn, and towards the morning he became tranquil and free from pain.

Two messengers arrived from Boossà last night, and another on horseback this morning, with a quantity of onions as a present from the queen. They were commanded by the king to await our departure from this town and escort us to the city of Boossà, which is said to be two days’ journey from Coobly, though we had been given to understand it was no more than a few hundred yards.

The governor has been very importunate in his desire for my brother to sell him one of his pistols; and as we are in want of nothing so much as a horse, he offered it in exchange for the one my brother rode on Wednesday. He would rather have given us a boy instead of the horse, but this did not satisfy us; and at last he consented to part with the animal, on condition that some trifling articles should be given with the pistol, which was agreed to, and the bargain concluded.

_Saturday, June 12th._—My brother’s health is rapidly returning. An old woman applied to our lodgings to-day for medicine that would produce her an entire new set of teeth; or, said she, ‘if I can only be supplied with two large and strong ones, I shall be satisfied with them.’ The woman was becoming rather impertinent, when I recommended her to procure two iron ones from a blacksmith, which so much displeased her, that she went away in a pet. The governor supplies us every day with abundance of milk and rice.

_Coobly_ is situated on the slope of a cone-shaped mountain, with a very broad base; and may be plainly distinguished to the westward at the distance of above thirty miles. We have named this mountain, after our own country, _Mount Cornwall_. The town is fortified by a strong fence, made by driving stakes firmly into the earth, and placing them closely together; but notwithstanding this defence, the Falátahs attacked and entered it about four years ago; since which period, it is said, the governor has been in the habit of paying an annual tribute to King Bello. The inhabitants grow quantities of rice and corn, though none of the latter is now to be procured at any price, owing to the treachery and rapacity of the Falátahs, who, when they quitted the town, not only carried away all the corn that was in store, but tore up and destroyed all that was growing in the fields. The people, therefore, are but just recovering from the effects of this malicious act. Above a thousand Falátahs, it is conjectured, reside with the flocks and herds on the plains near the town of Coobly; but they are very different in their manners from their marauding countrymen, and maintain a friendly intercourse with their neighbours.

_Sunday, June 13th._—Last night we were visited by a thunder-storm, and the rain entered the roofs of our dwellings, and nearly inundated us. My brother’s health still continues to improve. Although this is the sabbath, I was obliged to send Paskoe in the morning to endeavour to shoot a Guinea hen, because we were unable to procure any description of fowl from the inhabitants, on religious considerations: the old man speedily returned, having been successful; great numbers of those birds abounding in the fields and woods near the town.

_Monday, June 14th._—The governor’s old wife returned from Boossà this morning, whither she had gone in quest of three female slaves, who had fled from her about a fortnight since. She has brought the fugitives back with her, and they are now confined in irons. As soon as she heard of our being in the town, the old lady sent us a sheep and a calabash of honey, which we accepted; and she shortly afterwards paid us a visit in person, when we took the opportunity of returning her present. The old matron’s establishment is separate and distinct from that of her husband, the governor, who has not the slightest control over it. She is reported to have a multitude of slaves, and to be, in other respects, extremely opulent. No one can surpass the governor in benevolence and general good humour.

_Tuesday, June 15th._—My brother, by the blessing of God, is now perfectly recovered from an illness that had nearly proved fatal to him. At an early hour this morning, we paid our respects to the hospitable governor, and quitted the town of Coobly. Our route was in a south- easterly direction; and we travelled through a thick forest, over hills and through deep valleys till noon, when we halted for the day amidst the ruins of a large town, which, we are told, has recently been deserted by its inhabitants. Near the remains of a wall, we perceived a human skull, and other bones, which had been bleached white by the sun. This circumstance excited in us a desire to learn the fate of the former inhabitants of the town, and the reason of its present ruinous state. One of our messengers soon satisfied our curiosity, by informing us, that a short time ago the town was taken by surprise and pillaged by a large party of Falátahs, who put to the sword all that made any resistance, and carried the remainder away with them as slaves. The ruins are very extensive, and the population of the town must have been considerable. The plain whereon it stood is large, verdant, and eminently beautiful, and is ornamented with fine trees. The ruins are at present inhabited by a variety of birds, and a large troop of monkies; the latter walked away very composedly on hearing the report of one of our guns. Here one of the horses died; the poor animal had been our fellow-traveller from Jenna: another is too weak to walk with us a mile further, so that we shall be compelled to leave him behind, for we cannot make up our minds to destroy him; and the third cannot live many days. The affection of these poor brutes towards each other is most extraordinary. The Boossà messenger rode to a little village at a short distance from the ruins this afternoon, and returned in about four hours with an excellent mare, which he had borrowed of the governor for our use. In the evening we pitched the tent; and our own men, with the carriers and messengers, having constructed little temporary grass huts for themselves, made large fires all round them, and retired to rest.

_Wednesday, June 16th._—A man on horseback arrived at our encampment before sunrise this morning, and looked round for a minute or two without dismounting. He neither explained his intentions, nor even uttered a syllable; but when we wished to address him, he galloped off again the same way he had come. We rather suppose this horseman to have been despatched by the King of Boossà, for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not we were on the road, for we hear he awaits our coming with much anxiety. At six, A.M., we quitted our encampment among the ruins, and continued our journey in excellent spirits. The country was as woody as any which we remember to have seen, and the soil, generally speaking, as dry and sterile. We passed the ruins of two or three deserted villages which originally stood near the path-way; and between nine and ten in the morning, we entered a snug, pretty little town called _Zalee_, which, in the language of the country, means ‘thread.’ This town is surrounded by an excellent and well-built clay wall with turrets, which is by far the best that we have anywhere seen, and outside of it is a broad and deep moat. Zalee lies in a rich and romantic valley, formed by a gap in a triple range of elevated hills, which run from east to west. The Falátahs, in hopes of plunder, entered the town a year or two since whilst the male portion of its inhabitants were chiefly at work in the bush; but the women having given the alarm, they returned to their homes in a body, and succeeded in expelling the intruders, before they had time to do any mischief.

The governor sent us a goat, a fowl, a calabash of rice; and a quantity of corn for the horses. Zalee contains about a thousand inhabitants.

_Thursday, June 17th._—At the usual hour this morning we were on horseback, but the tardiness of our messengers occasioned some little delay after we had got beyond the walls. A heavy shower lasted for some hours during the night, which filled the path through the valleys with water, so that travelling was neither so safe nor pleasant as we have found it to be. We saw a surprising number of land crabs on the road; these animals are esteemed as excellent eating by the natives. At nine A.M. we observed from an eminence the Sugar-loaf Mountain, near Wowow, lying to the right of our path, which, if we are not mistaken, was named ‘George the Fourth’ by the late Captain Clapperton. One of the guides pointed out two hills on our left which could hardly be distinguished in consequence of their distance, and informed us that the city of Yáoorie stands at their base. Our course from Zalee was in a south-easterly direction. Shortly after this we came to a fine extensive plain, on which stood a few venerable and magnificent trees. Numerous herds of antelopes were feeding, which, on hearing the report of our guns, bounded over the plain in all directions. From hence we first beheld the city of Boossà; it lay directly before us, at the distance of two or three miles, and appeared to be formed of straggling clusters of huts. But what was our astonishment, on a nearer approach, to find Boossà standing on the _main land_, and not an island in the Niger, as represented by Captain Clapperton! We could discover nothing that could warrant such an assertion. At ten o’clock we entered the city by the western gateway, and discharged our pieces as the signal of our arrival.

After having waited a few minutes, we were introduced to the king, whom we found in an interior apartment of his residence, in company with the _Midīkie_, the title bestowed on his principal wife, or queen. They welcomed us to Boossà with every appearance of cordiality. They told us very gravely, and with rueful countenances, that they had both been weeping in the morning for the death of Captain Clapperton, whose untimely end they would never cease to lament. They might, it is true, have been thus engaged; but, as on our entrance we observed no outward signs of tears, we rather mistrusted their assertion. Paskoe having loitered behind, our conversation was limited to a few general remarks only; and having taken our leave of them, we repaired to a hut which had been selected for us. In the evening, rice and corn, with several dishes of meat, fish, &c., were sent us for supper.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

* * * * *

W. CLOWES, Stamford Street.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Though the Government refused to allow him a salary, or make him even the promise of reward, my brother eagerly volunteered to accompany me.—R. L.]

[Footnote 2: Mallam signifies ‘learned.’—_Clapperton._]

[Footnote 3: An ounce of gold on this part of the African coast is worth about two pounds sterling.]

[Footnote 4: A little Indian shell, the currency of many parts of that country and of the interior of Africa.]

[Footnote 5: A vegetable alkali.]

[Footnote 6: Burdens of all kinds are invariably carried on the head by the people of Yariba, and the natives of various other countries in Africa.]

[Footnote 7: Here the travellers first cross Clapperton’s route.]

[Footnote 8: Bachy in Clapperton’s Map.]

[Footnote 9: The _zh_ is pronounced like the letter _z_ in the word _azure_. The last _g_ hard, like _g_ in geese.]

[Footnote 10: It is deemed as odious by the natives, as the toad in England, or the _tarantula_ in Italy, which is also a kind of lizard.]

Transcriber's note:

pg 55, Changed: "we were fain to wai as patiently" to: "wait"

pg 108, Changed: "yams, calavances, and pumkins" to: "pumpkins"

pg 261, Changed: "the violecne of the wind" to: "violence"

Minor changes in punctuation have been done silently.

Other spelling inconsistencies have been left unchanged.