A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra LeoneDurand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
History
A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra Leone
Durand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
Africa, Northwest; Senegal -- Description and travel
Those who accompanied the king of Yolof sung songs in praise of his
goodness, and celebrated the arrival of a white man. One of them
carried a mat for the king to seat himself on the instant he might
wish to rest. On coming up to Rubault, the king received him with
open arms, and taking him affectionately by the hand, held it a long
time; he then caused a mat to be spread, and placing himself upon it,
made the stranger sit on his right-hand. Then, after a silence of
some time, he asked him what had brought a white man into his states,
where one had never arrived before? Rubault explained that he had
been sent to Galam by M. Durand, and was ordered to salute his Yolof
majesty, and to express the desire of the French government to form
an establishment in his kingdom. This answer pleased the king,
who immediately ordered a hut to be prepared for him, to which
he was conducted to repose. About noon, a prince belonging to the
royal family came with great ceremony, to invite him to dinner at
the hut of the king; on reaching which he observed a young Negress
washing the sovereign’s feet; she left off as soon as the stranger
appeared, and the king then taking him into another apartment, they
sat down together on the same mat. They parted with great ceremony,
and the next day the king expressed the high satisfaction he felt at
the proposition of M. Durand; and assured Rubault that he would do
every thing in his power to favour the French. He then requested the
envoy to accept an axe, and pressed him to remain some days longer in
the village, in order that his subjects might see him, and consign
the fact to their history, that, during his reign, they had had
the happiness to know that a white man had arrived in their country.
On the 23d, the king had a long conversation with Rubault, with the
aid of two interpreters, and informed him, that an escort would be
ready on the 25th to accompany him to Galam. After the conference,
the ladies of the court, with their attendants, came to visit him;
they approached very near to him, seeming to examine him with
great curiosity, and described their sensations to each other in
a very low voice. They all seemed satisfied with the sight, and
expressing their wishes for his health and happiness, retired;
amongst the number were four of the king’s wives.
On the 25th, at two in the afternoon, M. Rubault was ready for his
departure; when he received a most affectionate and pompous farewell
from the royal family, the king declaring that he would himself
write a letter to M. Durand. He then accompanied him to the spot
where his camels were waiting, and taking him kindly by the hand,
said, “I pray the Lord to preserve thee on thy journey.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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