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

by Major William Gray; Staff Surgeon Dochard

From the first to the fourth of June was spent in fruitless endeavours to arrange matters with these two parties, who at length became jealous of each other, and, by that means, afforded us an opportunity of turning their differences to our advantage. As it was from the Foota people we had most to apprehend, we proposed their conducting us to Gowde Bofê, where we promised to remain until the return of our messenger whom we intended sending from that place with them to their chiefs; but told them that in case they did not consent, I would destroy the whole of my baggage, and fight my way to Baquelle. This had the desired effect; they acceded to our proposal, and the Bondoo guides, finding that we would no longer listen to them, decamped.

Thereupon we left Bokey Guiley at half after five on the afternoon of the 4th, and, having halted for the night at Dindoody, at eight the following morning reached Loogoonoody, whence we despatched one of our own men, accompanied by two of the Foota people, with a small present[23] to the chiefs of that country, requesting them to appoint two or more of their respectable personages to meet us at Gowde Bofê, in order to make arrangements for our passing through their country; (which in truth was not at all my intention), but I took that step in order to make the Foota people suppose we really did purpose entering their country, and thereby lull their suspicions about our going to Baquelle. These people left us on the 5th, and on the following morning at five o’clock, we moved in an easterly direction over a parched and barren country until near ten, when we reached Siendoo, a considerable town, where we had as usual much difficulty in obtaining a supply of water, and where we were met by a strong detachment of armed men, whose chief informed us that he was sent by Thierno Bayla (the chief of Hourey, a district of Foota) to oblige us to take the path to his own town. This I positively refused to comply with, and told them if they felt inclined to carry their orders into effect I was ready to receive them. They removed to a short distance from our bivouac, and remained under arms all night, the greater part of which was spent by us in endeavours to arrange matters amicably with them, but which we found a most difficult affair; for what they at one moment consented to, they refused the next. At length it was settled that we should send one of our guides with one of them to Goude Bofê, to know if the chief of that village would allow us to remain there, as we had proposed, until the return of the messenger from Foota. They returned at a late hour the same evening, 7th, bringing for answer that Thierno Amadoo had consented to receive us as friends at his village, where we might remain as long as we wished. This did not appear to please the other chief and his party, who went off grumbling.

I made small presents to all who interested themselves in our behalf at Seindoo, and, having passed a comparatively quiet night, left it at half after six on the morning of the 8th June, and reached Looboogol at nine; but here we found such difficulty in obtaining a very limited supply indeed of water the first day, that the men had scarcely enough, and the animals none at all.

Thierno Bayla, the chief who had sent the party to Seindoo, came to Looboogol on the 9th, attended by a large body of horse and foot. He paid us a visit in the course of the day, and demanded to be made acquainted with our intentions in entering the country. I told him that having been deceived and plundered by Almamy and the princes of Bondoo, I had decided on returning to the coast through Foota; but, as there was no reigning Almamy in that country, I did not think it safe to enter it without permission from the chiefs, to whom I had despatched messengers, whose return I intended awaiting at Gowde Bofê.

He objected to our going there, and expressed a wish that we should accompany him to his own town, which lay about twenty-five miles in the opposite direction to that we wished to pursue. On our refusal he went off to the village, and, having directed that none of the inhabitants should dare to supply us with a drop of water, stationed several small parties at short distances round our camp, to enforce the strictest compliance with this order, and to watch our movements.

A tornado with heavy rain, which would at any other time or under any other circumstances have been an unpleasant visitor, was now the thing most to be wished for, as it would have served the double office of supplying us with water, and of driving from their posts those parties, who, not supposing we would (or rather knowing we never did) travel during the rain, would still have abandoned their posts, and have gone to the village, in which case (having prepared every thing to enable us to move in a moment), we would have loaded the animals, and taken the direct road to Baquelle, which we computed to be distant about forty miles. Judge then our disappointment when a tornado, which bore every appearance of an approaching deluge of rain, blew off without a drop. It was about six P.M. when our situation became extremely unpleasant, not to say alarming. The animals had no water since the 7th, and the men who had but a scanty supply on the 8th, had none at all on that day, the 9th, and how to procure it without proceeding to extremities alone remained to be decided upon. I had too many invalids and weak animals to authorize my forcing my way to Baquelle with such incumbrances and in absolute want of water; and to destroy either the whole or even a proportion of my baggage and animals, was an act which I conceived should be my last resource.

In this dilemma I determined on going myself to Baquelle, in order to obtain twenty or thirty men from the French vessels then there, and return with them immediately, either to force our way to that place, or, by the appearance of such a reinforcement, to intimidate the natives into compliance with my wishes. I left Mr. Partarrieau in command of the party, with directions to endeavour by any means to keep those people at arm’s length, and procure a supply of water until my return, which I settled should be at a late hour on the evening of the 12th. I was accompanied by two of the native soldiers. We left the camp at half after seven, and, having passed two villages during the night and another at day-break, arrived at Tuabo, the capital of Lower Galam, at eight on the morning of the 10th, whence we proceeded without delay to Baquelle, which we found to be more than fifty miles from Looboogol.

I met a most cordial reception from the French officers and merchants, who, being informed of the object of my visit, said in the most handsome manner that I should have every assistance in their power.

At Baquelle I met Isaaco[24], the same individual who accompanied Mr. Park in his last attempt. He proposed accompanying me on my return to Looboogol and bringing with him three of his own men, whom I furnished with arms for the purpose. I received fifteen volunteers from his Most Christian Majesty’s brig Argus, and five from the Senegal Company’s vessel trading there, and, having hired eight moors with eleven carrying bullocks for the transport of water, left Baquelle in a boat at half after two in the evening of the 11th, and landed at Jowar, a town of Galam, on the south bank of the Senegal, at half after seven, having found much difficulty in passing the shallows, which had then only eighteen inches water. The moors and their bullocks crossed the river at Tuabo, and arrived about half an hour before us.

We remained at Jowar until two o’clock on the morning of the 12th, when, being favored by a fine moonlight night, and having loaded the bullocks with soofras of water, we commenced our march to the west of south until daylight, when we passed two small villages, and soon after arrived in sight of Gowde Bofê, where Isaaco (to whom being lame I lent my horse) proposed going to gain some information with respect to Mr. Partarrieau’s movements, and give water to the horse. I pointed out to him the improbability of his again finding us, as we did not pursue the beaten path, but he assured me he could, as he knew all that country well.