These vessels being unprovided with sails, cannot make way except in very calm weather; they are besides so frail, that the slightest wind agitating the river (the banks of which are very low) produces waves, which, by dashing against the sides of the canoes, would either damage or swamp them. This danger often causes delay, and renders the navigation tedious and perilous. When the banks are entirely free from bushes, the sailors row or tow the vessel along, and when they can reach the bottom of the river with poles, they push it. In this manner the greater part of the passage is effected, and it was by means of these poles, which are about twelve or fifteen feet long, that I was enabled to judge of the depth of the river. It is very difficult to find wood of such a length in this country, and it is necessary to fix two pieces together lengthwise to form the poles. It sometimes happens that the banks are covered with bushes, and that the river is so deep that these poles cannot reach the bottom; in such cases the sailors move the vessel forward by paddles three feet long; and a place for the rowers is left open, quite at the fore part of the vessel, occupying only twelve or fourteen feet. They sometimes stand up close against the side of the vessel, and at other times sit upon the merchandise, having scarcely room to turn themselves round in consequence of the crowded state of the canoe. These men are naked; they row very fast, and keep time.
The master stands at the stern and steers the vessel, not without difficulty, by a long pole instead of a rudder. He experiences a good deal of trouble in managing the unwieldy machine, so that it is often found necessary for two others to assist him. A rudder like that attached to the boats which descend the Seine, would be extremely serviceable, but at present the people are ignorant of the use of such a thing. Each of these vessels has a captain, who maintains great authority over his crew, and I never witnessed any abuse of this authority, as is sometimes the case with us, especially in the merchant service. All the negro sailors who navigate the river are slaves; there are also some captains of this class, whose employers give them half of what they earn. Free men think themselves degraded by accepting such employment.
On the 28th, at four o’clock in the morning, the wind fell and we continued our course towards the north. The breadth of the river did not vary, and its banks continued low and naked. About seven o’clock in the morning the N. E. wind blew stronger than on the preceding day, and we were obliged to anchor before a large plain of white quicksand, which, when inundated by the rising of the waters, forms a great bank; the channel is on the left side of the river. The wind, blowing up the sand in great quantities, added to the inconvenience we were suffering from the heat.
To lighten the canoe all the slaves were set on shore, and the rice-grinders were sent to continue their work on the plain. At sunset the wind fell a little, and the oars might have been used during the whole of the night, but the negroes, to whom time is of no value, and who are never in a hurry to reach their destination, thought proper to wait till morning.
The slaves, male and female, all Bambaras, began to leap, dance, and amuse themselves in various ways. Their gaiety, however, proved the cause of some trouble to us, for the Foulahs, observing them, came on board at night-fall in a party of about thirty, armed with bows and pikes. They severely censured the impropriety of allowing the slaves to dance during the Ramadan, observing that it was like making a scoff of religion, and that, as a punishment for such misconduct, a fine of five thousand cowries (a sum equal to twenty-five francs) must be paid. The master, to whose charge the slaves had been committed, earnestly defended the cause of his employer. A spirited altercation arose between the parties, who were seated in a circle upon the sand. The Foulahs for some time shewed no disposition to forego their demands, but at length they were taught reason, and the dispute ended at the expense of the poor slaves, who, as a punishment for dancing during this sacred season, were each condemned to receive five lashes on the back. The sentence, however, was not executed with much severity, and it did not restrain the slaves from resuming their dance as soon as the fanatical Foulahs departed.
From motives of prudence, I had for some time kept myself apart from this scene, but I felt curious to know, before the departure of these rigid defenders of Islamism, what was the subject of dispute. I therefore approached the spot where they were and sat down on the sand beside them. They were astonished at seeing me, for I had hitherto escaped their observation, owing to the interest they took in discussing the subject of the five thousand cowries, which they conceived they had a right to exact. They told the master that I must certainly be the chief of the canoe and the proprietor of the cargo; that I must doubtless have money; and that I must make them a handsome present.
The master answered them that I was a poor Arab, whom the christians had carried off from his country when a boy, and that I was proceeding to Mecca, to seek my relatives. This explanation seemed to satisfy them, for they asked no more questions about me.
The proprietor of the canoe had put a Mandingo negro on board, to take care of the cargo. This person was also directed to attend to me; a duty which he performed very negligently, for, after leaving Jenné, he gave me nothing but rice boiled in water, the food of the slaves. He was more strict than the Moors, and fasted on the voyage, not partaking of any thing until a repast was served to us at half past six in the evening. This was the best meal I had throughout the day, for he added a little dry fish and vegetable butter to the dish. However, he made me eat at other times with the slaves. I complained of this treatment, but the only reply given to my repeated remonstrances was, that he did not choose to have the trouble of lighting a fire for only one person, and that I must be content with what he gave me. Not being able to do better, I patiently bore my misfortune, and considered myself lucky when I procured a little sour milk to relish my dinner.
On the 29th of March, about three o’clock in the morning, we again put off. During the night time, the polar star served me for a compass, and the position of the stars enabled me to guess the hour. About nine o’clock a fresh breeze having sprung up, we were obliged to wait till midday, when we began to move on. At two o’clock we again stopped. The excessive heat brought upon me an attack of fever, which, fortunately, was not followed by any bad consequences. At five o’clock in the evening, the wind dropped, and we were enabled to continue our voyage. At sun-set, we passed a village on the left bank, close to which an arm of the river branches off to the west. At eight in the evening, we found ourselves before Wanza, having constantly advanced in a northern direction. We lay to about one o’clock in the morning, at a point where there was no village. Here the river might be three quarters of a mile broad, and from eight to nine feet deep; the banks were uniformly low and bare.
On the 30th of March, at six in the morning, we put off, still in the same direction. About nine o’clock, a violent north-east wind arose, and obliged us to halt before the village of Sansan. Here the river is of considerable breadth, but the banks being ornamented with mimosas, presented a pleasing prospect after the long absence of all vegetation. About five in the evening, the wind falling a little, we advanced to the north-east. The country on either side of the river was covered with numerous herds of oxen, whose lowing was heard at a great distance; they belonged to the Foulahs, residing in a village at some distance from the shore, and whose only property is their cattle. At six in the evening, we passed over a sand-bank, extending across the river, which is here a full mile in breadth. The canoe ran aground several times, and the men were obliged to jump into the water in order to get it afloat, for which about four feet and a half water was requisite. By great efforts we gained the channel, which runs near the right bank. Here I saw thousands of trumpet-birds, which came down in flocks upon the sand banks, and by their shrill cries seemed to sound a charge upon the fish, destined by nature for their prey. There were also great numbers of ducks, water-fowl, puffets, pelicans, and egrets, and multitudes of the other varieties of water birds, which inhabit these marshes, and brood undisturbed by the people of the surrounding countries. Powder is a very scarce article here, and lead is unknown; pikes, therefore, form the only arms of the inhabitants.