The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805: Together with Other Documents, Official and Private, Relating to the Same Mission, to Which Is Prefixed an Account of the Life of Mr. ParkPark, Mungo
History
The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805: Together with Other Documents, Official and Private, Relating to the Same Mission, to Which Is Prefixed an Account of the Life of Mr. Park
Park, Mungo
Africa -- Discovery and exploration
I was sent on shore the next morning with a musket and a sabre, to carry
to the chief of the village, also with three pieces of white baft for
distribution. I went and gave the Chief his present: I also gave one
piece to Alhagi, one to Alhagi-biron, and the other to a person whose
name I forget, all Marabous. The Chief gave us a bullock, a sheep, three
jars of honey, and four men's loads of rice. Mr. Park gave me seven
thousand cowries, and ordered me to buy provisions, which I did; he told
me to go to the Chief and give him five silver rings, some powder and
flints, and tell him that these presents were given to the King
[Footnote: The King staid a few hundred yards from the river.] by the
white men, who were taking leave of him before they went away. After the
Chief had received these things, he enquired if the white men intended
to come back. Mr. Park being informed of this enquiry, replied that he
could not return any more. [Footnote: These words occasioned his death;
for the certainty of Mr. Park's not returning induced the Chief to
withhold the presents from the King.] Mr. Park had paid me for my voyage
before we left Sansanding: I said to him, "I agreed to carry you into
the kingdom of Haoussa; we are now in Haoussa. I have fulfilled my
engagements with you; I am therefore going to leave you here and
return."
Next day (Saturday) Mr. Park departed, and I slept in the village
(Yaour). Next morning, I went to the King to pay my respects to him; on
entering the house I found two men who came on horseback; they were sent
by the Chief of Yaour. They said to the King, "we are sent by the Chief
of Yaour to let you know that the white men went away, without giving
you or him (the Chief) any thing; they have a great many things with
them, and we have received nothing from them; and this Amadou fatouma
now before you is a bad man, and has likewise made a fool of you both."
The king immediately ordered me to be put in irons; which was
accordingly done, and every thing I had taken from me; some were for
killing me, and some for preserving my life. The next morning early the
King sent an army to a village called Boussa near the river side. There
is before this village a rock across the whole breadth of the river. One
part of the rocks is very high; there is a large opening in that rock in
the form of a door, which is the only passage for the water to pass
through; the tide current is here very strong. This army went and took
possession of the top of this opening. Mr. Park came there after the
army had posted itself; he nevertheless attempted to pass. The people
began to attack him, throwing lances, pikes, arrows and stones. Mr. Park
defended himself for a long time; two of his slaves at the stern of the
canoe were killed; they threw every thing they had in the canoe into the
river, and kept firing; but being overpowered by numbers and fatigue,
and unable to keep up the canoe against the current, and no probability
of escaping, Mr.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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