Travels in the Interior of Africa, vol 2 | Page 5

Mungo Park
my favour, but to no purpose, for the dooty
remained inflexible in his determination. I knew not where to rest my
wearied limbs, but was happily relieved by a fishing canoe belonging to
Silla, which was at that moment coming down the river. The dooty
waved to the fisherman to come near, and desired him to take charge of
me as far as Moorzan. The fisherman, after some hesitation, consented
to carry me, and I embarked in the canoe in company with the
fisherman, his wife, and a boy. The negro who had conducted me from
Modiboo now left me. I requested him to look to my horse on his return,
and take care of him if he was still alive, which he promised to do.
Departing from Kea, we proceeded about a mile down the river, when
the fisherman paddled the canoe to the bank and desired me to jump
out. Having tied the canoe to a stake, he stripped off his clothes, and
dived for such a length of time that I thought he had actually drowned
himself, and was surprised to see his wife behave with so much
indifference upon the occasion; but my fears were over when he raised
up his head astern of the canoe and called for a rope. With this rope he
dived a second time, and then got into the canoe and ordered the boy to
assist him in pulling. At length they brought up a large basket, about
ten feet in diameter, containing two fine fish, which the
fisherman--after returning the basket into the water--immediately
carried ashore and hid in the grass. We then went a little farther down
and took up another basket, in which was one fish. The fisherman now
left us to carry his prizes to some neighbouring market, and the woman
and boy proceeded with me in the canoe down the river.
About four o'clock we arrived at Moorzan, a fishing town on the
northern bank, from whence I was conveyed across the river to Silla, a
large town, where I remained until it was quite dark, under a tree,
surrounded by hundreds of people.
With a great deal of entreaty the dooty allowed me to come into his
baloon to avoid the rain, but the place was very damp, and I had a smart
paroxysm of fever during the night. Worn down by sickness, exhausted

with hunger and fatigue, half-naked, and without any article of value by
which I might procure provisions, clothes, or lodging, I began to reflect
seriously on my situation. I was now convinced, by painful experience,
that the obstacles to my farther progress were insurmountable. The
tropical rains were already set in with all their violence--the rice
grounds and swamps were everywhere overflowed--and in a few days
more, travelling of every kind, unless by water, would be completely
obstructed. The kowries which remained of the king of Bambarra's
present were not sufficient to enable me to hire a canoe for any great
distance, and I had but little hopes of subsisting by charity in a country
where the Moors have such influence. But, above all, I perceived that I
was advancing more and more within the power of those merciless
fanatics, and, from my reception both at Sego and Sansanding, I was
apprehensive that, in attempting to reach even Jenne (unless under the
protection of some man of consequence amongst them, which I had no
means of obtaining), I should sacrifice my life to no purpose, for my
discoveries would perish with me. The prospect either way was gloomy.
In returning to the Gambia, a journey on foot of many hundred miles
presented itself to my contemplation, through regions and countries
unknown. Nevertheless, this seemed to be the only alternative, for I
saw inevitable destruction in attempting to proceed to the eastward.
With this conviction on my mind I hope my readers will acknowledge
that I did right in going no farther.
Having thus brought my mind, after much doubt and perplexity, to a
determination to return westward, I thought it incumbent on me, before
I left Silla, to collect from the Moorish and negro traders all the
information I could concerning the farther course of the Niger eastward,
and the situation and extent of the kingdoms in its vicinage; and the
following few notices I received from such various quarters as induce
me to think they are authentic:-
Two short days' journey to the eastward of Silla is the town of Jenne,
which is situated on a small island in the river, and is said to contain a
greater number of inhabitants than Sego itself, or any other town in
Bambarra. At the distance of two days more, the river spreads into a
considerable lake, called Dibbie (or the Dark Lake), concerning
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