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SIERRALE

ONA.

CHA P. preters and guides at Kocundy, a confiderable way up that` XI. river, and then fet out on foot, in a party of about twenty perfons. They mention, with much thankfulness, their obligations to some slave-traders, especially to a mulatto trader near Kocundy. Shortly after leaving Rio Nunez, they found that a confiderable intercourse subsisted between the interior country, and the upper parts of the river; for 5 or 600 Foulahs were often seen in a day, carrying on their backs great loads of rice and ivory, to be exchanged for falt. In the numerous fucceffive towns, generally diftant 6, 8 or 10 miles, the travellers were always most hofpitably received; the inhabitants having been agreeably furprized at the fight of white men, of whom none had ever been seen even a few day's journey from the coaft. After travelling 16 days, through a country barren in many parts, but fruitful in others, and remarkably full of cattle, and after paffing 2 or 3 fmall rivers, one of them said to empty itself into the Gambia, they arrived at Laby, a town about 200 miles, almost due east, from Kocundy. Here they spent 3 or 4 days, being moft cordially received by the chief who is fubordinate to the king of the Foulahs. Laby is about 24 miles in circumference, and is fuppofed to contain not less than 5000 people. From Laby, they proceeded, in another week, 72 miles farther inland, to Teembo, the capital of the Foulah kingdom, experiencing every where the fame hospitality.

Govern

civilization,

&c. &c.

501. During 14 days which they passed in Teembo, they ment, itate of often converfed, through their interpreters, with the king, with a person who acts as deputy in his absence, and with many other principal perfons. This kingdom is about 350 miles long, from E. to W. and about 200 miles broad, from N. to S. The king is very arbitrary, in many points, and he opens or shuts up the markets and channels of trade, just as

he

town.

he pleases. Teembo may contain about 7000 inhabitants; and the fuperiority of all these interior people, to those on the coaft, is great, in most branches of civilization. The houses here, at Laby and fome other places, are occafionally fpoken of in the journals as very good. The filver ornaments, worn by fome of the chief women, are said to be equal in value to £20. At Laby and Teembo, they work in iron, filver, wood and leather, and weave narrow cloths. The chief men have books, generally on divinity or law; and reading is common, there being schools in almost every. Horfes are commonly used by the chief people, who often ride out for amusement; and the king invited the two ftrangers to see a species of horse-race. The foil is generally ftony; much of it is pasture: in fome parts, rice is cultivated, chiefly by the women, the men, many of whom are flaves, carrying away the produce on their backs. The foil is dry; about one third of it is said to be extremely fertile, and the climate is thought very good. The nights and mornings were fometimes cold, and the thermometer was once as low as 51°, at past 5 in the morning; but it rofe to near go° at noon. The religion is Mahometanism, and there are many mofques; but neither priefts nor people seem to have much bigotry, though they fail not to observe the Mahometan rites, praying five times a day. The king's punishments are arbitrary and fevere, especially for disrespect to his own authority; but it appears that no Foulahs are ever fold as flaves, for debts or crimes, and kidnapping feldom occurs. Till lately, however, the Foulahs dealt very confiderably in flaves, to procure whom they avowedly go Their religion affords them an apology for this horrible injustice, by permitting them to destroy all infidels,

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to war.

* Farenheit's

*

a term

CHAP
XI.

SIERRA LE

ONA.

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С НА Р.
AI.

SIERRA LE

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Foulahs

make war to
get flaves.

King difpofed to abandon the flavetrade.

Religious

wars.

a term which feems to include all their neighbours. Our travellers loft no opportunity of reprobating these wars, and of inculcating the principles of the Company, as appears from the following extract from one of the journals.

(1.) In the morning, I had a vifit from the deputy king, who told me with a fhocking degree of opennefs, that the fole object of their wars was to procure flaves, as they could not obtain European goods without flaves, and they could get flaves without fighting for them. I mentioned rice, ivory and cattle; but he faid, the factories would not furnish them with guns, powder and cloth, which he confidered as the chief articles, for any thing except flaves. I told him that, by a trade in produce, they might become rich, without going to war for flaves, which must certainly offend that God, to whom they prayed five times a day. "But the people on whom we make war, returned he, never pray to God: we do not go to war with people who give God Almighty fervice."

In an interview with the king himself, the following converfation occurred.

(2.) After ftating the views of the Company, I took the liberty of remarking, how wicked it was for one nation to deftroy another. If these people, faid I, have not so much knowledge as you, you should inftruct them. There were present, the king, the head prieft and the chief minifter, and they ftill fuffered me to proceed. without interruption; I was furprized at their attention. They all acknowledged the truth of what I said, and the king obferved, that, if he could get guns, powder and every thing else he wanted, for ivory, rice and cattle, he would foon have done with the flave-trade, I told him, that, if once the Africans knew the S. Leona Company perfectly, I was fure wars would cease. They all faid, they believed fo too. The next day, a converfation occurred to this effect.

(3.) I waited on a head man, by his defire. I found him writing, but he quickly laid afide his work. I had much converfation with him, fimilar to what I held with the king the night before. He defended for some time, their religious wars, but at laft admitted that they must be difpleafing to God. He ftill faid, however, that their book defired them to make war on nations that would not do God fervice. I replied, that there might be many good things in their book; but that I was fure the devil had put in that paffage: God was fo good and merciful that he must hate men who de Aroyed their fellow creatures. He fcrupled not to fay, that if the Foulahs could get the goods they wanted without war, he would then believe that going to war offended God: but, faid he, if we cannot get these things without war, God cannot be angry with us for going to war, efpecially as it is. fo in our book.

Another

XI.

Another circumstance, more lamentable than any of the CHA P. preceding, must be added here.

SIERRA LE

ONA.

by the Fou

ones would

(4.) The king's deputy, after ftating that the Foulahs made war, folely to get Aaves, faid alfo," that the old men, and old women, who were captured in thefe wars, and who were known to be unfaleable, were put to death." These are the words in Mr. Unfaleable Watt's journal: that of Mr. Winterbottom reprefents the king's deputy as faying flaves, killed that they "cut the throats" of the elder captives; and mentions, that when this lahs. cruelty was condemned, he replied, that it was not fo cruel as letting them starve to death, adding, that their enemies would not scruple to do the fame. See § 509. 502. That this additional and enormous evil is directly but faleable chargeable on the flave-trade, these quotations feem to not be killed, evince: and that no fimilar effufion of blood can be fuppofed to happen, even among the fame people, in the cafe of ablebodied flaves, returned or withheld for want of a market, the following circumftances clearly prove.-It has been stated, that the war with France fuddenly checked the flave-trade on the coast. It appears, from the journals of this expedition, that

market were ftopped.

even if the

war checks inland flave

The influence of the European war was as ftrong in the interior. The wars of European Teembo ceased about this period: flaves at the fea-fide fell from 160 to 120 bars. The king of the Foulahs, to bring the flave-traders to terms, forbade his fubjects to carry flaves down till 160 bars fhould be again offered; and the consequence of the flaves being thus withheld (except a few smuggled ones) was that the Foulah country had become full of them *.

503. It has been stated ( § 456.) that the Foulahs were often seized by freebooters, in returning from the factories to which they had been carrying the captives, taken in their predatory wars. This fact is confirmed by the following incident, among others of the kind that occurred in this journey.

An old man called on the travellers at Teembo, and begged them to enquire after Kidnapping his fon, who with fix others, fome of them related to the king, had been seized, in in the inte returning from Rio Pongos, about four years ago. They had been fold to the Britifh flave-factor at the Ifles de Los, and, immediately shipped off to the W. Indies,

The journal intimates, though not very diftinctly, that they were put to work.

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XI.

CHA P. except one, who was recovered by the Foulah king. The old man faid, he would willingly pay any ranfom for his fon *. I affured him, the writer of the journal SIERRALE adds, that the governor of S. Leona would feel almoft as much pleasure in reftoring his fon, as he could in receiving him, and that we should spare no pains in the enquiry. At hearing this, the old man's eye's gliftened, and he left me, bleffing both the governor and myself, and affuring me that he fhould pray

ONA.

Foulah king favours the plough, &c.

Route to Tombuctoo and Cashna.

for me.

504. The Directors have the fatisfaction of observing, that the two travellers appear, by the propriety of their conduct, and by their declarations of the principles of the Company, to have ingratiated themselves much with the natives, efpecially the chief people. The king, being asked, Whether he would encourage any European to fettle near him, with a view to cultivation, readily answered, that he would furnish him with land, and cattle and men, for the purpose. Much conversation paffed at different times, concerning the introduction of the plough, of which no one had ever heard in the Foulah country. The king of Laby offered to send a fon to England for education, and a principal priest seemed willing to do the fame. Diligent enquiry was made at Laby and Teembo, concerning the road to Tombuctoo, an interior town, supposed of the first magnitude, to which some adventurers from the African Affociation have attempted to penetrate, (See § 327.) It was faid, at Laby, that a free communication fubfifted with Tombuctoo, though distant no less than a four month's journey; fix kingdoms intervening between the Foulah country and that of the king of Tombu&oo, namely Belia, Bouriah, Manda, Segoo, Soofundoo, and Genah. This laft, the nearest kingdom to Tombuctoo, and that of Tombuctoo itfelf, were spoken of as richer than any of the reft. The city of Cafhna feemed to be

Two of the perfons fold bore the name of Omar, another is called Hamadoo, and another Bubarcarrie. Two others are mentioned under the name of Hamodoo, one of whom was the son of this old man. The Directors have introduced their names, to promote their redemption,

known

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