United States or Japan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
All the slaves of his deceased parent, amongst whom were a great number of Houssa mallams; all who bore any personal dislike to the ruling chief, or were discontented with his form of government; those who preferred Adooley, and the discontented of all ranks, formed themselves into a strong body, and resolved to support the pretensions of their favourite.
Owing to the holiday, which is equally prized and enjoyed by Mahommedan and pagan, their visitors on this day have been almost exclusively confined to a party of Houssa mallams, who entered their dwelling in the forenoon, perfumed all over with musk, more for the purpose of gratifying their vanity by displaying their finery before them, than of paying the travellers the compliment of the day, which was avowedly the sole object of their intrusion.
Some mallams and others, who wished to accompany the Landers to Kiama, whither they were going for the purposes of trade, persuaded the easy-minded governor on the preceding night, to defer getting their carriers until the following day, because, forsooth, they were not themselves wholly prepared to travel on that day.
They received visits almost every hour of the day from a number of mahommedan mallams residing at Kiama, as well as from those merchants, who formed part of the fatakie that accompanied them through the forest from Keeshee.
A stir was now made in the market, and a search commenced through all the canoes for their goods, some of which were found, although the greater part of them were at the bottom of the river. Those were landed and placed in the middle of the market-place. The Landers were now invited by the mallams to land, and told to look at their goods, and see if they were all there.
The mallams and the king's wives had given them trouble enough, but the whole population of Egga was too much for them, so that they were literally obliged to blockade the doorways, and station three of their people at each to keep them away.
Fortunately the Mallams or Mohammedan priests interfered in their favour, and some of their property was restored to them, but the best part had gone to the bottom of the river with John Lander's canoe.
One or two of them were masticating the goora nut, and others had their lips, teeth, and finger nails stained red. Each of the mallams was attended by a well-dressed little boy of agreeable countenance, who acted as page to his master, and was his protegé.
As soon as this declaration was made known to the mallams, and the crowd of attendants in the yard, they all held up their hands in token of approbation, and shouted for joy. It is now seven or eight months since this promise was made, and I am happy to say, it has been religiously kept."
They discovered him squatting on a cow's hide, spread on the ground, smoking from a pipe of about three yards long, and surrounded by a number of Fellatas, and several old mallams. They were welcomed in the most friendly and cordial manner, and as a mark of peculiar distinction, they were invited to seat themselves near the person of the chief.
Word Of The Day