When the examination was ended, the sherif desired the negro, my host, to conduct me to the chief of Jenné. Thither we went, still accompanied by my guide. We entered the little corridor of a mean-looking house, and were desired to wait in the first room we entered, where many other persons were likewise waiting for an audience. A bullock’s hide was brought for us to sit upon. At the extremity of the corridor, there was a door, which opened upon an inner staircase, leading to the first story. On my being announced, the chief came down stairs and seated himself at the foot of the staircase, the door still remaining closed. The chief did not speak Arabic, and he desired that I should be asked whether I understood the Mandingo language.
The man who stood guard at the door repeated the answer in a loud voice, to enable the chief (who I suppose was somewhat deaf) to hear. He then requested to know whether I spoke the Bambara language. One of the Moors, whom I had seen with the sherif, now joined me. On his being announced, the door of the staircase was immediately opened, and all present had the gratification of seeing this mysterious chief. He was advanced in years, very fat, almost blind, and very simply dressed. The Moor eagerly advanced, and giving him his hand by way of salutation, told me to do the same; I immediately did so. It was a distinction of which I was not a little proud, for it is not granted to every one. The Moor again informed the chief what my intentions were; he added that, being very poor, I threw myself on his hospitality. The chief, after listening attentively, said that until an opportunity should occur for my going to Timbuctoo, on my way to my native country, I should remain with the sherif who, as a rich man and a descendant of the Prophet, would take care that I should be well treated. Before I left him, this negro chief requested that I would myself repeat the story I had related in the morning, which I briefly did, the Moor who had joined me acting as interpreter. Of all the Moors whom I had seen during the morning, the sherif had given me the coolest reception. The chief sent one of his people to conduct me to the residence of my new host, and I returned among my new countrymen, whose presence had at first somewhat alarmed me. I fancied that they could all read in my countenance the deception which I was practising upon them; but fortunately this was not the case. The man who accompanied me communicated the commands of the chief to the sherif, who replied that he was very ready to obey them. He made me sit down on the ground beside him, and he and the Moors who were with him repeated all the questions which they had put to me before. The sherif appeared to be a man of greater consequence than the rest. He spoke but little, and retired into his house apparently not very well pleased at being burthened with me. He said nothing to me, but put a few questions to the Moors, who repeated them to me.
A numerous concourse collected around us; but it gradually dispersed, and at length I was left alone with the two Moors, who were very sociable. One of them, who was named Al-Haggi-Mohammed, called one of his slaves, gave her some cowries, and sent her to purchase four small loaves or cakes of rice, together with some butter and honey. She mixed the butter and honey well together, and then brought it to us in a neat pewter dish of European manufacture. The Haggi-Mohammed ordered her to carry it into a corridor on the first floor, and then requested me to go up to breakfast. I ate but little, and, when I went down to thank him for his attention, he begged that I would lie down and rest, saying that I must be much fatigued after my long journey. He conducted me into a house, which served the two-fold purpose of a lodging for his slaves and a magazine for his merchandise. He cleared out a little corridor, and, having ordered a mat to be spread upon the floor, told me that this was to be my chamber. He had a better house, in which he himself resided with his children. My umbrella attracted his attention; he asked me to let him see it: he opened and shut it several times and showed it to those about him. He called the sherif and shewed it to him. The sherif appeared to be a connoisseur in curiosities of this kind, and he admired it exceedingly; many negroes stopped to look at it, and seemed utterly lost in amazement. I told the Moor that I had brought with me some other luggage. He desired me to go and fetch it, and sent a person to conduct me. I went to the residence of my old guide to get my baggage, which I had left in my chamber; as there was no door to it, I might have had reason to repent this imprudence; but, fortunately, I found every thing as I had left it. Kai-mou asked me if I was pleased with my new hosts, for I had two. I replied in the affirmative. On my return to my lodging, the Haggi-Mohammed asked me what there was in my bag; he advised me if I had merchandise to sell it before my departure, as I should not dispose of it so advantageously at Timbuctoo, all the goods that are sold at Jenné being brought from that city.
I took my bag to my new lodging and opened it in order to prepare for the visit which I expected to receive from the Moors; I laid aside the money which I had in my girdle, and mixed my notes in pencil with some leaves of the Koran, so that, in case my portfolio should be opened, the papers might be taken for a book of prayers. In the event of the notes being discovered, I had determined to say that they contained a narrative of the events which had occurred to me during my abode among the christians, which I wished to communicate to my family. But, in spite of all these precautions, I was not without anxiety.
I took a view of the house in which I was to reside for some days. The first story consisted of several galleries, similar to those in which I was lodged, two small closets containing earthen vessels filled with water, a dirty water-closet, and a little court level with this floor, which received light only on this side. The ground-floor, which was distributed in the same way, consisted of store-rooms for rice and millet, and a stable for a horse. These store-rooms received light partly from a second court behind the house, and partly from a grated opening in the court of the first story. The gallery which I occupied was the most convenient and the cleanest apartment of the whole. Two staircases led up to it. They were made of earth, but were much better and more solid than that of the chamber which I occupied on my first arrival at Jenné. One of these staircases led to the entrance door, and the other to the lower court. Some of the Haggi-Mohammed’s store-rooms which were filled with sacks of merchandise, were fastened with padlocks of European manufacture.
The court on the first story was partly roofed at the four corners. Pieces of wood, resting on the walls at little intervals from each other and covered with earth, formed a sort of terrace with a parapet running round it. On this terrace, to which there was an ascent of about ten steps, the Moors and even the negroes were accustomed to take their supper.
About noon a female slave brought me a large dish of very good rice, seasoned with meat and small onions. The latter thrive well every where in the neighbourhood of Jenné. The Haggi-Mohammed came to inquire after my health. As I had eaten only a small portion of what he sent to me, he supposed that I was ill. He desired me to make myself easy; for now that I was among the Moors I should want nothing, and with the grace of God I should soon return to my country. Then sitting down beside me, he asked me what I should do when I went home, as I did not know my parents. I told him that at first I should be somewhat at a loss. “But,” said I, “if you had a son among strangers, should you forget him?”—“Certainly not,” replied he.—“Neither will my father forget me. When I get to Alexandria I shall find him out; and, even if both my parents are dead, I have a brother who will surely know me again.” As I was very ill with severe cold, he procured, at my request, some dry gombo and had it boiled with honey. This, I found to relieve me very much. The cold affected my chest and I was quite hoarse, which was very inconvenient to me, having to answer so many questions.
I mentioned to the Haggi-Mohammed my wish to repay the cowries which he had expended on my account. He refused to accept payment, and desired me to purchase nothing, observing that I had only to ask for whatever I might want, and he would supply it. He sent for a barber to shave my head. This man was an expert operator; he did not hurt me in the least, though I certainly expected to suffer under his hands. The handle of his razor was made according to the fashion of the country, but the blade which was of European manufacture, was good. The barbers carry their razors in a small copper sheath. They do not use soap; a forbearance for which I was grateful, for the smell of all the soap that I met with in the country was extremely offensive: they merely wash the head with cold water. After resuming my turban, I paid a visit to the market; I was surprised at the number of the people I saw there. It is well supplied with all the necessaries of life, and is constantly crowded by a multitude of strangers and the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages, who attend it to sell their produce, and to purchase salt and other commodities.
There are several rows of dealers both male and female. Some erect little palisades of straw, to protect themselves from the excessive heat of the sun; over these they throw a pagne and thus form a small hut. Their goods are laid out in little baskets, placed on large round panniers.
In going round the market, I observed some shops pretty well stocked with European commodities, which sell at a very high price. There was a great variety of cotton goods, printed muslins, calicoes, scarlet cloth, hardware, flints, &c. Nearly the whole of these articles appeared to be of English manufacture. I saw however some French muskets, which are much esteemed. Among the other articles on sale, were glass trinkets, false amber, false coral, sulphur in sticks, and gunpowder which, I was informed, is manufactured in the country. I am not acquainted with the materials of which their powder is made, but it appears that they are pounded together in a mortar moistened with water. They form this powder into lumps of the size of a man’s fist, which they dry in the sun. The purchasers allow it to remain in the same state until they are going to use it, when they crush it and put it in a powder-horn. When they load their muskets with home-made powder, they use a much greater quantity than they would think necessary of the European kind, which they value far more highly. Their powder produces but a weak explosion; it sometimes issues from the musket like a fusee, without any report.