Travels in Western Africa, in the years 1818, 19, 20, and 21, from the river Gambia, through Woolli, Bondoo, Galam, Kasson, Kaarta, and Foolidoo, to the river NigerGray, William, Major
History
Travels in Western Africa, in the years 1818, 19, 20, and 21, from the river Gambia, through Woolli, Bondoo, Galam, Kasson, Kaarta, and Foolidoo, to the river Niger
Gray, William, Major
Sudan (Region) -- Description and travel
On the 12th of September, I paid a visit to the Tonca of Tuabo (the
capital of Lower Galam), and made him a small present. The river was
then so swollen that its banks were no longer capable of containing
its waters, which had completely overflowed all the low grounds in
its vicinity, and destroyed a large proportion of the corn that was
just then coming into ear. Many of the towns had suffered much in
their walls and houses, which being wholly composed of clay, when
once wet tumbled to the ground. The view of Tuabo at that moment was
peculiarly striking: it had all the appearance of a floating town,
rendered the more picturesque by being beautifully shaded with dates,
tamarind, and other large trees. The inhabitants were in the utmost
consternation lest it should rise higher, in which case they would
have been obliged to leave the town.
It is impossible to convey an accurate idea of the grandeur of the
scene. The Senegal, which is there nearly half a mile wide, and
then higher than remembered by the oldest inhabitant of the country,
was hurrying along at the rate of four miles an hour, covered with
small floating islands and trees, on both which were seen standing
large aigretts, whose glaring white feathers, rendered doubly so
by a brilliant sun, formed a pleasing contrast with the green reeds
around them, or the brown trunks of trees whereon they stood.
The mountains on either side of the river, to whose bases the
inundation reached, (forming an extensive sheet of water, on the
surface of which appeared the tops of trees nearly covered,) were
clothed with the most luxuriant verdure, and, although not very high,
added much to the richness of the scene.
On the evening of the 7th of October, Charles Joe returned from Foota,
bringing with him the animals, and some of the articles belonging to
the mission, which had been left at Fadgar, and gave the following
account of his embassy.
On his arrival at Chuloigne, the capital of Foota, he was obliged
to wait until the election of an Almamy took place. This delayed
him six weeks; when Thieno Biram, a known friend to Europeans, was
chosen, and a general assembly of the chiefs then present called,
before whom the affair was brought, and, after much discussion,
given against Bayla, who was declared to have committed a crime
worthy death, but which, in this instance, should be mitigated into
banishment from the country. Bayla endeavoured to excuse himself,
by saying, that he was instigated to treat us as he had done by
Almamy Bondoo; whose letters to that effect he was going to produce,
when he was told by Almamy Foota, that, as he was not a subject
of Bondoo, nor amenable, in any way, to the laws of that country,
he was unwarranted in carrying into effect the orders of its chief,
who should have been ashamed of his conduct towards us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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