The Journal of Negro History, Volume 7, 1922Various
History
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 7, 1922
Various
African Americans -- Periodicals
his wives (no rare occurrence, seeing how many he kept) whose heart he
rejoiced with some gunpowder and a gay piece of cloth. At the very
next village, Tallimangoly, he fell across another, who cost him three
grains of amber. Indeed, it seemed as though his store of presents
would never hold out; for, no sooner had he digested the sheep his
cousin killed for him, than the Bambarra army came up, and with fear
and trembling Isaaco must needs dole out a whole heap of stuff--10
flasks of powder, 13 grains of amber (this time No. 1), 2 grains of
coral (No. 1) and a handsome tin box. These to the King. And the
King's chamberlain, goldsmith, and singing men had to be tipped as
well.[3]
IV
So they paid their way through Sangnonagagy and Saamcolo (where there
was a "grand palaver" to rescue Isaaco's dog, which had bitten a man
and been condemned to die), on to Diggichoucoumee, a place as long as
its name, which took them four days to get through. It took still
longer to get clear of the next village of Dramana, for the family of
one of his wives came up and bitterly opposed her going with him on a
journey so hazardous. There was another "grand palaver." In the end
Isaaco lost his temper and divorced his wife; and, as the law required
her to return what she had received at marriage, he came rather well
out of it--to be exact, with a bullock and four sheep. A little
further on Isaaco met an Arab with an exceptionally fine mare, which
he bought with his wife's dowry and so consoled himself. He found the
mare more tractable than a wife with obstinate relations. After this
episode the pace of the party mended. Numbers of villages with
unpronounceable names were hurried through. The river Senegal was
crossed, and a country entered, that of Bambarra, where only women
could be found. Every man, even the children and the aged, had gone
away with the army. At the ill-sounding place Ourigiague, just beyond,
they were royally entertained. A whole bullock was roasted for them.
So, too, at Medina, where they were forced to waste twelve days and
devour five sheep, because one of Isaaco's servants made off with the
aforesaid mare and Isaaco's precious musket. A trustier servant was
despatched on his trail. In due time he returned with the mare and the
musket, and preferred not to say what had happened to the thief. The
petty kingdom of Casso, which they came to next, proved very trying.
There were six rivers to cross, full (says Isaaco) of alligators and
hippopotami. There was the forbidding rock of Tap-Pa in the desert of
Maretoumane to get by. And there was the mountain of Lambatara, on the
top of which they were attacked by a cloud of bees. Maddened with the
stings, the Negroes ran everywhere; the mules broke loose and threw
their packs down the hill. Poor Isaaco had to collect them all,
physick the dying and distressed, and number the living and the lost.
At nightfall he slept like a log "under a monkey-bread tree." The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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