Samba’s messenger did not return from Kaarta until the 26th of January, at so late an hour that, although my anxiety to be made acquainted with the result of his embassy was great indeed, I was obliged to exert my patience until the following morning, when Samba came with him to my hut, and informed me that, after waiting several days for an answer from Modiba, he at length received one to the following effect, that a guide should be appointed immediately to conduct me to Kaarta, and that every assistance and protection I might require should be afforded me as far as Modiba’s arm (influence) extended. This was (as far as words went) good; but the guide had not arrived, and although the messenger was told he should join him before he passed the frontier (where he waited two days for him), he did not make his appearance. The messenger, however, said that I might expect to see him in a few days. Patience again: for without it nothing was to be done. On this occasion however (at least with regard to his coming) it was not much tried, for he arrived on the 28th instant, after telling me that Modiba had sent him to conduct me to Kaarta, where I should be received and treated as the friend of Samba. He said that in consequence of the wilderness through which our path lay being infested at that time by several bands of robbers from Kasson under Hawah Demba, he could not undertake to lead me into it, before he could (by returning to Kaarta) bring a force to escort me. This was a disappointment indeed. I urged him to banish his fears on my account; and told him that although I well knew such robbers were on the road, and actually murdered and robbed several people, I was nevertheless ready and anxious to proceed, as I felt satisfied that no party of those people, were they even three times our number, would dare to attack us. Remonstrance was vain. I was obliged to submit to farther delay, which both Samba and the Guide (Bokari) promised should not be longer than twelve days.
This unexpected procrastination was almost insupportable. I saw my means fast diminishing, the fine weather as rapidly passing away, and no more prospect of sincerity on the part of Modiba than I had experienced from Almamy. The hope, however, that I might be deceived in my opinion, and that the promised day would bring back Bokari with an escort, rendered it passingly tolerable to one who, from constant disappointment, had, in some measure, become insensible to the anxiety incident to such a state; but to add to my annoyance on that head, I could not get Bokari to move before the 4th of February, in consequence of one of two Moors who had gone in search of game for Samba, having been murdered by the party under Hawah Demba on the 25th of January.
However, in order that no business of mine should delay me a moment after the return of Bokari, I made the presents to Samba and the chiefs of that part of Galam, which their attention to me and their intercession with Modiba in my behalf deservedly merited.
From the 10th of February, the day on which Bokari promised I should see him, to the 13th of March was spent by me in endeavours to induce a travelling merchant then at Fort St. Joseph, and about to proceed to Kaarta with a large caravan, to allow me to accompany him, to no effect. He said, he dare not bring a white man into that country without Modiba’s permission. This, however, was not his motive for refusing; he thought, and justly enough, that, after my arrival in that country, European goods, of which his venture chiefly consisted, would fall in value, from the quantity I must unavoidably give in presents and the purchase of provisions.
On that day Samba, who had been absent from his town since the preceding night, came to tell me, that the Kaartans had gone into Bondoo on a plundering excursion that morning, and would no doubt be at Fort St. Joseph some hour during the night, when, after a little rest, they were (in compliance with directions from Modiba) to escort me to Kaarta. This was what I wanted; but it was matter of much regret to me, that they should have taken advantage of the opportunity which coming for me afforded them, of disturbing the people of Bondoo, and of committing acts of rapine and cruelty, to which civilised nations are, thank God, strangers. About eight, P.M. they began to make their appearance in parties of from ten to twelve horsemen, and continued doing so until midnight.
On the morning of the 14th of March, I hastened to an interview with Samba, and the Kaartan chief whose name was Garran, a nephew of Modiba and son of Sirabo, a former king of that country. After the usual complimentary salutations, he told me by means of my interpreter that at my own desire his father (for so he called Modiba) had sent him with a detachment to escort me to his country, where I should meet with kind and friendly treatment during my stay, and receive the assistance I required in prosecuting my journey as far, at least, as Modiba’s power reached. On my asking him to name an early day for our departure, he said that he had some business to transact with the chiefs of Upper Galam, but that if once settled, he would not give me farther delay. He made much inquiry respecting my transactions with Almamy Bondoo, and said that his conduct to me was of a piece with all his former acts. He expressed his regret that I had not demanded assistance from Modiba when I found it was Almamy’s intention to deceive me, and was much surprised when I told him that, although I was very badly treated by the princes and chiefs of Bondoo, I did not consider myself authorized, much less feel inclined, to bring war into their country. As only a part of the Kaartan force was bivouacked near our huts, I went to the adjoining towns for the purpose of ascertaining their numbers, which I found to amount to about one thousand, all horse. They had made one hundred and seven prisoners, chiefly women and children, and had taken about two hundred and forty head of cattle. Many of these unfortunate beings were known to me. The men were tied in pairs by the necks, their hands secured behind their backs; the women by the necks only, but their hands were not left free from any sense of feeling for them, but in order to enable them to balance the immense loads of pangs, corn or rice, which they were forced to carry on their heads, and the children (who were unable to walk or sit on horseback behind their captors) on their backs.
The chiefs of the adjacent towns were summoned to attend an assembly on the 16th of March, when it was matter of discussion whether another attack should not be made on Bondoo before the departure of the Kaartans. It was, however, decided (much to my satisfaction) that nothing more should be done in that way, and the 18th of March was fixed for our departure. Having taken leave of Samba, and returned him thanks for his kindness in obtaining from Modiba the assistance I required, I lay down at a late hour on the night of the 17th of March, to take a little rest; but my impatience to see that day break, which was about to give me the opportunity of another attempt towards accomplishing the object of the expedition, prevented my doing so: I therefore employed the time in packing up some dry provisions for our use until we could reach Kaarta. At day-light we commenced passing the animals and baggage to the north bank of the river, where, with the assistance of a canoe, all was safely landed soon after eight o’clock.
The animals were immediately loaded, and we moved forward to the ESE., along the bank of the river through corn-grounds, until a quarter after eleven, when we reached Maghem-Yaghere, a small and miserably poor walled town, inhabited by a few Gidumaghs, who prefer leading a most precarious and slave-like life under the Moorish and Kaartan despots, to abandoning their native soil. We halted at a short distance east of the town, in order to await the arrival of the army, and to adjust some loads which from the asses’ lying down under them had been disarranged.
I had an opportunity of witnessing during this short march the new-made slaves, and the sufferings to which they are subjected in their first state of bondage. They were hurried along (tied as I before stated) at a pace little short of running, to enable them to keep up with the horsemen, who drove them on as Smithfield drovers do fatigued bullocks. Many of the women were old, and by no means able to endure such treatment. One in particular would not have failed to excite the tenderest feelings of compassion in the breast of any, save a savage African; she was at least sixty years old, in the most miserable state of emaciation and debility, nearly doubled together, and with difficulty dragging her tottering limbs along; to crown the heart-rending picture, she was naked, save from her waist to about half way to the knees. All this did not prevent her inhuman captors from making her carry a heavy load of water, while, with a rope about her neck, he drove her before his horse, and, whenever she shewed the least inclination to stop, he beat her in the most unmerciful manner with a stick. Had any of those gentlemen (if any there be) who are either advocates for a revival of that horrid and unnatural traffic in human flesh, or so careless about the emancipation of this long degraded and suffering people as to support their cause (if they do it at all) with little ardour, been witness to the cruelties practised on this and similar occasions (to say nothing of their sufferings in the middle passage), they would soon change their minds, and be roused to make use of all their best exertions, both at home and abroad, to abolish in toto the slave trade, which, although it has received a mortal blow from the praiseworthy and truly indefatigable exertions of Africa’s numerous and philanthropic friends in England, must exist as long as any of the states of Europe give it their support.
I endeavoured to purchase from Garran the freedom of the poor old woman, but although I told him to fix his own price, I could not induce him to comply. He told me that nothing could be disposed of before the king had seen all that was taken. I, to no purpose, represented to him the more than probability of this poor creature’s falling a victim to the hardships she must necessarily undergo before she could reach Kaarta. Those savages only ridiculed my compassion, and asked me if I was gratified in seeing the people of Bondoo thus punished. My reply in the negative only excited their laughter, and drew a remark from Garran, “That people so sensible to the sufferings of their enemies could not be good warriors.” Alas! what an error, and what consequent scenes of distress and misery!!