Travels in the Interior of Africa — Volume 01Park, Mungo
History
Travels in the Interior of Africa — Volume 01
Park, Mungo
Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Niger River
Their government differs from that of the Mandingoes chiefly in this,
that they are more immediately under the influence of Mohammedan laws;
for all the chief men, the king excepted, and a large majority of the
inhabitants of Bondou, are Mussulmans, and the authority and laws of the
Prophet are everywhere looked upon as sacred and decisive. In the
exercise of their faith, however, they are not very intolerant towards
such of their countrymen as still retain their ancient superstitions.
Religious persecution is not known among them, nor is it necessary; for
the system of Mohammed is made to extend itself by means abundantly more
efficacious. By establishing small schools in the different towns, where
many of the pagan as well as Mohammedan children are taught to read the
Koran, and instructed in the tenets of the Prophet, the Mohammedan
priests fix a bias on the minds, and form the character, of their young
disciples, which no accidents of life can ever afterwards remove or
alter. Many of these little schools I visited in my progress through the
country, and I observed with pleasure the great docility and submissive
deportment of the children, and heartily wished they had had better
instructors and a purer religion.
With the Mohammedan faith is also introduced the Arabic language, with
which most of the Foulahs have a slight acquaintance. Their native
tongue abounds very much in liquids, but there is something unpleasant in
the manner of pronouncing it. A stranger, on hearing the common
conversation of two Foulahs, would imagine that they were scolding each
other. Their numerals are these:—
One Go.
Two Deeddee.
Three Tettee.
Four Nee.
Five Jouee.
Six Jego.
Seven Jedeeddee.
Eight Je Tettee.
Nine Je Nee.
Ten Sappo.
The industry of the Foulahs, in the occupations of pasturage and
agriculture, is everywhere remarkable. Even on the banks of the Gambia,
the greater part of the corn is raised by them, and their herds and
flocks are more numerous and in better condition than those of the
Mandingoes; but in Bondou they are opulent in a high degree, and enjoy
all the necessaries of life in the greatest profusion. They display
great skill in the management of their cattle, making them extremely
gentle by kindness and familiarity. On the approach of the night, they
are collected from the woods and secured in folds called _korrees_, which
are constructed in the neighbourhood of the different villages. In the
middle of each korree is erected a small hut, wherein one or two of the
herdsmen keep watch during the night, to prevent the cattle from being
stolen, and to keep up the fires which are kindled round the korree to
frighten away the wild beasts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account