Travels in the Interior of Africa — Volume 02Park, Mungo
History
Travels in the Interior of Africa — Volume 02
Park, Mungo
Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Niger River
_April_ 26.—This morning two of the schoolmaster’s pupils complained much
of pains in their legs, and one of the slaves walked lame, the soles of
his feet being very much blistered and inflamed; we proceeded,
notwithstanding, and about eleven o’clock began to ascend a rocky hill
called Boki-Kooro, and it was past two in the afternoon before we reached
the level ground on the other side. This was the most rocky road we had
yet encountered, and it hurt our feet much. In a short time we arrived
at a pretty large river, called Boki, which we forded; it ran smooth and
clear over a bed of whinstone. About a mile to the westward of the river
we came to a road which leads to the north-east towards Gadou, and seeing
the marks of many horses’ feet upon the soft sand, the slatees
conjectured that a party of plunderers had lately rode that way to fall
upon some town of Gadou; and lest they should discover upon their return
that we had passed, and attempt to pursue us by the marks of our feet,
the coffle was ordered to disperse and travel in a loose manner through
the high grass and bushes. A little before it was dark, having crossed
the ridge of hills to the westward of the river Boki, we came to a well
called _Cullong Qui_ (White Sand Well), and here we rested for the night.
_April_ 27.—We departed from the well early in the morning, and walked on
with the greatest alacrity, in hopes of reaching a town before night.
The road during the forenoon led through extensive thickets of dry
bamboos. About two o’clock we came to a stream called Nunkolo, where we
were each of us regaled with a handful of meal, which, according to a
superstitious custom, was not to be eaten until it was first moistened
with water from this stream. About four o’clock we reached Sooseeta, a
small Jallonka village, situated in the district of Kullo, which
comprehends all that tract of country lying along the banks of the Black
River, or main branch of the Senegal. These were the first human
habitations we had seen since we left the village to the westward of
Kinytakooro, having travelled in the course of the last five days upwards
of one hundred miles. Here, after a great deal of entreaty, we were
provided with huts to sleep in, but the master of the village plainly
told us that he could not give us any provisions, as there had lately
been a great scarcity in this part of the country. He assured us that,
before they had gathered in their present crops, the whole inhabitants of
Kullo had been for twenty-nine days without tasting corn, during which
time they supported themselves entirely upon the yellow powder which is
found in the pods of the _nitta_, so called by the natives, a species of
mimosa, and upon the seeds of the bamboo-cane, which, when properly
pounded and dressed, taste very much like rice. As our dry provisions
were not yet exhausted, a considerable quantity of kouskous was dressed
for supper, and many of the villagers were invited to take part of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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