TRAVELS 
1N 
WESTERN AFRICA, 
IN THE YEARS 1818, 19, 20, AND 21, 
FRO)! THE 
RIVER GAMBIA, THROUGH W'OOLLI, BONDOO, GALAM, 
KASSON, KAARTA, AND 
FOOLIDOO, TO THE RIVER NmER. 
BY 
MA.JOR WILLIAM GRAY, 
AND THE LATE 
STAFF SURGEON DOCHARD. 
WITH A ~IAP, DRAWINGS, AND COSTUMES, ILT,UST RAl'IYE 
OF THOSE COUNTRIES. 
Quod si defieiant ,,-ires, audacia certe 
Laus erit in magnis, et volUisse sat est, 
'P.ROl'. 
LONDON, 
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE S'1'REET. 
MDCCCXXV. 
n 
WITH SENTIn!ENTS OF THE HIGHEST RESPECT 
AND THE MOST SINCERE GRATlTUDE, 
THE AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING PAGES 
HAS) BY PERMISSION, DEDICATED THEM 
TO THE 
RIGHT HON. THE EARL BATHURST, 
HIS UAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE 
FOR THE COLONIES. 
log 160 
! /Dc../ 1)T 3S"(P· C;;722.. 
PREFACE. 
IN offering to the public the following pages, it 
may be necessary to state the motives which 
operated to my acceptance of that important 
command, which it will be their business to 
disclose. Though not born in the camp, nor 
altogether educated in the field, I have beep 
early taught in that frankness which generally 
characterises the soldier, and, I trust, it will be 
found that, in all I describe, I have never devi-
ated from strictly acting on that honourable and 
faithful basis. 
I had reached the shores of Africa, in my tour 
of service, well remembering on my passage the 
labours and researches of the informed and the 
brave who perished in the exalted struggle of 
benefiting their country and the benighted 
Africans; while, at the same time, I could not 
help reflecting on the disappointing results which 
often attend the best directed human exertions. 
The brave and the ~cientific were gone; their 
country consecrated their labours, though par-
tially abortive; and the enterprising mind felt 
110 alarm in tracing tll€ir progress, while a chance 
viii PREFACE. 
remained of redeeming their fate by more suc-
cessful exertions. Greece and Rome alternately 
fought and conquered, and were subdued by 
arms, the short summary of most nations' his-
tory, while it remained for the British Govern-
ment alone to extend their empire through the 
enlightened agency of moral sway, of cfvil in-
stitutes, and Christian regmlations, and convey 
to the hapless, the neglected, and the enslaved, 
the highest blessings which can dignify, improve, 
or adorn man. 
Warmed with those feelings, I felt an honour-
able pride in being entrusted with a command 
to explore 'the uncuitivated regions of Western 
Africa. It was a task of peril, but the measure 
of danger was the measure of honour; and with 
a strong distmst of my own capacity I accepted 
the office of conducting the expedition. As 
soon as I became acquainted with its objects, it 
may be naturally supposed that I felt some un-
easiness; but such were the measures taken by 
a superior commander, now no more, that any 
insufficiency on my part was compensated by 
the wisdom of a gallant and enlightened officer. 
The objects of the mission were not the mere 
acquisition of territory, or the unfair advantage 
of commerce; they were the improvement of 
science, the enlargement of trade, and the con-
sequent diffusion of increased happiness to the 
I'REFACE. ix 
African population. The sceptic in relig'ion, 
and the would-be renovator of politics, may 
think differently on this subject; but every ra-
tional individual must feel that British life, 
British talent, and British treasure, would not 
be employed in such a quarter if there were 
not every wish to benefit and improve the COll-
dition of our degraded fellow creatures. 
In undertaking this mission I was not em-
ployed to create a fabulous history, or descIibe 
romantic scenery; I was employed to glean and 
collect facts; to effect discovery when it was 
possible; to Dote down nothing which might not 
lead to some useful result; and, in the end, to 
draw such honest inferences as will, I humbly 
venture to trust, be found throughout these 
pages. 
With the wisdom of all the previ0us plans 
adopted in exploring Western Mrica I have 
nothing to do, and for that in which I was en-
gaged, I only feel myself responsible as far as 
the resources placed withul. my reach. A dif-
ficult duty was assigned me; I attempted its 
execution; and, be the-results satisfactory or not, 
I can safely say that my best exertions wel'e in 
no case wanting to meet the views of those 
high authorities at home and abroad who COD-
fided its performance to me. If I have par-
tia11y failed, the failure is attributable to circll,m-
x PHEFACE. 
stances, which will be fully develDped in the 
sequel. I shall say nDthing Df my sufferings 
and privatiDns; but after all I have witnessed, I 
feel deeply impressed with the generDus senti. 
ments and wishes Df his Majesty's GDvernment 
tDwards all whO' need their aid, and I entertain 
a fervent hDpe that to' future travellers in Africa 
my humbIe endeavDurs may prDve a SDurce Df 
mDre ample success than it has fallen to' my IDt 
to' achieve. . 
I cannDt cDnclude, withDUt regretting the 
premature death Df my friend and cDmpaniDn 
Staff SUrgeDn DDchard, whO' but a few mDnths 
after my return frDm Africa, fell a victim to' the 
cDnsequences Df the sufferings and privatiDns he 
endured Dn the missiDns under the cDmmand Df 
MajDr Peddie, Captain Campbell, and myself. 
I particularly felt the want Df that assistance in 
preparing Dur several nDtes fDr the press, which 
he was SO' fully able to' affDrd me. The impDrtance 
Df his nDtes have nDt, hDwever, been altDgether 
IDst, thDugh they are still deprived Df much Qf 
that value which his recDnsideratiDn WQuid nO' 
dDubt have imparted to' them. Such as he left 
them, they are faithfully preserved, and have 
been used in the narrative with the same atten-
tiDn as my Qwn. 
w. GRAY, MAJDR. 
CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER I. 
Arrival of the Expedition at Senegal-Delay therc-A 
JIlessenger despatched to 'Sego- Departure from Sene. 
gal, and Arrival at the Rio Nun~z - Town of Talla· 
bunchia- Major Peddie's Death- Sickness of the ~i[en 
and Officers - Departure from Itobugga - Difficulties 
on the iliarch-Arrival at the Panjetta ......... ........ . 
CHAPTER II. 
Halt at ihe Panjetta- Return of Messengers sent to the 
Capital- His Majesty's Answer- Great Scarcity of 
Provisions-Another Messenger sent, with Presents to 
the King- Captain Campbell's interview lvith Orner· 
hoo Kano- Reports about tbe Intentions of tbe Expe. 
dition-Captain Campbell goes to see the King-Ar. 
rival of tbe Messenger from Sego-Captain Campbell's 
Return - No satisfactory Answer- Illness oftbe Offi. 
cers-Lieutenant Stokoe and MI. Kummer sent to the 
Coast- Captain Campbell decides on retracing his steps 
- Departure from the P anjetta- Arrival at Kakundy 
- Death of Captain Campbell-Departure for, and 
Arrival at Sierra ~eone-Description of Foota Jallon. 25 
CHAPTER III. 
Major Gray takes the Comm.nd- Departurc from Sierra 
Leonc.- Arrival at Bathurst St. Mary's-Occ~rrenccs 
xu CONTENTS. 
rAGE 
there - Departure for, and Arrival at Kayaye - De. 
scription of a tr ibe of wandering Foolahs-Description 
of Kayaye, th e surrounding Country, and Inhabitants 
_ Their Amusements, &c. - Visit to Katoha- The 
King's Visit to us - Arrival of Camels from Senegal 
-Our Guide's proposal respecting the path-My De. 
cision, and Reasons - Fatality among our Animals-
Arrival of Mr. Partarrieau from St. Mary's-Arrange. 
ments for Departure.. .. ... ... .. .... .............. ... ....... 43 
CHAPTER IV. 
The Expedition leaves Kayaye-Difficulty in procnring 
Water at J aroomy-Arrival and Halt at Coonting 
-Description of that Town and surrounding Country 
-Civility of the Chief-Departure from Coonting-
Deaths among the Animals, and difficulty of procuring 
Carriers-Arrival at tbe Wailea Creek-Attempt of 
some People to stop us-Pass the Creek-Cane Bridge 
-Attempt at Murder by one of our native Civilians, 
and his Desertion -Enter tbe Kingdom of Woolli-
Arrival at Madina, the Capital-Transactions and dif· 
ficulties there-Description of the Town, and the 
Mumbo Jumbo Ceremony-Departure from Madin., 
and theft by tbe Natives- Arrival at Kussaye. 63 
CHAPTER V. 
Departure from Kussaye-Pass througb tbe Simbani 
Woods-Loss of Camels-Ruins of Muntobe-Leave 
IIIuntobe-Arrive at Sansanding-Halt there- Our 
Woolli guides leave us-Discharge of Corporal Harrop 
-Arrival at Sabee, the first Tcwn of Bondoo-Loss of 
Animals-Opposition on the part of our Guides to our 
moving thence-Arrival at Loonchea-Death of the 
Camels-Supply of provisions from Almamy-Mr. 
CONTENTS. xiii 
Dochard sent in advance with a present to Ahnamy-
Departure from Loonchea- Arrival at Dachadoonga-
Difficulty and delay in carrying forward the Baggage-
Description of the Red Water, and its use-Arrival at 
Goodeerri - Mr. Dochard returns from the Capital-
.AJrival of Ahnamy's eldest Son- Tran~ctions with 
Almamy and difficulty in arranging matters with him 
- Departure from Goodeerri, and arrival at Boolibany, 
the Capital of Bondoo. ... ..... . .... ... ...... ................ 94 
CHAPTER VI. 
Description of Boolibany - Delays and Disappointments 
there - Scarcity of Provisions - D.~th of Private 
Pickard- llf y decision of passing the rains in the 
Country, and Departure for Samba Contaye to select 
a position for winter quarters-Arrival of the Expe-
dition from Boolibany- Mr. Pilkington and men left 
there sick-Death of Lieutenant Burton, and Sickness 
of the men- Preparations for Mr. Dochard's Depar-
ture for Sego--Ahnamy's Arrival near our Camp-
Difficulties about the Guide- Mr. Doehard's Departure 
- The Object of hi; Embassy - Mr. Parta"ieau's 
Departure for the Coast- Mr. Nelson's weak state 
-A regular Market established - Mr. Pilkington's 
Arrival from the Capital-Mr. Nelson's Death-My 
own Indisposition- Deaths among the Men- Extra-
ordinary Ceremony at the Killing of a Lioness-
Lion's Attack on the Horse- Account from Mr. 
Dochard- Return of the Messengers- Almamy's un-
just Conduct, and its Results ... . .... . .. .... .. . .. .. ....... 124 
CHAPTER VII. 
Unfortunate Affair at Samba Contaye- Almamy'. Deci-
sion-Purchase of a Slave-Arrival of the F rench 
xiv CONTENTS. 
Expedition at Galam-Mr. Pilkington's determina-
tion of leaving the Mission-His Departure for the 
Coast-Visit to the Senegal-Conversation with AI-
momy-Messenger sent to Mr. Doeharel-Fires at the 
Camp-Death of Almamy Amady ... ................. . 157 
CHAPTER VIII. 
Description of Bondoo-Extent-Boundaries-Face of 
the Country - Productions-Commerce -. Manufac-
tures-Government-Revenues-Religion, its influ-
ence on the Inhabitants-Their Description, Dress, aud 
Manner of Living-Military Equipments- Foree-
Mode of Warfare-Cause of War with Kaarta-Al-
mamy's sanguinary Conduct-Attack of the Kaartans 
on Boolibany, .................... . .................... ,...... 179 
CHAPTER IX. 
Message from Almamy - My Visit to Boolibany-I:>ub-
ject of Interview with him-His hostile Conduct and 
peremptory demand for my leaving Samba Cont.ye-
The Necessity of my . Compliance-Return to the 
Camp accolI)panied by an Escort -Preparations for 
the March-Departure for Boolibany-Arrival there 
-Almamy endeavours to make us enter the Town-
My Refusal, and Selection of a Position for the Camp 
-Return of my first Messenger to Mr. Doehard-His 
Misfortune and Failure-False Alarm at the Capital, 
and its Consequenees--Indecision of Almamy and the 
Chiefs ....................... .. ............... ... ..............• 208 
CHAPTER X. 
I 
Arri""l of Mr. Partarrieau from the Coast-Interview 
with Almamy-Arrangements ,vith, and Presents 
made to him _ His false and deceitful COllduct-
CONTENTS. xv 
My determination and Retreat from Boolibany-Dif-
ficulties on the iI'larch-Want of Water, and breach of 
oath on the part of our Guides-Enter Foota Toro-
Difficulties there·-My March to, and Return from 
Baquelle-Affair with the Foolahs-My Captivity-
Departure of the Party for Baquelle-My rusappoint-
ment on finding the Camp deserted-My own Return 
to Baquelle. ...................... .......... ........... ... 219 
CHAPTER XI. 
Description of the Plain of Hourey-Occurrences there 
_Departure and Arrival at Baquelle-UnfavouraLle 
Acconnts from Mr. Dochard-Kingdom of Galarn. 248 
CHAPTER XII. 
Report of Mr. Dochard's Arrival in Kaarta- My De-
parture for St. Joseph, and Meeting with Mr. D.-
Return to Baquelle- Messenger sent to Sego-Arrival 
of Fleet from St. Louis- Mr. D.'s Retnrn to the 
Coast, and my final Determination-Visit to St. Jo-
seph- Conduct of Almamy Bondoo- Return from 
St. Josep'h- State of Affairs at Baquelle-Depar-
ture from thence-Delay at St. Joseph-Assembly 
of Chiefs, &c. &c .... : .......................... 271 
CHAPTER XIII . 
Retreat from Kaarta-Difficulties and Annoyances there 
-Arrival at Fort St. Joseph-Delay and Occurrences 
at Baquelle-Return to the Coast-Arrival at Sierra 
Leone-Visit to the captured Negro Establishments ..• 323 
CONCLUSION ................. .. 337 
A PPENDTX ....... ...•..••. ....... , .. . .......•.•• •• •. ....• . . •••... 365 
PLATES. 
PAGT 
Frontispiece. Portrait of Boknri the Kartan Guide. 
1. Hut at Tallabunchia ..... ... . ... ........ . ' .... . ... ..... ... r; 
2. Swinging Bridge over the Tingalinta ..... .. ........... 12 
3. W",tdcring Foolah ............... .. . ... .. . ..... .... .. ....... 49 
4. Kongcorong, and Kaartan ceremonial dress. ...... ,.55. Cane Bridge over t he Wallin creek... .. .................. 36  
6. Madina, capital of Woolli.......................... . ........ 80 
7. Boolibany- Capital of Bondoo . . ...... .. ........ .. ......... 12G 
8. Mosque and Place of Assembly at Galam . ... .. .... ... 282 
9. Musical Instruments .... ......... ...... ... .. .... ........ ... 301 
M "'p to face t i tIe-page. 
Botanical drawings after page 396. 
N. B. For the nature and amount of presents, see Ap-
pendix. 
. ERRATA. 
Page 
26 For Turnbo reo:d Teembo. 
75 Sindey read Jindey, 
77 Sornkeys read Sonikeys. 
87 Mausafarra 1'ead Mansafarra. 
lOS , 85° 22'6". &c. 1'cad 14.0 10' 58 ", Thel1110met('f in shnde 100", 
' 235 Thumo read Thierno. 
264 Fahlme ?'end Fa~lemm e. 

TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 17 
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. 
Th~ first hour's march lay along the side of a 
steep hill, rendered doubly difficult for the ani. 
mals by being covered with small rough stones. 
At ten we descended to a plain, and crossed 
three smaIl brooks, the first running NNE. and 
the two latter s. and by w. Several of the 
European non.commissioned officers and sol. 
diers 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 for-
ward, 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 water-
course, and, shortly after, had considerable dif. 
ficulty in crossing another of the kind, near 
which we halted, in a small valley by th'e side 
of a brOOK called Bontong Ko. 
c 
18 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
On the ~Oth, 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 bear-
er 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 regu-
larity or safety, we aecided 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 Al-
mamy, for although it was not likely he could 
make any use of them, - yet the very circum-
stance alone of possessing such destructive en-
gines, and of having received them from us, 
might induce those nations "vith whom he ooca-
sionally wages war (and through which we were 
likely to travel), to entertain unfavourable opi-
nions of us. 
When about to move on the forenoon of the 
!l!Oth, the prince commenced a long palaver with 
Captain Campbell on the subject of our proceed-
ing without giving him previous notice. It had 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA . 19 
never been done; and why he should have ex-
pected it on this occasion, was no less matter of 
surprise than his haughty language and de-
portment. Mter much conversation, little of 
which was relevant to the question, he consent-
ed to our moving, which we did at four, P. lVf., 
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 fe~t; and that nothing 
might be wanting to complete our confusion, 
the Foolahs set lire 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 east-
ern side of the hill, which, from the animals fre. 
quently 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, be. . 
coming 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 seat-
e 2 
20 TRAVELS IN ,'\FRICA. 
ed on a mat outside his tent, approached the 
spot, accompanied by one of his attendants, 
named Saliholi, 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 con-
versation on the dangerous part of the country 
we were then in, and the difficulty of preventing 
the natives from robbing and otherwise annoy-
ing. 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 tIle white people? But even this 
failing to produce the desired eifect, 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 co-
loured 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 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. ~1 
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 seve-
ral 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 ~8rd, we moved for-
ward at eight o'clock. In h,~lf an hour we 
passed another deep ravine, and crossed a plain 
about a mile long, from whence tbe path conti-
nued 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 precipic~, and was much hurt. We 
continued descending, until we arrived at the 
Koba stream, running north, over a rocky bot. 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 
, tom; '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 ParoweIl, 
where, had he not met Mr. Stokoe, who lent 
him his horse, he must have sunk from weak-
ness 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 Q4th, 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, be-
hind 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 ofthat 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 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
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 ~6th, and travelled through a 
valley bounded by lofty mountains and perpen-
dicular 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, run-
ning N. by w., where we encamped. 
In consequence of some hesitation on the 
part of the prince to accompany us farther, un-
til, as he said, a white man had visited Almamy, 
we halted at the Kankeenhang until the ~d, 
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 halt-
ed on its east bank. Abdul Hamed, on seeing 
us cross the last, thought we were going to con-
tinue our march; and, although he had been 
told that such was not our intention, he would 
24 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
not allow the Foolah carriers to move their loads 
£I'om the west bank. Our own men soon reme-
died the evil, much to the temporary annoyance 
of the prince, who, on seeing us encamp, ex-
pressed 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. 
CHAPTER II. 
Halt at the Panjetta- RetuIn of Messengers sent to the 
Capital-His Majesty's Answer-Great Scarcity of Pro-
visions-Another Messenger sent, with Presents to the 
King- Captain Campbell's interview with Omerhoo Ka-
n<>-Reports about the Intentions of the Expedition 
- Captain Campbell goes to see the King- Arrival 
of the Messenger from Seg<>-Captain Campbell's Re-
tum- No satisfactory Answer- Illness of the Officers 
-Lieutenant Stokoe and Mr. Kummer sent to the Coast 
- Captain Campbell decides on retracing his steps- De-
parture from the Panjetta- Arrival at Kakundy-Death 
of Captain Campbell-Departure for, and Arrival at 
Sierra Leone- Description of Foota Jallon. 
WHEN Lieutenant Stokoe was about to move, 
on the morning of the 4th of March, Sergeant 
Tuft and Abou Baccary, the messengers sent 
to the king from the Tingalinta, made their ap-
pearance, and informed Captain Campbell that 
having delivered the presents, and made known 
to his majesty the purport of their message, he 
told them that he could not permit us to pass 
through Foota JaUon until he had consulted his 
chiefs, to whom he could not address himself 
on the subject before Captain Campbell thought 
fit to make them suitable presents: the messen· 
gers also said, it appeared that many unf11V0ur. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
able reports, respecting the objects of the expe-
dition, had been made to the king, who never-
theless expressed himself well disposed towards 
us, and said he should be extremely sorry if any 
thing unfortunate happened to us in his terri-
tories. 
The arrival of those messengers, and the re-
sult of Tuft's interview with the king, rendered 
it necessary, in Captain Campbell's opinion, 
that Tuft should return to Turnbo in the place of 
Lieutenant Stokoe. A dispute now arose be-
tween Salihou, who was to have accompanied 
the latter, and Abou Bacary, as to which of them 
should be Tuft's companion. The latter insist-
ed that Almamy directed him to attend all mes-
sengers from ' Captain Campbell, and the for-
mer, knowing that whoever went must receive 
some present, urged his claim with much obsti-
nacy. It was at length determined that both 
should go, in consequence of the prince 'not 
wishing to entrust Abou Bacary with his com-
mands. Although from Salihou's conduct we 
could not expect him to report very favourably 
of us, yet he had been so troublesome, and his 
wife, a sister of Almamy's, so beggarly and im-
portunate, that we were glad to get rid of them. 
We were now in the district of Laby, the chief 
of which (who, as before stated, has much in-
fluence in the country) sent one ~f his head men, 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. P.7 
named Mode.Duran, to remain with US, and 
prevent our being imposed on by the natives of 
the surrounding villages. 
Sergeant Tuft, being furnished with large 
presents for the king, and a host of chiefs, mi • 
. nisters, and favourites, left us on the 5th, to 
meet his majesty at Pappadarra, a village near 
Laby, where he was assembling his army, for 
the purpose, as was reportl~d, of invading the 
Gaba country, on the southern bank of the 
Gambia. We were reduced since our arrival 
at the Panjetta, to a very small daily allowance 
of provisions, and from which there appeared 
no prospect of relief, at least as far as we could 
foresee; a pint of rice between four men was 
our usual ration, and even that scanty pittance 
failed us on the evening of the 6th. 
In tbis state we could not have remained long; 
and although we were daily enabled to purchase 
eno~lgh from the natives to keep body and soul 
together, yet our sufferings were great indeed. 
The health of the Europeans was rendered 
worse than it had been, in consequence of their 
eating unripe fruit, and even that they could 
. not procure in sufficient quantities to satisfy 
their appetites. 
On the 7th, a chief named Omerhou Kano 
arrived at our cJmp, and having seated himself 
with all pomp imaginable under a tree at a 81}ort 
28 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
distance from it, where he was surrounded by 
his followers to the number of three hundred 
armed men, sent to summon Captain Campbell to 
appear before him. This was complied with, 
when, after the usual compliments, he stated 
that he had been sent by Almamy to ascertain 
and make a faithful report on the state and num· 
bers of the expedition, and the objects it had in 
view in entering the country, which he said the 
king suspected had all been misrepresented by 
the former messengers. This he repeated several 
times, and concluded by advising us to wait 
with patience until he returned to Almamy, 
when arrangements agreeable to our wishes 
would be effected. He left us on the 8th, after 
having examined with the most scrutinizing cu· 
riosity every thing in or about our <camp. 
Every day brought us some messenger from the 
king, but none of them were the bearers of any 
satisfactory answer. One stated that we were or-
dered to return to Kakundy, and another, that 
the king had received a letter from Mahomedoo 
Mariama, informing him that our object in en· 
tering the country was the subversion of their 
religion, for which purpose we had provided, 
ourselves with machines that could kill at any 
distance, and that we were accompanied by one 
hundred large dogs, each able to fight one hun-
c1rec11uen. These, with other similar reports, 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 29 
were in circulation; but it is scarcely possible 
that a being of the most ignorant and unsophis-
ticated nation on earth could believe them. 
On the 18th, Sergeant Tuft, who was still at 
the king's camp, sent Brahima to inform Captain 
Campbell that as' there did not yet appear any 
probability oLobtaining permission to proceed, 
he recommended that he should himself see Al-
mamy, with as little delay as ,possible; and' it 
appearing to Captain Campbell, as well as all 
the other officers, that some decisive answer 
should be obtained from the king, he. left the 
camp on the morning of the 16th, accompanied 
by MI'. Partarrieau, ~nd four men (natives) with 
a train of carriers, amounting in all to about 
eighteen persons; they were soon followed by 
the prince and his' suite. They had not gone 
long when we received a letter from Lamima, 
the messenger sent to Sego £i'om Senegal in 
1816, apprising us that he, together with some 
men from the king, were on their way to meet 
us. It was time that some decisive step should 
be taken: onr animals were dying fast; provi-
sions were extremely scarce; and the wet sea-
son had that evening set in, .by visiting us with 
a heavy shower of rain, which lasted , for an 
hour, and proved that our huts were ~ot calcu-
lated to secure us from a wetting. 
Captain Campbell did not retU1"n before the 
30 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Q7th, and then without having obtained any 
very satisfactory answer from Almamy, whom 
he met at a village called Dhoontoo, on the eve 
of commencing a campaign against some of the 
neighbouring chiefs. He said, . that being 
obliged to lead the army himself, and consider-
ing his reputation at stake for our safety, he 
could not allow us to proceed during his ab-
'sence, which would not be long, and as he un-
derstood we had lost the greater number of our 
animals, he had given directions that we should 
be provided with men to carry our baggage to 
Woonde, a town near Laby, where we were to 
await his return. On the following morning, the 
prince returned, accompanied by Sergeant Tuft 
and thirteen carriers, which not being near half 
the number required, having lost eighty-five ani· 
mals since we left Robugga, the prince said 
the remainder would soon follow; and imme-
diately ordered all strangers, except Foolahs, to 
quit the vicinity of our camp. The object of 
this we could not ascertain, but it deprived us 
of many persons whom we had found extremely 
useful in collecting provisions for the party. 
In this state we remained until the 7th of 
April, when we were for a moment inclined to 
think that a sufficient number of carriers would 
be furnished us, by the arrival of another party 
of men for that purpose, but we were much SUI"-
TRAVELS IN AFI\ICA . 31 
prised and disappointed to find, that on the fol-
lowing day, not only those, but the thirteen who 
came with the prince, had decamped ·without 
any previous notice of such being their inten-
tion. Abdul Hamed despatched one of his fol-
lowers, on the 9th, to recal them, but as they 
did not obey the summons,~he sent, on the 
lOth, to request Almamy to issue fresh orders 
concerning them. 
Brahima, who had been absent froll} the camp 
for some days, watching Almamy's manceuvres 
(by Captain Campbell's orders), returned and 
informed us that many debates had arisen, 
and various proposals been made with respect 
to what conduct they should pursue towards the 
expedition. Some of the chiefs proposed plun-
dering us, to which Almamy would not consent, 
but said we should pay well before he would al-
low us to pass. A third party insisted that the 
country was already polluted by the presence of 
so large a body of Cafirs*, and that their offence 
against the will of their prophet, in allowing us 
to pass, with such valuables as we possessed, to 
their enemy, the king of Sego, who was himself 
a Cafir, would be much aggravated. By this it 
was evident that the general feeling on the sub-
ject of our going to Sego, was not favourable, 
• Infidels. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
and that if we should succeed at all, it would 
probably be at a period when the advanced state 
of the season must render our doing so ex-
tremely difficnlt, if not wholly impracticable. 
Our situation was daily becoming more alann-
ing; provisions were Rot only scarce, but al-
most impossible to be procured even in small 
quantities, and at exorbitant prices; and sick-
ness increased rapidly since the rains set in. 
Captain Campbell, Lieutenant Stokoe, and Mr. 
Kummer were added to the list since the l~th ; 
the two latter continued to decline until the 
~6th, when, seeing no chance of their imme-
diate recovery, they were prevailed on to return 
to the coast. Mr. Kummer left us on that 
day, and Lieutenant Stokoe on. the ~8th. The 
mode adopted for their conveyance (for they 
were unable to ride) was cradles, or long bas-
kets of cane, at . each end of which was a loop, 
or long handle, for the purpose of receiving a 
pole, that served the same use as the pole ofpa-
lanquins, and supported a curtain to defend 
them from the rays of the sun. Two men could 
easily carry one of these with a person of ordi-
nary size in it, but, in order that no delay 
should arise from want of carriers for them-
selves or their baggage, five accompanied each. 
On the ~d of May, Lamina, accompanied by 
one of the chiefs, named Abou Hararata, and 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 
a long train of attendants, came to the camp, 
and informed Captain Campbell that Almamy 
sent them to say he had given permission to La-
mina, in conseqnence of his being the messen-
ger of the king of Sego, to conduct us through 
the country by whatever path he chose, and 
had also given directions to Aboll Hararata to 
collect carriers for the conveyance of our bag-
gage. This, however plausible in words, was not 
acted upon, and as nothing could be obtained 
from them but promises which they never in-
tended performing, with the view of detaining 
us until the state of the country, occasioned 
by the rains, would prevent us moving in any 
direction. Captain Campbell, who was himself 
very ill, came to the decision of retracing his 
steps to the coast, and made known the same to 
Almamy, who sent us word that, although we 
were returning, it was not his desire that we 
should do so, as his country was open to us 
in any way we wished. This was his last effort 
to detain us, but, finding it would not answer, 
he ordered that we should be provided with 
carriers. 
It was not, however, until the 18th of May, 
that a sufficient number were collected, and even 
then, we found so much difficulty in putting 
them to their work, that we were obliged to 
D 
34 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
hold out to them promises of large rewards on 
their arrival at Kakundy. 
Our retreat was by far more painful and dif-
ficult than our advance; the carriers required 
more attendance than even the fatigued and sulky 
asses; and what with the sick men and officers, 
my time and ~xertions were so completely taken 
up, that I found myself, on the ~Oth of May, in 
a state that rendered me unable, however will-
ing, to afford myself the assistance, so many 
others wanted from me. 
From that date to the 1st of June, I remained 
in a state of insensibility to the objects around 
me, and was conveyed, in a basket similar to 
those already described, to the house of Mr. 
Bateman, where, on coming to my senses (an 
event which those about me did not expect), I 
was informed of Mr. Kummer's death, and the 
departure of Lieutenant Stokoe for Sierra Leone. 
Captain Campbell, who, although a little bet-
ter than I was, still continued very weak, wished 
on the 10th to proceed down the river, for the 
purpose of hiring a vessel to convey the expe-
dition to Sierra Leone, but he was in that state 
which I conceived must, in case of his moving, 
prove of serious consequence, and I therefore 
persuaded him to remain quiet, and send Mr. 
Nels'ou in his place. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 35 
On the 12th, I again visited him, and was 
sorry to find him worse, so much so, that he 
could not speak to me, and so debilitated that 
I much doubted the possibility of his recovery. 
My fears were unfortunately but too well 
grounded; he breathed his last on the following 
morning, sincerely regretted by every indivi. 
dual of the expedition. We deposited his re-
mains on the 14th, by the side of those of his 
highly-valued' friend and companion, Major Ped-
die, amidst the tears and lamentations of all 
present, and which were greatly aggravated by 
the painful recollection of the untimely death of 
our former and much-beloved commander. 
Thus ended the mortal career of two (US tin-
guished officers, who, in the prime of life, and 
scorning a state of inactivity at home, entered on 
an enterprise 0f the most difficult and truly for-
lorn nature; and who, by their anxiety and exer-
tions for the advancement of the arduous ser-
vice committed to their care, fell early victims 
to that inhospitable climate, leaving their bones 
in the sands of Africa, a sad memento of their 
o\"n melanch01y fate, and of the unfortunate 
issue of the expedition under their command. 
To express my own feelings on that occasion, 
would, indeed, be impossible; the service lost 
a gallant officer, and I lost a sin~ere friend. 
D2 
36 TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 
The sick, who were left at the Panjetta, 
joined us in safety, and, in order to avoid starva-
tion at Kakundy, and to obtain that relief and 
rest of which we were all so much in want, we 
sailed immediately for Sierra Leone, where we 
did not arrive until our provisions were nearly 
exhausted, and then, with the loss of two men 
and nearly all our remaining animals. 
On landing at Free Town, his Excellency Sir 
Charles M'Carthy omitted nothing that could 
tend in any way to relieve our wants and suffer-
ings, and it is with particular satisfaction that I 
take this opportunity of offering my grateful ac-
knowledgments for his marked kindness and at-
tention to myself. 
Lieutenant Stokoe, on whom the command 
then devolved, as soon as he had recovered from 
the effects of his late illness and fatigues, al-
thotlgh in the depth of the rainy season, set out 
by the Port Logo path, with the intention of 
going to Teembo, in order to enter into arrange-
ments, i£possible, with Almamy, and obtain from 
him hostages for the free and unmolested pas-
sage of the expedition through his country to 
the Niger. In this, however, he failed, and re-
turned to the colony, to wait uritil the ensuing 
dry season would admit of his endeavouring to 
penetrate by some other route; but he, like his 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 37 
predecessors, was not doomed to see his projects 
realized, and died at Sierra Leone, after a few 
days' illness. 
FootaJallon, of which Teembo is the capital, 
is a country of considerable extent, lying be-
tween the Sierra Leone and Gambia rivers. When 
it was in the possession of the aboriginal inhabit-
ants, the Jallonkeas, it bore the name of Jallonk, 
which has been gradually softened into Jallo, to 
which was p~efixed the name of Foota, signify-
ing together the Foolahs of Jallo, or Foota Jal10. 
The Jallonkeas are now subject to the Foolahs, 
who conquered the country, under the direction 
of a family from Massina, consisting of the fa-
ther, two sons, and a few followers. One of 
the sons was a Mahomedan priest, and gradually 
gained such iufluence among the Jallonkeas, 
that he converted many of them to his own 
faith, and by means of his wealth (of which he 
is said to have possessed much), strongly at-
tached them to his interest. A few years en-
abled them to make so many converts to their 
religion, and their riches procured them so much 
favor, that they planned and carried into exe-
cution the subjugation of the Jallonkeas, at least 
of such as would not embrace the Mahomedan 
faith; and the usurpation of the supreme go-
vernment of their country, the first exercise of 
which was, to oblige those who still adhered to 
38 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
-paganism, to pay them a yearly tribute or qnit 
the country which had for ages been their own. 
From that .family is descended the present 
Almamy. Karamoka . Alpha was the first AI-
mamy ofTeembo, and was surnamed Moudoo, or 
the great, being at the same time acknowledged 
as the chief Iman and defender of their religion. 
He was succeeded by his son, Yoro Padde, sur-
named Soorie, at whose death the regal power 
was assumed by Almamy Saadoo, who was de-
posed by Ali Bilmah and Alpha Salihou, and to 
whose sanguinary intrigues he afterwards fell a 
victim. Salihou was next proclaimed king, and 
distinguished his reign by a succession of pre-
datory excursions against several Cafir or pagan 
tribes of the neighbouring states, many of whom 
he destroyed, plundered, or rendered tributary. 
He was succeeded by Abdulahi Ba Demba, who, 
having a dispute with Ali Bilmah, sent him in 
irons to Bondoo, where he vainly thought lie 
could not injure him; but Ali Bilmah contrived 
to keep up a secret communication with his 
friends, and was eventually instrumental in re-
moving his tyrannical sovereign from the throne, 
which was next occupied by Abdoolghader. Ba 
Demba then retired to Toogumba, a village at 
some distance north-west of Teembo, and, with 
the assistance of a few friends, assembled an 
army for the purpose of attempting to regain his 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 39 
crown, which Abdoolghader on his side prepared 
to defend; for which purpose the latter marched 
with a large army to give Ba Demba battle and 
decide the affair. The latter, aware of his own 
inferiority in point of n"umber, retreated; but, 
being pursued and overtaken by his enemies, 
was killed, together with one of his sons. In 
an affair which then took place on the banks of 
the Tingussoo river, his second son would have 
shared the same fate, had he not been protected 
by Abdoolghader, who considered himself se-
cured in his possession of the crown, by the 
death of the father, and he has reigned unmo-
lested to the present time. 
The Foolahs, according to their own account, 
have had possession of Foota Jallo for about 
sixty years. The government is of a mixed 
kind, partaking more of the nature of a republic 
than a monarchy, and is composed of the states 
of Teembo, Laby, and Teembee, with their 
dependencies. Almamy, although he has the 
chief power, cannot decide upon any thing of 
importance to the country without the consent 
of those chiefs, each of whom has a voice in 
the cabinet. 
The religion is Mahomedan, and so strict is 
their observance of its ceremonies that they pray 
regularly five times every day, and should any 
one be prevented, by unavoidable engagements 
40 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
from attending to his devotiQ]:)s at t he stated 
periods, he must compensate for it by repeating 
the whole ceremony the exact number of times 
he omitted it. 
Their manufactures are the same as those of 
Bondoo, as will be described hereafter. The ve-
getable productions are indigo, cotton, rice, 
maize, yams, cassada, shalots, and pompions; and 
their fruits are oranges, I emons, plantains, ba-
nanas, tamarinds, and nittas, or the locust fruit; 
the latter is a kind of mimosa, very much resem-
bling the tamarind tree. The flowers or blossoms 
are produced at the extremities of the branches, 
and are succeeded by pods similar to those of a 
garden bean, with the exception of their being 
from nine to twelve inches long, and one broad; 
each pod contains from nine to twelve black 
stones, resembling those of the tamarind in size 
and shape, but are enveloped in a fine farina-
ceous powder of the appearance of sublimed sul-
phur. Its taste is not unlike liquorice-root pow-
der, and, when mixed with milk, affords a very 
palatable and nutritious diet; and although some 
of the men, who swallowed the stones of this 
fruit, were affected with sickness at stomach, 
bad as our situation was from the scarcity of 
provisions, it would have been exceedingly ag-
grav.ated, had the nittas not been ripe before we 
left the Panjetta. 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 
The men are of the middle stature, well-
formed, very active and intelligent, and are 
dressed nearly in the same manner as those of 
Bondoo; the cap is of a different form, and most 
frequently made of scarlet eloth; they wear 
sandals, and usually carry a long cane or spear. 
Thus equipped they strut about, with all the air 
and affected dignity -of men of the first conse-
quence. They are characterised by a high de-
gree of cunning, duplicity, self-interestedness, 
and avarice; to gratify which they are neither 
deterred by shame nor fear. This renders it ex-
tremely difficult for strangers to guard against 
the crafty devices they have recourse to in all 
their dealings of whatever kind, or to elude the 
rapacious advantages they are always on the 
alert to take of them, either by imposition or 
tl1eft. 
The women are good figures, have a lively and 
graceful air, and prominent features, much re-
sembling the European. They are at great pains 
to preserve their teeth of a pearly white, by 
constantly rubbing them with a small twig of the 
tamarind tree, which is an admirable substitute 
for the tooth-brush. They are, like all other 
African females, extremely fond of amber, COl-aI, 
and glass beads, which they bestow in profusion 
on their heads, necks, arms, waists, and aneles. 
The commerce of Foota JaUon may be di-
42 'fRA VELS IN AFRICA. 
vided into two heads; namely, first, that in 
slaves, now nearly extinct, at least as far as ex-
portation is concerned, in consequence of the 
constant surveillance of the British cruisers on 
the coast, and the unremitted exertions of the 
government of Sierra Leone to lead the people 
of that country to a more intimate connexion 
with the colony, and a more valuable employ-
ment of their time, in cultivating and bringing 
into our market there the other productions of 
their own and surrounding countries, which may 
be considered as the second head under which 
their commercial pursuits can be classed. The 
Rio Nunez and Pongas, which were formerly 
infested by slave dealers and their emissaries, 
are now freed from the odious burden of such a 
party, and those who still retain factories there, 
although they would smile at the revival of that 
unnatural trade, see so little prospect of its ever 
again being open to them, that they begin to 
think of other and less nefarious means of 
amassing wealth. 
CHAPTER III. 
Major Gray takes the Command- Departure from Sierra 
Leone- Arrival at Bathurst, St. Mary's- Occurrences 
there--Departure for, and Arrival at Kayaye--Dcscrip-
tion of a tribe of wandering Foolahs- Description of 
Kayaye, the surrounding Country, and Inhahitants-
Their Amusements, &c,- Visit to Katoha-The King's 
Visit to us- Arrival of Camels from Senegal- Our 
Guide's proposal respecting the path- My Decision, and 
Reasons-Fatality among our Animals- Arrival of Mr, 
Partarriean from St, Mary's-Arrangements for Depar-
ture. 
SUCH was the state of the expedition, when, in 
the month of November, 1817, I volunteered my 
services to conduct it. Mr. Dochard, who was 
second in command, had been despatched some 
time before, on board a transport to the Cape 
Verde Islands, to procure animals, and from 
thence proceed to Bathurst, St. Mary's, river 
Gambia; but although Mr. Stokoe had packed, 
previous to his death, and sent forward with that 
officer, a part of the baggage, much yet remained 
at Sierra Leone in a confused state, the arrang-
ing and packing of which, 'together with select-
ing from amongst the men who composed the 
former expedition, such as were both willing and 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
able to proceed on a second attempt, and equip-
ping them, occupied so much time that it was 
not before the 14th of December, 1817, that we 
sailed, on board the colonial brig Discovery, 
from Sierra Leone for the Gambia. 
We had been but a week at sea, when we for-
tunately found that the casks, which contained 
the water for our use, and that of eleven 
horses, were in so leaky a state that a few days 
more would have left us without a drop. This 
obliged us to put into the Isles des Loss, wbere, 
with the assistance of a Mr. Lee, then resident 
there, we soon remedied the evil, and again put 
to sea. 
A strong north.west wind, and a heavy sea, 
opposed o~r progress for several days, and, as if 
all things combined to retard us in the very first 
stage of our proceedings, the brig sprung a leak, 
and nearly carried away her mainmast in a squall. 
In this state, with constant work at the pumps, 
we were kept out until the 18th of January, 
when we reached Cape St. Mary's, with only 
one day's half allowance of water on board. Our 
horses (one of which died) were reduced to the 
very last stage of want, having subsisted, for se-
veral days, on a little rice and biscuit dust, with a 
very small quantity of water. 
On landing at Bathurst, St. Mary's, I found 
Mr. Dochard had arrived there from the islands, 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 45 
where he could not procure more than ten 
horses and six mules, and he was in such very bad 
health, and apparently so ill calculated to under-
go a second series of the exposures, privations," 
watchings, and disappointments incident to such 
a service, that I almost despaired of his being 
able to accompany me. 
Re had, a few days before my arrival, de-
spatched Ensign Pattoun a second time to the 
islands, in order to procure if possible a few 
more horses. 
I proceeded myself to Goree, to endeavour 
to obtain a few of any description at the towns 
on the opposite main. I so far succeeded as to 
purchase seven horses, and was fortunate enough 
to meet there fifteen camels that had been pur-
chased at Senegal, by Governor M'Ca,rthy's or-
ders, for the use of the expedition, and had ar-
rived there the day only before I intended leav-
ing it. 
On my return to the Gambia, I found Ensign 
Pattoun had arrived, having purchased eighteen 
horses; but as we had not yet a sufficient num-
ber, I sent Ensign Burton, of the Royal African 
Corps (who had volunteered to accompany the 
mission), up the river, to try if any could be pro-
cured there. I was, in the mean time, enabled _ 
to collect a few on the island, and having de-
spatched Mr. Nelson on the 16th of February, 
46 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
and made all the necessary preparations, we left 
Bathurst oh the Srd of March. 
On our voyage up the river, we called at 
Tendebar, where we were enabled to pur-
chase 'three small horses. I also landeCl at Ka-
wour in.the Salum country. The ground for some 
distance in the vicinity of this town, bore the 
marks of cultivation, but at that season was com-
pletely destitute of verdure; the soil, which was 
a mixture of brown mould and light-colored 
sand, appeared good; a few small onions were 
the only vegetable I observed growing, and 
those were regularly watered morning and even-
ing. 
The town is a considerable one, and may con-
tain from 500 to 800 inhabitants. Their huts 
are composed of cane reeds and long dry grass, 
and are very neat and comfortable. The natives, 
who are a mixture of Jaloffs and Soosoos, are a 
peaceable inoffensive race, and are chiefly en-
gaged in trade, except when the approach of 
the rains summons them to the corn and rice 
grounds. 
We lost one of our native soldiers in conse-
quence of a slight cut in the hand, which caused 
mortification; the existence of which, and of 
cold spasms and rigours, deterred Mr. Dochard 
from performing amputation. . 
The country in the immediate vicinity of the 
TRAVELS IN AFR1CA. 47 
river, is very low, and bears the evident marks 
of inundation during the rains. It is much 
wooded, some of which is large, and no doubt 
fitted for general use. 
The hippopotamus and alligator are to be 
found in great numbers in the river, -and are 
hunted by the natives, who make use of their 
flesh as food, and consider it a delicacy. The 
river swarms with a great variety of fish, but the 
natives are either unacquainted with the proper 
mode of taking them, or too indolent to take 
advantage of so valuable a supply, at least to 
the extent they might. 
Soon after leaving Kawour, I went on shore 
on the right bank of the river, with the inten· 
tion of walking to Yani Maroo, accompanied by 
Lamina, and two of my men armed. At about 
half a quarter of a mile from the water.edge, 
we came to a range of hills, running parallel 
with the river. On ascending them, I found they 
were flat on the top to a considerable distance, 
and covered with wood and long dry grass; 
they were composed of a red compact clay, light 
sand of the same colour, and large masses of 
red sand·stone. At the foot of one of the hills 
forming this range, I observed some small huts, 
in the vicinity of which was feeding a herd 
of black cattle, but I could not discern any 
people. I therefore descended to the huts, 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
where I found an old man, the only person 
there. He, with much apparent apprehension 
for his own safety, desired me to keep off, which 
requisition he seemed determined to enforce, 
for he laid hold of his bow, and snatched up 
one of a few arrows that were lying at his side 
on the ground. By means of my interpreter, I 
endeavoured to explain to him his fears were 
without cause, and that chance only, not inten-
tion, led us to his retreat. This, however, did 
not convince him; he still desired us to keep off. 
A little tobacco, and a few beads, in exchange 
for which we requested some milk, induced him 
to think more favourably of us. It was, neverthe-
less, with much difficulty I convinced him of his 
error, and prevailed on him to go in search of 
his companions, who, on om approach, had ran 
into the woods, driving their cattle before them. 
In about fifteen minutes, he returned, and in a 
few more, the whole tribe made its appearance. 
The women and children, however, could not 
be induced to approach nearer than three hun-
dred yards of us. Their numbers did not exceed 
four men, as many women, and ten or twelve 
children; the latter totally naked. They are of 
a dark copper colour, and belong to the Dhyan-
gele tribe, the chief of which resides in a wilder-
ness of three days' journey, lying in latitude 14° 
and 15°, between the kingdoms of Joloff and 

TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Bopdoo. There they always remain during the 
rains, at which time they find a sufficiency 
of pasturage and water for their cattle, but are 
obliged to wander in search of both after Janu-
ary; the banks of the rivers are their last re-
source. Their appearance is extremely filthy 
and poor. They subsist chiefly on milk, a little 
corn, which they obtain in exchange for butter 
when in the vicinity of towns, and such game 
as they can kill. 
Their only furniture consists of a few mats to 
lie on; some wooden bowls and calabashes, and 
a few leather bags; the latter serve them as 
churns, and to carry water in when encamped 
at a distance from where it is to be found. 
Their dress is very plain, being nothing more 
than a piece of cotton cloth, about two and a 
half yards long and three quarters wide, wrapped 
round the waist, and descending a little below 
the knees, with another of the same kind thrown 
over the shoulders. The men wear a cotton 
cap besmeared with grease, to which is some-
times added, by way of ornament, the end of a 
cow's tail, died blue or red. Like all other pa-
gans, they are very superstitious, and wear a 
great number of grigres, or charms, round 
their necks, arms and legs. They are inordi-
nately fond of red cloth, which they make use 
of in covering those charms. Their weapons are 
E 
50 TUAVELS IN AFRICA. 
long spears, bows and arrows, and occasionally a 
long gun. They are good . marksmen with all 
these, and seldom throwaway a shot; but this 
arises more from the difficulty they find in ob-
taining powder, ball, and small shot, than from 
any .dislike to miss their mark. 
We also visited the town of Yanimaroo. It is 
beautifully situated at a short distance from the 
river-side, on an elevated spot, thinly sprinkled 
with large shady trees of the mahogany kind, 
and interspersed with evergreens and other 
shrubs, and a great number of that kind of palm 
from which is extracted the palm wine. 
The greater proportion of the inhabitants are 
pagans; a few, however, profess the Mahome-
dan religion, retaining many of their pagan su-
perstitions. The latter are much respected, and 
enjoy a considerable degree of influence over 
their unenlightened brethren. The soil about 
Yanimaroo is a light yellow sand, mixed with 
stiff clay of the same colour, except whel'e there 
are groves of palm trees, and then it is invariably 
a dark, rich" vegetable mould, mixed with a 
light red or white sand. 
There are, on the banks of the river, a little 
above Yanimaroo, a great number of the self. 
consuming tree. We never saw any of them 011 
fire, nor yet smoking, but their appearance would 
lead a person to suppose they had been burnt. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 51 
On our arrival at Kayaye, we landed our 
men, animals, and baggage, and encamped on 
an elevated spot between the river and the 
town, which are distant from each other about 
half a quarter of a mile. 
Mr. Bellaby, a British merchant resident 
there, accommodated us with a large mud 
house, which served at the same time as quarters 
for the officei's, and a store for some of our bag. 
gage. 
Kayaye is but a very small and insignificant 
village, and is remarkable for nothing but its si. 
tuation, . and the residence of a Mulatto lady, 
who possesses considerable influence in the 
country. The town does not contain above fifty 
huts; its inhabitants are all either relatives to, 
or dependants on Madame Eliza. Tigh, whose 
name the place takes, being called by the na. 
tives Tigh Cunda, or the town of Tigh. The 
people of Kayaye, and the neighbouring towns, 
are a mixture of Mandingoes and Sonsolis; the 
former from a conntry in the interior so called, 
and the latter from the south bank of the 
river. They are chiefly engaged in trade and 
agriculture, and are a very shrewd active race, 
subject to the king of Katoba, and professing the 
Mahomedan religion; but I believe the greater 
proportion of them do so, not from any religious 
motive, but in 9rc1er to ensure to themselves that 
E2 
52 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
protection which the followers of Mahomet in-
variably meet with, wherever they go in their 
trading excursions. Caravans fr9m the interior 
frequently stop there, on their way to the settle-
ments on the coast, and dispose of their goods 
to the masters of some of the small trading ves-
sels from St. Mary's, or to the native merchants, 
who carryon at that place, and the towns lower 
down the river, a very considerable trade in 
gold, ivory, and bees' wax; in exchange for 
which they receive fire-arms, powder, I ndia-
goods, coral, amber, glass beads, iron, tobacco, 
rum, and cutlery. 
The dress of these people is far from being in-
elegant or inconvenient: the men wear on the 
head a white cotton cap, very neatly worked 
with different coloured silks or worsteds; a close 
shirt of white cotton, with short sleeves, next 
the skin, covers the body from the neck to the 
hips, and is surmounted by a very large one of 
the same materials, with long loose sleeves, not 
unlike a surplice; this descends below the knees, 
and is embroidered, in the same way as the cap, 
about the shoulders and breast. The small-
clothes, which are very roomy above, descend 
about two inches below the knee, where it is 
only sufficiently large not to be tight. This part 
of their dress is generally blue. They wear their 
hai r cut close; and make use of none of the 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
grease or rancid butter of which the Joloff men 
are so lavish. Sandals or slippers protect their 
feet from the heat of the sand, and from thorns; 
and complete the catalogue of their wardrobe. 
The dress o( the women is neither so decent 
nor so clean. The body, from the waist upward, 
is almost always naked, except when enceinte, 
in which case a sort of short chemise, without 
sleeves, covers the neck and stomach. They 
plat their hair neatly into a profusion of small 
braids, but are so lavish of butter or palm oil on 
them and their skins (which are generally of a 
very fine black) that they cannot be approached 
without experiencing the very unpleasant effects 
of such anointings, rendered doubly ofItmsive by 
the addition of profuse and constant perspira-
tion. 
The huts and yards of these people are ex-
tremely clean, and, although small, are compa-
ratively comfortable. The walls of both are, for 
the most part, composed of split cane formed 
into a sort of wicker work resembling hurdles. 
The roofs of the former are conical, and covered 
with long dry grass, fastened on with a small 
line made from the inner bark of the monkey-
bread tree. On the whole, their houses have a 
very neat appearance. 
The amusements of these people are confined 
to dancing and music, which take place almost 
54 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
every fine evening at a late hour, in the centre 
of the village, where, when the m.oon does not 
afford them light! a large fire is made for that 
purpose. 
The young of both sexes, dressed in their 
gayest attire, attend on these occasions; a ring 
is formed by them Slnd the spectators, and the 
former dance in regular succession by pairs. 
The instrument which accompanies this dance is 
called a ballafo *, and affords better music than 
might be expected from such rude materials; it 
is composed of cane and wood, in the following 
manner. A frame, three feet long, eighteen 
inches wide at one end, and nine at the other, is 
made of cane, split very thin, and supported at 
the corners, about nine inches from the ground, 
by four upright sticks of nearly an inch diame-
tel'; across this frame are laid twenty pieces of 
hard wood, diminishing in size in the same pro-
portion progressively, from one end to the other, 
as the frame to which they are slightly attached 
with thin twine. Under each of these cross 
pieces, is suspended an empty gourd, of a size 
adapted tv the tone of note required, having a 
hole in the part where it comes in contact with 
the st~ck, and another at the bottom; the latter 
is covered with a thin piece of dried sheep's gut. 
'" See figure I , plate 9. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA . 55 
It is played on with two small sticks, by a man 
who sits cross legged on the ground, and is ac-
companied by one or more small drums. 
I also observed here a sort of amusement, or ra-
ther inquisitorial exhibition, called by the natives 
Kongcorong. It was thus: a man, covered from 
head to foot with small boughs of tl'ees, made his 
appearance in the afternoon near the town, and 
gave notice to the young women and girls that 
he would pay them a visit after sunset. At the 
appointed time he entered the village, preceded 
by drums, and repaired to the assembly place, 
where all were collected to meet him with the 
music and singing. He commenced by saying 
that he came to caution the ladies to be very 
circumspect in their conduct to~ards the whites, 
meaning the men of the Expedition, and related 
some circumstances, with which he said he was 
acquainted, little to their credit :-but, as it was 
his first time, he would neither mention names, 
nor inflict the usual punishment, namely, flog-
ging. He, however, would take advantage of 
the first opportunity which they would be impru-
dent enough to afford him. 
All he said was repeated by the girls in a · 
sort of song, accompanied by the music and 
clapping of hands. Everyone who had any 
thing to fear from his inquisitorial authority, 
made him a present; and I observed that not 
56 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
one of the girls withheld this proof of their fear 
of his tongue, or of their own consciousness of 
guilt. He remained with them until near mid-
night. 
An instance of the manner in which the 
young men of that country obtain wives, also 
came under our observation. One of the inha-
bitants of the neighbouring villages, having 
placed his affections, or rather desires, on a 
young girl at Kayaye, made the usual present of 
a few colas to her mother, who, ~thout giving 
her daughter any intimation of the affair, con-
sented to his obtaining her in any way he could. 
Accordingly when the poor girl was employed 
preparing some rice for supper, she was seized 
by her intended husband, assisted by three or 
four of his companions, and carried off by force. 
She made much resistance, by biting, scratching, 
kicking, and roaring most bitterly. Many, both 
men and women, some of them her own rela-
tions, who witnessed the affair, only laughed at 
the farce, and consoled her by saying that she 
would soon be reconciled to her situation. 
Soon after our arrival at Kayaye, we paid a 
visit to the chief, or, as he is there called, the 
king of Katoba. He resides at a town of that 
name distant from Kayaye about twenty miles 
north. The road or path to it lies over a flat Ull -
cultivated country thinly covered with brush 

TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 57 
wood and stunted trees. The soil, for the most 
part, is an ocre.coloured clay intermixed here 
and there with small fragments of ferruginous 
stone, which, in several places, makes its appear-
ance above the surface in the form oflarge rocks. 
Some small eminences are entirely composed of 
this rock, which the natives say contains a large 
proportion of iron, but, from the facility the river 
affords them of procuring an abundant supply 
of that metal from the English merchants, they 
do not now think it worth the trouble of extract-
ing. The blacksmiths of the country say, that 
it is more malleable than English iron, and better 
suited to all their wants, were the process of ob-
taining it not so difficult. 
The king received us hospitably, and, on being 
made acquainted with the purport of our visit, 
promised every protection and assistance he 
could afford us, adding thnt when/wer we wished 
to proceed on our journey, he would furnish 
us with a guide to W ooill. 
On our way to this town, which is a walled 
one, of no very great extent or respectable ap-
pearance, we passed only two small villages, one 
of which is about a mile from Kayaye, and is 
solely inhabited by Mahomedan priests (bush. 
reens). 
From the very great want we were in of a 
sufficient number of animals, to transport our 
58 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
baggage, in consequence of the death of all our 
camels and some of our horses, since our arrival 
at Kayaye, and the difficulty, nay impossibility, 
of procuring a supply there, we had determined 
on leaving behind us a large proportion of it, 
and moving without delay; for which purpose 
it became necessary to open the greater number 
of the packages, to select the most valuable ar-
ticles. This had scarcely been begun, when Mr. 
Partarrieau, whom I had sent from Bathurst to 
Senegal to purchase camels, arrived, bringing 
_ intelligence that he had despatched a moor, 
named Bon-ama, from that place before he had 
left it, with ten camels and five horses, whom I 
might expect to see in a few days, as he was 
coming by the shortest land route. from Senegal, 
namely, through Kayor and Salum. 
All preparations being made, we only waited 
the arrival of Ron-atna., who not making his ap-
pearance on the 15th, I began to apprehend that 
some accident had happened, either to himself, 
or the animals. The 17th, however, brought him 
to Kayaye,"having had two of his horses killed 
by lions, and been obliged to leave two of the 
camels sick at a village about fifteen miles fi'om 
us. His arrival at that moment was particularly 
fortunate, as it enabled us to take forward the 
whole of our baggage, and a good supply ofr ice, 
which we had just fecei vecl from St. Mary's. 
TRAVEL'S IN AFRICA. 59 
On the 18th, the king, whose presence we had 
requested, in order to make him a present, ar-
rived, accompanied by about fifty people, armed 
with guns 3Il1d spears. He was himself mounted 
on a most wretched animal in the shape of a 
horse, and was attended by a troop of drums 
and singing people (Jallilceas), making a most 
hideous attempt at instrumental and vocal mu-
sic, intended to inspire their royal master with a 
high idea of his own dignity. 
In a few minutes we went to see him; he 
was seated in a small hut, surrounded by his 
followers, but the place was so crowded and in-
tolerably hot (not to say any thirig of the 'impu-
rity of the air) from tobacco smoke, and other 
vapours, that we were obliged to request he 
would move to one of our huts. This being done, 
we mentioned to him our intention of leaving 
Kayaye in a few days, and requested that he 
would appoint a guide to conduct us to Medi-
na, the capital of W oolli. He made some objec-
tions, of an irrelevant nature, but at length con-
sented, in consid@ration of a present, amounting 
toabout one hundred bars in baft, muslin, coral, 
amber, tobacco, searlet cloth, and a pair of pis-
tols. He was drunk and extremely vociferous. 
The interview, however, terminated amicably, 
and his majesty was present at a dance which 
the inhabitants of the village brought forward 
6Q TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
in honour of his arrival, and in order to amuse 
him. 
We had seen several of the chiefs of Western 
Africa, both moors and negroes, but never saw 
_any so wretchedly poor and unlike what he in-
tended to represent as this man; he is intole-
rably fond of rum, and would be for ever drunk -
if he could obtain the means of being so; his 
last demand was for ' two bottles of it, which I 
gave him. He left us on the 19th, in a state of 
excessive inebriety, as were most of his follow-
ers. 
Aware of the great respectability Bon-ama, 
in his character of Mahomedan priest, would 
enjoy in all the countries in the interior, and of 
his having before offered his services to Gover-
nor M 'Carthy, we endeavoured to prevail on him 
to accompany us to Sego, Tombuctoo, or fur-
ther, but it was not without much difficulty and 
objection on his part, together with the pro-
mise of a very large reward, that he could be 
induced to do so. He, however, at length agreed, 
in consideration of a recompense of five ' ]mn-
dred pounds British, to accompany us to Tom-
buctoo or Jinne, but no sum, however large, 
or other advantage, he said, would induce him 
to go further. He made it a previous article in 
his agreement, to be allowed to return to Cayor, 
to arrange some private affairs, and promised to 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 61 
Jom us in Bondoo. We did every thing in Ollr 
power to induce him to give up this point, but to 
no effect: itwas his sine qua non. We bought a 
camel from him, and hired two moors, who came 
along with him, to conduct and have the care 
of those animals as far as we went. 
Lamina, our Sego guide, told us, on the 
20th, that it was now time he should inform us, 
that as he was sent by the king ofJ3ambarra, to 
conduct the expedition to that country, he felt it 
his duty to say, that the road leading through 
W oolli, Bondoo, Kasson, and Fooledoo, was 
the only one in which he thought it safe to 
take us, as there were, in all those countries, 
people belonging to his master waiting to es· 
cort us; that he had himself received from those 
in Bondoo, a horse to ride,; and six asses to 
carry his baggage. As there appeared nothing 
in this request but what was fair, and, as we 
conceived (in case of any t:nforeseen delay, we 
should be obliged to make a halt during the 
rains), that Bondoo, from its high situation and 
its vicinity to the river Senegal, would be most 
advantageous for that purpose, we acceded to 
his proposal, and were moreover induced to take 
this step in consequence of the very high and 
upright character we were taught, by Mr. Par. 
tarrieau, who had been before in that country, 
to entertain of Almamy Isata, the king: the reo 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
suIt will prove how much our informant was 
himself deceiv.ed in his opinion ofthat man, and 
how little confidence can be placed in any in-
formation but that obtained by the most strict 
self observation, in all matters connected with 
this unfortunate country. 
Our means of transport decreased daily; we 
had lost since the 2d, one camel, one mule, and 
four horses, and there was no possibility of pro-
curing any at Kayaye; the camels left on the 
road by Bon-ama, had not yet come up, although 
we had despatched a man to bring them. Every 
thing, however, being ready, we fixed the .25th 
for our departure. 
63 
CHAPTER IV. 
The Expedition leaves Kay.ye-Difficulty in procuring 
Water at J aroomy-Arrival and H alt at Coonting-
Description of tbat Town and surrounding Country-
Civility oftbe Chief-Departure from Coonting-Deaths 
among the Auiml'ls, anel difficulty of procuring Can'iers 
-Arrival at tbe Wallea Creek-Attempt of some People 
to stop us-Pass tbe Creek-Cane Bridge-Attempt at 
lVIurder by one of our native Civilians, and his Desertion 
-Enter the Kingdom of Woolli- Arrival at Madina, 
tb,e Capital- Transactions and Difficulties there-De-
scription of tbe Town, and thelVIumbo Jumho Ceremony 
- Departure from lVIadina, and theft by the Natives-
Arrival at Kussaye. 
THE first division * left Kayaye on the morning 
of the 27th, at seven o'clock, and the second 
and third t followed immediately after. I did 
not myself leave Kayaye until evening, in ex-
pectation of the arrival of the camels. This not 
taking place, I moved forward, with the part of 
that division which was ready, and left M'r. 
Partarrieau, with two loads, to await the arrival 
of those left b:hind by Bon-ama, and to follow 
me as soon as possible. We travelled along 
nearly east at the rate of two miles an hour over 
~ Having twenty-two animals' loads. 
-I' With nineteen each. 
64 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
a flat country thinly covered with baobabs, ta-
marinds, rhamnus lotus, and other fruit trees, 
within a short distance of the river; between us 
and which lay a low tract of land, annually inun-
dated, where rice is cultivated by the natives 
when the water retires after the periodical rains. 
About nine, P. M., we reached a small village, 
called Jaroomy, where I found that Mr. Doch-
ard had halted the front divisions in order to 
await our coming up. During this short march, 
one of the horses died, and another was left be- • 
hind, unable to move . 
. Here difficulties began to present themselves; 
the chief of the village refused to allow water to 
be drawn from the wells, without receiving 
payment for it, to which Mr. Dochard, very 
prudently, would not submit, sending the ani-
mals to the river, which was distant about two 
miles. This convinced the fello!" that he was 
wrong; and he came in the evening to apo-
logize, by saying, that he was afi-aid the wells 
would be run dry by us. He was told his ex-
cuse was a bad one, and his conduct was such 
as would prevent us fi-om giving him any thing. 
The country, for some distance round this 
village, has the marks of cultivation; there were 
some extensive cotton and indigo plantations; 
and, although no rain falls at that season, they . 
looked green and well. The soil, though sandy, 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. .65 
appeared good, and well fitted to produce all 
tropical grains, vegetables, &c. in perfection. 
We left Jaroomyat six o'clock on the 26th, 
and travelled east over a gently ascending coun-
try, beautifully wooded, until half-past seven, 
when we came to a small town called Jonkacon-
da, inhabited by Bushreens, and very prettily si. 
tuated on a little hill under the shade of some 
few large trees, somewhat resembling the horse 
chestnut, except that the trunk is covered with 
large sharp protuberances in the shape of thorns. 
It produces a quantity of silky cotton, in pods 
of an oval shape, about five inches long and 
four in circumference; these burst when ripe, 
and contain each about half an ounce of this 
cotton. The natives do not make any use of it ; 
they prefer the common cotton, from which they 
manufacture all their clothes. There the path 
turned a little to the south of east, and led us 
over a country similar to that already men-
tioned, with this difference, that the wood was 
rather closer. 
At half after eight, we reached another small 
village (Lemaine), the chief of which, a good. 
looking young man, was very civil, and made us 
a present of some palm wine, in return for which 
we gave him three bars in amber beads, &c. 
He paid' us a v.isit at our bivouac under some 
shady trees. He was attended by about fifteen 
F 
66 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
people, preceded by a Jallikea, singing man, 
vociferating the praises of his master, who, al-
though very communicative and good-humoured, 
did not seem to have a mean idea of himself. 
The river is distant from this village a mile 
and a half, ssw. 
After a few hours' rest to the men and ani-
mals, and of which all were much in need, par-
ticularly the horses, we moved forward at two, 
p. M., and reached Coonting at half after five, 
all much fatigued. We passed two small vil-
lages, likewise, at the foot of some hills, and dis-
tant from each other about two miles and a half. 
Their general appearance was extremely neat 
and comfortable, and the ground about them ap-
peared well cultivated. Some large enclosures 
of cotton and indigo, were extremely well-look-
ing, and shewed much regularity. The path, 
for the most part of the way, was extremely 
narrow and inconvenient, in consequence of the 
closeness of the wood, which is low and stunted, 
the soil being a mixture of dark red sand, and 
small iron stone gl'avel, large masses of which 
rose above the surface in all directions. The 
face of-the country was, in general, covered 
with low wood, except in the vicinity of the 
towns, where it has heen cleared, either for the 
purpose of cultivation or for fuel. 
Coonting is a considerable town, partly sur-
TRAVELS IN AFIlICA. 67 
rounded with a mud wall, about six feet high. 
It is in three divisions, each separated from the 
other by a clear space of about two hundred 
yards, in which stand some fine large evergreen 
trees, in whose shade the natives spend the 
most part of the day, engaged in conversation, 
playing a game somewhat resembling draughts, 
at which they are very clever; and sleeping, a 
very general recreation in that country. Here 
also is held the assembly of the head men and 
chiefs, when any matter of importance requires 
their attention. Each of those divisions is go-
verned by a head man, who is under the con-
trol of a chief, subject to the king of Katoba. 
The town is pleasantly situate in an extensive 
plain, and bears the .marks of cultivation to a 
considerable distance, surrounded on all sides, 
except the sw., by gently rising hills, covered 
with wood. The town is plentifully supplied 
with water of a good quality, from wells nine 
fathoms deep, at the bottoms of which is a stra-
tum of solid rock. 
Here we decided on waiting the arrival of 
Mr. Partarrieau with the camels, as the place af-
forded an abundance of forage and water for 
the animals, and an opportunity of procuring a 
small quantity of rice, pistacios, cassada, and 
slnall beans, for ourselves. The chief priest of 
the town paid us a visit, making a present of a 
F~ 
68 TRAVELS IN AFIUCA. 
fowl and two bottles of milk, or, as they call it, 
giving us service, that is a complimentary visit, 
which we returned in the evening. We found 
him seated in a large circular mud hut, sur-
rounded by about twenty-five boys, from the 
age of seven to fourteen, learning to read and 
write Arabic. The Koran was the only book 
from \vhich they wei'e taught, and their educa-
tion was generally considered completed when 
they could read and expound any :passage in 
it. The most of the people there are Mahome-
dans. 
The old gentleman received us kindly, and 
conducte~ us to the Alcaid, or chief, a venera-
ble looking old man, who, on our informing him 
of the object of our travelling . in his country, 
said that he perfectly recollected seeing Mr. 
Park when he last went to the east, but was ex-
tremely sorry fo hear he never returned to his 
own country, a fate which he prayed to God 
might not be ours. vVe made him a small pre-
sent, and one to the priest, for which they ap-
peared very grateful. Two of the European 
and one of the native soldiers had attacks of in-
termittent fever this day, but were nevertheless 
able to come on. 
Mr. Partarrieau joined us in the afternoon, 
bringing with him only one camel; the other 
having died before it reached Kayaye, he was 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 69 
obliged to hire men to carry that proportion of 
the baggage left behind, which was intended as 
a load for it. 
We left Cootlting at four o'clock on the morn-
ing of the 28th, and travelled east. Two of 
the horses were unable to rise from the ground 
this morning, and were left to their fate. At 
about a mile from Coonting, we entered a 
thicket composed of underwood and cane, which 
was so close that we were obliged to cut down 
the branches and some trees, for a considerable 
distance, in order to admit of the camels pass-
ing with the loads. The face of the country 
begins to rise here considerably, and to be di-
versified by hill arld dale- the former high and 
covered with wood, and the latter apparently 
very fertile. The soil, too, changed from light 
sand to a hard yellow clay, intermixed with 
sman quartz pebbles. For about two miles the 
road led us over hilly and broken ground within 
a few yards of the river side. 
At mid-day we reached a small walled town, 
Kolicorri, but which had such a wretched ap-
pearance that we were deterred from halting 
at it; we therefore continued our march ESE. 
about two miles further, when we arrived at 
Tandicunda, a very respectable town, defended 
by a strong stake fence interwoven with thorny 
bushes, and wholly inhabited by Bushreens. Two 
more of the horses gave up during this march, 
70 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
and were left on the path in a dying state. To 
transport the loads of those animals we were 
obliged to hire carriers, a sufficient number of 
which we had much difficulty in procuring. 
Our own men were obliged to assist. The town 
of Pisania, which formerly stood within a short 
distance of Tandicllnda, was then a heap of 
ruins, having been some years since abandoned 
by Mr. Amsley, in consequence of the annoy-
ance he frequently experienced from the people 
of Bondoo and Woolli. Its situation was ex-
tremely beautiful, being close to the river-side, 
on an elevated spot shaded with large trees, and 
most conveniently placed for commercial pur-
poses. 
We left Tandicunda at five o'clock on the 
morning of the 29th, and travelled to the east, 
over a country beautifully diversified, to Samee, 
a small walled town containing about a hun-
dred and twenty huts. The inhabitants are 
Sonikeas or PagaM. Dyeing with indigo is here 
carried on to some extent. About a quarter 
of a mile to the south-east, by a small creek 
or branch of the Gambia, its water good and 
plentiful, we halted, under a large tree, which 
afforded the most grateful shelter to all from the 
excessive heat of the SUllo One of our moors 
had so severe an attack of remittent fever as to 
be unable to keep up; one of the native civi-
lians was left with him. 
TRAVELS IN AFRfCA. 71 
When the intense heat of the sun had dimi-
nished in a small degree, we again moved for-
ward to the ENE. over an open and well-culti-
vated country. 'Ve saw, at a short distance, on 
the right of our path, a Foolah encampment. 
Some of the women and children, the latter en-_ 
tirely naked, came close to the path, and stared 
with astonishment at our white skins, and not 
less so at the camels, which appeared to excite 
much wonder. The animals were much fatigued, 
and many of them in a very weak state. We 
arrived at Jindey, a small village situate on an 
eminence, within less than a quarter of a mile 
west from the Wallia Creek. Here we halted 
under some large trees south of the village, for 
the night, having travelled to-day about fifteen 
miles. We had scarcely placed the teBtmills, 
and retired to rest, when one of our guides came 
from the village to say, that a number of Foo-
lahs had just arrived there, and from some part 
of their co'nversation he had overheard, he was 
inclined to think they had an intention of en-
deavouring to steal some of our horses during 
the night. Had such really been their wish or 
not, I canI!ot say, but the morning arrived with-
out any attempt of the kind being made. It was 
more than probable our guide only circulated 
such a report, in order to make his attention to 
(mr interest appear to greater advantage, and 
TRAVELS I N AFRICA. 
which he, ' naturally enough, supposed would en-
title him to, or at least, induce us to give him, an 
adequate reward. 
The chief of Wallia (a province of Katoba, 
but over which the king has little control ) 
lives about five miles south of this place. As he 
was a person of some consequence in the coun-
try, and might be of use, we sent him our com-
pliments, with a present of eight bars in tobacco, 
amber, and beads, and, having made the chief 
of Jindey another, we moved towards the Creek 
at six o'clqck on the morning of the 30th, but 
had not proceeded one hundred yards, when 
. the horses in front were stopped by some people, 
stating that they were sent by the Wallia chief, 
to say, that unless we would pay him his regular 
customs, in the same way as the vessels which 
ascend the river on trading voyages, we should 
not be allowed to proceed. We laughed at the 
idea of three or four men saying they would not 
allow us to pass, and told them we had already 
despatched a messenger to their master, with a 
present, and to which we would make an addi-
tion of four bars for themselves. This was not 
sati'sfactory enough, and they again insinuated 
that we should not move until the chief himself 
should arrive. We ordered the whole to halt, and 
the men to load their muskets; we asked where 
were those people who wished to dispute our pas-

TR.~VELS IN AFRICA. 73 
sage? None appearing, we moved on without 
further molestation to the Creek, which we 
reached in about twenty minutes. The tide 
was nearly full, but still running up at the rate 
of about a mile per hour.  
. There is over this creek, which is about two 
hundred and sixty feet wide, four feet deep, with 
clay and mud bottom, a can~ bridge, supported 
by two rows of forked stakes, on which are laid' 
cross pieces; these are covered with small 
pieces of Bamboo, which, further strengthened 
by being interwoven with the smaller branches 
of the cane, affords a safe, though shaking pas-
.sage-for two or three people on foot. The banks 
of the creek are covered with a kind of man-
grove, some acacias, and a great number of the 
mimosas. Having unloaded the animals, and led 
them through the water to the opposite side, the 
men waded across, carrying the baggage on their 
heads, which was completed without any acci-
dentin about an hour. From the eastern bank, 
where we halted to cook dinner and give the 
men an opportunity to wash their clothes, I had 
a very good view of the bridge, the village, and 
the sl1l'rounding country; the latter, though 
much parched from the total want of rain for 
many months, and the almost continued in-
fluence of the dry ' east wind, accompanied by a 
scorching sun, .has not altogether lost its ver-
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
dure. Great numbers of evergreen trees and 
shrubs, afford a pleasing and refreshing relief to 
the eye, wearied from beholding a light coloured 
sand reflecting the rays of a vertical sun unob-
structed by clouds. The thermometer stood at 
97' in the shade, open air, and at 80' in the water, 
which is very muddy, though sweet and good. 
There were fish in the creek, for I saw them 
i"ise. We do not know what species, but from 
the skeleton of one which had been devoured by 
a hawk, we concluded some of them to be cat-
fish. 
This creek joins the Gambia about five miles 
from where we crossed it, and is navigable for 
boats to twice that distance above the bridge, 
where, on both sides of it, are situate towns 
with which an advantageous trade in all the pro-
ductions of the couLltry might be carried ori. 
At half after four, the object of our halt being 
effected, we marched for Pakeba, distant three 
miles and a half, where we arrived at six, and 
halted for the night. The whole distance from 
the creek to this town is well cultivated; some 
enclosures of cotton and indigo had a flourishing 
appearance. The town is a small one, contain-
ing about one hundred and fifty huts, and de-
fended by a strong mud wall, seven feet higll, 
and a stake fence outside. The inhabitants are 
Sonikeas or Pagans, and are subject to Katoba, 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 75 
at least nominally SO; for in Africa, the further 
a town is removed from the capital, the less con-
trol the king has over it, and, in almost all 
cases, those towns are exclusively governed by 
their own chiefs. 
Our animals were daily diminishing in num-
ber, and there had not as yet appeared any op-
portunity of replacing them; four horses died, 
or were abandoned as useless, since our depar-
ture from Tandicunda, and many more would, 
I feared, soon follow. We had, however, but 
not without much difficulty, procured a few 
carriers from among the natives; and some of 
our own native soldiers and civilians took for-
ward that part of the baggage for which we 
had no other means of conveyance. 
One of the men from the Wallia chief came 
to o-ur bivouac in the evening, and told us that 
his master was extremely sorry for what had 
taken place in the morning, and particularly so, 
as his people had no orders to that effect; he 
had only sent them to reqnest that we might re-
main at Sin dey until ten o'clock in the forenoon, 
at which hOllr he intended coming to pay us his 
respects. 
We were enabled here to purchase two bul-
locks, together with a small quantity of rice and 
corn. The former cost fourteen bars each; value 
about one pound sterling. 
76 TRAVELS IN AFR1CA. 
We left Pakeba on the 1st of May, at six in 
the morning, and travelled NE. by E. until 
nine, when we reached Sandoo Madina. T he 
path good, over a sandy soil, mixed with small 
iron-stone gravel, thinly covered with thorny 
underwood and dry grass. Two more horses 
were abandoned at Pakeba, as useless, and one 
left behind on the path. Onr moor continued 
very unwell. In addition to fever, he had a very 
severe pulmonic attack, and on the whole s6 
weak, that I almost despaired of his recovery. 
At three in the morning, previous to 'leaving 
Pakeba, we were alarmed by screams, appa-
rently of some person in agony. We imme-
diately repaired to the spot, accompanied by 
some of the watch. There we found the wife of 
Yarra Comba, one of the native civilians from 
Sierra Leone, weltering in her blood, having re-
ceived three very severe wounds on the head 
from her husband, who, exasperated at her re-
fusing to desert with him (a step, he told her, 
he was about to take), and fearing, we supposed, 
that she would give the alarm, after thus bru_ 
tally attempting to seal her lips, by taking her 
life, made his escape; in accomplishing which 
he succeeded, being favoured by a dark night, 
and an intricately wooded country. 
The wounds appeared to be all but fatal; the 
exterior membrane of the brain, was visible in 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA . 77 
one of them, and the other two were very deep. 
'When every attention in the dressing, &c., had 
been paid, and I found that there was no hope 
of getting hold ofthe savage who inflicted them, 
I sent her to the chief of the town, to whom we 
gave ten bars for her support, until she might 
be able to return to Kayaye. As an inducement 
to make this man act kindly to her, we gave 
him a further sum of ten bars for himself, and 
offered a handsome reward for the apprehen. 
sion of her husband. 
About three miles before we reached this 
town, we observed some stones of curious form 
and composed of red sand.stone, in which -were 
encrusted small silicious pebbles. They had 
much the appearance of broken pillars; some 
were standing upright, and others lying flat on 
.'the surface. From the space inside them, and its 
form, which was an oblong square, we are in· 
clined to think they must, at some former pe. 
riod, have supported a roof. The larg~st of 
them is as four feet in circumference, and seven 
feet high. 
Sandoo Madina is a very small walled village, 
inhabited by Jomkeys, and is subject to Katoba, 
but more immediately under the control of the 
Wallia chief, who is himself nominally subject 
to the former. This subjection is however not 
easily defined: a slave running away from one 
78 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
finds an asylum with the other, who (on both 
sides) does not hesitate to acknowledge his hav-
ing kept him in despite of the other's remon-
strances. 
At a short distance to the NW. is a small un-
walled Bushreen town called Coota Cunda; the 
water good a.nd plentiful, and every appearance 
of extensive cultivation. 
We received a visit from the chief of Jam-
baroo, a small independent province of Jaloff 
W oolli, situate about fifteen miles north of this 
village. We bought from him a small strong 
hone for eighty-five bars ill amber and coral, 
the value of which did not exceed five pounds 
sterling. We made him a small present. 
Corporal RichmONd, a native, was added to 
the sick list, with a severe pulmonic attack. 
Some of the men who have had slight attacks of 
intermittent fever appear to recover rapidly; on 
the whole, the health of the party might be 
then considered good. Mr. Nelson was the only 
one of the officers who was at all delicate; Mr. 
Pilkington was recovering rapidly. 
Having left Sandoo Madina at four o'clock in 
the morning of the ~d, we had a pleasant march 
to the next town, Fodia Cuuda, the first of 
W oolli, which we reached at half after nine, 
having passed the ruins of two towns, both de-
stroyed by the people of Bondoo in their wars 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 79 
with this country. The animals travelled very 
badly, being too heavily loaded, and which could 
not be avoided, in consequence of the very ra-
pid decrease of their numbers, and the impossi-
bility of replenishing them; five died or were 
abandoned this day's march. 
We here procured a plentiful supply of milk 
and butter, such as it was, and more than a suf-
ficiency of corn to give the horses, camels, &c. 
as much as they could eat, and which they were 
much in want of, not having had more thau one 
good feed since we left Kayaye. The c01!1l1try 
about this village, although much parched, was 
beautifully picturesque, being thickly covered 
with wood, and agreeably diversified by hill and 
dale. There were numbers of wandering Foo-
lahs with large herds of cattle, in the vicinity 
of this village: those people supply the inha-
bitants of the towns who keep no cattle them-
selves with milk and butter, in exchange for 
which they receive cotton cloths, glass beads, 
and tobacco. 
From Fodia Cunda I despatched Lamina, our 
Sego guide, to the town of Slatee Modiba, to 
request him to meet us at Madina to-morrow; 
this man being a relative of the king'S, with 
whom he has considerable influence, advising 
him in all affairs of importance, and well known 
to Lamina, we considered it right to secure his 
80 TRAVELS IN AFlUCA. 
interest, by sending him a small present, and 
holding out the promise of a suitable reward, 
should he act in compliance with our wishes. 
We left Fodia Cunda at six, on the morning 
of the 3d, and travelled east, at a smart pace, 
over a flat country, little wooded and for the 
most part cultivated; the soil was of a darker 
colour, and contained more mould and clay than 
any we had seen since leaving Kayaye. We ar-
rived at Madina at nine, and bivouacked under 
a large tree, about five hundred yards north of 
the town. 
Maruna is a respectable walled town, contain-
ing about two hundred and fifty huts, and from 
eight hundred to a thousand inhabitants, all So-
nikeas; it is the capital of the kingdom of Wool-
Ii, and the residence of the king. Outside the 
walls is a strong stake or palisade fence, about 
five feet high, which gave to the place the 
appearance of a large fortified r~doubt. The 
interior of the town was beautifully shaded with 
large trees of the fig and palm kind, and altoge-
ther had a veFy good outwa.rd appearance. 
There are three gates to it; two in the north, 
and one in the east, which are shut every night. 
The interior of the town does not at all accord 
with its external appearance, being filled with 
small round grass, and mud huts jumbled toge-
ther without any regard to order or regularity, 

TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 81 
a)1d between which are heaps on heaps of filth 
of every description. The house of the king is 
separated from those of his subjects by a mud 
wall about nine feet high, and stands nearly in 
the centre of the town; that of his son, and some 
of the chief men are similarly inclosed, but the 
walls of the latter are not so high. Two wells si. 
tuate within the wall at the east end of the town, 
of tolerably good water, supply the inhabitants 
with that necessary article in sufficient abun-
dance. The ground, to the extent of half a mile 
all round the town, was cleared, and bore the 
marks of cultivation. A few large shady ever-
green trees, scattered over this plain, relieves 
the otherwise fatiguing prospect of such an ex-
tent of arid surface. At a short distance to the 
south, lay a large Bushreen town, called Barra 
Cunda, which might contain from one thou-
sand to one thousand five hundred inhabitants, 
and was surrounded by a slight stake fence, in-
terwoven with thorny bushes, which is the only 
defence the followers of Mahomet in this coun-
try adopt. This arises from their not engaging 
in war, and never meeting with any other at-
tack from an invading army than on their pro-
visions, with which they are in general abun-
dantly supplied, being more industrious and 
more abstemio~s than the Pagans; a large pro-
portion of whose corn, rice, &c., goes in the 
G 
• 
82 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
purchase of inebriating liquors. The dress of 
the latter also is neither so good nor so cleanly 
as that of the former, which is, almost inva-
riably, white or blue. The Sonikeys are careless 
about their dress or persons, and what with 
smoking, drinking, and dirt, they are the most 
filthy set we ever saw. 
We observed hanging on a stake, outside the 
walls of the town, a dress composed of the bark 
of a tree torn iuto small shreds, and formed so 
as to cover the whole body of the person wear-
ing it, who is a sort of bugbear, called Mum-
bo Jumbo, that occasionally visits all the Man-
dingo towns, for the purpose of keeping the 
married women in order. I have been told that 
the husband who has occasion to find fault with 
one of his wives, for here every man has as many 
as his circumstances will admit, either puts on 
this dress himself, or gets one of his fhends to 
do it, and having made known his intended visit 
to the town, by shrieking and howling in the 
woods near it, arrives after sunset at the as-
sembly place, where all the inhabitants are 
obliged to meet him, with music, singing, and 
dancing, which continues for some hours, and 
terminates by his seizing the unfortunate wo-
man, and flogging her most unmercifully in 
presence of the whole assembly, who only laugh 
at this horrid performance. W' e have never had 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 88 
an opportunity of seeing this ourselves, but 
have heard it from so many, and with such 
corroborative exactness of description, that we 
have no doubt of its existence to a much greater 
extent of blind savage superstition than has 
been described to us. 
Immediately on our 3.l:rival, we sent to apprize 
the king, and requested to be informed at what 
hour he could receive our visit. We were, how-
ever, told that he was then drunk, and could 
not be seen on business. 
Slatee Modiba 3.lTived, bringing us a present 
of a fine bullock. He also told us the same 
story, but said he hoped the evening would find 
the king in a state to receive us. 
At length, about five in the afternoon, we 
went, accompanied by Mr. Burton, Lamina, and 
Sergeant Tuft; the latter served as interpreter. 
We found his majesty (if we may so prostitute 
the title), seated on a low wooden stool, outside 
the walls of his house, surrounded by all the 
great men of the town, who, with himself, did 
not appear to have entirely recovered from the 
effects of their morning's debauchery. Having 
made him a small present, which it is th€ cus-
tom of this country to do, previous to addressing 
the king on our business, we told him in as few 
words as possible, the object we had in view in 
travelling through the country, and the advan. 
G!i! 
84 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
tages its inhabitants would derive from the exist-
ence of a friendly and direct intercourse with the 
English, who, should no serious difficulties pre-
sent themselves, would soon make trading voyages 
into the interior, and furnish them with all Eu-
ropean merchandize at a much cheaper rate than 
they could at present procure them. The only 
answer we received, was made by his friend Mo-
diba (for he did not say a word himself), and, 
although expressed in many words, and in very 
ambiguous terms, might be construed into this, 
that he always . thought the English were the 
friends of Africa, and would do every thing in 
his power to facilitate the attainment of their 
wishes. 
As nothing but the common routine of a for .. 
mal visit of ceremony could, consistent ·with 
their customs, take place at the first interview, 
even had the king been compos mentis, we were 
obliged to take our leave without anything more 
having been said as to the terms on which we 
might expect his protection. Modiba, however, 
told us he would take care that no rum should 
be drank by Mansa * in the morning, previons to 
our seeing him, and requested we would shew 
him the present we intended to give; which we 
promised to do, when it could be prepared. 
~ Title of the kings of Woolli. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 85 
During the night, one of the natives made an 
attempt to steal something from one of the tents, 
and would have succeeded, had not Sergeant 
Major Lee, observing the bale stirring, fired in 
the direction, but I believe without effect. This 
served, at least, to deter others from a similar 
attempt. 
Having selected the present, consisting of am-
ber, coral, bafts blue and white, silver, guns, &c., 
in all amounting to upwards of five hundred 
bars, thirty pounds sterling, and submitted them 
to the inspection of Modib<t, who appeared to 
be pleased with them, we waited on the king 
on the morning of the 'Hh, and were shewn into 
the inner inclosure of the palace, which was, if 
any tIling, more filthy than the rest of the town. 
Here we found him seated on a lion's skin, to 
which were attached a number of grigris, under 
the shade of a miserable hovel in the shape of a 
balcony, outside the door of his bed-room, sur-
rounded by four or five of his head men or mi-
nisters; and, notwithstanding Modiba's promise 
to the contrary, the rum bottle had been in use, 
to what extent we cannot say, but he, on this 
occasion, favoured us with his conversation, 
a~king several questions about our country, the 
Expedition, its object, &c.; all which we an-
swered as briefly and explicitly as possible. 
When the present was laid before him, he conde-
86 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
scended to smile at the amber, but on looking at 
the dollars and coral for some time, with ali air 
of the greatest indifference, he said something 
to his own people, and told us that he would not 
accept of so trifling an offer from such great 
men, particularly as he had been told we had 
given more to the king of Katoba, whom he 
looked on as a very petty chief indeed. Modiba 
said much to induce him to take it, but to no ef~ 
feet. We therefore returned to the camp leaving 
him, great as was his avarice, paying more at-
tention to the rum bottle than what had been 
going forward. 
While we were talking to Modiba on the best 
means of satisfying Mansa, and at the same 
time those about him, the former made his ap-
pearance, coming from the town, attended by 
about fifty people singing and beating drums. 
He seated himself under a tree, at a short dis-
tance from our camp, and sent Modiba, who 
had gone to meet him, to let us know he came 
to pay his respects. When we went to him, he 
beckoned me to sit beside him, which I did in 
apparent good humour; after the usual saluta-
tions, he begged a piece of muslin to make a 
dress. This was complied with, when he said, 
he had brought a bullock for supper, but added 
that we did not shew ourselves inclined to think 
well of him, in giving him so poor a present. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 87 
This, with a great deal more noisy irrelevant 
matter from himself and -attendants, took up 
nearly half an hour, much to our annoyance. 
He ended, however, by telling us that he had 
left the settling of the affair to Modiba, and re-
turned to the town. 
In order that more time should not be lost 
here, we made an addition to the former pre-
sent of forty-five bars, coral and dollars, and 
gave it to Modiba to present, as all we would or 
-could give him_ He was then drnnk, and not 
to be seen. 
In a short hour after this, Mausafarra, the 
king's eldest son, came galloping from the town 
into our camp, attended by five or six people, 
armed with guns and spears, and, apparently in 
a great rage, said that he was offended at our 
not payiNg him ou-r respects in person, and, al-
though we might think little of him, he was, ne-
vertheless, of as much consequence in the coun-
try as his father. We endeavoured to pacifY him 
by appearing in good humour, and was going to 
give him our hands, when he rode off, in as 
great a hurry as he came, having first made one 
()f his men throw down a pile of our arms, which 
was standing near them. He was not contented 
with this indifference on our part, and shortly 
returned on feot, attended as before. The first 
person he met was Private Robinson, lying on 
88 TRaVELS IN AFJlICA. 
the ground. To him he gave two or three kicks, 
and would have fired his musket at him, had he 
not been prevented by some of his own people. 
On this occasion, we, with much di-fficulty, kept 
our temper, but as the fellow was beastly drunk, 
and we were aware of the serious consequences 
that might "arise from any violence offered to 
one of the royal family, we overlooked the in-
sult, and merely directed the men to stand 
to their arms, and take no notice of him. He 
did not like the appearance things bore at that 
moment, and went off as before. 
The people of the town, seeing us pay such 
little attention to the insult offered by their 
prince, no doubt thought they might follow his 
example with impunity, and therefore endea-
voured to run away with every thing they could 
lay their hands on. This was too much. We 
could bear it no longer, and ordered the men to 
load and fall in, and, as it was nearly sunset, we 
had the whole of the baggage removed to some 
distance from the tree we had been sitting un-
der, and placed triple sentinels. While the men 
were employed at this, the natives stole two 
horses, one ass, a "b ullock, and a goat. The 
horses, ass, frnd goat were recovered, but the bul-
lock we never heard of. 
A strict watch during the night prevented 
the possibility of any attempt at theft, and on 
'tRAvELS IN AFRICA. 89 
the morning of the 5th, Modiba came at an 
early hour, to say that the king was not satisfied 
at the addition made to the present, and, unless 
we gave him more, he would send his people to 
help themselves. Entreaties were to be borne 
with, but threats, and of this nature too, required 
decisive steps. We consequently directed Mo-
deba to let the king know he might come as 
soon as he pleased, when we should be ready to 
give him the reception his appearance might 
merit. The bugles then sounded to arms; the 
animals were collected; and the men formed a 
hollow square round them and the baggage. 
Modiba, who was more than astonished at our 
answer and preparations, went off without saying 
a word; but returned in a few minutes, to re-
quest we would give him ten dollars for himself, 
in paFt payment of two horses we had purchased 
from him the day before, and for which he had 
agreed to take an order on the Commissariat 
Officer at St. Mary's, River Gambia. This we 
complied with, and are satisfied he gave them to 
Mansa. We however did not let him know, that 
we thought so. At length we were informed 
that guides would be provided for ns, and we 
might proceed in the morning. In nhe evening. 
Mansa sent us a bullock, in place of the one 
which was stolen. 
The guides joined us in the morning of the 
go TRA VELS IN AFRICA. 
6th, and all things being ready, we commenced 
moving from Madina, that nest of thieves; but 
the front division had scarcely left the ground, 
when an immense mob collected, in order 
to plunder if possible. Messrs. Dochard and 
Partarrieau remained with the camel division, 
which was to bring up the rear, and had much 
difficulty in keeping the natives £i'om actually 
forcing some things out of our men's hands. A 
small medicine-chest was purloined by one of 
them, who had run some distance with it before 
it was missed. Private Ferrier overtook and 
knocked the fellow down, and would have shot 
some others who came to his assistance, had not 
Mr. Dochard prevented him by laying hold of 
llis firelock. Such a barefaced and determined 
set of thieves we never met. 
We travelled SE. and by E. thirteen miles, to 
the village of Bambako. T he path thi;; day was 
over a hard yellow clay soil, mixed with small 
.quartz pebbles, and much broken into deep ruts 
by the rains; the whole distance, to within a 
quarter of a mile, covered with loose brushwood 
and a few large trees of the acacia species. 
Corporal Pickard, a European, was so ill as 
to be unable to walk, and private Richmond, a 
native soldier, was nearly as bad; they were 
carried forward on two of the officers' horses. 
Bambako is a very miserable village indeed, not 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 91 
containing more than twenty huts of the poorest 
description: the situation of it, however, in 
some measure made up for its wretched appear-
ance; it was on the summit of an elevated plain, 
beautifully covered with some of those large 
trees which bear the cotton, already mentioned, 
and a great number of baobabs, tamarinds, and 
palm trees; and it is plentifully supplied with 
good water, from wells twelve fathoms deep. 
We were able to. purchase there one horse, two 
asses, three goats, and some corn for the ani-
mals. The horses and asses were a very wel-
<:ome and necessary supply at that moment, as 
we had lost by death, during the day's march, 
three horses. 
We passed the night there, and moved for~ 
ward to the SSE. at seven on the morning of 
the 7th. The soil and appearance of the COUN-
try the same as that of the preceding day's 
march. The path was not so much broken, and 
the animals traveUed better. We reached Ca-
nape at eleven, A. M., where we halted .in order 
to refresh the men and animals, and to purchase, 
if possible, a few asses, which we were told by 
0ur guides were here in great numbers. Large 
prices, in amber, coral, and blue baft, induced 
the natives to sell us seven very good ones. We 
had much difficulty in procuring water here, not 
in consequence_o f any wapt of it at the place, 
l'RAVELS IN AFRICA. 
but because the people would not allow us to 
approach the wells, alleging that it was their 
property, and we must pay for it as well as for 
the other commodities of life. Remonstrance, 
and an inclination to force on our part, together 
with the interference of our guides, at length 
obtained it; not, however, before it was much 
wanted. 
We left that inhospitable village at three, p. 
M., the same day, and travelled in the same di-
J'ection over a very finely diversified country, 
for two hours, when we arrived at a small vil. 
lage called Kussaye, or Metofodia Cunda, hav-
ing passed, about two miles before it, the ruins 
of a very large walled town, called Maja Cunda. 
This was formerly the residence of Modiba, the 
man who assisted us at W oolli, but was de-
stroyed and abandoned by him, in consequence 
of the surrounding soil not pro.dueing good 
crops; it is very light and sandy, and mixed 
with lumps of a stiff white clay, having much 
the appearance of pipe-clay. 
The occmrences at Madina, the hurry at 
leaving it, and the very great want of means of 
conveyance which we experienced, together with 
the confused state of the baggage in conse-
quence of such want, and the indisposition of 
.some of the men, induced us to determine on 
halting here for a clay, in order to set all things 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 93 
right: we therefore took up our bivouac under 
the shade of some large trees outside the town, 
the chief of which was extremely kind and at-
tentive to all our wants, inasmuch as his cir-
cumstances would admit. 
CHAPTER V. 
Departure from Kussaye-Pass through the Simbarri 
Woods-Loss of Camels-Ruins of lVruntobe-Leave 
l\1untobe-Arrive at Sausanding-Halt there-Our 
Woolli guides leave us-Discharge of Corporal Harrop 
-Arrival at Sabee, the first Town of Bondoo-Loss of 
Animals- Opposition on the part of our Guides to our 
moving thence-Arrival at Loonchea-Death of the 
Camels-Supply of provisions from Almamy-lVrr. Do-
chard sent in advance with a present to Almamy-De-
parture from Loonchea-Arrival at Dachadoonga-Dif-
ficulty and delay in carrying forward the Baggage-De-
scription of the Red Water, and its use-Arrival at 
Goodeerri-lI1r. Dochard returns from the Capital-Ar-
rival of Almamy's eldest Son-Transactions with Al-
mamy and difficulty in arranging matters with him-De-
parture from Goodeerri, and arrival at Boolibany, the 
Capital of Bondoo. 
HAVING put the baggage in orner, and fed the 
animals well on pistacio tops and cor~, since 
our arrival here, we moved forward at six 
o'clock on the morning of the 9th, at a slow 
rate to the ENE., over a much wooded coun-
try, until -noon, when we halted at the ruins of 
a town called Bantanto, in the Simbarri woods, 
where the well, though very deep, thirteen 
fathoms, was still in repair, and supplied us 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA . 95 
with great plenty of water, but of a bad taste and 
smell, occasioned by its not being much used. 
Mr. Nelson, Corporal Pickard, and Privates 
Nicholson and Richmond had attacks of fe-
ver since the evening of the 7th; with these 
exceptions, the party continued to enjoy good 
health. We could not say as much for our 
animals: three horses died since our arrival at 
Metafodia Cunda, and more than one half 
of the remaining ories were unable to carry 
their loads, for the transport of which it was 
found impossible to procure a snfficient number 
of carriers from among the natives: some of 
our own African soldiers, however, very cheer-
fully supplied their places, and we ' managed, 
in one way or other, to take all forward, but 
not without considerable trouble and fatigue. 
The many men we were obliged to employ as 
carriers, left the animals without a sufficient 
number to guide them and keep their loads 
from falling off, an occurrence which took 
place at every twenty yards with some one or 
other of them. The asses we had procured on 
the path were very good, but whether we did 
not understand the proper way of loading them, 
or t.hat our bales, from being nearly round, were 
ill calculated to sit steady on their round backs, 
we could not determine; it appeared, however, 
96 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
something was wrong, the consequence of which 
was much trouble and delay. 
We moved from Bantanto at six o'clock on 
the morning of the 10th, but one of our camels 
having been either stolen, or strayed from the 
place where they had been feeding, I remained 
behind with that division until four, P. M., up 
to which time a fruitless search had been made 
for it in all directions. I then went forward 
alone, leaving Mr. Partarrieau to wait until the 
following morning, in hopes of recovering it, as 
it was a loss we could but badly afford at that 
moment. 
I joined the front at the ruins of Montobe, at 
nine o'clock. The situation of this town, which 
must have been a very large one, is beautiful: it 
was in two parts, that where we halted being 
the smallest, and built on a hill shaded with 
fine large trees, the other is in the centre of 
an extensive plain, bearing the marks of cul-
tivation, surrounded on all sides, at the dis-
tance of nearly a quarter of a mile, by woods; 
. both are plentifully supplied with water, from 
wells only three or four feet deep, but which, 
in consequence of being neglected, had fallen in 
so much that we were obliged to clear them out 
before a sufficient quantity of water could be 
obtained. The soil appeared to be better than 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 97 
any I had before seen; it was composed of dark. 
brown mould, intermixed with white sand and 
sand-stone. The walls and many of the houses 
were both strongly and well built with yellow 
clay, raised from about four feet below the sur· 
face, and intermixed with cut straw or withered 
grass and cow-dung. 
It was destroyed about twelve months before 
by the people of Bondoo, in one of their plun. 
dering excursions, and many of its· inhabitants 
were either killed or made prisoners (slaves), a 
fate but too common in this country, where the 
strongest party always finds an excuse for mak. 
ing war on the weaker, not unfrequently carry. 
ing off whole towns of miserable inoffensive 
beings, without either any previous intim'ation 
of their hostile intentions, or indeed any cause 
given by those wretched objects of their avari. 
cious encroachments. On all such occasions, 
the only object in view is the attainment of 
money, as they call it, and in this they sue· 
ceed by selling their unfortunate fellow-crea. 
tures, and, what is still mQre unnatural, their 
compatriots, to slave-dealers. 
A multitude of ideas, bringing with them the 
conviction of how much Englishmen, and in· 
deed all civilized nations, are favoured by Di. 
vine Providence, in enjoying freedom and se-
curity against such 1.mwarranted and barbarous 
II 
98 TRAV .ELS IN AFRICA. 
practices, rushed on my mind, as we surveyed 
the silent and awful remains of some human 
bodies which lay outside the walls of this once 
respectable and no doubt happy town, the in-
habitants of which were torn by unrelenting 
savages from that native spot, so dear to all 
mankind. Even the strongest ties of nature 
riven asunder, and all this to gratify the brutal 
desires of some neighbouring tyrant, or to enrich 
a set of savages, who are daily exposed to a 
similar fate themselves, at least as long as they 
can find people ready to purchase their unna-
tural booty. 
Mr. Partarrieall not having come up, we left 
Muntobe at six o'clock on the morning of the 
-11th, and travelled slowly to the east until 
noon, when we reached Sansanding, a small 
town, the last of the kingdom of W oolli, beau-
tifully situated on an eminence surrounded by 
high grounds, through the valleys of which winds 
a branch of the Gambia, now nearly dry; its 
banks are covered with cane, acacias, and mi-
mosas, which afforded us an agreeable shelter 
from the intense heat of the sun. Here we de-
cided on halting one day, in order to rest the 
animals, particularly the camels, which were 
become very weak for the last two days, owing 
to an insufficiency, indeed a scarcity, of that spe-
cies of food on which they are used to feed. One 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 99 
gave up on the path, and died in a few hours, 
which the moors said resulted from having eaten 
some poisonous weed in which that country 
abounds. The men also wanted the opportunity 
of washing their linen, which this place afford-
ed. We. eagerly took advantage of it as a great 
distance of uninhabited country (which from a 
want of water it was necessary to get over as 
quick as possible) lay between us and the frontier 
town of Bondoo. Private Pickard, too, was so 
ill as to be unable to ride, and was left on the 
path, under the shade of a tree, until the after-
noon, when we sent eight men with a hammock 
to bring him up. He had, however, before th€y 
reached him, recovered sufficiently to come for-
ward on Mr. Partarrieau's horse. The camel 
lost at Bantanto was stolen. by one of the king 
of Woolli's people, and was traced.as far back 
as Kussaye by our men who went in search of it: 
the thief, however, effected his escape with his 
prize, leaving Mr. Partarrieau with only one 
camel to bring up the two loads. The asses, 
although heavily loaded, travelled well, and 
were, if properly managed, better adapted to this 
service than either horses or camels. 
Our guide refused to accompany us beyond 
this town, giving, as a reason, his fear of being 
detained in Bondoo, should he enter that coun-
try. I was sorry for it, as the fellow really was 
H2 
100 TltAVELS · IN AFltICA • 
..very accommodating and attentive; but no en· 
treaties could induce him to go on. I believe 
he was afraid that if we got him into one of the 
towns in Bondoo, he would be detained until our 
camel should be returned. In this he was de. 
ceiyed; for although such a step had been talked 
of by the officers as likely to have a good effect, 
,we never had the least intention of doing so. I 
therefore dismissed him with a present of twen· 
ty-two bars. 
We here discharged Corporal HalTop, a na-
tive of W o olli , who had been sold as a slave, 
when very young, and liberated by some of the 
British cruizers on thfi) coast. He met his mo· 
,ther at Medina, and expressed a wish to remain 
there, a refusal to comply with which we were 
aware would be useless, as he had it in his 
power to desert, and thereby deprive us of the 
opportunity, which was thus offered, of acting 
in a manner likely to convince the people of 
that part of the interior, that our intentions to-
wards them were liberal and humane. The man 
himself seemed very thankful, and said he would 
never forget the English, to whose settle~ents 
on the Gambia he would return, in order to lay 
out the money we had then given him as pay 
and allowance up to that date. He took a cor-
dial faFewel of all his companions, and returned 
to Medina with the guide, to glad the heart of 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 101 
an aged mother, who no doubt looked on her 
son as one risen from the dead. 
We tasted some drink made from honey and 
millet, somewhat like mead; but from its acidity, 
acquired by fermentation, and the non use of bit-
ters in its composition, it had a very unpleasant 
effect on the stomach. 
Having purchased here six asses, we started 
at six o'clock in the forenoon of the 18th, and 
entered the wilderness, through which we tra-
velled at a smart pace to the east until near mid-
day, when we came to a watering place in an 
open space in the woods, which bore evident 
marks of inundation during the rains, and was 
said to be the resort of large herds of elephants, 
which come thither in search of water. This 
was evidently the case, as their foot-tracks were 
visible iIi all directions; indeed, one of ou,r 
men, who had gone some distance from the 
path, said he had seen two of them. 
A town belonging to W oolli formerly stood 
here; but little or no proof of its having ever ex-
isted now remained. We however took advan-
tage of the only one, namely, the shade of the 
large trees which are in or near all the towns we 
have seen in Africa. It is called Sabee Looroo. 
As the distance from this last place to the 
frontier of Bondoo was destitute of water, and 
10~ TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
too great to attempt marching it in the heat of 
the day, without a plentiful supply of that ne-
cessary article, we moved forward at six in the 
evening, having filled all our soofroos*, and 
marched very expeditiously in an east and by 
north direction, through wood, until half after 
ten, when we were obliged to halt, in conse-
quence of its being very dark, and many of 
the animals being much fatigued and consider-
ably in the rear. Four horses were left in a dy-
ing state, and Mr. Pilkington and fbur men re-
mained with their loads, until asses could be 
sent to bring them up : they did not arrive at 
our bivouac until day-light the following morn-
ing. We lost six horses during that march, and 
were likely to lose more every day: our provi-
sions, too, were becoming scarce; but the pros-
pect of being able to replenish all our wants in 
Bondoo, did not allow things to appear as bad 
as they really were. 
We reached Sabee at seven on the morning 
of the 14th, and took up our position on an ele~ 
vated spot to the NE. and distant about half a 
quarter of a mile from the town, which is a very 
large one, walled, and situated in an extensive 
plain, gently rising to the ESE., in which (lirec-
tion it is bounded by mountains: through . it 
'" Leather bags. 
TRA VELS IN AFRICA. lOS 
runs a small watercourse, now nearly dry, and 
which the natives call the Neerico. 
The inhabitants of this town are all Mahome-
dans, who are Surrawoollies, and came originally 
from Kajaga or Galam: they appeared a mild 
inoffensive race, and were not only better clothed, 
but cleaner in their persons than the people of 
W oolli. Their provisions, also, were in greater 
plenty. "Te pnrchased from them three asses, 
three small bullocks, and a goat, together with 
some fowls, milk, butter, and eggs. Latitude of 
Sabee, by meridian altitude, sun's lower limb, 
85' fi!~' 6" ; thermometer, in shade, 14/ 10' 58". 
They cultivate, on the banks of the Neerico, 
in moist places, a sort of tobacco, which is of a 
small growth and a pale green colonr, bearing a 
yellow blossom: it is manufactured into snuff, 
in which state alone that sort is used. They 
also cultivate a larger kind, more resembling the 
American tobacco in size and colour: this bears 
a white blossom, and when dried is used in 
smoking. These, with millet, maize, two other 
varieties of corn, rice, cotton, indigo, and a few 
small onions and pompions, are the productions I 
noticed here, and for which the ground appeared 
well adapted. 
%en we were about moving on the morning 
of the 15th, Masiri Cabba, a man who had come 
from Bondoo to Lamina, and joined us at Ka. 
104 TRAVELS. IN AFRICA. 
yaye, came to say thit a messenger had just ar-
rived from Almamy, to direct that we should 
not advance further into his country, until we 
had sent a person to him. As we conceived 
this to be all a plan between Masiri Cabba and 
Lamina, for we saw them talking together a few 
minutes before, we paid no attention to it, and 
moved on, at half after six, to the south of east; 
over a fine open country, much cultivated, and 
more diversified by hill and dale than we had 
before met with: we reached a large straggling 
village, Jumjoury, situate on a rising ground, 
without any defence whatever. There appeared 
to be large quantities of cotton grown here, and 
the plantations looked in fine order. The chief 
here made us a present of a goat and some cous 
COlls, in return for which he received double 
their value: indeed, taking those presents is a 
bad plan, but it would be wrong to insult those 
people, and they would certainly reg:ard a refusal 
of any thing offered by them, only in such a 
point of view. ,¥e  purchased here two fine 
sheep, five goats, and some corn. 
. Having left Jumjoury at six, on the morning 
of the 16th, and travelled east over a fine, open, 
and, for the most part, well cultivated country, 
to Deedey, a small village, which we passed, 
and arrived at Loonchea, lying ESE. from the 
former. The camels travelled badly this day; 
Tfi,AVELS IN AFRICA. 105 
one died shortly after our arrival, and' the re-
mainder looked very sickly. We halted under 
some large trees on the side of a considerable 
gully or ravine, having a mud · bottom, at that 
time dried up, but which, during the rains, was 
the bed and course of a torrent running to the 
ssw. 
The supply of rice we brought from Kayaye 
was here exhausted, with the exception of a few 
pints, and we had not as yet been able to pro-
cure a sufficiency of either cous cous or meal to 
make a full allowance, for two days. The only 
provisions we could find here was a little milk 
and some fowls. 
One of the camels, having every appearance 
of approaching death, was killed, and the mea,t 
made use of by our men. We tasted it, and 
found it as good as any beef we could procure. 
This gave a sufficiency for the day. 
The chief of the town called on us in the af-
ternoon, and told us that he had received direc-
tions from Almamy to provide us with some 
corn, which he was ready to deliver; but, as it 
was not in a state to be made use of, we request-
ed him to have it converted into cous cous and 
meal, which he undertook to have done. The 
necessity we were under of waiting for this sup-
ply, and the loss of three of our camels by ~eath, 
since our arrival here, obliged us to make a haIt. 
106 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
I had also determined on sending Mr. Dochard 
from this place to the capital, in order to see 
Almamy, and arrange with him for our passage 
through his country, and his protection and as-
sistance while in it. 
I accordingly despatched him on the morning 
of the 18th, accompanied by Masiri Cabba 
Dharra (one of the king of Sego's men), and 
four of our own people. He took with him 
some large amber as a present for the king. 
Having received from the master of the town 
a quantity of cous cous and meal, sufficient for 
six days, and divided the loads of the three ca-
mels that died here 'among the remaining ones 
and the other animals, we moved forward at five 
in the afternoon to the ENE. over a flat country 
much intersected by the dry beds of torrents, 
the banks of which are covered with acacias and 
mimosas: one of them was very deep, and so 
difficult to pass, that most of the asses fell and 
threw their loads, which delayed us some time. 
One of the camels died on the path; this also 
delayed us considerably, and we did not reach 
Gongally until near midnight, all very much fa-
tigued. In the course of the forenoon of the 
19th, I purcha~ed two asses, being all that I 
could induce the inhabitants of this town to part 
with, although they had many more, and the 
prices I offered were large. I was therefore 
TilAVELS IN AFRICA. 107 
obliged to hire some more carriers; a most 
troublesome mode of transport, for it required 
a good look-out to prevent those fellows from 
running away with their loads. We left Gon. 
gaIly at four in the afternoon, and arrived at 
Dachadoonga, after a very fatiguing march of 
three hours and a half, over a much broken coun-
try covered with wood. The chief of this town, 
which is a small one, is married to one of Alma· 
my's daughters. 
The few remaining horses, and the camels, 
were become so weak as to be unable to carry, 
and we had not yet been able to purchase a suf. 
ficient number of asses for the whoLe of the 
baggage; I therefore sent Mr. Burton forward 
to Goodeerie, on the !ZOth, with as much of it as 
all the asses would carry, and directed him to 
send them back next morning to bring forward 
the remainder, but from some mistake of their 
guides, or from having straggled too much, they 
took different paths, which led them all (with 
the exception of two or three) much out of their 
way, and it was not until eight o'clock iN the 
afternoon of the !Zlst, after despatching La-
mina to conduct them into the right path, that 
the asses returned. Having purchased three 
very good asses here, we left it at seven o'clock 
on the morning of the ~!Zd, and arrived at Ga-
nado, another small village, at eleven. Messrs. 
108 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Nelson and Pilkington had gone on to Goodeerie, 
when, not finding any of the party, they returned 
to Ganado, where we passed the night, and lost 
four horses and (six) all our sheep, in conse-
quence of their having eaten the leaves of a 
tree (called Talee, by the natives) which is com-
mon throughout this country. It is a strong 
poison, and has a very sweet taste. The pagan 
natives of some parts of Africa, make use of an 
infusion of the bark of this tree to ascertain whe-
ther a person among them, suspected of witch-
craft, be guilty or not. The accused is obliged 
to drink a quantity of this liquor, and which, 
according to its strength, sooner or later pro-
duces nausea, vomiting, and pain in the stomach 
and abdomen, and not unfrequently terminates 
in the death of the person; in which case he 
is considered to have been guilty: but should 
the person recover, either in consequence of 
the weakness of the dose (sometimes arising 
from a large bribe administered to the person 
who made it), or a great strength of constitution 
and timely antidotes, he is declared innocent. 
This horrid method is seldom practised by the 
Mahomedan natives of Africa. 
On the morning of the 28d, I again sent 
forward Mr. Burton (being the only officer now 
with me, able to, do duty) to Goodeerie, with all 
the asses, loaded; and directions to send them 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 109 
back to me in the evening. He left us at four 
o'clock, and the asses returned at nine the same 
afternoon. The country about this town is 
really beautifully diversified with hill and dale, 
both covered with wood, some of which is very 
large. At a short distance to the SE. is the 
dry bed of a stream which, during the rains, 
runs to the sw. and joins the Gambia. The in-
habitants here had commenced preparing their 
corn and rice grounds, in consequence of the 
very great appearance of approaching rain for 
the last two or three days, during which we had 
some thunder and lightning, accompanied with 
a perfect calm and intense h~at of the sun and 
atmosphere. 
Little trouble is indeed necessary in this 
country for the purpose of cultivation; the 
ground is merely cleared of the old corn stalks, 
and such weeds and young wood as have sprung 
up during the dry weather; all which are 
burnt, and the ashes strewed on the surface. 
Small holes are then made in the ground, distant 
from each other about a foot or eighteen inches, 
and two or three grains of corn dropped into 
each, which is filled by pushing a portion of the 
earth and the ashes before mentioned into it. In 
this state it remains, until it arrives at about two 
feet above the surface, when the ground be-
tween is hoed up and cleared~f weeds, a pro-
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
were not less troublesome. Goulahs, or singing 
people, who in Africa always flock around those 
who have any thing to give, no doubt thought 
this a good opportunity to turn to good account 
their abilities in music, and we were continually 
annoyed by their horrid noise. Dozens of them 
would, at the same moment, set up a sort of 
roaring extempore song in our praise, accompa-
nied by drums and a sort of guitar, and we 
found it ' impossible to get rid of them by any 
other means than giving something. They were 
not, however; to be put off with a trifle. People 
who lived by that sort of gain, and not unfre-
quently received from their own chiefs presents 
to the amount of several slaves, were not to be 
put off with trifles, particularly by persons with 
(apparently to them) so much riches as we had. 
The consequence was, we were in a continual 
state of uproar with those wretches. Never did 
I find my patience so much tired as on those oc-
casions. 
On the 31st a man arrived from Boolibany, 
to say that Almamy would be at Goodeerie on 
the following day, but it was not until the 5th 
of June that we heard any thing more of him. 
During this time we were plagued out of our 
lives by a host of his nephews, nieces, cousins, 
&c. all begging. 
On the 5th, Saada., Almamy's eldest son, ac-
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 113 
companied by two of _h is majesty's ministers 
and three other grandees of the country, came 
to announce his father's arrival at a small town 
of the same name as this, distant about five 
miles east. They made some objections to call 
on me first, and I would have waved all cere· 
mony in favour of the expediting in the least our 
business; but Lamina said it was their place to 
call on me: they were the bearers of a message 
from Almamy, aDd to deliver it they must come 
to me, and not I to them. This they did, and 
entered on the business with all the indifference 
and hauteur imaginable. Sanda himself would 
not uncover his mouth or nose, wbich he had 
closely wrapped up in a part of his turban which 
hung down, for fear he might inhale the air 
breathed by an infidel. Many words, expressed 
in a strangely slow and authoritative manner, 
went to say that Almamy had arrived, and 
would see me whenever I wished to call upon 
him, or would come himself to see me if I pre-
ferred it. The former I adopted, as I was aware 
that his presence here would draw around-us a set 
of beggars, whose importunities would be insup-
portable, and therefore decided on going, with· 
out delay, to see him. Messrs. Dochard and 
Partarrieau accompanied me. Lamina, Masiri 
Cabba, and one of my own men to act as inter-
preter, composed the whole of our attendants. 
114 T RAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Oft our arriva'l at the village, we had to wait 
'ne!l!rly half an hemr 'before we could obtam an 
.rnterview. After tJbe ustlail compliments of sa:-
11':ltation, &c., I explained to him, by means of 
my interpreter, in as few words as possible, the 
'object we ·had ift view in travelling through his 
c()tlritry, and requested that we 'lnight be de-
tained as short a time as possible. He said that 
we might depend on his doing all in his power to 
forward our views, and that the time of Otlr stay 
chiefly depended on ourselves. By this he meant 
to say, that if we paid him handsomely,he wOl,lld 
allow us to pass. Resaid much about ·the 
-1;rifling nature of the present I sent him by Mr. 
Dochard, insinuating that ·it was scarcely iit for 
one of his Goulas. 
We took the hint and requested that people 
might be sent to receive the present I intended 
for him. These were soon nominated, and with 
them and Saada, who was sent to remain with 
us (as Almamy said, to see we were well treated, 
but, we believe, as a spy on our actions), we re-
turned to our quarters. 
Having laid out a considerable present, 
amouNting to more than ten times that given 
to the king of Woolli, we showed it to the per-
sons sent for that purpose, on the morning of 
the 6th, and made' Saada a very handsome pre-
sent indeed, for which he appeared very thank-
TRAVELS IN. AFRICA. 115 
ful, but said that we should first settle with his 
father. We were asked if what we had laid be. 
1;ore them was intended merely as service (as 
they call it), meaning thereby a present or d(i)u. 
€eul', or as all we intended to give him; and 
we answered that we intended i:t as the full 
amount of present. To which they replied, they 
were only directed to receive service, that 
was thel1 shewn, and objected to, as tQQ small. 
Mter much conversation on both sides, with· 
out being able to arrange with those fellows, we 
determined on again gOil1g to Almamy, to en· 
deavour to settle with him personally. In this, 
however, we were deceived; he was, if possible, 
more ditficult to please than his ministers, and 
told us, that as we did not choose to act in com· 
pliance with their wishes, he showd not wait 
where he was any longer, but return to his 
house, where we might come to see him when 
we thought proper to act consistently with, 
what he con~idered, our duty) namely, the in. 
creasing of the present; that as all the sur· 
rounding kings were averse to our going to the 
east, and e¥en .h~s own chiefI' ,did not .like it, he 
was taki?g a great responsibility on himself in 
allowiNg us to do S0. This, and nmch more of 
the same nature, too tedious to mention, closed 
the i'l'lter-view. We ,therefore, to avoid more de-
l '2 
116 TRAVELS IN AFRI CA. 
lay, determined on givil;g those insatiable ras-
cals as much as we could afford, and thereby, if 
possible, get rid of them. The rains had already 
commenced, and no time was to be lost, which 
could, in any way, consistently with the future 
safety of the expedition, be avoided. 
Having selected an enormous present, we 
despatched Mr. Partarrieau to lay it before 
his majes.ty, and it was not until the 9th that 
he returned, having, in some measure, satisfied 
the avaricious appetite of the great man, who, 
however, still said much about receiving six 
bottles of gunpowder and a musket for each 
ass load; and insinuated that he had been in-
formed we had loads composed entirely of gold 
and silver. Fresh demands were continually 
made, and we were not able, before the 18th, 
finally to settle with him. This was done by 
our giving him an order on the Gambia for one 
hundred and twenty ];>ottles of gunpowder, 
twenty common guns and a blunderbuss. 
He came to see us in a friendly way, as he 
said, on the 14,th, accompaNied by a host of mi-
nisters, chiefs, &c., who all expected no doubt 
to receive something. On this occasion he ap_ 
peared to be perfectly satisfied with what had 
been given him and his followers, and promised 
we should hav.e a guide wherever we wished te. 
TRAVELS iN AFRICA. 117 
move, and in whatever direction we pleased. 
This, however, we could not obtain until the 
17th, and then he would not listen to our pur-
suing any route but that through Kasson, the 
chief of which country was his friend, which we' 
knew to be the case, but we feared he was only 
too much so, and reaoy to put in execution any 
plan Almamy might devise to annoy and delay 
us, and ultimately frustrat@ the object we had 
111 vIew. 
Notwithstanding Aimallly's having sent his 
nephew to procure supplies for us, since our arri-
val at Goodeerie we had been very scantily sup-
plied with provisions, although large prices were 
offered, and men sent in all directions to collect 
(lorn, rice, or any kInd of food that could be pro-
cured. 
A fine moor boy, about eight years of age, a 
slave, was sent us by the king, to pun;hase bul-
locks with, but hungry as we were we preferred 
remaining so, to eating that procured at the ex-
pense of liberty to a fellow-creature, who, from 
his horrified appearance, no doubt thought we 
were going to eat him. He spoke the language 
well, by which means we explained to him the 
happy change that hadtak en place in his situa-
tion, but he did not appear to believe it for 
some days. 
In some instances the princes and chiefs who 
11s TRAvELS IN AFRICA. 
flocked round us in hop-es of receiving presents 
(and they invariably got something, but which 
was not as great as they either expected ' OT 
could have wished), prevented the natives from 
bringing to market even the scanty supply 
which theil- reduced means at that time of the 
year wOldd nave enabled them to do. 
For several days W€l submitted to a very 
scanty allowance indeed, and we had no appear-
ance of obtaining a more plentiful supply by 
any other means than that of ari-anging matters 
to the Mtisfa:ctioB. of Almamy, which we were at 
length (by means of considerable presents to 
him and his followers) enabled to do. Indeed 
the latter, a set 1!jf cringing liars, and all either 
GOi'llas (singing people) or Bilos (blacksmiths), 
were as difficult to be pleased as their master, 
with whom tlIey had sMch influence that no 
matter was decided on, or 'step taken, without 
their advice, and whos'e interest it was absolute-
ly ne'cessary to p\iItdlrase, though, I believe, to 
lit'tle pu~ose} as they willI make the fairest pro-
mises to ,attain their 'end, and then betray their 
b"e'a'efactol' ~ 0», at reast, in their pl'i vate confer-
el'lces With AirtmllNly, give him advice directly 
'Conti-aT}, to that expressed as t'heir opinion ill 
pubIOCc, and 'hy TlO means cond'lllcive to the !Iit-
tainmellt of our wishes. No sooner was 'One 
promlfse mad'e by 'fuim and them, 'On the proviso 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 119 
of ~'eceiving a. present, and those terms complied 
with on our part, than some contrary construc-
tion was put on the same, ,md we were left to 
devise such other means of attaining our object 
as the moment might suggest. It is really im-
possible for a person not conversant with such 
affairs, OJ acquainted with such people, to have 
any idea of the irksome and perplexing nature 
of their duplicity and falsehood, or of tl;1e situa-
tion a man finds himself placed in, when depend-
ent in a great measure on their will and ple~­
sure for the common necessaries of life. 
Such was our &ituation on tl~e 16tb, when we 
went to Almamy's residellce, in order to endea-
vour, by any possible means, to gain permissiqp. 
to choose our own route. But in this, however, 
we were unfortunately not able to succeed, a~~ 
conseqllently supmitted with an appa,r;ent good 
grace, for any other line of conduct would have 
tended to no good purpose; telling him that we 
would be ready to move on the 18~h, and as he 
s.eemed to think he could protect us more effec-
tually in that road than any other. . we requested 
that guides might 1:>e irpmedia.tely appointed to 
conduct us. T)1is was directly c()mplied with; 
when we returned to our hilts, and made the 
arrangements necessary in c,onsequenc~ of so 
~ong and 1Jnpleasant delays. 
We left Goodeerie at half afte~' tive it) tpe 
li8 TRAVElJS IN AFRICA. 
flocked round us in hopes of receiving presents 
(and they invariably got something, but which 
waS ndt as great as they eith'er expected 'or 
could have wished)) prevented the natives from 
bringing to market even the scanty supply 
which their reduced means at that time of the 
year wotlld have enabled them to do. 
For several days we submitted to a very 
scanty allowance indeed, and we had no appear-
ance of obtaining a more plentiful supply by 
any other meahs than that of ari'anging matters 
to the satisfaction of Almamy, which we were at 
length (by me3lns of considerable presents to 
him and his followers) enabled to do. Indeed 
the latter, a sel; 'Of cringing liars, and all either 
G@illas (singing people) or Bilos (blacksmiths), 
were as difficult to be pleased as their master, 
with WRoth they had such influence that no 
m3lttel' was decided on, or step taken, without 
their adv,ice, and whose interest it was absolute-
ly necessary to purchase, though, I believe, to 
lit'tle ptli:pose S ,as they will make the fairest pro-
mises to 'atta.in their ,end, 'and then betray their 
'b'e'l'l'efactor.; 01', at Ie3lSt, in their private cOlilfer-
~ncell with A:liMamy, give him advice directly 
-conb'aTY to that expressed as their opinion in 
'puhl!rc, and 'by ~o 'm<eans cona'l!l'cive to the ait-
tainment of our wishes. No sooner was one 
pl'@mise n'HI!~ie by hirn and them, on clne 'proviso 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. l1Q 
of receiving a, present, and those terms complied 
with on our part, than some contrary construc-
tion was put on the same, and we wen. left to 
devise such other means of attaining our object 
as the moment might suggest. It is really im-
possible for a person not conversant with such 
affairs, or acquainted with such people, to have 
any idea of the irksome and perplexing nature 
of their duplicity and falsehood, or of t~e situa-
tion a man finds himself placed ~n, when depend-
ent in a great measure on their will and pl(la,-
$ure for the common necessaries of life. 
Such was our situation on the 16th, when we 
went to Al!Ilamy's residence, in order to endea-
vour, by any possible means, to g3Jin pel'lnissiqj'l 
to choose our own route. But in this, however, 
we were unfortunately not able to succeed, a~(l 
consequently submitted with an appar:ent good 
gra,ce, for any other line of conduct would have 
tended to no good purpose; telling him that we 
would be ready to Ipove on the 18th, and as he 
seemed to think he could protect us more effec-
tually in that road than any other, we requested 
that guides might be iIpmediately appoiI}ted to 
conduct us. This was Q.irectly complied with; 
wpen we returned to our huts, and made the 
arrangements necessary in conseq~ence of so 
long an,Q. unpleasant delays. 
We left Goo,deerie at half "fte~' five it). tpe 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
evening of the 18th June, and halted for the 
night a;t the village where Almamy had been. 
We were under the disagreeable necessity (now, 
for the first time,) of leaving one of the party 
behind (Private Pickard), who was reduced to 
such a state of debility and emaciation from dy-
sentery, that he was not only unable to ride, but 
reported, by Mr. Dochard, as unlikely to reco-
ver. Two men were left with him, and direct-
ed, in case of his getting better in a few days, 
to bring him forward to Boolibany, where we 
intended halting, to procure provisions; and in 
case of his death to bury him, and follow us with 
as much expedition as possible. A supply of the 
means of procuring subsistence was given them, 
and I really felt much at abandoning to his fate 
one of the most active and useful men we had. 
Messrs. Nelson and Pilkington were also in a 
very bad state of health, and many of the Euro-
pean soldiers, although not decidedly unwell, 
were occasionally complainiqg of headaches and 
.pains in their limbs, indicating the approach of 
fever and dysentery. 
Much rain had already fallen, and vegetation 
was going on most rapidly in consequence of the 
intense heat of the sun and humidity of the soil. 
To the north of Goodeerie, was a range of high 
hills, covered with wood, and running from NE. 
to sw. About half way between where we left 
TIM VELS IN AFRICA. 
and it, we crossed the partly .dry bed of a tor-
rent, which, at this time, comes from some hills 
lying south of east from our path, and running, 
with many windings, to the west of north, to 
empty itself into the Senegal. 
We left Goodeerie (there are many towns of 
the same name in that district, named after a peo-' 
pIe who -came £i'om a t~wn in Galam formerly so 
called,) at seven o'clock on the morning of the 
19th; and after a march of five hours and a: 
half to the north of east, over a well cultivated 
and thickly inhabited country, we ar'rived at i 
large town, or rather a large collection ot small 
villages, called Baigh Baigh, beautifully situated 
on eminences rising gently on either side of a 
narrow valley, in which ran a considerable tor-
rent of water, collected by the neighbouring 
hills, and contributing to the periodical over-
flowing of the Senegal. The corn grounds 
were beginning to look green, and the entire 
face of the country, which had for some months 
presented a most arid and fatigui~g prospect, 
was now progressively assuming all the varied 
gaiety of spring, The natives, too, were busily 
employed in cultivation, which, in Aft-ica, is in-
discriminately carried on by men and women. 
Many of our men did not come up before 
night. The march was a long one, and the day 
excessively hot and calm, with every appearance 
j 
122 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
of rain, of which we had a smart fall during the 
night. 
On the following morning, we moved for-
ward to the north of east, over a gently rising 
country, beautifully diversified by hill and dale, 
and thickly covered in every direction with 
small villages, in the vicinity of which, cultiva.. 
tion appeared to be carrying on to a considerable 
extent. We crossed, about five miles west of 
Boolibany, a range of small hills, running neal'ly 
north and south, covered with stunted under-
wood, and composed of a dark brown stone re. 
sembling volcal:!ic eruption, and having a strong 
magnetic attraction. One piece, bearing a high 
metallic polish, drew to it small needles £l'om 
the distance of three quarters of an inch. From 
those hills the natives procure a large supply of 
iron, which they esteem much for its goodness, 
and which is extracted from the are, or stone 
containing it, in the manner mentioned by Mr. 
Park. 
We reached Boolibany at noon, and were 
accommodated with huts in the town, a divi-
sion of which was given up ,entirely for our use, 
and from which Almamy, who paid us a visit in 
the afternoon, desired us to keep off the mob, 
in Hie same way we should do were we in an 
Emg1i;sh f<>rt. Tins, however, we ;fotll1d much 
d·ifficalty in ACcomplishing against a h.ost of vi. 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 123 
sitors of all ages and descriptions, coming to 
see, for the first time in their lives, a white man. 
Shortly after our arrival some of the king's 
wives sent us two or three large calabashes, full 
of fine milk and cOus cous, which was not at all 
a despicable present. 
Many of the great men of the town paid us 
visits of ceremony ahd curiosity; all which we 
would have most willingly dispeRsed with, but 
they were not to be sent off in a hurry, and we 
were often reduced to the necessity of walking 
out of our huts, in hopes of their doing so too. 
But even this did not always succeed, and we 
were necessitated to submit with an apparent 
good grace to their importunities for presents. 
I do believe they thought that asking alone was 
necessary to the filling of their pockets with am-
ber, &c., and covering their backs with silks; 
baf\:ii, &c. ; for the procuring of all of which they 
seldom brought any more valuable articles than 
a little milk, or some rice, or corn. Indeed we 
wanted nothing else, but the miserable handfuls 
which Utey presented, weJ.1e scarcely worth the 
trouble of receiving, much less giving more than 
the Va11Ae 1n retum. 
124 
CHAPTER VI. 
Description of Boolibany-Delays and Disappointments 
there--Scarcity of Provisions-Death of P rivate Pickard 
-My decision of paoising. the rains in the Country, and 
Departure for Samba Contaye to select a position for 
winter quarters-Arrival of the E xpedition from Booli-
bany-Mr. Pilkington and men left there sick- Death 
of Lieutenant Burton, and Sickness of the Men-Prepa-
rations for Mr. Dochard's Departure for Sego-Almamy's 
Arriv.1 near our Camp-Difficulties about the Guide-
Mr. Doch.rd's Departure-The Object of his Embassy-
Mr. Partarrieau';Departure for the Coast-Mr. N elson's 
weak state-A regular Market established-Mr. Pil-
kington's Arrival from the Capital-Mr. Nelson's Death 
-My ownlndisposition-Deaths amongst the Men-Ex-
traordinary Ceremony at the killing of a lioness-Lions' 
Attack on the Horse-Accounts from Mr. Doch. rd- Re-
turn of the Messengers-Almamy's unjust Conduct, and 
its Results. 
BOOLIBANY, the capital of Bondoo, stands in 
an extensive plain at the foot of a range' of 
rocky hills, which are distant from it about a 
quarter of a mile east: to the west, the dry 
bed of a considerable torrent winds along the 
plain, and, in the season of the rains, conducts 
the water, which descends in a thousand streams 
from the hills, to the Falune and Senegal. .,. 
jJl 
,~l  
TRA VELS I N AFRICA. 125 
Here is the residence of the king, or Alma-
my, but it is by no means so large a town as we 
expected to see in the capital of so thickly in-
habited a country. The number of souls do 
not exceed fifteen or eighteen hundred; the 
greater number are either the relatives, slaves, 
tradesmen, or followers of Almamy, or those of 
the royal family. 
The town is surrounded by a strong clay 
wall, ten feet high and eighteen inches thick" ; 
this is pierced with loop-holes, and is so con-
structed that, at short intervals, projecting 
angles are thrown ont, which enable the be-
sieged to defend the front of the wall by a flank-
ing fire, and answers all the purposes of defenge 
where nothing but small arms is made use of. 
The gates, of which there are five, and some 
of the intermediate parts of the wall, are sur-
mounted by small embattled turrets, nine or ten 
feet square; those are likewise pierced with 
loop-holes, and give to the place a better forti-
fied appearance than any town we had before 
seen. 
Within these outer walls, at the west end of 
the town, and surroUFlded by stronger and high-
er ones of the same materials and form, are the 
.. It was, vthen we saw it, in bad"repair, not having been 
rebuilt since it was partly destroyed -by the Kartan anny in 
' 1817, 
H!6 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
pa!Iaces of Almamy, his son Saada, and his -ne-
phew Moosa Yoro Malick, all joining each 
other, but having no internal communication.' 
The mosque, by no-means a good one, stands 
in an open space in the south-west end of the 
town. It was in very badl'epair, being nea-I'ly 
destitute of thatch. Ii is a large oblong -clay 
building, lying east and west, the walls a!bout 
nine feet high, and the 'roof, which is {:{)m-
posed of Tough iimber, is suppol'ted in the cen-
ire by three strong forked stakes, about eight-
,'tleen feet ihigh. The el'lds of this roof extend 
five or six feet over the walls, on which it res'ts, 
and is there supported by forked stalkes five feet 
-high, fOl'miug a sort of piazza. Public prayers 
are pel'f-ormed in it five times a day, with the 
greatest apparent devotion. 
The 10wn is divided by streets, or more pro-
perly lanes, whi:ch are very narrow, dirty, and 
irregular. The outside of the walls too, in con-
sequence of the want of public places of conve-
-nierrce, -is nothing but .a continued heap of filth, 
which emits, particularly during the rains; aTl 
overpowering -and unpl:easant effiuvia. 
The huts or houses are of different forms: 
-some -entirely composed of day and rough tim-
ber, are squa.re and flat roofed; others are 
wtlnd, haYing the walls of the same material as 
the former, but are covered with a conical ·roof, 
TRAVELS l'N AFRICA. H27 
formed of poles and thatched with long dry 
grass; the third and last are entirely composed 
of wood and d·ry grass, in the form of a half 
splaire. The doors of all are inconveniently 
low, particularly the latter, which is rendered 
i!he more u:npleas-ant by its serving, at the Sa1'l1e 
time, as door, window, and chimney. 
Those of Almamy, his son, nephew, a'lldsoine 
of the princes, display the s-ame variety of fOEIT!, 
and, with 1fue elfception of b€ing laTg€r, :H'e 
equally inconve:nient. 'l1he int€rior of each of 
these palaces may contain about an IElnglis'ft 
acre, divided, by low clay walls, into severall. 
sma!Il COUTts, in some 'of which ape the chambers 
of their wives and conoubi:nes, and in others the 
magazines of arms, ammunition, mercbandize, 
and corn. The exterior walls are about thirteen 
feet high, and are lined, nearly alII. round in~ 
side, with a range of square clay hovels, serving 
as ·cooking places, stables, -slave rooms, an1il 
other stores, all which have flat roofS, where, 
in -case of attack, a number of armed men, tihe 
best marksmen, are placed, !and beiFlg there de-
fended by that part of tl<ie outside waUs which 
rises above the roofs, in form err parapets, they 
can do mnch against an attacking .enemy. 
At a short distance to the sw. al'esitl:1ated tbe 
rums of a town neady'as (large as Boolibany, and 
of which it at one time formed a part; but was 
1~8 TRAVELS IN AF1UCA. 
destroye,d ,by the Kal'tan army in one of their 
attacks on Almamy- which must haye been san-
guinary, as the ground for a considerable dis-
tance round it is thickly strewed with the now 
wbitene~l bones of the slain, whose bodies were 
allowed to putrify on the spot where they fell, 
or be devoured by the birds and beasts of prey. 
The mother of the boy given to us by Alma-
my, came to our huts to see her son, whom we 
had by this time so <:onvinced of his real situ-
ation, that he implored us on his knees and with 
tears in his eyes to work the same change in his 
unfortunate mother's situation, who together 
with his brother, an infant, were in the most de-
plorable state of slavery, in the possession of 
Moosa Yeona Malick. The poor woman herself 
was too much .pleased with the respectable ap-
pearance of her son, and with the account he 
gave her of the comparative happiness of his 
present situation, to prevent a gleam of satisfac-
tion from making itself evident, through the 
otherwise truly miserable and desponding evi-
dence of her feelings but too strongly depicted 
in her face and actions; the former being bathed 
in tears, and the latter more becoming of a per-
son imploring assistance or protection from the 
divine, than a human being. 
It is needless to say we promised her every 
e-xertlon in her favour, and fulfilled the promise, 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 129 
but alas! without effect :- the answer we got 
from her inhuman master to an oifer of three 
times the value of a prime slave, or indeed any 
price he might demand, was" that it was much 
fitter for us to make him a present of the son, 
WllO would thereby be enabled to enjoy the so· 
ciety of his mother and brother." 
The poor woman was a constant visitor at our 
huts, where she every day -got one _good meal, 
but it would have been useiess to give her any 
thing else, as her master would not have left it 
(let it be of never so little value) with her. 
Since our arrival at Boolibany we had been as 
badly supplied with provisions as at Goodeerie. 
Almamy made us a present of a bullock, but we 
found it impossible to purchase any, and as to 
rice or corn it was extremely scarce and -dear. 
So small was the quantity of milk purchased that 
the officers were stinted to a few spoonfulls each, 
which, with as limited a quantity of rice, meal, 
or meat, constituted our daily bill of fare. 
To add to the unpleasantness of our situation 
nearly all the European soldiers were affected 
with fever or dysentery, two of the officers, 
Messrs. Nelson and Pilkington, were likewise iII, 
and we found it impossible to obtain from AI. 
mamy the fulfilment of his promises. At one 
time he would say he was preparing for us some 
provisions; at another, that he was only waiting 
K