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Travels in Western Africa, in the years 1818, 1819, 1820, and 1821, from the river Gambia, through Woolli, Bondoo, Galam, Kasson, Kaarta, and ... and costumes, illustrative of those countries
Travels in Western Africa in the years 1818 1819 1820 and 1821 from the river Gambia through Woolli Bondoo Galam Kasson Kaarta and and costumes illustrative of those countries Author:William Gray This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1825 Excerpt: ... 2000 to 3000 foot. When Almamy finds it necessary to call this army to the field for the protection of the country, or with the intention... more » of invading the territories of some of his neighbours, he repairs with his own immediate followers to some village at a short distance from the capital, and there beats the war drum "', which is repeated by each village, and in this manner the call to arms is circulated over the country. This is composed of a large wooden bowl, nearly three feet diameter, covered with three skins, one of which is said to be that of a human being, another a hyena's, and the third, or outside one, a monkey's; this latter is covered with Arabic characters and passages from the Koran. See fig. 2, pl. 9. The chief of each town or village with as little delay as possible assembles his followers (or division, if it may be so called), and proceeds to head-quarters, where those chiefs consult with the king on the plan of attack or defence. No regular division of the army takes place, nor is there any provision made for its support or equipment; each man provides for himself such means of support, arms, and ammunition, as he can afford, and so badly are they furnished with the two latter, that when I saw the army assembled, a great many indeed had no other weapons than a knife and a bludgeon of hard wood. On some occasions, afavoured few receive two or three charges of powder and ball with a couple of flints: and in some very solitary instances indeed, his majesty confers marks of his royal favour on one, by a present of a horse, and on another a gun. Provisions they find as they can, and woe to the stores and cattle of that town where they are assembled for any time. Whenever the object of the campaign is not decided on within a ...« less