Travels in the Interior of Africa, vol 2 | Page 3

with me. These Jews, in dress and appearance, very
much resemble the Arabs; but though they so far conform to the
religion of Mohammed as to recite in public prayers from the Koran,
they are but little respected by the negroes; and even the Moors
themselves allowed that, though I was a Christian, I was a better man
than a Jew. They however insisted that, like the Jews, I must conform
so far as to repeat the Mohammedan prayers; and when I attempted to
waive the subject by telling them that I could not speak Arabic, one of
them, a shereef from Tuat, in the Great Desert, started up and swore by
the Prophet that if I refused to go to the mosque, he would be one that
would assist in carrying me thither; and there is no doubt that this threat
would have been immediately executed had not my landlord interposed
on my behalf. He told them that I was the king's stranger, and he could

not see me ill-treated whilst I was under his protection. He therefore
advised them to let me alone for the night, assuring them that in the
morning I should be sent about my business. This somewhat appeased
their clamour, but they compelled me to ascend a high seat by the door
of the mosque, in order that everybody might see me, for the people
had assembled in such numbers as to be quite ungovernable, climbing
upon the houses, and squeezing each other, like the spectators at an
execution. Upon this seat I remained until sunset, when I was
conducted into a neat little hut, with a small court before it, the door of
which Counti Mamadi shut, to prevent any person from disturbing me.
But this precaution could not exclude the Moors. They climbed over
the top of the mud wall, and came in crowds into the court, "in order,"
they said, "to see me PERFORM MY EVENING DEVOTIONS, AND
EAT EGGS." The former of these ceremonies I did not think proper to
comply with, but I told them I had no objection to eat eggs, provided
they would bring me eggs to eat. My landlord immediately brought me
seven hen's eggs, and was much surprised to find that I could not eat
them raw; for it seems to be a prevalent opinion among the inhabitants
of the interior that Europeans subsist almost entirely on this diet. When
I had succeeded in persuading my landlord that this opinion was
without foundation, and that I would gladly partake of any victuals
which he might think proper to send me, he ordered a sheep to be killed,
and part of it to be dressed for my supper. About midnight, when the
Moors had left me, he paid me a visit, and with much earnestness
desired me to write him a saphie. "If a Moor's saphie is good," said this
hospitable old man, "a white man's must needs be better." I readily
furnished him with one, possessed of all the virtues I could concentrate,
for it contained the Lord's Prayer. The pen with which it was written
was made of a reed; a little charcoal and gum-water made very
tolerable ink, and a thin board answered the purpose of paper.
July 25.--Early in the morning, before the Moors were assembled, I
departed from Sansanding, and slept the ensuing night at a small town
called Sibili, from whence on the day following I reached Nyara, a
large town at some distance from the river, where I halted the 27th, to
have my clothes washed, and recruit my horse. The dooty there has a
very commodious house, flat-roofed, and two storeys high. He showed
me some gunpowder of his own manufacturing; and pointed out, as a

great curiosity, a little brown monkey that was tied to a stake by the
door, telling me that it came from a far distant country called Kong.
July 28.--I departed from Nyara, and reached Nyamee about noon. This
town is inhabited chiefly by Foulahs from the kingdom of Masina. The
dooty, I know not why, would not receive me, but civilly sent his son
on horseback to conduct me to Modiboo, which he assured me was at
no great distance.
We rode nearly in a direct line through the woods, but in general went
forwards with great circumspection. I observed that my guide
frequently stopped and looked under the bushes. On inquiring the
reason of this caution he told me that lions were very numerous in that
part of the country, and frequently attacked people travelling through
the woods. While he was speaking, my horse started, and looking round,
I observed a large animal of the camelopard kind standing at a little
distance. The neck and fore-legs were very long; the head was
furnished