This man possessed great intelligence, and seemed anxious to afford any information likely to be interesting to me. He informed me that his companion was still at Rabba, trading from thence to Bornou. He was himself employed by Terrasso-weea. While thus engaged in conversation, a tall fine-looking man advanced towards us, with a very pleasing and expressive smile on his countenance. To my great astonishment, this man made me a bow, and addressed me, first in Spanish and then in English.
I can scarcely remember any occurrence in my lifetime that gave me, for the moment, more pleasure than this; such an incident being so little anticipated by me in a region so distant from civilized intercourse. This poor fellow gave me a brief but interesting account of himself, which I here set down in as few words as possible. He was a native of Bornou, but, in the wars, was taken and sold as a slave. From one party to another he was disposed of, till he was brought to Whydah, where he remained some months, and was well treated. He was then shipped from thence to Bahia, and remained there as a slave for the space of twenty-one years. During ten years of that period he was principal or head cook to the firm of Boothby and Johnston, of Liverpool.
When I told him I was well acquainted with Liverpool, he seemed quite delighted, and expressed great anxiety to accompany me thither. He spoke very highly of his former masters, and of the time of his bondage as the happiest days of his life. I asked him how he came to leave them. He informed me that he was liberated at the emancipation of slaves held by British subjects, and that the early dreams of his childhood were still so strongly imprinted on his memory that he preferred visiting his birth-place to remaining a hired servant in Bahia. Well, he returned in a Brazilian schooner to Whydah, where he was landed, and there fell in with several of his acquaintances of Bahia.
At Whydah he remained some months, then went to the Yarriba country, and after some months arrived at his native town. But now the spell was broken, and all his happy dreams of more than twenty years had vanished. His native town had twice been burnt down by the enemy, and was chiefly inhabited by strangers from a far country. He was now an obscure stranger, and looked upon with suspicion, and his long-cherished home was to him a desolate waste. With a lonely heart, he again turned from the place, and when on his journey, intending to return to the coast, and to Bahia if possible, he happened to meet Terrasso-weea, at a town where he was trading. He was readily employed, and had since travelled a great deal in different directions with his master, whom he described to be an excellent man. Before leaving my friend I ought to mention that he wrote his name, and described in Spanish the time he remained in slavery, and also the names of Boothby and Johnston. The date of his liberation is also noted. I have this paper still in my possession.
To return to Terrasso-weea, who had retired to a short distance as soon as my Bahia friend had entered into conversation with me. Observing a pause in our conversation he again came up to me, and shewed me all his goods in the market. He had a great number of carriers, who convey the goods on their heads. This was the only place where I had seen the camel used for burden since leaving Tangiers. Terrasso-weea had eight of these animals, besides a great number of men.
The afternoon was now far advanced, and in consequence of my presence Terrasso-weea ordered all his goods to be taken into his stores; so that an opportunity might be afforded my friends, as well as himself, of a palaver with a white man. Terrasso-weea then invited me to his house, which was always occupied by some of his wives and an agent, whether he were present or not. His dwelling and those of his domestics formed a quadrangle of considerable extent. His own apartment was richly ornamented with various rude designs, painted in different colours upon the walls. Curiously carved stools were placed around the apartment, and a clay couch, which was covered with several finely worked mats of varied colours, over which was a richly worked native wove cloth, bordered with a fringe of red and yellow silk. He was less scrupulous than most Africans as regards the introduction of his wives, though probably more with a view to gratify their curiosity than my own. Some of them were considered as very handsome Africans, although they varied very much in colour. A great many of them were Bornouese.
After drinking water with the merchant, I handed him the paper entrusted to me by the Mahomedan priest at Abomey. Upon this he immediately started to his feet, and seemed almost frantic with joy. At the receipt of the epistle, which was written in the Persian-Arabic, I availed myself of this opportunity to inform him of my object in coming to this country: but the perusal of the note had already made him aware that the object of my inquiry was to learn something respecting the fate of the lamented Mungo Park. He said he was anxious to give me all the information in his power respecting the death of that intrepid traveller. His account I shall here narrate as nearly as possible as he related it to me.
Terrasso-weea stated, that when he was a young man and living in Yaouri, with the king of that place, as third malaam, or priest, a very tall white man came down the great river Joleeba, having a very large canoe, the centre covered over with matting in the form of a tent. He was accompanied by several black men, and had one sheep and several goats, with a few fowls, in the canoe, which they carried with them for food. Amongst the crew was one man, a native of the neighbourhood of Yaouri, whose name was Amadi Fatuma. This man had accompanied Mungo Park from a town at a considerable distance higher up the river, where he had gone with a trading caravan. As soon as this man arrived at Yaouri, his native place, he of course left the canoe, but had previously received payment. This cunning fellow advised Park to stop at Yaouri to purchase some necessary provisions, declaring that he could procure them cheaper by his assistance. Park accordingly went on shore, and was introduced to the King, who supplied him with what he required for subsistence, for which he paid him his full demand.
Soon after he retired to his canoe, to prepare for sailing; but on his way, one of the King’s messengers overtook him, stating that Amadi Fatuma had complained to the King that Mr. Park had not paid him any wages, nor had he given him any thing as a dash; and that the King had sent officers to detain Park till the demand was paid. Park indignantly denied the truth of this assertion, and determined not to yield to the imposition, but immediately stepped on board his canoe, accompanied by the party who had been with him on shore. He desired the messenger to return, and bring Amadi Fatuma to make his claim in person. Amadi did return, accompanied by the malaam priest, that is, the chief of the priesthood, Terrasso-weea being already present. He then in person boldly demanded his wages, declaring that he had not been paid according to his agreement, although all Park’s people stated they saw him paid a great deal more than was agreed. Terrasso-weea says he is doubtful whether the King, who was a despotic tyrant, had not encouraged or urged Amadi to make his dishonest demand, for many people believed the white man’s tale.
However, the King’s orders were directed to be enforced; and when Park’s people were in the act of loosening the painter of the canoe, which was made fast to a stump of a tree, or a post driven into the bank for that purpose, one of the King’s officers seized hold of the gunwale of the canoe to detain it, when Park, with a sabre, at one blow cut the officer’s hand off. This exasperated the natives, who raised a continuous yell, and at the same time threw a number of stones into the canoe. Whereupon Park fired many times into the crowd, killing several and wounding many.