Description of Bondoo — Extent — Boundaries — Face of the Country — Productions — Commerce — Manufactures — Government — Revenues — Religion, its influence on the Inhabitants — Their Description, Dress, and Manner of Living — Military Equipments — Force — Mode of Warfare — Cause of War with Karta — Almamy’s sanguinary conduct — Attack of the Kartans on Boolibany.
Bondoo, which is situate between 14° and 15° latitude north, and 10° and 12° longitude west, is bounded on the north by the kingdom of Kajaga, on the south by Tenda and Dentilla, on the east by the Fa-lemme, Bambouk and Logo, and on the west by Foota Toro, the Simbani Woods, and Woolli; its greatest extent from east to west does not exceed ninety British miles, and from north to south sixty.
The whole face of the country is in general mountainous, but particularly so in the northern and eastern parts. Those mountains which are chiefly composed of rock are small, and for the most part thinly covered with low stunted wood, little of it being fit for any other use than that of fuel.
The valleys, wherein are situated the towns and villages, are for the most part cleared for the purpose of cultivation, to which the soil, being a light sand mixed with brown vegetable mould, seems well adapted. Innumerable beds of torrents intersect these valleys in all directions, and serve during the rains, being dry at all other times, to conduct the water collected by the high grounds to the Fa-lemme and Senegal. Great numbers of tamarinds, baobabs, rhamnus lotus, and other fruit-trees, are beautifully scattered over these valleys, which are rendered still more picturesque by the frequent appearance of a village or walled town, in whose vicinity are always a number of cotton and indigo plantations.
The proportion of land cultivated is small, but sufficient to supply the inhabitants abundantly with all the productions of the country; these are corn in four varieties, together with rice, pumpions, water-melons, gourds, sorrell, onions, tobacco, red pepper, pistacios, cotton, and indigo.
The commerce, and in which the greater proportion of the inhabitants are engaged, consists in the exchange of the cotton cloths manufactured in the country, and the superabundance of their provisions, for gold, ivory, and slaves brought thither by the people of Bamboak, Kasson, and Foota Jallon; and for European merchandize, such as fire-arms, gunpowder, India goods, hardware, amber, coral, and glass beads, with all which they are supplied by the merchants in the Gambia and Senegal.
The manufactures, although few, are well calculated to supply the natives with clothing, the different articles of household furniture which they require, together with implements of husbandry, carpenters’, blacksmiths’, and leather workers’ tools, and knives, spear and arrow heads, bridle bits, stirrups, and a variety of small articles, such as pickers, tweezers, turnscrews, &c.; all which, taking into consideration the very rough materials and tools employed, are finished in a manner which evinces much taste and ingenuity on the part of the workmen, who, in all cases, work sitting on the ground cross-legged.
The people of those several trades are by far the most respectable of the class which I have met with in Africa; so much so, that the ministers, favourites, and officers are chiefly chosen from amongst them; but this, I believe, arises in part from their being more finished courtiers and flatterers than are to be met with amongst the other classes of the people.
The government of Bondoo is monarchical, the whole authority being vested in the hands of the almamy or king. He is, however, in most cases, guided by the laws of Mahomet, which are interpreted by the Imans, or chief priests, who, being much in his power, and from example and habit of a crouching mean disposition, in all cases where his Majesty’s interest is concerned, decide in his favour.
The revenues, which are solely the property of the King, at least wholly at his disposal, are considerable, and consist in a tenth of all agricultural produce, and a custom or duty paid by the travelling merchants who pass through the country. This latter amounts to seven bottles of gunpowder, and one trade musket, or their value in other articles, for each ass load of European goods; and must be accompanied by a present to the king and his head men. A refusal on the part of any of those merchants to comply with the exorbitant demands of these people, would inevitably lead to their being plundered, and probably to personal ill treatment. This, however, seldom takes place, as those merchants always endeavour, by some means or other, to conceal the most valuable part of their goods, either about their persons or in the house of their host, (whom it is also necessary to bribe) before they entrust the remainder to the inspection of the people appointed by the king for that purpose.