A circumstance, too, took place in the early part of December, which tended materially to render my situation more unpleasant, not to say alarming, than even the former state of suspense and anxiety could possibly have done; this was a fire which broke out in one of the huts occupied by the men, and must have inevitably consumed the whole camp and baggage, were it not for the timely exertions of the men and the providential existence of a calm, which had only succeeded a strong breeze a few minutes before. From the precautions which had been always taken to prevent such an accident, I was the more astonished at any thing of this kind occurring, and from the impossibility of ascertaining by what means the hut took fire, the men who occupied it being all out, I began to suspect that some evil-disposed person had done it; this however was only surmise, unsupported by any evidence whatever: but what made it the more suspicious was the position of the hut, which was a long distance from the cooking-place, and the nearest to our store. Two days, however, had only elapsed when it again took fire in the same way, and was entirely consumed, but as the wind was then blowing strongly from the east, the store, which was in that direction, again providentially escaped being totally destroyed, for had the fire once communicated with it, all exertions to save any thing must have been rendered ineffectual, by the parched state of the straw or long grass of which it was entirely composed, and the quantity of gunpowder which was in almost every package; a circumstance that alone would have deterred every person from approaching it had it taken fire, and in the event of which we should have been deprived of the very means of subsistence.
Almamy Amady had continued to decline daily since his return from the Senegal, and died on the 8th January, leaving the succession which, consistent with the law and custom of the country ought to descend to the eldest male branch of the family, to be disputed by three persons; one, his own cousin, Malick Samba Tomany, being the lawful heir, and two of his nephews, Tomany Moody and Moosa Yeoro, all men advanced in years, and each possessed of considerable influence in the country. Moosa Yeoro, however, was at first unwilling to oppose the right heir, and would have certainly declined doing so, both from motives of respect for the person, who was much older than himself, and want of confidence in his own popularity, had not Tomany Moody induced him to it by proffers of his support, and threats of commencing a civil war in case of his refusal.
The reason which led to this line of conduct on the part of Tomany Moody, was founded on a circumstance which had occurred some years before, and which was nothing less than that Tomany, who had always been a haughty, violent, and powerful prince, had, in a dispute with the brother of Malick Samba Tomany, caused him to be murdered, and feared, if Malick came to the throne, he would revenge himself on him for the death of his brother, if not by taking his life at least by seizing on his property, and obliging him to leave the country which he was in hopes of one day reigning over himself, and which he would really now do through Moosa Yeoro, who would only be a mere instrument in his hands: thus in Africa, as in all other parts of the world, does self predominate, and lead men to act parts little creditable to themselves, or profitable to the cause which they pretend to support.
The election did not take place until the 20th of the month; and although the opposing parties were near coming to blows on the occasion, the whole affair was terminated in a more peaceable manner than is generally the case in Africa, where the interregnum is almost always taken advantage of by the evil-disposed, to commit all manner of crimes, and for which they cannot be punished, as, during that period the laws are not in force in consequence of the non-existence of a king, with whom they also are considered defunct.
A few days after his election, I paid him a congratulatory visit, accompanied as usual by a present. He received me with marked attention and hospitality, and told me that I might now depend on his doing every thing to forward my views, to which he was bound by a request to that effect of the late Almamy a short time before his death.
He was not attended by the ministers of the late king, for they attached themselves to Saada in hopes, no doubt, of drawing from him all the treasure left him by his father, about the division of whose slaves a dispute arose between him and the new Almamy, in consequence of Saada’s not wishing to give him that proportion of them which he was desired by his father to do. The chief slaves too, like the ministers, preferred remaining, and for the same reason, with Saada, and consequently advised him not to submit to Almamy’s demand. The time however was not far distant, when both ministers and slaves, being disappointed in their expectations from Saada, left him, and attached themselves to Almamy, who, glad of the opportunity of enrolling in his cause such powerful personages, received them in a manner calculated to bind them, at least for a time, to his interest; for there, like elsewhere, “money makes the mare go”, and which, as long as he could command, would ensure him their services.
FOOTNOTES:
[14]Imbey mojubey.