Every day brought us some messenger from the king, but none of them were the bearers of any satisfactory answer. One stated that we were ordered to return to Kakundy, and another, that the king had received a letter from Mahomedoo Mariama, informing him that our object in entering the country was the subversion of their religion, for which purpose we had provided ourselves with machines that could kill at any distance, and that we were accompanied by one hundred large dogs, each able to fight one hundred men. These, with other similar reports, were in circulation; but it is scarcely possible that a being of the most ignorant and unsophisticated nation on earth could believe them.
On the 13th, Sergeant Tuft, who was still at the king’s camp, sent Brahima to inform Captain Campbell that as there did not yet appear any probability of obtaining permission to proceed, he recommended that he should himself see Almamy, with as little delay as possible; and it appearing to Captain Campbell, as well as all the other officers, that some decisive answer should be obtained from the king, he left the camp on the morning of the 16th, accompanied by Mr. Partarrieau, and four men (natives) with a train of carriers, amounting in all to about eighteen persons; they were soon followed by the prince and his suite. They had not gone long when we received a letter from Lamima, the messenger sent to Sego from Senegal in 1816, apprising us that he, together with some men from the king, were on their way to meet us. It was time that some decisive step should be taken: our animals were dying fast; provisions were extremely scarce; and the wet season had that evening set in, by visiting us with a heavy shower of rain, which lasted for an hour, and proved that our huts were not calculated to secure us from a wetting.
Captain Campbell did not return before the 27th, and then without having obtained any very satisfactory answer from Almamy, whom he met at a village called Dhoontoo, on the eve of commencing a campaign against some of the neighbouring chiefs. He said, that being obliged to lead the army himself, and considering his reputation at stake for our safety, he could not allow us to proceed during his absence, which would not be long, and as he understood we had lost the greater number of our animals, he had given directions that we should be provided with men to carry our baggage to Woondê, a town near Laby, where we were to await his return. On the following morning, the prince returned, accompanied by Sergeant Tuft and thirteen carriers, which not being near half the number required, having lost eighty-five animals since we left Robugga, the prince said the remainder would soon follow; and immediately ordered all strangers, except Foolahs, to quit the vicinity of our camp. The object of this we could not ascertain, but it deprived us of many persons whom we had found extremely useful in collecting provisions for the party.
In this state we remained until the 7th of April, when we were for a moment inclined to think that a sufficient number of carriers would be furnished us, by the arrival of another party of men for that purpose, but we were much surprised and disappointed to find, that on the following day, not only those, but the thirteen who came with the prince, had decamped without any previous notice of such being their intention. Abdul Hamed despatched one of his followers, on the 9th, to recal them, but as they did not obey the summons,—he sent, on the 10th, to request Almamy to issue fresh orders concerning them.
Brahima, who had been absent from the camp for some days, watching Almamy’s manœuvres (by Captain Campbell’s orders), returned and informed us that many debates had arisen, and various proposals been made with respect to what conduct they should pursue towards the expedition. Some of the chiefs proposed plundering us, to which Almamy would not consent, but said we should pay well before he would allow us to pass. A third party insisted that the country was already polluted by the presence of so large a body of Cafirs[5], and that their offence against the will of their prophet, in allowing us to pass, with such valuables as we possessed, to their enemy, the king of Sego, who was himself a Cafir, would be much aggravated. By this it was evident that the general feeling on the subject of our going to Sego, was not favourable, and that if we should succeed at all, it would probably be at a period when the advanced state of the season must render our doing so extremely difficult, if not wholly impracticable.
Our situation was daily becoming more alarming; provisions were not only scarce, but almost impossible to be procured even in small quantities, and at exorbitant prices; and sickness increased rapidly since the rains set in. Captain Campbell, Lieutenant Stokoe, and Mr. Kummer were added to the list since the 12th; the two latter continued to decline until the 26th, when, seeing no chance of their immediate recovery, they were prevailed on to return to the coast. Mr. Kummer left us on that day, and Lieutenant Stokoe on the 28th. The mode adopted for their conveyance (for they were unable to ride) was cradles, or long baskets of cane, at each end of which was a loop, or long handle, for the purpose of receiving a pole, that served the same use as the pole of palanquins, and supported a curtain to defend them from the rays of the sun. Two men could easily carry one of these with a person of ordinary size in it, but, in order that no delay should arise from want of carriers for themselves or their baggage, five accompanied each.
On the 2d of May, Lamina, accompanied by one of the chiefs, named Abou Hararata, and a long train of attendants, came to the camp, and informed Captain Campbell that Almamy sent them to say he had given permission to Lamina, in consequence of his being the messenger of the king of Sego, to conduct us through the country by whatever path he chose, and had also given directions to Abou Hararata to collect carriers for the conveyance of our baggage. This, however plausible in words, was not acted upon, and as nothing could be obtained from them but promises which they never intended performing, with the view of detaining us until the state of the country, occasioned by the rains, would prevent us moving in any direction. Captain Campbell, who was himself very ill, came to the decision of retracing his steps to the coast, and made known the same to Almamy, who sent us word that, although we were returning, it was not his desire that we should do so, as his country was open to us in any way we wished. This was his last effort to detain us, but, finding it would not answer, he ordered that we should be provided with carriers.
It was not, however, until the 18th of May, that a sufficient number were collected, and even then, we found so much difficulty in putting them to their work, that we were obliged to hold out to them promises of large rewards on their arrival at Kakundy.
Our retreat was by far more painful and difficult than our advance; the carriers required more attendance than even the fatigued and sulky asses; and what with the sick men and officers, my time and exertions were so completely taken up, that I found myself, on the 20th of May, in a state that rendered me unable, however willing, to afford myself the assistance, so many others wanted from me.
From that date to the 1st of June, I remained in a state of insensibility to the objects around me, and was conveyed, in a basket similar to those already described, to the house of Mr. Bateman, where, on coming to my senses (an event which those about me did not expect), I was informed of Mr. Kummer’s death, and the departure of Lieutenant Stokoe for Sierra Leone.