Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

me that nothing remained with him,-every thing of that kind had gone into the hands of the learned men; but that if any were now in existence, he would procure them and give them to me. I then asked him if he would allow me to inquire of the old people in the town, the particulars of the affair, as some of them must have seen it. He appeared very uneasy, gave. me no answer, and I did not press him further.'"

With this statement Clapperton was by no means satisfied. The people were, however, unwilling to give information on the subject. The following extracts contain, we believe, all the intelligence which could be gathered in relation to this afflictive

event.

"The place where the vessel was sunk, is in the eastern channel, where the river breaks over a grey slate rock, extending quite across it. A little lower down, the river had a fall of three or four feet.-Here, and still farther down, the whole united streams of the Quorra, were not above threefourths the breadth of the Thames at Somerset-house. On returning to the ferry, Clapperton found a messenger from the king of Youri, who had sent him a present of a camel.

"He said the king, before he left Youri, had shown him two books, very large, and printed, that had belonged to the white men that were lost in the boat at Boussa; that he had been offered a hundred and seventy mitgalls of gold for them by a merchant from Bornou, who had been sent by a Christian on purpose for them. I advised him to tell the king he ought to have sold them; that I would not give him five mitgalls for them; but that, if he would send them, I would give him an additional present; and that he would be doing an acceptable thing to the king of England by sending them, and that he would not act like a king if he did not. I gave him for his master, one of the mock gold chains, a common sword, and ten yards of silk, and said I would give him a handsome gun and some more silk, if he would send the books. On asking him if there were any books like my journal, which I showed him, he said there was one, but that his master had given it to an Arab merchant ten years ago; but the merchant was killed by the Fellatas on his way to Kano, and what had become of that book afterwards, he did not know.'

"Upon this, Clapperton sent a person with a letter to Youri

""Mohamed, the Fezzanie, whom I had hired at Tabra, and whom I had sent to the chief of Youri, for the books and papers of the late Mungo Park, returned, bringing me a letter from that person, which contained the following account of the death of that unfortunate traveller: that not the least injury was done to him at Youri, or by the people of that country; that the people of Boussa had killed them, and taken all their riches, that the books in his possession, were given him by the Imaum of Boussa; that they were lying on the top of the goods in the boat when she was taken; that not a

soul was left alive belonging to the boat; that the bodies of two black men were found in the boat chained together; that the white men jumped over board; that the boat was made of two canoes, joined fast together, with an awning or roof behind; that he, the sultan, had a gun, double-barrelled, and a sword, and two books that had belonged to those in the boat; that he would give me the books whenever I went to Youri myself for them, not until then.'

"The last account of this unfortunate traveller, is stated to be from an eye-witness.

""This evening I was talking with a man that is married to one of my landlady's female slaves, called her daughter, about the manners of the Cumbrie, and about England; when he gave the following account of the death of Park, and of his companions, of which he was an eye-witness. He said that when the boat came down the river, it happened unfortunately just at the time that the Fellatas first rose in arms, and were ravaging Goober and Zamfra; that the sultan of Boussa, on hearing that the persons in the boat were white men, and that the boat was different from any that had ever been seen before, as she had a house at one end, called his people together from the neighbouring towns, attacked and killed them, not doubting that they were the advance guard of the Fellata army, then ravaging Soudan, under the command of Malem Danfodio, the father of the present Bello; that one of the white men was a tall man, with long hair, that they fought for three days before they were all killed; that the people in the neighbourhood were very much alarmed, and great numbers fled to Nyffe and other countries, thinking that the Fellatas were certainly coming among them. The number of persons in the boat was only four, two white men, and two blacks; that they found great treasure in the boat; but that the people had all died who eat of the meat that was found in her. This account I believe to be the most correct of all that I have yet got; and was told to me without my putting any questions, or showing any eagerness for him to go on with his story. I was often puzzled to think, after the kindness I had received at Boussa, what could have caused such a change in the minds of these people, in the course of twenty years, and of their different treatment of two European travellers. I was even disposed at times to flatter myself, that there was something in me, that belonged to nobody else, to make them treat me and my people with so much kindness; for the -friendship of the king of Boussa, I consider as my only protection in this country.'

"This is by far the most probable, and all of them, corroborate the story generally disbelieved at the time, which Isaaco brought back from Amadoo-Fatima. There is yet a chance, we think, though but a slender one, that the journal of Park may be recovered."

In the country of Nyffe, Clapperton "found the Quorra about a quarter of a mile in width, running about two miles an hour,

1

and from ten to fifteen feet deep. In this part of the country, the natives smelt iron ore, and every village had three or four blacksmith's shops in it. The houses are generally painted with figures of human beings, huge snakes, alligators or tortoise.

"Koolfu is a sort of central market, where traders meet from every part of Soudan and western Africa. It is a walled town, with four gates, and may contain from twelve to fifteen thousand inhabitants, including all classes, the slave and the free, who live together, and eat together without distinction, the men slaves with the men, and the women with the women; for, in the true style of all orientals, the two sexes eat their meals apart, and never sit down to any repast together. They are represented as a kind-hearted people, and affectionate towards one another, but they will cheat, if they can—and who is there, we may ask, that does not, in the way of trade? From Koolfu to Kufu, the country was woody, the trees along the path consisting mostly of the butter tree. The villages were numerous, and cultivation extensive; but so insecure did the inhabitants consider themselves, that every man, working in the fields, was armed to defend themselves against the inroads of the Fellatas.

"Zaria, the capital of Zeg-zeg, is a large city, inhabited almost wholly by Fellatas, who have their mosques with minarets, and their houses flat roofed. It is said to be more populous than Kano, a city which is estimated by Clapperton to contain from thirty to forty thousand inhabitants. Many of them are from Fotta Bonda, and Foota Torra, and seem to know and to have had dealings with the French and English on the coast, and, as our author says, have not improved by the acquaintance. The environs of this city are said to be beautiful-like some of the finest parts of England in the month of April, and grain and fruits of various kinds are cultivated both within and without the walls. The beauty and fertility of the country continued all the way to Kano, which our travellers entered on the 20th July, 1826.

"Here Clapperton met his former friend and acquaintance, Hadje Hat Sala, who informed him of the state of the war between Bello and the Sheik of Bornou. Though still in bad health, he determined to proceed at once to Bello, and to leave his servant Richard and old Pascoe at Kano, under the protection of Hadje, who was authorised to grant them whatever money they might want. At Jaza he met his old friend the Gadado, or prime minister; who greeted him with great kindness; told him that Bello had received his letter from Koolfu, and had sent a messenger to conduct him to Soccatoo. It seems, however, that the gadado prevailed on him to remain for some time in Kano, where he was plundered of several articles, and, among others, of his journal and remark book, a circumstance which has occasioned an hiatus in his narrative, from July to October, on the 12th of which month, we find him, with a part of the Sultan's army, near Zer

mie, on the borders of a large lake, or rather chain of lakes, on the plain of Gondamie, approaching nearly to Soccatoo.

"The borders of these lakes are the resort of numbers of elephants and other wild beasts. The appearance at this season, and at the spot where I saw it, was very beautiful; all the acacia trees were in blossom, some with white flowers, others with yellow, forming a contrast with the small dusky leaves, like gold and silver tassels on a cloak of dark green velvet. I observed some fine large fish leaping in the lake. Some of the troops were bathing; others watering their horses, bullocks, camels and asses: the lake as smooth as glass, and flowing around the roots of the trees. The sun, on its approach to the horizon, throws the shadows of the flowery acacias along its surface, like sheets of burnished gold and silver. The smoking fires on its banks, the sounding of horns, the beating of their gongs or drums, the braying of their brass and tin trumpets, the rude huts of grass or branches of trees rising as if by magic, every where the calls on the name of Mohammed, Abdo, Mustafa, &c., with the neighing of horses, and the braying of asses, gave animation to the beautiful scenery of the lake, and its sloping green and woody banks."

[ocr errors]

From the Gadado, Clapperton learned that sultan Bello was encamped before Coonia, the capital city of Goobur, which had rebelled against him, and which he was resolved to subdue. Clapperton, therefore, accompanied the Kano troops to join the sultan at this place. Bello received our traveller kindly, and said he would attend to the king's letter at Soccatoo, as he was determined to make the attack on Coonia the next day. After this attack (the account of which is interesting, but which we have not room to insert) Clapperton visited Soccatoo, found the same house which he had formerly inhabited, and remained there six months, collecting the most valuable information in regard to that and the neighbouring countries, which we hope, when his journal is received, to present to our readers.

Soon after Clapperton's arrival at Soccatoo, he was informed that the Sheik of Bornou had written to Bello, to put him to death, and the subsequent conduct of Bello was far from being such as he had reason to expect. He was treated like a spy, and all his presents for the sultan of Bornou were seized, under pretence that he was conveying warlike stores to that country. This conduct so affected Clapperton's spirits, that his servant never saw him smile afterwards. "His journal about the 12th of March, terminates abruptly in the midst of a conversation, as to the best route to be taken homewards." On the same day he

was attacked with dysentery, and declined rapidly. "I read to him daily," says Lander, "some portions of the New Testament, and the ninety-fifth Psalm, to which he was never weary of listening; and on Sundays I added the church service, to which he invariably paid the profoundest attention." The following account of the death of this great traveller, cannot be read without emotion.

you

to

"At length, calling honest Lander to his bed-side, Clapperton said— 'Richard, I shall shortly be no more; I feel myself dying.' Almost choaked with grief, I replied, 'God forbid, my dear master: you will live many years yet.' 'Don't be so much affected, my dear boy, I entreat you,' said he, ʻit is the will of the Almighty; it cannot be helped. Take care of my Journal and papers after my death; and when you arrive in London, go immediately to my agents, send for my uncle, who will accompany you to the Colonial Office, and let him see you deposit them safely into the hands of the Secretary. After I am buried apply to Bello, and borrow money to purchase camels and provisions for your journey over the desert, and go in the train of the Arab merchants to Fezzan. On your arrival there, should your money be exhausted, send a messenger to Mr. Warrington, our Consul at Tripoli, and wait till he returns with a remittance. On reaching Tripoli, that gentleman will advance what money you may require, and send England the first opportunity. Do not lumber yourself with my books; leave them behind, as well as the barometer, boxes, and sticks, and indeed every heavy article you can conveniently part with; give them to Malam Mudey, who will take care of them.-The wages I agreed to give you, my agents will pay, as well as the sum government allowed me for a servant; you will of course receive it, as Columbus has never served me. Remark what towns or villages you pass through; pay attention to whatever the chiefs may say to you, and put it on paper. The little money I have, and all my clothes, I leave you: sell the latter and put what you may receive for them into your pocket; and if, on your journey, you should be obliged to expend it, government will repay you on your return.' I said, as well as my agitation would permit me, if it be the will of God to take you, you may rely on my faithfully performing, as far as I am able, all that you have desired; but I trust the Almighty will spare you, and you will yet live to see your country.' I thought I should at one time, Richard,' continued he; 'but all is now over; I shall not be long for this world; but God's will be done.' He then took my hand betwixt his, and looking me full in the face, while a tear stood glistening in his eye, said, in a low but deeply affecting tone, 'my dear Richard, if you had not been with me, I should have died long ago; I can only thank you, with my latest breath, for your kindness and attachment to me; and if I could have lived to return with you, you should have been placed beyond the reach of want, but God will reward

« AnteriorContinuar »