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Finding that I was determined to proceed, the king told me that one route still remained, but that, he said, was by no means free from danger which was to go from Kaarta into the Moorish kingdom of Ludamar, from whence I might pass by a circuitous route into Bambarra. If I wished to follow this route he would appoint people to conduct me to Jarra, the frontier town of Ludamar.
I remained here two days, in order to recruit my horse, which the Moors had reduced to a perfect Rosinante, and to wait for the arrival of some Mandingo Negroes, who were going for Bambarra in the course of a few days. On the afternoon of the 1st of July, as I was tending my horse in the fields, Ali's chief slave and four Moors arrived at Queira, and took up their lodging at the Dooty's house.
When they had seated themselves, and the usual compliments passed, Modibinne desired me to acquaint them with the motives which had induced me to come into their country. I spoke to them in the Bambarra language as follows. "I am the white man who nine years ago came into Bambarra. This generous conduct of Mansong towards me, has made his name much respected in the land of the white people.
It was a snake of the largest size for its species, being nearly eight feet in length, and as thick as the wrist of the Bambarra himself. Even he was astonished at its proportions; and assured me it was the largest of its kind he had ever encountered. I expected to see the black put an end to its struggles at once by killing it; and I essayed to help him with my gun.
It was natural our conversation should be of snakes and snake-roots, and many a strange fact he imparted to me relating to reptile life. A herpetologist might have envied me the hour I spent upon that log in the company of Gabriel the Bambarra. In the midst of our conversation my companion abruptly asked the question, whether I had killed the snake that had bitten me. "No," I replied.
Finding that I was determined to proceed, the king told me that one route still remained, but that, he said, was by no means free from danger; which was to go from Kaarta into the Moorish kingdom of Ludamar, from whence I might pass, by a circuitous route, into Bambarra. If I wished to follow this route, he would appoint people to conduct me to Jarra, the frontier town of Ludamar.
For all that, I still remembered the way by which the Bambarra had guided me, and could follow it with hurried steps though there was neither road nor path, save the devious tracks made by cattle or the wild animals of the forest. But I was certain I knew it well. I should remember the signs and "blazes" to which the guide had called my attention.
The annual flood of the Congo commences before any rains have fallen south of the equator, and agree correctly with the floods of the Niger, calculating the water to have flowed from Bambarra at the rate of three miles per hour. "Mr.
But even these merchants, it would seem, are ignorant of the termination of the river, for such of them as can speak Arabic, describe the amazing length of its course in very general terms, saying only that they believe it runs to the world's end. The names of many kingdoms to the eastward of Houssa are familiar to the inhabitants of Bambarra.
At length a politic chief of the name of Moossee had address enough to make them unite in hostilities against Bambarra; and on this occasion he was unanimously chosen general the different chiefs consenting for a time to act under his command.
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