Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and StanleyKingston, William Henry Giles
History
Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Stanley
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Africa -- Description and travel; Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
On setting out in the morning Nealee, one of Kafa's female slaves
refused to drink the gruel offered her. The country was extremely wild
and rocky, and Park began to fear that he should be unable to keep up
with the party. Others, however, suffered more than he did. The poor
female slave began to lag behind; and, complaining dreadfully of pains
in her legs, her load was taken from her and given to another, and she
was ordered to keep in front of the coffle.
As the party were resting near a rivulet a hive of bees was discovered
in a hollow tree, and some of the people were proceeding to obtain the
honey, when an enormous swarm flew out, and, attacking every one, made
them fly in every direction. Park being the first to take alarm, was
the only person who escaped with impunity. The slaves had, however,
left their bundles behind them, and to obtain them it was necessary to
set the grass on fire to the east of the hive, when the wind driving the
flames along, the men pushed through the smoke and recovered their
bundles. They also brought with them poor Nealee, whom they found lying
by the rivulet stung in the most dreadful manner. On her refusing to
proceed further, she was cruelly beaten with a whip, when, suddenly
starting up, she walked for four or five hours; she then made an attempt
to run away, but, from weakness, fell to the ground. Though unable to
rise, the whip was a second time applied, when Kafa ordered that she
should be placed on an ass. Unable to sit on it, she was carried
afterwards on a litter by two slaves.
The unfortunate slaves, who had travelled all day in the hot sun with
loads on their heads, were dreadfully fatigued; and some of them began
to snap their fingers--a sure sign, among negroes, of desperation. They
were, therefore, put in irons, and kept apart from each other. Next day
poor Nealee was again placed on the ass; but unable to hold herself on,
frequently fell to the ground. At length the cry arose
of--"_Kang-tegi_!" ("Cut her throat!") As Park did not wish to see this
horrible operation performed, he went on ahead; but soon afterwards he
was overtaken by one of Kafa's domestic slaves with poor Nealee's
garment on the end of a bow. On making inquiries of the man, he replied
that Kafa and the schoolmaster would not consent to her being killed,
but had left her on the road, where probably she was soon devoured by
wild animals.
Such is one example of the cruel treatment received by the unhappy
slaves. The old schoolmaster, however, was so affected, that he fasted
the whole of the ensuing day.
The party now travelled on rapidly, everyone being apprehensive that he
might otherwise meet with the fate of poor Nealee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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