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
The chief object of Ali, in this journey to Jarra, as I have already
related, was to procure money from such of the Kaartans as had taken
refuge in his country. Some of these had solicited his protection to
avoid the horrors of war, but by far the greatest number of them were
dissatisfied men, who wished the ruin of their own sovereign. These
people no sooner heard that the Bambarra army had returned to Sego
without subduing Daisy, as was generally expected, than they resolved to
make a sudden attack themselves upon him before he could recruit his
forces, which were now known to be much diminished by a bloody campaign,
and in great want of provisions. With this view they solicited the Moors
to join them, and offered to hire of Ali two hundred horsemen, which Ali,
with the warmest professions of friendship, agreed to furnish, upon
condition that they should previously supply him with four hundred head
of cattle, two hundred garments of blue cloth, and a considerable
quantity of beads and ornaments.
_June_ 8.—In the afternoon Ali sent his chief slave to inform me that he
was about to return to Bubaker: but as he would only stay there a few
days to keep the approaching festival (_Banna salee_), and then return to
Jarra, I had permission to remain with Daman until his return. This was
joyful news to me; but I had experienced so many disappointments that I
was unwilling to indulge the hope of its being true, until Johnson came
and told me that Ali, with part of the horsemen, were actually gone from
the town, and that the rest were to follow him in the morning.
_June_ 9.—Early in the morning the remainder of the Moors departed from
the town. They had, during their stay, committed many acts of robbery;
and this morning with the most unparalleled audacity, they seized upon
three girls who were bringing water from the wells, and carried them away
into slavery.
_June_ 12.—Two people, dreadfully wounded, were discovered at a
watering-place in the woods; one of them had just breathed his last, but
the other was brought alive to Jarra. On recovering a little he informed
the people that he had fled through the woods from Kasson; that Daisy had
made war upon Sambo, the king of that country; had surprised three of his
towns, and put all the inhabitants to the sword. He enumerated by name
many of the friends of the Jarra people who had been murdered in Kasson.
This intelligence made the death-howl universal in Jarra for the space of
two days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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