Bridge over the Tankisso. — Departure for the Kankan. — Description of Fouta-Dhialon. — Character, Manners and Customs of the Foulahs. — Country of Kankan-Fodéa. — Butter-tree. — Course of the Dhioliba. — Countries of Couranco, Sangaran, and Kissi-kissi. — Mandingo marriages. — River of Bandiégué. — Bagaraya. — Saraya. — Bacocouda. — Warlike dances.
On the 24th of May, I went with Ibrahim to a Mandingo who was shortly to set out for the Kankan. My guide strongly recommended me to him, and I determined to avail myself of the opportunity of accompanying him. I promised that on our arrival in that country I would make him a handsome present. In the course of the day, a Mandingo asked me for medicine to cure impotence in his own person; his wife, he said, complained of him and was even guilty of infidelity. He added that a little boy who was running about was her son by one of her lovers, “But,” said he, with a sigh, “I cannot blame her since I cannot do as much for her.” As ginger grew in the environs, I advised him to eat plenty of it and assured him that it would do him good; but this prescription did not satisfy him. He wished for a dose of jalap, which I gave him to get rid of him.
I went to the evening prayer where, contrary to custom, I found a great number of Mandingoes assembled. On leaving the mosque they all formed a circle round the old chief. He made a short speech, informing them that a messenger had arrived from Timbo with a circular letter, which should be read to them, and to which he requested them to pay attention. A marabout who was seated beside him then read the letter aloud. It stated that the almamy Yayaye was deposed, that Boubacar had succeeded him, that he had declared himself the protector of islamism, and enjoined the people to be faithful to him. The letter was written on both sides of a piece of paper, which was about three inches broad and five long. After it had been read, the messenger, without losing a moment’s time, took up his dispatch, and proceeded in the direction of Baléya, whether he was to carry it. This precipitate departure prevented me from copying the letter, to enable me afterwards to ascertain more precisely its contents. The chief said a prayer and invoked the favour of Heaven on the reign of the new almamy. Several Mandingoes followed his example, after which a long conversation took place on the divisions which distracted Fouta. Yayaye had retired with a party, in a way which gave reason to presume that peace would not continue long. After we had reached home, Ibrahim informed me that Yayaye on his return from Firya had not been well received by the leading men of Timbo, who had deposed him, in consequence of their disapprobation of the useless war in which he had engaged, and which had cost the country a number of men.
In the morning of the 25th of May, after giving some cream of tartar to a negro, who had teazed me for several days with applications for medicine, I went with Ibrahim to see a bridge that was building over the Tankisso. On the road, I saw some Mandingoes beating the great drum, of which I have already spoken, to summon the labourers to their work. When we arrived at the bridge, I observed six or eight men lying by the side of the water, waiting for the arrival of others. I was informed that in the rainy season the water rises to the height of twenty-five or thirty feet. The branches which bar the passage are covered by this extraordinary swell, and I was assured that the bridge is often demolished and carried away by the current. The stream inundates the plain, from which a harvest of foigné is gathered before the rice is sown. All the workmen having arrived, they set about their labours singing. They were very gay and seemed to amuse themselves much, for it was a party of pleasure to them. All the inhabitants of Cambaya, being sensible of the necessity of the bridge, had resolved to assist in the labour. The bridge was about forty or forty-five feet long, six or seven feet broad. It was formed by driving a number of thick poles close together in the middle of the stream, to which were attached cross-pieces of timber, and these in many places were supported by branches of trees which overhung the stream. On the traverses pieces of plank, firmly bound together by lianes, a very flexible kind of wood, were laid lengthwise. Pieces of wood were then laid on crosswise at the distance of a pace from each other, to afford a secure footing to passengers over this unsteady bridge. I was assured that if it were not supported by branches of trees it could not resist the rapidity of the current. It was finished in a few days, for there was abundance of workmen. The whole population of Cambaya contributed to forward the work. Several women brought calabashes of rice and foigné to their husbands for dinner. I was invited to partake, and, having all sat down without distinction in a circle, every one helped himself. We then returned merrily to the village.
On the 26th of May, I went with Ibrahim and Lamfia, who had undertaken to be my guide to the Kankan, to inform the chief of the village of my intended departure. My old guide asked me, in his presence, whether I would not, before leaving them altogether, go to Timbo to see the almamy. I told him that I should be happy to do so, but that the road from Cambaya to Timbo was intersected by high mountains, which it was difficult to cross, and the passage of which would greatly fatigue me: I stated besides, that I was anxiously desirous to continue my journey to the east before the rains became more frequent, as it would then be impossible to travel without encountering great difficulties. He acknowledged the justice of my observations, and agreed that I should set out with Lamfia, to whom the worthy chief particularly recommended me, directing him to deliver me to the chief of Kankan, who would take care to have me conducted to Bouré in safety. During my residence at Cambaya, I was extremely attentive to my religious duties, and to impress more strongly the idea of my piety, I studied the Koran day and night. I settled with my new guide that he should carry my baggage to the Kankan, and our agreement was, that he should be rewarded with four yards of Guinea cloth, which I gave him before our departure. To Ibrahim, with whose conduct I was well satisfied, I gave a handsome present, consisting of amber, printed calico, Guinea cloth, gunpowder, paper, scissors, and silk handkerchiefs. He begged me not to mention this present to any one: he was desirous of passing for a generous Musulman, though avaricious, like all his countrymen. Their generosity towards me never went further than two or three colat-nuts, while the Foulahs, who came to Cambaya to sell salt or other merchandise, always made me little presents, and never looked for any thing in return.
In two days our journey was to commence, and we set about making arrangements for it; that is to say, Lamfia provided a supply of rice for our subsistence on the road. Ibrahim promised to give me some provisions, but when the time for setting off arrived, his promise was forgotten. Our neighbour, a worthy old Foulah, who had settled in the country, caused a large loaf of cagna to be prepared for me; this kind of bread is a compound, as I have already mentioned, of pistachio-nuts, maize, and honey. The name of this Foulah was Guibi. He gave me the loaf, he said, to amuse me on the road, and assured me, that were it not for the necessity of attending to his husbandry labours, he would himself accompany me to Kankan. Ibrahim also offered to have a cake of the same sort made for me if I would buy the honey, and I thanked him for his kindness. He seated himself beside me, and told me that, in the countries through which I should have to travel on my way home, I should often be troubled by the Mandingoes, and advised me as a friend not to shew any ill-humour when they applied to me for medicines, because in these parts the people might not be so easily managed as in Cambaya. I thanked him, and promised to follow his counsel. In the course of my conversations with the Foulah Guibi, he often observed that the Foulahs were the whites of Africa, and the Mandingoes, the negroes; by which he meant to impress upon me the superiority of the former.
Fouta-Dhialon is governed by an almamy, appointed by the chiefs of the country. They assemble to elect him, and have also the right of deposing him if he does not give satisfaction. The government is theocratic.
The Foulahs of Fouta are in general tall and well made; their manner is noble and dignified; their colour is a bright chesnut, somewhat darker than that of the wandering Foulahs: they have curly hair like the negroes, a rather high forehead, large eyes, and aquiline nose, thin lips, and the face a little elongated. In short, as to their features, they approximate to the European physiognomy. They are all Mahometans, and extremely fanatical. They hold the christians in horror, and are fully persuaded that they wish to obtain possession of the gold mines, situated to the east of Fouta. It is for this reason they take such precautions to prevent the christians from penetrating into that part of the country. They do not travel like the Mandingoes to distant places, but prefer remaining quietly at home, and superintending their slaves, who form an important part of their property. They are jealous and envious; they often impose rigorous exactions on foreign merchants passing through their country, especially when they are rich. They are, nevertheless, very hospitable, and generously assist their countrymen. I never saw a mendicant among them. In their mountains they cultivate rice, maize, and millet; and also cotton, of which they manufacture stuffs in pieces only five inches wide. These narrow strips are used for covering their nakedness. The principal trade of the country is in salt and cotton cloth; they go to Kakondy to barter leather, rice, wax, and millet, for salt, with which they afterwards purchase stuffs at Kankan and Sambatikila. Some Foulahs likewise travel to Bouré to procure gold, which they barter on the coast for muskets, gunpowder, glass trinkets and other articles, with which they purchase slaves. The Foulahs are warlike and ardently love their country. When at war they all take the field without distinction, leaving only the old men and women at home. Many are armed with muskets and sabres, but the bow and the lance are the weapons of the majority. They all carry a poniard the blade of which is in general straight, though I have seen some of them curved. These poniards are made in the country. They are dressed in a coussabe, which is commonly made of white stuff, and breeches, the fashion of which I have already described, of the same. They also wear a pagne, which they pass round the body, sandals and a red cap. Their hair is plaited, and greased with butter. A Foulah seldom goes out without taking several lances in his hand. I remarked that their dress was always very neat and clean. They often wash the whole body, and always with tepid water. In every village there is a public school for the children. The classes meet in the morning and evening in the open air beside a large fire. When they are able to read the Koran, they are considered well instructed. I observed that in this country the parents are always very indulgent to their children, who in their turn are always docile and obedient. The Foulahs of this part of Africa do not let their children run naked. They have always a coussabe. Those who come to our establishments are not so neatly dressed, because when they travel they put on their worst clothes. They keep their salt in the leaves of trees very ingeniously arranged for that purpose. They take a great deal of snuff, but do not smoke; and the tobacco purchased in our settlements is preferred by them to that which grows in their own country. The women are lively, handsome, and good tempered. They clean their teeth with snuff. Their dress, though simple, is always neat and clean. Like the whole of their sex throughout every part of the interior, they are completely subject to the will of their husbands. They never venture to take the slightest liberty with their lords and masters. On the other hand, I cannot say that I ever saw the husbands beat their wives. Like the Mandingoes, they may have four; the Koran does not permit them to take more. This privilege is however only exercised by the rich; the poor never have more than two wives. These women cultivate a little garden adjacent to their huts; they have detached sleeping places, and they also take their meals separately, seldom eating together. Each in her turn prepares the husband’s supper. He gives to each wife a cow, which she milks, morning and evening. Their domestic utensils consist solely of some calabashes, to hold milk and the food prepared for consumption, two or three earthen pots, and a large jar, in which their dry rice is deposited. Around the inside of the hut a little elevation is formed, about six or eight inches high and a foot broad, upon which these utensils are placed. At the farther end there is a kind of bed, similar to that in the hut of the chief, which I have already described. In the floor of each hut are fixed four poles, supporting a kind of ceiling made of bamboo, serving as a protection against the soot with which the roof is covered. In general, the women appear very happy, and by no means jealous of each other, except when the husbands make a present to one without giving any thing to the rest. They often asked me for amber and coral, and did not appear much offended when I refused to comply with the demand. The Foulahs keep a great number of black cattle sheep and goats. They have horses of a small breed, a few asses, some dogs, and abundance of poultry. They make frequent journeys to Sierra-Leone, where they sell their cattle for the supply of the colony. The soil is prolific of all the necessaries of life; as rice, millet, yams, cassava, caribbee cabbage, oranges, bananas, &c. The diseases which I noticed in the country are leprosy, swelling of the neck, or goitres, fevers, and ophthalmia. I never observed any venereal malady. The Foulahs are haughty, distrustful, and of very questionable veracity. They are also accused of indolence and of a disposition to pilfering. They are however sober and support the greatest privations with fortitude. Like all Musulmans they are very superstitious, and have great confidence in their grigris, and when they go to war they are covered with these charms. They are naturally brave, and compel the surrounding tribes either to embrace Mahometanism or to become their tributaries. During my residence at Cambaya, I did not observe that there was any particular judge or tribunal established there for settling differences, such as Mungo Park has described in treating of the Gambia; disputes indeed often arose, but they were settled by the elders of the village. They do not even go before the chief unless when the complaint is of a serious nature, and in that case they often refer it to the decision of the almamy of Timbo, which is two days’ journey to the W.S.W. of Cambaya.
Every married Mandingo is in his own family a respected chief. His hut stands in the middle of the huts occupied by his wives. On entering it, no domestic utensil is to be seen except two large jars containing the stock of grain for the year, which he deals out in portions to his wives. The bullock’s hide on which he sleeps is the only furniture of his hut, and its only ornaments are his weapons when he puts them out of his hands.
When the master goes to the fields to superintend his slaves, the women bring his dinner to him. When they sit down to their meal, it is their custom to invite all who are near, or who may be passing at the time, to partake with them. If the person invited does not sit down beside the calabash, the owner takes up a handful of rice which he turns about for a long time in his hand, then dips it in the sauce, and presents it to his guest; after this act of politeness the offer cannot be refused without giving offence to the host. If strangers sit down to partake of the meal, the Mandingo plunges his hand into the dish, and stirs the rice to cool it. This also is an act of politeness. The master pours the sauce on the rice himself, eats the first handful, and invites his guests to follow his example. In beginning to eat they always say bismillah, (in the name of God &c.). People often leave these repasts only half satisfied, for a number of idlers stroll about in every direction for the purpose of obtaining a share of their neighbours’ dinners. I shall have occasion hereafter to speak more fully of the manners of the Mandingoes, which somewhat differ in every country.