Chapter XV

Progress of the route. — The Author, whilst crossing a river, in the stirrups of his horse’s saddle, is thrown from its back, and narrowly escapes drowning. — Arrival at Khiama. — Eccentric conduct of the Prince of that State. — Anecdote of his messenger. — Pasko’s thieving propensities turned to account. — The Author enters Katunga, the capital of Yariba. — His reception by Mansolah, its monarch. — Song of five hundred of his wives. — Fetish-hut.

As I have before observed, it was on the morning of the 3d of September, that, accompanied by a gaffle of merchants, I left Wow Wow. We crossed the river Auli at noon, after much difficulty, and encamped on the south bank, shortly after which I was visited by the mallam of the traders, who gave me some information respecting Mr. Park, which is embodied in my account of the death of that enterprising traveller (off the city of Boussa) in a preceding part of this narrative. The merchants not being ready to start as early as I could wish the next morning, we left them behind, and, journeying at an easy rate, attained a convenient spot in the heart of a solitary wood, where we pitched our tent. At this time I lived like an eastern prince, generally subsisting on the best the country afforded; and, towards evening, when I felt fatigued, Aboudah used to bathe my temples with the juice of limes, and after washing my feet, either sing or fan me to sleep!

On the 5th, one of the asses became so ill on the road, that we were obliged, in a measure, to drag him to the town of Gorkie, our halting place, where, much against my inclination, I left him to his fate. The poor animal, looking up into my face, seemed to reproach me for my cruelty, and, when he saw his companion going away without him, he strove to raise himself on his legs; but, not having sufficient strength, fell down again, and brayed loud and piteously, which was returned by his long-eared associate in a strain of sympathy that made Jowdie, who attended them, shed a whole flood of tears. On the morning of the 6th, whilst crossing a river, apparently very shallow, my horse unexpectedly sunk several feet into a kind of soft mud; and, his legs becoming entangled in the roots of some trees lying at the bottom, the beast fell on his side, and, plunging violently, threw me off the saddle. My foot was unfortunately twisted in the leather stirrups, and I was therefore unable to disengage it for several seconds, during which time my head being under water, I was nearly suffocated. Freeing myself, at length, from the stirrup, I reached the other side of the stream, greatly exhausted, and, with the assistance of my servants, succeeded in extricating the horse also from his no less unpleasant situation. I was afterwards informed at Khiama, by a merchant, that I might think myself eminently fortunate in having escaped so easily, as large crocodiles, in great numbers, infested the river.

After sunset on the following day we arrived at Yarro, shortly after which a thunder-storm visited the town with terrific violence, overthrowing houses, tearing up large trees by the roots, &c. and continued for three hours, when the tempest was suddenly appeased, and the weather became awfully still and calm. The thunder had been fearfully loud, shaking the earth on which our tent was fixed: and large masses of fire, whirled across the heavens, added not a little of solemn grandeur to this scene of devastation and terror. On the 8th we were unable to proceed on account of the rain that fell; but next morning struck our tent, and at noon entered the city of Khiama.

Immediately on my arrival I paid my respects to Yarro, the king; but as soon as he saw me, his majesty asked how I dared to come into Khiama without having previously informed him of my approach. I answered, that I had despatched one of his own messengers three or four days before to acquaint him of the fact, and thought nothing more was required on my part to insure me a warm reception. “That is of no consequence,” rejoined the monarch, “you should have sent another this morning. Get on horseback instantly, and return an hour and half’s journey, the way you came. On arriving there, despatch one of your own people to acquaint me with the circumstance, and I will order a sufficient escort to conduct you into the city in a manner suitable to your rank and respectability.” I was in the act of complying with this singular request, when Yarro bawled after me—“I forgive you this time, Christian; but never be so remiss again.” The king had been informed, a day or two before, of the decease of Capt. Clapperton, and appeared much affected on that account in my presence, “but,” said he, abruptly,—“What business had you with the Falatahs? They behaved roughly to you, I understand, but surely you had no need to visit Soccatoo.” I replied, that we were at Kano, on our way to Bornou, when Sultan Bello sent for us, and that we were obliged, in consequence, to abandon our intentions, and proceed with the messengers to their sovereign. Yarro then offered to conduct me safely to Bornou, saying that he was tributary to the sheikh of that country; but I replied that Bello having robbed me of all the presents intended for that monarch, it would be useless for me to think of travelling so far, with no gifts to offer on attaining the end of my journey; and, therefore, it would be superfluous to put him to any trouble or expense on my account. My present to the king consisted of a quantity of damask and silk, a red cap, silk sword-sash, two pairs of scissors, and a hundred needles. I likewise gave him my old tent, which had become full of holes, and was quite useless to me.

Yarro is an eccentric and facetious character; but without exception the finest and handsomest man I ever saw in Africa, or perhaps in any other country. Bello, Sultan of the Falatahs, was certainly a noble looking fellow, but not at all equal, either in regularity of features, elegance of form, or impressive dignity of manner and appearance, to the sable monarch of Khiama. We remained in the city five days, the conduct of the queens, during the whole of the time, being as generous and kind as that of their benevolent countrywomen, of whom I have so often spoken; they supplied our wants daily, and our wishes were no sooner made known than they were instantly complied with; so amiable and so praiseworthy are the actions of African ladies. Yarro entertains the whimsical notion, that as females came into the world naked, naked they ought to live in it till their death, he does not, however, extend the same opinion to his own sex. “Man,” said the king, “is the nobler animal, and wears clothing in token of his superiority over the weaker part of the creation;” and, in accordance with this singular doctrine, none of his wives ever dare to approach his presence with any other dress than that which nature has supplied them with. They steal, however, every opportunity to break through the established rule, and are never happier than when bedizened with ornaments, after the manner of their female acquaintances.

The people of Borghoo are much more cleanly, both in their habits and persons, than their neighbours of Yariba, and would, generally speaking, be more handsome, if they had not the misfortune to have weak eyes, which impairs considerably their personal appearance. That part, which in the eyes of others is perfectly white, is in theirs a smoky yellow; but whether this sickly-looking hue is occasioned by the manner of living of the people of Borghoo, or whether they derive it from nature, I had no opportunity of judging. When he addresses the king, a Borghoo man stretches himself on the earth as flat as a flounder, in which attitude he lies, kissing the dust, till his business with his sovereign is at an end; when, covering his head with sand or dust, he rises and goes his way. When equals meet, each dropping on the right knee, they shake hands three distinct times, a pause sometimes of several seconds intervening between the _acts_; and, arising at the same moment, they pursue their customary avocations. The chiefs and head-men claim, from the lower class of people, the observance of the same humiliating ceremony, which is exacted by the sovereign; and this manner of salutation does not vary from Badagry to Houssa.

Having paid my respects to the facetious Yarro on the 13th of September, he said to me at parting,—“If your king wishes, at a future period, to send any one to Bornou, I will conduct him to that country by a safe route, without the necessity of his journeying even near to the Falatah country.” He then made me a present of a strong pony; and on the following day we left Khiama; and traversing a country laid almost under water, halted in Subia at noon.

The chief of the town, on my arrival, made me a present of a fat goat and some yams, with which we made an excellent supper; and on the 15th, being unable to reach an inhabited place, made a large fire in the midst of a wood, in the centre of which, having previously rolled myself up in my tobe, I lay down and slept soundly till morning. Crossing a creek, we arrived at Mossa, a town situated on the banks of a river of the same name, dividing Borghoo from Yariba. The stream was overflowed, and the current so strong and rapid, that not a single inhabitant of the town had resolution enough to ferry us to the other side, in consequence of which we were obliged to stay without food for the whole of the day and night, not a single goat or bowl of tuah being to be had in the place.

I asked the king of Khiama’s messenger why he, in particular, was so much afraid of crossing the water, observing, that I had myself passed over many larger and more rapid rivers by swimming; and I mentioned, amongst others, the Quorra. The man begged me, in great trepidation, as I valued my life, not to mention the names of rivers in the hearing of the Mossa, which was a _female_ stream, and had various rivals in the affections of the Quorra, that river being her lawful husband! “The Mossa,” continued the sagacious messenger, in the same solemn strain and anxious manner, “has a jealous, capricious, cruel disposition, and if you venture to place yourself in her power, she will certainly swallow you up, for you have already spoken disrespectfully of her, and this sin is unpardonable; pride being, next to cruelty, her most striking quality. She is continually quarrelling with her husband, who is a sober-minded stream, thinking him to be too familiar with other female rivers; and where they meet they make the ‘devil’s own noise’ with their angry disputes.”

Contrary to my usual custom, I absolutely roared with laughter as soon as the man, with the most impenetrable gravity, had finished his recital of the amours of the licentious Quorra, and was dragging me away from his jealous wife, the high-minded Mossa; and I had a hard task to pacify the irritated messenger, whose sable countenance was inflated with rage and passion at this second breach of decency and respect on my part.

I went to the chief of the village of Mossa on the 17th, intreating him to sell me a little food, and wishing to know whether it was his intention to starve us, for this was the second day during which we had tasted nothing; but although the great man, whose face shone with fat, grew abundance of yams, he refused to part with any, affirming that he had not sufficient wherewith to fill his own paunch. Suspecting the oily old scoundrel’s assertion to be destitute of truth, and learning that he had an extensive garden, I requested permission for Pasko to cut grass in it for the use of the horses, which was sullenly granted. The stratagem succeeded to my expectation, for Pasko, than whom a better person for the purpose could not be found, succeeded in discovering an immense heap of yams, concealed in a particular place in the garden; and securing a few of them in a huge bundle of grass, he brought them to me. If this had not been the case, I really believe we should have been actually starved, or compelled to storm the inhospitable village. On the following day I repeated my visit to the ill-natured chief, and demanded a second time something to eat. He solemnly declared that he was himself dying of hunger, and that, though he had caused a strict search to be made the preceding evening, nothing could be found worth eating. I then urged him to send his canoe to the opposite side of the Mossa for provisions, which, after some murmuring, he consented to do, but first of all made a charm, that the boat might not be damaged on its _long_ and _perilous_ voyage. For this purpose the chief killed a fetish-fowl (reserved for religious occasions), and sprinkling its blood in the river, placed some of the entrails in the bow of the canoe. He then put a broken egg in its stern, and muttering an incantation over the whole, the vessel was pushed off the shore, and reached the opposite side in safety; but, in returning, with a cargo of poultry and yams, the ferryman ran it foul of a tree which unluckily lay in the middle of the stream, in consequence of which it was upset, and immediately sinking, the whole of the cargo swam down the envious Mossa, or was rendered unfit to be eaten.

The messenger of Khiama, who had so gravely acquainted me with the loves of the river, although he was himself a sufferer from the accident, was too much elated to contain his transports, but came to me, smiling, and asked what I thought of his former allegations, and whether I was not convinced it was a judgment upon me for speaking ill of the spouse of the Quorra, that I was disappointed in my expectations.

I was too much concerned to pay great attention to the man’s observations, which circumstance he mistaking for sorrow and penitence for my crime, said, “Never mind, Christian, you have only to humble yourself a little, in sight of the Mossa, and, I dare say she will overlook your imprudence, because she must be aware you were a stranger to her history, when you spoke so jeeringly of her power and influence.” I acquiesced in the messenger’s reasoning; and, clapping his hands, he left me immediately to acquaint his companions and fellow-countrymen with the white man’s conversion and repentance.

The chief, in alluding to the accident, reproached me with being the sole cause of it; and asserted that it would be dangerous to cross for three or four days, during which time I might starve, if I would, for he had nothing to give me. I did not think proper, however, to do so, and despatching Pasko to the yam repository for the purpose of cutting grass, the old fellow returned with a double portion of that grateful vegetable, which served the whole of my domestics for three meals. Never was Pasko so high in favour as at that period. For five successive days his visits to the chief’s garden were regular; but he was obliged to use all his cunning to avoid being detected by the owner of the yams, who accompanied him on more than one occasion to the sacred inclosure. Although at the distance of only a few feet, however, the husband of Mattah contrived to deceive the chief; for, humming a Houssa song, with one hand he gathered the cut grass into a heap, and with the other, dragged out an enormous yam from the place of its concealment, and quick as lightning hid it beneath the grass; then, binding the herbage in his tobe, he quietly proceeded to our hut, without being suspected by the chief of Mossa.

The agitation of the river having somewhat subsided on the 22nd, we got into a canoe, and with innumerable significant glances from the timid and superstitious messenger, were landed without accident on the opposite bank; but our asses were borne a full quarter of a mile down the stream, before they could effect the same object. A ride of two hours brought us in sight of Wantàtah, the frontier town in the empire of Yariba, where we slept; and on the next morning entered the insignificant village of Hogie, in which we rested the remainder of that day and the whole of the succeeding one. It rained unceasingly on the 25th, and the road was rendered almost impassable; nevertheless we succeeded in entering Katunga, the capital of Yariba, about seven o’clock in the evening, when we immediately bent our way towards the dwelling which we had occupied on our journey to Soccatoo.

Mansolah would not let me visit his palace the morning after our arrival, fearing it might _wet my feet!_ but condescended to expose his own royal person to the like inconvenience by coming to see me at my habitation. On this occasion he was attended by five hundred of his wives (out of two thousand!) and made a sudden pause on approaching within a few yards of me. Each of his half-dressed ladies held a light spear in the left hand, with the right leg slightly bent; and, leaning partially on their weapon, the end of which rested on the earth, with unspeakable grace they began their song of welcome, and dirge for my master’s death. The music of their voices was wild but sweet, and reverberating from the hills, had a singularly saddening, although by no means a disagreeable, effect; and these were the strains they sang:

SONG OF THE WIVES OF THE KING OF YARIBA.

Welcome, white stranger, to Mansolah’s land!

Appear, appear!

Com’st thou with presents or with empty hand,

Thou’rt welcome here.

Forget thy sorrows, feed thy grief no more;

Awake to glee:

And dance delighted, as thou didst before,

Around our tree.

Mansolah greets thee, with two thousand wives;

And small and great

Have urg’d the gods to save the white men’s lives

From Nyffé hate:

From Borghoo charms, and wild _feticherie_—

Falatahs’ spear;

From the dead venom of the kongkonie;[4]

And Arab lair.

Yet one hath fallen where no palm-trees grow,

Nor cocoas dwell:

Where savage bosoms feel not others’ woe,

There Bebbo[5] fell.

O Yaribeans! mourn his early death!

(Mansolah weeps,)

For the Falatah draws his infant breath,

Where white man sleeps.

Not one from earth into his grave was hurl’d,

Poor lonely thing!

No kind companion in the other world

Will comfort bring.[6]

Curse the Falatahs! curse them, O ye gods!

Their pride lay low!

Rise, Yaribeans! shake your trembling rods!

Bend, bend the bow!

Swift from your arrows as the bounding doe

The Moslems fly.

Crush them, ye mighty chiefs! o’erwhelm the foe!

Or nobly die.

The Christian’s blood is on them,[7] and the curse

Of God prevails.

Haste, minstrels, haste! in palaces rehearse

These wond’rous tales.

Tell ye the world that white-fac’d strangers will

A welcome have;

Or like the Boussans, they will fight until

They find a grave.

Whilst the young women were singing, many of the listening multitude were greatly affected and shed tears, and all faintly joined in the strains at intervals. The gesticulation and actions of the ladies corresponded with their expressions: at one instant the spear was lifted slowly from the ground, and handed lightly; and at another it was flourished over their heads with inconceivable animation and rapidity. At the conclusion of this singular ceremony the assembled thousands quietly dispersed; and the singers returned, in the order they had come, to the palace of their sovereign. Mansolah shortly afterwards came into my dwelling, and, expressing in simple and natural terms his sorrow for my master’s death, questioned me pretty closely as to the reasons for our visiting Soccatoo. I returned him the same answer as the king of Khiama received from me a short time before, which appeared to satisfy him, and after a conference of two hours he left me. The monarch was richly dressed in a scarlet damask tobe, ornamented with coral beads, and short trousers of the same colour with a light blue stripe, made of country cloth; his legs, as far as the knees, were stained red with hennah, and on his feet he wore sandals of red leather. A cap of blue damask, thickly studded with handsome coral beads, was on his head; and his neck, arms, and legs, were decorated with large silver rings. Before leaving me, I offered his sable majesty the horse I had purchased in Kano, (a fine animal that had carried me nearly the whole of the way from that city,) and regretted my inability to make him a more valuable present, promising, however, that if he permitted two messengers to accompany me from Katunga, I would, on my arrival at Badagry, send back something more befitting his exalted station. Mansolah accepted the beast with the usual demonstrations of gratitude; and in the evening acknowledged the favour by despatching a slave to our house with a fine fat goat and a quantity of yams.

The reason why Mansolah had so immense a number of wives is easily accounted for by the fact that the husband of every female in his dominions, who has a daughter unfortunate enough to be endowed with a greater share of personal beauty than the generality of her sex, is obliged, under the severest penalty, to present her to his sovereign. Before the interview between the parties takes place, it is customary for the father to procure a fatted sheep and a bowl of rice, which are borne by the girl to his majesty’s dwelling as a marriage portion; and if it should so happen that the man is too poor to obtain this present, he must on no account fail to send his daughter, although she is taken no notice of till that be received by the monarch. When this is the case, the friends of the young woman subscribe amongst themselves a sum of money sufficient to purchase the sheep and rice, on the receipt of which she is instantly admitted into the royal favour and protection, and the greatest familiarity from that hour prevails between the prince and his newly-married bride.

After they have passed a _certain_ age, the king’s wives are set at liberty, and permitted to trade up and down the country in the various articles of native produce and manufacture; the profits of which are uniformly given to the sovereign. The younger ladies employ their time in the adornment of their bodies, and beautifying their teeth and hair, in order to make themselves the more agreeable and fascinating in the eyes of their imperious master,—to whom they sing, in a kind of recitative, several times in the day, and whom they fan to sleep at night.

The principal fetish-hut at Katunga is the largest and most fancifully ornamented of any of a similar kind in the interior of Africa. It is a perfect square building, each side of which is at least twenty yards in length. Directly opposite the entrance is an immense figure of a giant bearing a lion on its head, carved in wood, and beautifully executed. About twenty-six or twenty-seven figures, in bas-relief, are placed on each of the sides of the hut, but all in a kneeling posture, with their faces turned towards the larger figure, to which they are apparently paying their devotions. On the heads of the small figures are wooden images of tigers, hyenas, snakes, crocodiles, &c. exquisitely carved; and painted, or rather stained, with a variety of colours. These are the gods of the Yaribeans; and the king, accompanied by his caboceers, and other principal men, repairs to this hut, to offer up his adorations before the idols, and make complaints if any mishap has attended their warriors, &c. Whenever Mansolah enters the sacred temple, he immediately uncovers his head, and prostrates himself on the floor, which is stained crimson, and very highly polished; and his example is instantly followed by his attendants. In this position they sometimes remain for an hour together, either making loud lamentations, and imploring the assistance of their wooden gods; or, after repeating their grievances to them in an under tone, ask the reasoning of their ill success or misfortune, and entreating the figures to be more propitious to their undertakings, and deal more kindly with them.

None of the lower orders of people are admitted into this solemn sanctuary, but prostrate themselves, and pray, without the walls. One poor old woman alone is allowed to enter, whose business it is to keep the interior of the hut perfectly clean, and even she dares not make her appearance till after her sovereign has said his daily prayers, and left the place.

There are fifty other fetish-huts at Katunga, on a smaller and less magnificent scale than the one above alluded to; and public worship is performed in all of them before sunrise every morning. If, however, any thing particular takes place in the course of the day, the inhabitants make it their business to repair to their temples, and, acquainting their gods with the circumstance, make observations on it, and express their gratitude or disappointment with considerable vehemence.

When an infant dies, the mother invariably wears, suspended from the neck, and reaching to the bosom, a figure of a child, about six inches in length, and of proportionable thickness, which is carved in wood, and regarded by the people as a token of mourning. This is worn for an indefinite length of time, according to the inclination or caprice of the bereaved parent; and many women do not cast it aside until the expiration of six, eight, and even twelvemonths, during which they chat to and caress the wooden figure, as if it had been instinct with life and motion, possessed of all the playfulness and endearing manners which distinguished their offspring when alive, and capable of enjoying the effects of maternal tenderness. This singular custom is confined exclusively to Yariba.