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
We travelled SE. and by E. thirteen miles, to the village of
Bambako. The path this day was over a hard yellow clay soil, mixed
with small quartz pebbles, and much broken into deep ruts by the
rains; the whole distance, to within a quarter of a mile, covered
with loose brushwood and a few large trees of the acacia species.
Corporal Pickard, a European, was so ill as to be unable to walk,
and private Richmond, a native soldier, was nearly as bad; they
were carried forward on two of the officers’ horses. Bambako is
a very miserable village indeed, not containing more than twenty
huts of the poorest description: the situation of it, however,
in some measure made up for its wretched appearance; it was on the
summit of an elevated plain, beautifully covered with some of those
large trees which bear the cotton, already mentioned, and a great
number of baobabs, tamarinds, and palm trees; and it is plentifully
supplied with good water, from wells twelve fathoms deep. We were
able to purchase there one horse, two asses, three goats, and some
corn for the animals. The horses and asses were a very welcome and
necessary supply at that moment, as we had lost by death, during
the day’s march, three horses.
We passed the night there, and moved forward to the SSE. at seven on
the morning of the 7th. The soil and appearance of the country the
same as that of the preceding day’s march. The path was not so
much broken, and the animals travelled better. We reached Canopê
at eleven, A.M., where we halted in order to refresh the men and
animals, and to purchase, if possible, a few asses, which we were
told by our guides were here in great numbers. Large prices, in
amber, coral, and blue baft, induced the natives to sell us seven
very good ones. We had much difficulty in procuring water here,
not in consequence of any want of it at the place, but because the
people would not allow us to approach the wells, alleging that it
was their property, and we must pay for it as well as for the other
commodities of life. Remonstrance, and an inclination to force on
our part, together with the interference of our guides, at length
obtained it; not, however, before it was much wanted.
We left that inhospitable village at three, P.M., the same day,
and travelled in the same direction over a very finely diversified
country, for two hours, when we arrived at a small village called
Kussaye, or Metofodia Cunda, having passed, about two miles before
it, the ruins of a very large walled town, called Maja Cunda. This
was formerly the residence of Modiba, the man who assisted us at
Woolli, but was destroyed and abandoned by him, in consequence of
the surrounding soil not producing good crops; it is very light and
sandy, and mixed with lumps of a stiff white clay, having much the
appearance of pipe-clay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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