Lander's Travels eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,054 pages of information about Lander's Travels.

Lander's Travels eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 1,054 pages of information about Lander's Travels.

On Sunday morning, though their horses were in a very weak condition, and all looked extremely sorrowful, yet they quitted Atoopa at an early hour and in good spirits, and journeying in a westerly direction, in two hours time they entered a lively little walled town, called Rumbum.  Here they dismounted, and took a slight refreshment of parched corn and water, on the trunk of a fallen tree.  Rumbum is a great thoroughfare for fatakies of merchants, trading from Houssa, Borgoo, and other countries to Gonga; and consequently a vast quantity of land is cultivated in its vicinity with corn and yams, to supply them with provisions.

On quitting this town, their course altered to N.W., and continued so till their arrival at the large and important town of Keeshee, which is on the frontier of the kingdom, and distant from Atoopa only about twelve miles.  It is surrounded by a double strong clay wall, and is an excellent situation as a place of security from the attacks of the enemy.  Before entering this place, and at the distance of a mile from it, they passed through a clean, extensive, and highly-flourishing Fellata village, called Acba, which, like most other places in Yarriba inhabited by Fellatas, was well stocked with sheep and cattle.

The governor of Keeshee having died only ten days previously to their arrival, they were well received by his successor, who was an elderly and respectable-looking man.  Shortly after their arrival, he sent them a present of a fine young bullock, a quantity of yams, and more than a gallon of excellent strong beer.  In the centre of the town is a high stony hill, almost covered with trees of stinted growth, to which, in case of an invasion by the enemy, the inhabitants fly for refuge.  As soon as they have reached its summit, it is borne, they say, by a supernatural power above the clouds, where it remains till the danger is over.  Some years have elapsed since this miracle last took place, yet the story is told with a serious belief of its truth, and with the most amusing gravity.  About a quarter of a mile to the north-east of this marvellous hill, rises another, which very much resembles it in shape and appearance, but the latter is rather larger and higher, and overlooks the country for many miles round.

A number of emigrants from different countries reside in this place; there are not a few from Borgoo, Nouffie, Houssa and Bornoo, and two or three Tuaricks from the borders of the Great Desert.  To the west of the town is a picturesque hill of a gentle ascent, on which are several small hamlets; these hamlets have a rural and eminently beautiful appearance.  In no town through which they had hitherto travelled, had they seen so many fine tall men, and good-looking women, as at this place; yet several individuals of both sexes were to be met with, who had lost the sight of one eye, and others who had unseemly wens on their throats, as large as cocoa nuts.  They saw a cripple

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Lander's Travels from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.