The day, which I had so long and anxiously looked for, at length arrived. But, before I quit this beautiful country, I will endeavour to give a description of it, as well as of the character and manners of the people among whom I lived five months.
CHAPTER XIII.
Description of Timé and its environs. — Character, manners, and customs of the inhabitants. — Period of circumcision for males, and excision for females. — Manufactures, trade, and agriculture. — Indigenous plants. — Diseases.
The village of Timé is situated at the distance of two days’ journey to the south of Sambatikila, fifteen to the north of Teuté and Cani, and ten to the north of Tangrera. The number of inhabitants is about five or six hundred, consisting partly of Mandingoes, and partly of Bambaras. A wall separates the two nations, but they live together on a friendly footing, notwithstanding the difference of religion; for the Mandingoes are Mahometans, and the Bambaras pagans. Such, however, as are the offspring of a Mandingo mother consider themselves superior to the unmixed Bambaras; they nevertheless, remain idolaters.
There is a chain of mountains to the east of the village. During the rainy season, the clouds collect in such masses around the summits of these mountains, that for five months and a half it rains almost without intermission. I did not experience any extraordinary heat during the rainy season. The air is always cool and damp, which renders it very unhealthy. In the months of December and January, a variable, but northerly, wind prevails, which still farther cools the atmosphere. The soil consists of good black mould and sand. In some parts it is irrigated by a number of small rivulets, the overflowing of which, fertilizes the land. The birds of the Senegal also inhabit the well-wooded banks of these streams. Green parrots are common, but I saw no paroquets.
The Mandingoes, who are naturally indolent, make their slaves work hard.[56] Those who have no slaves, are obliged to cultivate their own fields, but in that case they labour so inefficiently, that their harvest does not maintain them during the whole year. They, therefore, purchase from the Bambara negroes, who sell their surplus grain to procure salt.
The slaves, being regarded by the Mandingoes as their principal wealth, are not ill-treated; their food is the same as that of their masters, though sometimes it is not quite so abundant; they are dressed in a coarse pagne, which they wear to the last rag: they go naked until they are eighteen, or sometimes older. When they are not looked after, their natural indolence causes them to neglect their work: but towards that fault their masters are rather indulgent. They never punish them severely, except for theft or desertion. When it is suspected that a slave intends to run away, irons are put on his legs.
The Mandingoes measure time by years, months, weeks, and days, and I observed that they never miscalculated. They reckon the month by lunar revolutions, and twelve months make one year, which is called sang; their weeks consist of seven days. The market is held in the village once every week. They do not measure the day by hours, but divide it into four parts; the forenoon, until eleven o’clock, is called soyoman; from that hour to four o’clock, télé;[57] from four to seven o’clock, oula; and the night is called soudo.
The Mandingoes of this part of Africa are all traders; they travel much, even in the rainy season, but, being obliged to carry their merchandise on their heads, they take little with them, and journey at a slow pace. Their trade of course is not lucrative. They never travel without having about their garments abundance of amulets, or grigris, covered with scarlet. The inhabitants of this part of Soudan are not hospitable. The merchants are, therefore, obliged to purchase their provisions, and to pay for their lodgings, besides discharging the transit-duty, levied in each village. A considerable part of their profit is consequently expended in each journey. They carry bows and arrows, for fire-arms are not common in that country. They never travel without a small pot of vegetable butter, which they carry at their girdle, and every evening, after washing with warm water, they grease the head, face, and part of the body. They are so accustomed to anointing themselves in this manner, that the journey would be quite uncomfortable if they omitted to use the grease-pot. When they return from their journeys, they indulge in idleness and gormandizing, leaving agricultural labour to their slaves. They often go to the ourondé, where the slaves reside, to see if every thing be in good order, and to encourage them to work. They sometimes send them a good supper of foigné, which they make their wives prepare.