United States or Tuvalu ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
In 1806 they perhaps reported the ending of Mungo Park's travels by his death on the Niger at the hands of the Boussa people.
On leaving Boussa, Clapperton retraced his steps to the Cumbrie villages, and then turned to the south-south-west to another of their villages, named Songa, situated on the banks of the Quorra. About two hours above Songa, there is a formidable cataract, "where," Lander observes, "if Park had passed Boussa in safety, he would have been in danger of perishing, unheard and unseen."
Boussa, which the traveller reached at last, is not a regular town, but consists of groups of scattered houses on an island of the Quorra, situated in lat. 10 degrees 14 minutes N., and long. 6 degrees 11 minutes E. The province of which it is the capital is the most densely populated of Borghoo. The inhabitants are all Pagans, even the sultan, although his name is Mahommed.
It seemed to him, that even had Park and Martyn passed Boussa, their vessel would almost to a certainty have been destroyed on these rocks, where they would probably have perished unheard of and unseen.
The valleys were cultivated with yams, corn, and maize; and on the same day the travellers arrived at Ingum, the first village belonging to Boussa, situated on the north-eastern side of the hills. At four hours from Ingum, they halted at a village of the Cumbrie or Cambric, an aboriginal race of kaffirs, inhabiting the woods on both sides of the river.
With some difficulty he drew from the natives an account of the circumstances, which, however, they ascribed to the men of Boussa, supposing Park to be a chief of the Felatahs, who had made a hostile incursion into Soudan, and whom they shortly expected to attack themselves.
In the afternoon, all had been silent in the forest; but at night the jackal, the hyena, and the baboon had forsaken their retreats, and mingled their dismal howl with the chirping of innumerable insects. They reached Boussa on the 17th June. The appearance of the Niger at this place disappointed them much.
Clapperton's second journey Arrival at Badagry Yariba and its capital Katunga Boussa Attempts to get at the truth about Mungo Park's fate "Nyffé," Yaourie, and Zegzeg Arrival at Kano Disappointments Death of Clapperton Return of Lander to the coast Tuckey on the Congo Bowditch in Ashantee Mollien at the sources of the Senegal and Gambia Major Grey Caillié at Timbuctoo Laing at the sources of the Niger Richard and John Lander at the mouth of the Niger Cailliaud and Letorzec in Egypt, Nubia, and the oasis of Siwâh.
The king immediately ordered me to be put in irons; which was accordingly done, and every thing I had taken from me; some were for killing me, and some for preserving my life. The next morning early the King sent an army to a village called Boussa near the river side. There is before this village a rock across the whole breadth of the river.
She afterwards gave him a good deal of trouble by following him on the journey at the head of a band of armed attendants, and he rejoiced much when he finally got rid of her. On their way to Comie, they visited Boussa, the scene of Park's tragical end. The natives were extremely reserved upon the subject, but what they told, bore out in every particular Amadi Fatouma's account.
Word Of The Day