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banks, and without either port or shelter. On one of these banks the American ship Charles struck on the morning of 11th October, 1810, and was so surrounded by breakers as to leave no hope of escaping a total wreck. The sailors swam ashore, but soon after daybreak were attacked by a band of Moors, a race ever on the watch for plunder. The captain was killed, apparently in consequence of rash and violent behaviour; but the crew were taken prisoners, and divided among the captors. Adams, one of the sailors, according to his own statement, was carried to the border of Bambarra, where the Moors, who, by the practice of slavestealing, had roused the hostility of the natives, were surprised, made captive, and, after four days' confinement, marched to Timbuctoo. The companions of Adams, after being presented to the king, were thrown into prison; but he himself, being regarded as a curiosity, was retained in the palace, where he became a particular favourite of the queen, who used to sit gazing at him for hours. He remained there six months, well treated, and even caressed, when a party of Moorish traders arrived, ransomed their countrymen, and Adams along with them. The caravan reached Taudeny in thirteen days; after which it was obliged to march twenty-nine days over a tract of desert, where there was neither plant nor shrub, a blade of grass, nor a drop of water. Finding the spring dry, the prospect of which had sustained their hope, they gave way to the deepest despair; some perished, and the rest dispersed in search of water. Adams, having reached Ved Duleem, fell again under the power of the wild wanderers of the desert, and was carried from place to place, suffering extreme hardships; but at length he found, at Wedinoon, three of his old shipmates, who, like himself, were immediately libe rated by the humane interposition of M. Dupuis, British consul at Mogadore. He proceeded thence to London, in the view of obtaining a passage for America, and was found in the streets of that capital by a gentleman who took a deep interest in African affairs, and who communicated the fact to Mr. Cox, secretary to the Association. Adams was then strictly examined, and his statements taken down in writing; while M. Dupuis, the consul, who happened to be in London, confirmed the general fact of the shipwreck and captivity. Hence there appeared little room to doubt the

correctness of his relation. The remarks, however, of M. Graberg de Hemso, Swedish consul at Tripoli, lately given in the Foreign Review, seem to justify the suspicion that this narrative was in the main fictitious; that though Adams was cast ashore on the Sahara, it was in 1811 instead of 1810, as he asserted; that he never was south of Cape Blanco, and could not therefore have known Timbuctoo except by report. His real name, besides, was Benjamin Rose. At all events, he appears to have made diligent inquiries as to the state of the country; and his details, accordingly, as corrected by M. Dupuis, have enabled the public to form a pretty accurate opinion respecting Timbuctoo.

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The picture drawn by him of this city was different from, and in many respects quite the reverse of, that hitherto presented to Europeans. There is said to exist nothing of that uncontrolled sway and fierce intolerance of the Moors, the belief of which was so strongly impressed upon Park. On the contrary, the king, and all his principal officers were negroes; the few religious ceremonies observed were pagan; and the Moors were allowed to enter the town only in small numbers, and under very rigid restrictions. This statement, which appeared at first improbable, has, however, been confirmed by subsequent accounts. rumours that intolerance prevailed to such an extent in this seat of trade were, we may presume, exaggerated from the very first; but L'Hagi Mohammed, a resident at the well of Aroan, told M. Cahill of Rabat, that, subsequently to Mr. Park's first journey, the king of Bambarra had conquered Timbuctoo, and established there a negro government. This is confirmed by Mr. Jackson, and agrees also with the report which we shall find to be given by Riley. The description of that city, again, corresponded very little with the ideas formerly entertained of its pomp and splendour. The most spacious mansions could scarcely rank above huts, being composed of timber frames filled with earth, and only one story high; while the habitations of the lower orders were formed by putting together branches of trees, and covering them with mats made of the pal metto. Even the king's palace, or citadel, was represented as only a collection of apartments on the ground floor, enclosed by a mud wail. This, in fact, is an exact descrip

tion of all the African cities, where lofty structures of solid stone, in which consists the magnificence of European capitals, are totally unknown. The queen, immensely fat, was rather splendidly dressed in blue nankeen (the fine cotton cloth of the country dyed with indigo) edged with gold lace, and was lavishly ornamented with necklaces and earrings of gold. The inhabitants, like most negroes, were good-humoured, extremely gay, somewhat dissolute, and passionately fond of dancing, in which they spent great part of the night. Yet they had furious quarrels, in deciding which they employed, with desperation, not the fist only, but even the teeth. Slaves, the commodity always most eagerly sought after by the Moors, were procured by those marauding expeditions which are the disgrace and scourge of Central Africa. The citizens were accustomed to set out monthly in parties of from one to five hundred, and usually returned with a large supply. Slavery is, moreover, the punishment for all offences of great magnitude, though it is not very frequently inflicted.

James Riley, supercargo of the American brig Commerce, sailing from Gibraltar to the Cape de Verd Islands, found himself suddenly involved in fog and tempest. On the 28th August, 1815, the vessel ran aground in the neighbourhood of Cape Bojador. The crew, on landing, were assailed by a small band of armed natives, whose appearance indicated the utmost degree of poverty and ferocity. They began forthwith an indiscriminate plunder, emptied trunks, boxes, and casks, cut open the beds, and amused themselves with seeing the feathers fly before the wind. The sailors, in the mean while, were endeavouring to patch up their long-boat as a means of escape, but were greatly mortified, on the approach of dawn, to observe from their shattered wreck, on which they had passed a melancholy night, a much more numerous band of these merciless savages. By perfidious gestures addressed to the captain, whom they had recognised as commander, they now induced Mr. Riley to land; upon which they put their daggers to his breast. He contrived, however, by stratagem, to make his escape to the long-boat which was attached to the ship, when the crew immediately pushed out to sea, resolved to brave all the dangers of that element. Accordingly they worked a little way along the shore, incessantly employed in baling their crazy bark; but

as the leaks increased, while provisions and water failed, Riley and his men came to the conclusion, that by remaining at sea they must perish, and on land they could do no more. They retouched the coast near Cape Barbas on the 8th September, but finding it to consist of perpendicular rocks, they walked four miles, and finally clambered up broken fragments, almost at the risk of life, ere they could reach the summit. But what a scene was there presented! Before them extended an immeasurable plain, without a shrub, plant, or a blade of grass; nothing that even for a moment could support human life. They fell to the ground, exclaiming, ""Tis enough!-here we must breathe our last!" From such utter despair even the horrors of African bondage appeared almost a deliverance. Towards evening a light was descried gleaming along the waste, indicating that they were in the neighbourhood of a band of these marauders. Having waited till morning they approached the camp, and prostrated themselves in a suppliant attitude. The Arabs uttered a furious yell, and immediately engaged in a violent contest for the living booty thus unexpectedly presented. This dispute ended in a division of the sailors among the barbarians, by whom the captives were hurried in different directions into the interior of the wilderness. The sufferings of Riley were so extreme as made him almost regret the life which he had saved, till he met Sidi Hamet, a respectable caravan-merchant, who, in bargaining for his person, showed much sympathy for his situation, and undertook to conduct him to Mogadore, provided he were made sure of a good ransom. The American

soon had the satisfaction of seeing two blankets, a cotton robe, and a bundle of ostrich feathers paid as the price of his liberty. He prevailed on the Mussulman also to purchase his companions; after which they set out together to cross the Desert with their master and deliverer. They had a very painful journey to perform, riding with the utmost rapidity on the naked backs of camels, over hills of loose sand, while the air was filled with tempests of drift. Food and water being moreover very scanty, they were reduced almost to the condition of skeletons, and Riley declares that Le did not ultimately weigh above ninety pounds. His mind also was oppressed with much anxiety, as Sidi Hamet, win all his humanity, gave notice from time to time, that,

should his expectations as to the ransom fail, he would cut all their throats. Having procured, therefore, a reed and some black liquid, Riley wrote a pathetic representation of his sufferings, addressed generally to the consuls or to any Christians who might happen to be resident at Mogadore. After eight days of dreadful suspense, a letter arrived. His emotion was too great to allow him to read it; but one of his companions found it to be from Mr. Willshire, the English consul, expressed in the most sympathizing terms, and with an assurance that the ransom would be provided. This was faithfully performed; and a hospitable reception at Mogadore soon restored Riley to health and to his former dimensions.

The most interesting part of the intelligence, however, obtained on this occasion, was that communicated to Riley by Sidi Hamet, concerning his own journeys and adventures. He had accompanied a caravan to Timbuctoo, and after much exertion and suffering had arrived at the banks of the Gozen Zair, which, running eastward through Soudan, falls into the Niger. He followed its current till he reached the capital just named, which, like Adams, he described as being entirely ruled and possessed by negroes; though a smaller town, separated by a strong wall, was assigned to the Moors, who were only allowed to enter the principal city by fifties at a time. He represents Timbuctoo, on the whole, as being larger and handsomer than it had appeared to his countryman. The shegar, or king, happened to send a caravan southward to the city of Wassanah, which Sidi Hamet resolved to accompany. A ride of two hours brought the travellers to the banks of the Zolibib (Joliba of Park, and our Niger). Its course for six days was nearly due east, when it turned to the south-east, and continued to flow in that direction during the remainder of their journey. At length, after travelling in all about sixty days, they arrived at Wassanah, which appeared to Sidi Hamet a city twice as large as Timbuctoo. The inhabitants were pagans, but honest, hospitable, and kindhearted. Oleebo, the king, lived in a large and lofty palace, had 150 wives, 10,000 slaves, and a very large army But the chief interest was excited by a report received from the king's brother, of expeditions which were sent down the river, consisting of numerous boats with large cargoes

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