Great African Travellers | Page 7

him to desist.
On the 18th his black servant, Johnson, was brought in as as a prisoner
before Ali by some Moors, who had also seized a bundle of his clothes
left at Jarra. Of these Ali took possession, and Park was unable to
obtain even a clean shirt or anything he required. The Moors next
stripped him of his gold, his watch, the amber he had remaining and
one of his pocket compasses. Fortunately he had hidden the other in the
sand near his hut. This, with the clothes on his back, was the only thing
Ali now left him.

Ali, on examining the compass, wished to know why the small needle
always pointed to the Great Desert. Park, unwilling to inform him of
the exact truth, replied that his mother lived far beyond the sands of the
Sahara, and that while she was alive the piece of iron would always
point that way and serve as a guide to conduct him to her. Ali,
suspecting that there was something magical in it, was afraid of
keeping so dangerous an instrument in his possession.
The Moors now held a council to determine what should be done with
the stranger. Some proposed that he should be put to death, others that
he should only lose his right-hand, and one of Ali's sons came to him in
the evening and with much concern informed him that his uncle had
persuaded his father to put out his eyes. Ali, however, replied that he
would not do so until Fatima, the queen, who was at present in the
north, had seen him.
In vain Park begged that he might be permitted to return to Jarra. Ali
replied that he must wait till Fatima had seen him, and that then he
should be at liberty to go, and that his horse should be restored to him.
So wearied out was he at last with all the insults he received that he felt
ready to commit any act of desperation.
One day Ali sent to say that he must be in readiness to ride out with
him, as he intended to show him to some of his women. They together
visited the tents of four different ladies, at every one of which he was
presented with a bowl of milk and water. They were all remarkably
corpulent, which in that country is the highest mark of beauty. They
were also very inquisitive, examining minutely his hair and skin,
though affecting to consider him as a sort of inferior being to
themselves, and pretending to shudder when they looked at the
whiteness of his skin. Notwithstanding the attention shown him by
these fat dames, his condition was not improved, and he was often left
without even food or water, while suffering fearfully from the heat.
Ali at length moved his camp, and Park was sent forward under the
escort of one of the king's sons. The new encampment was larger than
that of Benowm, and situated in the midst of a thick wood, about two

miles distant from a neighbouring town, called Bubaka. Here Park was
introduced to queen Fatima by Ali. She seemed much pleased at his
coming, shaking hands with him, even though Ali had told her that he
was a Christian. She was a remarkably corpulent woman, with an Arab
cast of countenance and long hair.
After asking a number of questions, with the answers to which she
appeared interested, she became perfectly at her ease and presented her
visitor with a bowl of milk. She was, indeed, the only person who
treated Park kindly during his stay.
Both men and cattle suffered much from thirst, and though Ali had
given him a skin for containing water, and Fatima once or twice
presented him with a small supply, yet such was the barbarous
disposition of the Moors, that when his boy attempted to fill his skin at
the wells, he generally received a sound drubbing for his presumption.
One night, having in vain attempted to obtain water, he resolved to try
his fortune himself at the wells, which were about half a mile distant.
About midnight he set out, and, guided by the lowing of the cattle, he
reached the place. Here a number of Moors were drawing water, but he
was driven by them from each well in succession. At last he reached
one where there was only an old man and two boys. He earnestly
besought the first to give him some water. The old man complied, and
drew up a bucket; but no sooner did Park take hold of it than,
recollecting that the stranger was a Christian, and fearing that his
bucket might be polluted, he dashed the water into the trough, and told
him to drink from thence. Though the