Chapter I

Arrival of the Expedition at Senegal — Delay there — A Messenger despatched to Sego — Departure from Senegal, and Arrival at the Rio Nunez — Town of Tallabunchia — Major Peddie’s Death — Sickness of the Men and Officers — Departure from Robugga — Difficulties on the March — Arrival at the Panjetta.

It is no doubt in the recollection of many of my readers, that an expedition destined to explore the interior of Africa, from its western coast to the river Niger, the course and termination of which was its ultimate, and indeed grand object, left England in the latter end of 1815, under the command of Brevet-Major Peddie, of the 12th Foot, having with him Captain Campbell, of the Royal Staff Corps, and Staff-Surgeon Cowdrey; the latter, an officer who had some years before explored part of the country in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, and all three fully qualified to the importance of the service entrusted to their care.

On their arrival at Senegal in the month of November, 1815, so many obstacles presented themselves to the immediate departure of the expedition for the interior, that Major Peddie, having proceeded to Sierra Leone for the purpose of consulting with his Excellency the Governor, decided on remaining at Senegal until the ensuing year.

They had not been long there, when Staff-Surgeon Cowdrey took ill, and in a few days fell a victim to the climate, much regretted by his brother officers, who were thus left without a medical assistant, and deprived not only of his society, but of his invaluable services as a naturalist and astronomer.

To fill the situation thus left vacant, at least in the capacity of a medical officer, I was applied to by Major Peddie; and although I felt that I possessed few of the qualifications requisite to the discharge of the duties of so important a situation, I nevertheless accepted the offer, with a determination that no exertion should be wanting on my part to forward the services of the expedition, which I joined at Senegal, in February, 1816.

Major Peddie’s first step was to despatch a messenger with a letter to the king of Sego, informing him of our intention to visit him, and begging he would send some of his chiefs to Senegal, to conduct us into his territories. The person employed, whose name was Lamina, was a native of Sego, and promised to return with the king’s answer in three months.

Captain Campbell went to Sierra Leone in March, 1816, for the purpose of acquiring information respecting the path through Foota Jallon, and on his return so strongly urged Major Peddie to enter the country for the interior from the Rio Nunez, that he decided on doing so, and fixed the middle of November for their departure from Senegal. The interim was employed in collecting information respecting the countries through which we were to travel, and selecting from the regiment serving on the coast, a detachment of non-commissioned officers and men fitted to the peculiarity of such a service, and purchasing animals for the transport of the baggage.

All these preparations being completed, we embarked on board four vessels, hired for the purpose, and sailed from Senegal on the 17th of November, 1816.

The expedition was then composed of Major Peddie, Captain Campbell, Mr. Adolphus Kummer, a German, as naturalist, Mr. Partarrieau, a native of Senegal (possessing considerable knowledge of the Arabic and Moorish languages, with some of the native African tongues), and myself, having with us a party of soldiers and civilians, amounting to 100 individuals, and a train of 200 animals. We called at Goree, where we remained until the 26th, when being joined by a vessel from the Cape de Verde Islands, having on board some horses and mules for our use, we proceeded and arrived, after a tedious passage of sixteen days, at Kakundy, a factory belonging to a Mr. Pearce, on the left bank of the Rio Nunez.

While waiting for the tide at the mouth of that river, we visited a small island formed by the alluvial matter brought down with the stream, and collected by a ridge of rocks which run nearly across its embouchure. It is called Sandy Island, from its soil being almost wholly composed of that substance. It is about a mile in length, and from a quarter to half a mile in breadth, having a gentle rise towards the centre, where it is covered by a grove of palm trees. We met on it a party of about twenty of the Bagoo tribe, who had come thither to collect palm wine, for the celebration of a mournful ceremony over one of their chiefs, who had died a short time before. At a little distance from the spot where we met them, there is an arbour, on approaching which we were stopped, and told the place was sacred, as it contained their idols; of those we could not obtain even an indistinct view.

Tallabunchia, which we also visited, is situated on the north bank of the river, about four miles above Sandy Island, in a plain, beautifully shaded with lofty palm trees, and a great profusion of orange, lime, plantain, and bananas. The town is straggling and irregular, and contains about 200 inhabitants. The houses are about sixteen feet high, and divided, by a partition of split cane, into two apartments, one of which serves as a store for their rice, &c. and the other for a dwelling. The men are strong and well formed, but of an extremely savage appearance; their whole apparel consists of a fathom of cotton cloth wrapped round their waists; they practise cutting the incisor teeth and tattooing the breasts and arms; holes are pierced through the whole circle of the ear, in which are inserted bits of a coarse kind of grass. The dress of the women is still less decent or becoming; a strip of cotton bound round the loins, in the shape of what surgeons call a T bandage, is their only covering; a band of twisted grass round the upper parts of the thigh, one immediately above, and another below the knee, with one over the ankle, constituted the female ornaments. The children were quite naked, and had large copper rings hanging from the cartilage of the nose.

FAC SIMILE OF DRAWING ON THE WALLS OF THE HUT.

_Published Feb. 1825. by John Murray, London._]

On the morning of the 14th, Captain Campbell, who had again proceeded to Sierra Leone, on matters connected with the service, joined us at Kakundy, where the whole of the men, animals, and baggage were landed. We encamped on an elevated piece of ground, cleared for the purpose, and overlooking the factory. There sickness soon began to prevail amongst the Europeans, few of whom escaped without one or two attacks of fever, and, such was their weak state, that, on the 24th of December, it was thought expedient to remove them about four miles east of Kakundy, to Robugga, a factory belonging to a Mr. Bateman, who politely gave up his house for their accommodation. On that day Major Peddie was attacked with violent fever, from which he experienced little relief until the morning of the 1st of January, 1817, when, thinking himself better, he left his bed, but was soon obliged to resume it, and in a few hours breathed his last.

This was a sad commencement of the new year, and the melancholy event cast a heavy gloom on the minds of every individual connected with the expedition. It made so deep an impression on some, that it was with much difficulty they could be prevailed on not to abandon the enterprise. Never was a man more sincerely beloved, nor more truly regretted by all who knew him. His remains were deposited, amidst the heartfelt regrets of his friends and companions, on the following day, in the court-yard of Mr. Bateman, under the shade of two orange trees; and an appropriate epitaph, written by Captain Campbell, and carved on a slab of native mahogany, was placed on his grave.

The day previous to his death, the expedition was joined by Lieutenant Stokoe, of the Royal Navy, and Hospital-assistant Nelson. They were accompanied by Lieutenant M‘Rae, of the Royal African Corps, and Thomas Buckle, Esq.[1]; the latter was sent by his Excellency, Sir Charles M‘Carthy, to afford every facility to our departure from Kakundy, and was the bearer of presents to Mr. Pearce (the nominal king of Kakundy having no power whatever in the country), without consulting whom nothing is done in that river even by the European traders.

Lieutenant M‘Rae, hearing on his arrival of Major Peddie’s illness, and the little hope we entertained of his recovery, came forward with the most disinterested zeal, and told Captain Campbell that if his services were likely to be of any use to the expedition, he would readily accompany it; indeed he left Sierra Leone partly with that intention: and notwithstanding the great want of officers in that garrison at the time, and that he filled some very important situations, his Excellency, with that alacrity he had all along shewn to comply with whatever was calculated to forward the views of the expedition, most willingly agreed to his proceeding, should his services be required. After Major Peddie’s death, they were considered very acceptable, and he was immediately added to our number. He did not, however, long survive our lamented commander; he was attacked with fever, for the first time since his arrival on the coast, on the 13th of January, and died on the 21st, deeply regretted by us all.

The convalescents, and in which condition were nearly all the Europeans, being in a very debilitated state, were moved forward, under the care of Mr. Nelson, to the borders of the Foota country, on the Tingalinta river, whence they might be easily sent back were they not sufficiently recovered by the time the whole might have moved forward.

We left Robugga in the afternoon of the 1st of February, and after a most fatiguing march of four hours reached Harrimakona, a small slave village belonging to a Mandingo chief, named Kirra Mahomadoo, who lives near Kakundy.

On the morning of the 2d, Lieutenant Stokoe was added to the sick list, and being unable to render any assistance, rode forward to the Tingalinta. We left Harrimakona at two, P.M. and got on tolerably well until we arrived at a difficult pass in a wood, where those in front disturbed a swarm of bees, which made so violent an attack on both men and animals, that all were thrown into confusion. On my being made acquainted with the cause, I considered it a very frivolous excuse for allowing the horses and asses to run about in all directions, throwing off their loads; and was reprimanding the men for their carelessness, when I was attacked by so dense a swarm of those insects, that I was obliged to retreat, and suffer the mortification of exhibiting myself in the same predicament with those I had just been reproving. It was sunset before the bees dispersed, or we could collect the animals, many of whom suffered severely, from the bees getting into their eyes, ears, and nostrils; one of our best horses died on the spot, and some of the asses were unable to rise from the ground. We reached the Changêballê stream at nine o’clock, but the darkness of the night, and the difficulty of the passage prevented our crossing.

From the number of animals stung by the bees on the 2d, we were in a bad state for travelling on the morning of the 3rd; the third and fourth divisions, however, moved forward to the Tingalinta, leaving the second and first, which arrived about noon from Robugga, at the Changêballê, where we found it necessary to halt, until the arrival of some animals from the divisions in advance enabled us to move, in the cool of the evening, to the Pompo stream, where we passed the night.

The following morning, we started at eight, and at ten reached a fine stream, the Falgori, which we were more than an hour in crossing. The difficulty did not arise from the depth of water, but from the acclivity of the hill on the east bank, up which some of the animals could not carry their loads without the assistance of two men. After passing this hill we entered a barren rocky waste, over which we travelled, for nearly twelve miles, without meeting water.

We were here met by Mahomedoo Mariama, a messenger sent by Major Peddie from Senegal in the preceding August, with a letter to the Almamy or king of Teembo. He was accompanied by Abdul Hamed, one of Almamy’s brothers, and three other chiefs, with their wives and attendants. We reached the Tingalinta village at four, P.M. and encamped for the night on the east side of a hill overlooking the river. The men were all extremely fatigued, and, although we had only travelled thirty miles, we had all had four days’ hard work, in consequence of the difficulties of the path, and the accidents among our animals. The general appearance of the country we travelled over was extremely barren, and our course south-east. We found that the convalescents sent forward to the Tingalinta with Mr. Nelson, were still in a very weak state, and the scarcity of rice under which we laboured, tended to keep them so. We were in hourly expectation, however, of a supply from Kakundy. A little milk was all we could procure at the village which takes its name from the river, and contains about 100 inhabitants, principally slaves, belonging to Mr. Pearce, who has allowed them to settle there for the purpose of cultivation, and to keep up an intercourse with Foota Jallon. The rice, to the amount of ten men’s loads [ten cwts.], arrived on the 8th, and eight of those men, natives of the neighbourhood of Kakundy, were engaged to carry loads to Laby.

On the morning of the 9th, Abdul Hamed informed Captain Campbell it was Almamy’s orders, that a white man should be sent on in advance to Teembo, to explain to him the object we had in view in entering his dominions, and at the same time forbidding our nearer approach until he should be perfectly satisfied on that subject. I took the opportunity of offering my services to go with an interpreter, to make any arrangements with that chief which might be thought necessary, but Captain Campbell did not conceive it requisite to send an officer; and, therefore, despatched one of our native serjeants[2], who had been before employed by the governor of Sierra Leone on similar occasions. He left us on the 10th of February, and was accompanied by Abou Baccary, one of the princes in Abdul Hamed’s train.

In the evening, the animals and baggage were removed across the Tingalinta, which, at that place is about 110 feet wide and from two to three deep, with a bottom of small round pebbles. At a little distance below the ford was a swinging bridge, composed of cane and bark ropes, by which it was attached, at about twenty-four feet above the water, to the branches of the trees which grew on the banks, and afforded during the rainy season and periodical floods, a safe, though apparently slight and tottering, passage for people on foot.

SWINGING BRIDGE OVER THE TINGALINTA.

_Published Feb. 1825. by John Murray, London._]

We were in motion at three o’clock on the morning of the 12th, but the Kakundy people, who had been hired as carriers, refused to cross the Tingalinta, assigning as a reason that they were afraid of being seized, and retained as slaves by the Footas, who had some years before obliged them to quit that country, which formerly belonged to themselves. This delayed us a considerable time, and it was not until eleven o’clock that we left the ground on which we passed the night. The path by which we travelled was so extremely rugged and broken, that we had much labour and difficulty in keeping the animals from lying down under their loads. This arose from their not being shod, and from never having travelled on so hard a soil before; that in the vicinity of Senegal and Goree being a light moveable sand. On reaching a place where the path separates, one branch leading direct to Teembo, and the other to Laby, a halt was made until Captain Campbell came up, when, after some conversation between him and Abdul Hamed, he ordered us to follow that leading to Laby, in opposition to the advice of the prince. The reason assigned by Captain Campbell for his choice, was the expectation of the assistance of the chief of Laby, who had considerable power and influence in that quarter. At one, P.M. we passed a small stream[3] running north, and which, from the steep, rocky, and narrow nature of the path leading to and from its banks, occupied much time. At six, the rear reached the halting-place, which was situate on the ridge of a rising ground, about two miles east of the stream, but so extremely barren that we could not find, for a considerable distance round us, a single blade of grass for the animals. Here again some bees, that were flying about in search of water, fastened on the animals’ backs as soon as the pack-saddles were removed; but on this occasion, we applied some dry sand, which absorbed the profuse perspiration that evidently attracted the thirsty bees, and by this means we got rid of our troublesome visitors. Abdul Hamed made himself very useful during this day’s march, and on finding that we expressed ourselves sensible of his attention, he presented Captain Campbell with his bow and arrows, modestly insinuating that a musket in return would be most acceptable; and this was given him.

It was eight o’clock on the morning of the 13th, before the rear moved forward. We marched over a gently descending plain for a mile and a half, when we came to a small brook named Calling Ko. The asses were as usual stubborn, and evinced a most determined dislike to wet their feet, which caused us much trouble and loss of time. The country here began to wear a more fertile, or, rather, a less barren appearance. It was thinly sprinkled with large trees and shrubs, and produced an abundance of better grass than we had met before. We halted for the night at another small brook, a short distance from the Calling Ko, having abandoned during the day’s march six asses and one bullock.

On the following morning, we started at eight o’clock, and, in about twenty minutes, passed a fine brook called Sappacourie, running SSE. the path more rocky and difficult than before. At eleven we perceived, distant about a quarter of a mile to the right, a broad lake, thickly skirted with wood; it is called Silla Dharra[4]. At noon, we passed another smaller lake, and at one, P.M. arrived at the Cogan, a beautiful stream, which we crossed, and halted for the night on its eastern bank. It is about fifty yards wide, two feet deep, and runs rapidly to the north, over a rough stony bottom.

Though we were at work at three o’clock on the morning of the 15th, it was eleven before the last division left the top of the hill. The path led us over the most barren country I ever saw, until three, P.M. when we entered a rich valley, in which, at some distance to our right, stood a small town, the first we passed since we left the Tingalinta. At half after four, we arrived at the Serriwoomba, where we were obliged to halt, in order to cut a passage through the thicket of cane, which covered its banks. We were all so much fatigued that we could scarcely keep our eyes open; indeed many of the men fell asleep on the path. A few shots were fired, to apprise the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages of our arrival; and in about two hours, they made their appearance from different directions, bringing corn, rice, and pistacios for sale.

Both men and animals were so much exhausted, that it was found necessary to halt until the 18th, when we moved forward at eight, A.M. and, travelling east for about two miles up hill, we passed a deserted town, from which we continued marching on a level barren plain for six miles, and then descending gently for about four miles more, we arrived at the Kuling, a fine stream running NNE. We crossed it, and halted on its eastern bank for the night. We had scarcely unloaded the animals when the long dry grass to windward of our position was set fire to, and nothing but the greatest exertion on the part of the men could have prevented it from destroying the whole of our baggage.

It behoves travellers in that country to be extremely guarded in their choice of a halting-place, for the path generally lies through grass six or seven feet long, and so dry at that season, that the smallest spark of fire is sufficient to set it in a blaze for miles. One of our animals that had not come up with the rear, lay down with his load, within range of the burning grass, which soon communicated with some gunpowder, and blew the whole to pieces. On the morning of the 19th, we moved forward at eight o’clock. The first hour’s march lay along the side of a steep hill, rendered doubly difficult for the animals by being covered with small rough stones. At ten we descended to a plain, and crossed three small brooks, the first running NNE. and the two latter S. and by W. Several of the European non-commissioned officers and soldiers were so ill during this march, that they lay down under some trees on the path-side. I prevailed on two of them to move slowly forward, but the others requested to be allowed to rest until the cool of the evening. My own horse, and every animal in the division, were so heavily laden, that we could not afford them any assistance. At one, P.M., we began to ascend some rocky hills, where we were obliged to abandon three animals. At the bottom of those hills, we passed the dry bed of a rocky watercourse, and, shortly after, had considerable difficulty in crossing another of the kind, near which we halted, in a small valley by the side of a brook called Bontong Ko.

On the 20th, a messenger was despatched with small presents to Almamy and the men in authority about him, and to advise him of our approach. He was accompanied by a young chief, one of the prince’s suit, likewise the bearer of a message to the king from his brother. Finding it impossible, with the assistance of all the carriers we could procure, to move the whole of our baggage with any degree of regularity or safety, we decided on abandoning our two small field guns, with their shot and grape, and, having buried them about three feet beneath the surface, we made a fire, to conceal where the ground had been broken. By this means we got rid of three very heavy loads. Captain Campbell thought it better to dispose of them in that way than to make a present of them to Almamy, for although it was not likely he could make any use of them, yet the very circumstance alone of possessing such destructive engines, and of having received them from us, might induce those nations with whom he occasionally wages war (and through which we were likely to travel), to entertain unfavourable opinions of us.

When about to move on the forenoon of the 20th, the prince commenced a long palaver with Captain Campbell on the subject of our proceeding without giving him previous notice. It had never been done; and why he should have expected it on this occasion, was no less matter of surprise than his haughty language and deportment. After much conversation, little of which was relevant to the question, he consented to our moving, which we did at four, P.M., and ascending a steep hill, so closely covered with cane that we had more difficulty in passing it than any former part of our path, the dry leaves of the cane with which it was covered, rendered the ground so slippery, that the men with difficulty kept their feet; and that nothing might be wanting to complete our confusion, the Foolahs set fire to the dry grass and roots, in which the place abounded. We fortunately escaped without any injury, save the loss of two asses that lay down unable to move further. It was dark when we began to descend the eastern side of the hill, which, from the animals frequently falling, occupied two hours. We reached the Poosa, a small stream, at eleven, P.M., and encamped on its banks. Our want of the means of conveyance was every day, nay every hour, becoming more distressing; carriers could not be procured for all the loads of the animals that died or were abandoned; we therefore destroyed two of our tents and a large quantity of flints and musket balls.

The prince, observing Captain Campbell seated on a mat outside his tent, approached the spot, accompanied by one of his attendants, named Salihou, and, without further ceremony, seating themselves near him, began to destroy a portion of the vermin with which even royalty in that country is covered. They opened a conversation on the dangerous part of the country we were then in, and the difficulty of preventing the natives from robbing and otherwise annoying us, adding that we should not have left the Bontong Ko without consulting them.

Although we were aware that the object of all this was to induce Captain Campbell to make the prince a present, he nevertheless took no notice of them. Salihou then, taking hold of the prince’s trowsers (which, by the way, were in very bad repair), and holding them up, asked if it was a fit dress for the brother of Almamy to appear in before the white people? But even this failing to produce the desired effect, they closed the conversation, and, at the same time, their more disgusting occupation.

On the following morning, we left the Poosa at nine o’clock, and at eleven, entered a valley of great beauty and fertility. The light coloured sandy and rocky soil, which, with little variation, we passed over since entering the Foolah country, here changed to a rich dark mould; hills on all sides, rising gently one above another, and covered with large clumps of trees, bounded this luxuriant spot. Having passed it, we entered a deep gully, in the bottom of which the brook Lagoody runs to the NE. The path on both sides is extremely broken and rocky, forming a nearly perpendicular precipice of about one hundred and sixty feet; down which two of the animals, a horse and ass, rolled into the brook, and, strange to say, received little or no injury. We soon reached the plain of Parowell, where we encamped for the night. During this march, one of the Foolah carriers absconded with a portmanteau, containing several articles of value, and, although the prince sent one of his men in search of him, he effected his escape unmolested.

On the morning of the 23rd, we moved forward at eight o’clock. In half an hour we passed another deep ravine, and crossed a plain about a mile long, from whence the path continued along the side of a hill, rising to a ridge, of steep ascent; the east side being very steep, narrow, and rocky. It was so broken before the last division reached, that we were obliged to make much use of the pickaxe, in order to clear a passage for the horses, one of which fell over the precipice, and was much hurt. We continued descending, until we arrived at the Koba stream, running north, over a rocky bottom; here we encamped for the night. We were all much fatigued, and one of our sick, being unable to walk, was most cruelly treated by some Foolahs who were hired to carry him. They obliged him to walk to the Parowell, where, had he not met Mr. Stokoe, who lent him his horse, he must have sunk from weakness and fatigue. When he reached the camp, he was so much exhausted, that his pulse was scarcely perceptible, and he was covered with a cold clammy perspiration.

We left the Koba at eight o’clock on the morning of the 24th, and, passing some large unconnected lumps of rock of from five to twenty feet perpendicular height, crossed the Yangally, a small stream running to the east over stones and small gravel. Soon after, we entered a valley, which, although an apparent good soil, bore no marks of cultivation. It is bounded on the right by bold rocky cliffs, behind which, at no great distance, rise a chain of lofty mountains running SE. and NW. At two P.M. we crossed a small brook that joins the Dunso, and shortly after heard the noise of the waterfall, which we were informed was caused by the junction of that river with the Thoominea. At three, we reached the former, running with great rapidity to the NNW., and having crossed it at a ford about thirty yards wide, halted for the night. At about four miles NE. from our camp, was a lofty perpendicular rock of sand-stone, bearing a strong resemblance to the ruins of a cathedral.

We left the Dunso at half after seven on the morning of the 26th, and travelled through a valley bounded by lofty mountains and perpendicular cliffs of sand-stone. At eleven, we passed a small stream running E. by S., and in an hour after arrived at the Kankeenhang stream, running N. by W., where we encamped.

In consequence of some hesitation on the part of the prince to accompany us farther, until, as he said, a white man had visited Almamy, we halted at the Kankeenhang until the 2d, when, not being able to procure a sufficient supply of rice or other provisions, we moved forward, much against the advice of the prince, who plainly told us we were doing so altogether on our own responsibility.

A march of four hours, rendered extremely painful and tedious from the swampy nature of part of the path, and a no less number than fourteen streams crossed, brought us to the Panjetta river, which we also crossed, and halted on its east bank. Abdul Hamed, on seeing us cross the last, thought we were going to continue our march; and, although he had been told that such was not our intention, he would not allow the Foolah carriers to move their loads from the west bank. Our own men soon remedied the evil, much to the temporary annoyance of the prince, who, on seeing us encamp, expressed his regret at having doubted us. Our situation was now become truly alarming; a scarcity of provisions had existed for some days, and on the 3d the men had none at all: and as the prince could not be prevailed upon to allow our moving from the Panjetta, until the king’s sanction could be obtained, Captain Campbell determined on sending Lieutenant Stokoe, with presents to him and two of his principal chiefs, requesting permission to pass through the country without any further delay.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Member of the Council of Sierra Leone.]

[Footnote 2: William Tuft.]

[Footnote 3: Diudilicourie.]

[Footnote 4: A Mandingo word, signifying “a prosperous journey.”]