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
About noon my horse was so much fatigued that I could not keep up with my
companions; I therefore dismounted, and desired them to ride on, telling
them that I would follow as soon as my horse had rested a little. But I
found them unwilling to leave me; the lions, they said, were very
numerous in those parts, and though they might not so readily attack a
body of people, they would soon find out an individual; it was therefore
agreed that one of the company should stay with me to assist in driving
my horse, while the others passed on to Galloo to procure lodgings, and
collect grass for the horses before night. Accompanied by this worthy
negro, I drove my horse before me until about four o’clock, when we came
in sight of Galloo, a considerable town, standing in a fertile and
beautiful valley surrounded with high rocks.
Early next morning (July 14th), having first returned many thanks to our
landlord for his hospitality, while my fellow-travellers offered up their
prayers that he might never want, we set forward, and about three o’clock
arrived at Moorja, a large town, famous for its trade in salt, which the
Moors bring here in great quantities, to exchange for corn and cotton
cloth. As most of the people here are Mohammedans, it is not allowed to
the kafirs to drink beer, which they call _neodollo_ (corn spirit),
except in certain houses. In one of these I saw about twenty people
sitting round large vessels of this beer with the greatest conviviality,
many of them in a state of intoxication.
On the morning of the 16th we again set forward, accompanied by a coffle
of fourteen asses, loaded with salt, bound for Sansanding. The road was
particularly romantic, between two rocky hills; but the Moors sometimes
lie in wait here to plunder strangers. As soon as we had reached the
open country the master of the salt coffle thanked us for having stayed
with him so long, and now desired us to ride on. The sun was almost set
before we reached Datliboo. In the evening we had a most tremendous
tornado. The house in which we lodged being flat-roofed, admitted the
rain in streams; the floor was soon ankle-deep, the fire extinguished,
and we were left to pass the night upon some bundles of firewood that
happened to lie in a corner.
_July_ 17.—We departed from Datliboo, and about ten o’clock passed a
large coffle returning from Sego with corn-hoes, mats, and other
household utensils. At five o’clock we came to a large village where we
intended to pass the night, but the dooty would not receive us. When we
departed from this place my horse was so much fatigued that I was under
the necessity of driving him, and it was dark before we reached Fanimboo,
a small village, the dooty of which no sooner heard that I was a white
man than he brought out three old muskets, and was much disappointed when
he was told that I could not repair them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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