[31]Seventy.
CHAPTER XIII.
Retreat from Kaarta. — Difficulties and Annoyances there. — Arrival at Fort St. Joseph. — Delay and Occurrences at Baquelle. — Return to the Coast. — Arrival at Sierra Leone. — Visit to the captured Negro Establishments.
We commenced our retreat at half after five, on the morning of the 8th of May, and at eleven reached Guninghedy, where we halted during the heat of the day. We were accompanied by Bojar and his division, with their prisoners, whose sufferings presented scenes of distress which I am incapable of painting in their true colours. The women and children (all nearly naked and carrying heavy loads) were tied together by the necks, and hurried along over a rough stony path that cut their feet in a dreadful manner. There were a great number of children, who, from their tender years, were unable to walk, and were carried, some on the prisoners’ backs, and others on horseback behind their captors, who, to prevent them falling off, tied them to the back part of the saddle with a rope made from the bark of the baobab, which was so hard and rough that it cut the back and sides of the poor little innocent babes so as to draw the blood. This however, was only a secondary state of the sufferings endured by those children, when compared to the dreadfully blistered and chafed state of their seats, from constant jolting on the bare back of the horse, seldom going slower than a trot or smart amble, and not unfrequently driven at full speed for a few yards, and pulled up short. On these occasions it was to me a matter of astonishment how the child could support the strokes it must have received from the back of the saddle, which, from its form, came in contact with the child’s stomach.
We reached Sanjarra the following morning at half after nine, and in the afternoon was joined by Giboodoo, who had been at Dhyaje; he told me that Modiba desired him to say he was sorry the present state of the country would not admit of my passing Kaarta, but was glad I had returned with Bojar, thereby preventing the necessity he should otherwise have been under of sending a detachment after me, for the purpose of bringing me back. I was also met at Sanjarra by a messenger from Ali, to say, that having heard something at Dhyaje, with respect to Modiba’s intentions towards me, he advised my moving without delay to his town, where I might remain in safety until the king should send people to re-conduct me to Galam. I did not believe this; supposing that his object was, in thus apparently protecting me, to lay me under obligations, from which I should be obliged to release myself by means of presents. I nevertheless followed his advice, because my most direct path led there, and I was not altogether so satisfied with Bojar’s treatment while at his town, to induce me to return.
Giboodoo returned to Dhyaje on the 11th, for the purpose of paying a parting visit to his majesty. He promised to be back on the 14th, till which day I consented to wait at Sanjarra for him[32]; but as he did not keep his time, I removed to Missira on the 15th, where I was received by Ali. Giboodoo did not join me until the 17th, when, having informed me that Modiba could not send people to escort us to Galam before the ensuing week, I again despatched him to tell the king that unless they joined me before the 23d, I should move on before them to the frontier.
On the 20th, the maraboo, accompanied by Bokari, one of the head slaves, and some of their followers, came to Missira, by Modiba’s orders, to take us to Moonia, and whither, in case I refused to proceed with them, they had orders to force me. Here then was what I had long expected, namely, to be plundered of every thing, and which I told them they could do at Missira, and not harass me as well as my men by travelling all over the country.
The maraboo, as on a former occasion, said he was nothing more than the bearer of Modiba’s orders, which he should carry into execution. Remonstrance was vain, and refusal would have been equally so (if not worse), as I plainly saw those people were prepared to act forcibly. Giboodoo arrived in the afternoon, and was accompanied by two more of the head slaves, sent by their master on the same errand as the former. I had however rendered their interference unnecessary, having consented to proceed to Moonia, with the almost certainty of being plundered, and, under such a conviction, I laid out a part of the few articles the rapacity of the Kaartans had spared me, in redeeming from slavery two women of Bondoo, who had been taken in the affair which took place before I left Galam. In taking this step I had two motives; first, that of placing out of Modiba’s reach a portion at least of my merchandize, which alone excited his avarice; secondly, I had in view, by sending those women (who were related to Almamy Bondoo) to their friends in that country, to convince that chief that our intentions towards them were good indeed; and however I might feel on the subject of the treatment I met with at his hands, I was, nevertheless, deeply impressed with sentiments of compassion for those of his people who had fallen victims to Kaartan power. One of Ali’s sons was their possessor, and from him I had much trouble in obtaining their freedom, which was the more difficult and expensive, from its having been his intention to add them to the list of his concubines, whose number already amounted to twelve.