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 — John Shaqi
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
the rains, at which time they find a sufficiency of pasturage and
water for their cattle, but are obliged to wander in search of both
after January; the banks of the rivers are their last resource. Their
appearance is extremely filthy and poor. They subsist chiefly on milk,
a little corn, which they obtain in exchange for butter when in the
vicinity of towns, and such game as they can kill.
Their only furniture consists of a few mats to lie on, some wooden
bowls and calabashes, and a few leather bags; the latter serve them
as churns, and to carry water in when encamped at a distance from
where it is to be found.
Their dress is very plain, being nothing more than a piece of cotton
cloth, about two and a half yards long and three quarters wide,
wrapped round the waist, and descending a little below the knees,
with another of the same kind thrown over the shoulders. The men
wear a cotton cap besmeared with grease, to which is sometimes
added, by way of ornament, the end of a cow’s tail, died blue or
red. Like all other pagans, they are very superstitious, and wear
a great number of grigres, or charms, round their necks, arms and
legs. They are inordinately fond of red cloth, which they make use
of in covering those charms. Their weapons are long spears, bows
and arrows, and occasionally a long gun. They are good marksmen with
all these, and seldom throw away a shot; but this arises more from
the difficulty they find in obtaining powder, ball, and small shot,
than from any dislike to miss their mark.
[Illustration: W. Gray del.
WANDERING FOOLAH.
_Published Feb. 1825. by John Murray, London._]
We also visited the town of Yanimaroo. It is beautifully situated
at a short distance from the river-side, on an elevated spot,
thinly sprinkled with large shady trees of the mahogany kind, and
interspersed with evergreens and other shrubs, and a great number
of that kind of palm from which is extracted the palm wine.
The greater proportion of the inhabitants are pagans; a few,
however, profess the Mahomedan religion, retaining many of their pagan
superstitions. The latter are much respected, and enjoy a considerable
degree of influence over their unenlightened brethren. The soil about
Yanimaroo is a light yellow sand, mixed with stiff clay of the same
colour, except where there are groves of palm trees, and then it is
invariably a dark, rich, vegetable mould, mixed with a light red or
white sand.
There are, on the banks of the river, a little above Yanimaroo,
a great number of the self-consuming tree. We never saw any of them
on fire, nor yet smoking, but their appearance would lead a person
to suppose they had been burnt.
On our arrival at Kayaye, we landed our men, animals, and baggage,
and encamped on an elevated spot between the river and the town,
which are distant from each other about half a quarter of a mile.
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