On the 10th of June, at seven in the morning, we took leave of our host, to whom at parting I gave a sheet of paper and some tobacco, for which he loaded me with thanks. We proceeded three miles towards the east, over a plain of grey sand, covered with the most beautiful indigo, growing spontaneously. On reaching Siralia, a large village, containing from seven to eight hundred inhabitants, we went to visit the chief, who fortunately was absent: my guide assured me, that if I had seen him, I should have been obliged to make him a considerable present.
The country around the village is well cultivated. We advanced nine miles to the S.E. over a road which was partially flooded, owing to the frequent rains. On our way we saw many neat little ourondés, surrounded by quickset hedges, which are very ornamental. We crossed, up to our knees in water, two streams which flow to the northward, and discharge themselves into the Niger. On the N.E. of our route, a chain of small mountains was pointed out to me. This chain extends from north to east, and separates the Baléya from Bouré. The woods are infested by robbers, who stop travellers, and pillage them without mercy. We proceeded three miles to the S.E., over fine, level, and well cultivated ground, and arrived, at three in the afternoon, at Bacocouda, which contains between five and six hundred inhabitants. This is the last village east of Baléya. I and my guide waited on the chief to ask him for a lodging. We found him seated in a large hut on a bullock’s hide, and surrounded by some saracolet merchants, who had arrived the preceding evening. I confess that I was not quite at my ease at sight of these merchants, for they were the same who had passed through Cambaya, in the Fouta, on their way from Gambia. One of them spoke to me in the Moorish language; I answered his questions, the chief immediately rose and conducted me into one of his huts; he gave us a sheep-skin to sit upon. My guide presently gave him an account of my adventures, to which he listened with pleasure, and approved my resolution. We retired, and went to our hut, where the saracolet, who had spoken to me in Arabic, came to see me. He told me that he had at first taken me for a christian; but that now he saw he had been deceived, and that I certainly was an Arab. He talked very much, and endeavoured to flatter me. I saw that he wanted something, and gave him a little tobacco, promising that on my arrival at Kankan I would present him with a pair of scissors: he proposed to conduct me to Ségo, whence he said I could go to Jenné by water: I told him that was just what I wished, and he took his leave. The chief sent us something for supper, and one of the inhabitants gave us some white yams boiled. The people of this village spent their evenings and great part of the night in performing martial dances. They came to borrow my guide’s musket. The men dance to the sound of two tambourines. These tambourines have each a stick about fourteen inches long, one end of which is fastened to the bottom, and the other to the rim of the instrument, by strings made of sheep’s gut, resembling those of the guitar; at the ends of the stick are a number of small bells, rings, and bits of iron, which make a jingling accompaniment to the sound of the tambourine, and produce a very agreeable effect. The musicians sing, and strike the tambourines with the hand; their songs stimulate the courage of the warriors, whom they exhort to fight bravely, and destroy the infidels. The actors in these mimic wars are armed with sabres, bows, and muskets; they leap and dance to the sound of the instruments, assuming menacing attitudes, as though they would destroy their adversaries: they discharge their muskets, and shoot their arrows, and afterwards, as if they had been victorious in battle, they leap and dance in token of rejoicing, and make a thousand other grimaces of that sort. This spectacle collected together almost all the inhabitants of the place. After looking on for a short time, I returned to my hut, for I was afraid of being insulted. When Lamfia joined me, he told me that the dance we had just witnessed was a representation of the way in which these people make war against the infidels.
CHAPTER IX.
Description of Baléya. — Arrival on the banks of the Dhioliba. — Courouassa. — Sambarala. — Bouré, a mountainous country, rich in gold. — Crossing the Dhioliba. — The river Yendan. — Kankan. — Description of the town. — The market. — Gold of Bouré. — A religious festival. — Ordeal of fire. — Critical situation of the traveller. — Diseases of the country.
The soil of Baléya is an argillaceous sand, compact, but extremely fertile, producing all the necessaries of life in abundance. It is bounded on the west by the Fouta; on the south by Sangaran, through which runs the Dhioliba; on the east by the little country of Amana; and on the north by forests. All the villages in this part are surrounded with a double wall of mud, surmounted by battlements. These walls are from ten to twelve feet high. The villages contain each from a hundred to a hundred and twenty-five huts, made of straw.
The inhabitants of Baléya were subjected to the laws of the Prophet by the Foulahs, since which they annually present some cattle to the almamy of the Fouta. They are warriors and husbandmen, and have abundance of the necessaries of life, which they obtain by the cultivation of the earth, while their cattle supply them with butter and milk. They manufacture white cloth, which they exchange with their neighbours for salt. Earthenware is made in almost every village. The people of Baléya are Dhialonkés. Though Mahometans, they are, by no means, so zealous as the Foulahs, and drink in private a sort of beer made of millet and honey. Lamfia told me that formerly they possessed Fouta-Dhialon. The women are lively, pretty, and coquettish, and bestow much attention on dressing their hair, which is arranged in two tufts, one on each side of the head: many have four tufts. They ornament their heads with coloured glass beads, tastefully disposed; they wear necklaces of small black glass beads, interspersed with a few gilt glass ornaments. The necklaces, which are about three inches broad, encircle the neck like a cravat. The head-dress of these women would be becoming, if their hair was not covered with a layer of butter, with which they also grease their bodies: it renders their skin glossy, but gives them an unpleasant smell. Most of the females have no other dress than a piece of cloth, five feet long and two wide, which they fasten round their waists. On holidays they throw another piece of cloth over their shoulders, and cover their bosoms: they also wear sandals. This is nearly the general costume of the women of Negroland. Their dispositions are gentle and cheerful; their colour is very black; their features handsome, with curly hair, noses slightly aquiline, thin lips, and large eyes. They do all the household work, and are obedient to their husbands.
On the 11th of June, after taking leave of the chief, to whom I presented three leaves of tobacco, which seemed to please him, we proceeded in a S.E. direction. The saracolet merchants, who had asses to carry their merchandise, went on first, having to pass several streams which would retard their progress. The heat was excessive, and a storm came on. The atmosphere was heavy and obscured by clouds. I was attacked with a fever on the journey, and, notwithstanding the heat, I had shivering fits, from which I suffered greatly. After crossing the streams, where the water was knee-deep, we overtook the saracolets. They had bargained with some Mandingoes to carry a part of their baggage, for they were heavily laden. I observed that the country sloped towards the east. We continued in the same direction. The eldest saracolet, having traced some Arabic characters on the ground, and muttered some prayers, assured us that we might pursue our journey without apprehension, as no misfortune would happen to us. The country is a little wooded. The nédé and the cé grow here in abundance. Our road was gravelly. About two in the afternoon we arrived at Courouassa, a village of Amana, situated on the left bank of the Dhioliba. Shortly before our arrival a storm arose. My umbrella and some trees, beneath which we sought shelter, protected me a little. We had travelled fourteen miles in a S.E. direction, and were all much fatigued. Lamfia took me to lodge with the chief, who gave us a kind reception. He provided us with a good hut, and offered us a hide to sleep upon. I bought a fowl for two charges of gunpowder, and we had it cooked for supper. The fever had left me, and I now suffered only from a severe head-ache. I hastened to take a view of the Dhioliba, which had so long been the object of my curiosity. I observed that it flowed from S.W. ¼ S. proceeding slowly to the E.N.E. for the distance of some miles, and then turns due east. A little to the north of the village I saw a sand-bank lying very near the left shore of the river. The channel for canoes is near the right bank. I seated myself for a moment to contemplate this mysterious river, respecting which the learned of Europe are so anxious to gain information.
On the left bank, and pretty near the northern part of the village, there are hills between one hundred and fifty and two hundred feet high, covered with young trees. The soil appeared to be red, and of the same kind as that of Sierra-Leone. Some smiths have established themselves near these hills: they smelt and work up the iron which is found there in great quantities. These hills extend in a N.E. direction. There are some also on the right bank, but they are not so high. The air became cool, and I returned to my hut. During the night it rained a great deal.
We remained at Courouassa during the 12th. A storm came on accompanied by an east wind, which occasioned a suffocating heat. The rain poured in torrents. When it ceased I again visited the banks of the river. I watched its current, which flowed at the rate of about two miles and a half or three miles an hour. At this period it was about nine feet deep. This I calculated by the long pole which the boatmen used to push along the canoes.[50] In this part it appeared as broad as the Senegal at Podor. The right bank is lower than the left, on which the village is situated at an elevation of nearly a twentieth part of a mile above the water. I observed in the village many large bamboos, under the shade of which the old men assemble and spend part of the day in conversation. These people use much snuff; but they do not take it as we do in Europe, with the fingers; some use a small brush, and others a little iron spoon like an ear-pick. The negroes told me that the river begins to overflow in July, and that then they can go three miles over the plain in canoes. A great quantity of rice is grown on this plain. The sand-bank which I had seen plainly on the preceding evening was now no longer visible.