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 the last day of the festival, while his subjects were gathered in
large numbers on the racecourse, he appeared among them, followed by
boys carrying calabashes full of cowries, with which he rewarded the
dancers, singers, and musicians, scattering the remainder among the
crowd, to be scrambled for. Then, to show his affection for his
subjects, unwilling to send them to their homes without giving them
another treat, he danced sideways half way up the racecourse and back
again to his residence, with much stateliness, his amiable wife smiling
with delight that she had such a spouse, while the people were louder
than ever in their shouts of approbation.
They heard here that El Kanemy, Major Denham's friend, had fallen into
disgrace with the Sultan of Bornou, who suspected him of treasonable
practices, and of the intention of usurping the sovereignty. He had
been imprisoned, and would have lost his head had not the Mahommedan
priests interfered and obtained his liberation.
During their last visit to the King of Wawa, he exhibited a collection
of charms written on sheets of paper, glued or pasted together. Among
them was a small edition of Watts's Hymns, on one of the blank leaves of
which was written, "Alexander Anderson, Royal Military Hospital,
Gosport, 1804," which of course had belonged to Mr Park's
brother-in-law, who died in that neighbourhood. They had seen also two
other notes addressed to Park, one from a Mr Watson, and the other from
Lady Dalkeith.
It was not before the 30th of September that at length, having obtained
the long-wished-for canoes, they were able to embark from the Island of
Patashie, in the neighbourhood of Boussa. Cheered by the natives, they
sprang on board, and the current rapidly bore them down the stream.
Their voyage had now begun prosperously; but they were detained at
several places by the chiefs, who wished to get as much as they could
out of them.
At Lever a priest, attended by a number of followers, told them that
they were in his power, and should not quit the town till he thought
proper. They had hitherto always behaved in the mildest manner
possible, but now Lander replied that if the priest or any one else
attempted to hinder them from taking their departure, he should feel no
hesitation in shooting him. In an instant the priest's manner changed,
and he became civil and humble. They and their people were, however,
allowed to make the attempt of launching their canoe, in which, as she
was long and heavy, they were unable to succeed. The priest and his
followers at length, ashamed of seeing the strangers labouring so hard,
came to the spot and in a few minutes carried their boats into the
water. They passed numerous islands, many of them several miles in
length and thickly inhabited.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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