LESSON ONE HUNDREDTH The Orphan's Retrospect. My father and mother are dead, I cast my eyes into the tomb, The sight made me bitterly cry; I cast my eyes round me again, I cast my eyes up to the sky, I groaned, though I said not a word; O yes and he graciously smiled, LESSON ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST. Two African Chiefs. The king of Foota Torra, inflamed with a zeal for propagating his religion, had sent an embassy to Damel, king of the Jaloffs. The ambassador, on the present occasion, was accompanied by two of the principal Bushreens, who carried each a large knife fixed on the top of a long pole. As soon as he had procured admission into the presence of Damel, and announced the pleasure of his sovereign, he ordered the Bushreens to present the emblems of his mission. The two knives were accordingly laid before Damel, and the ambassador explained himself as follows: "With this knife," said he, "Abdulkader will condescend to shave the head of Damel, if Damel will embrace the Mahomedan faith; and with this other knife, Abdulkader will cut the throat of Damel, if Damel refuses to embrace it;— take your choice." the Damel cooly told the ambassador that he had no choice to make; he neither chose to have his head shaved, nor his throat cut; and, with this answer, ambassador was civilly dismissed. Abdulkader took his measures accordingly, and, with a powerful army, invaded Damel's country. The inhabitants of the towns and villages filled up their wells, destroyed their provisions, carried off their effects, and abandoned their dwellings, as he approached. By this means, he was led on from place to place, until he had advanced three days' journey into the country of the Jaloffs. He had indeed met with no opposition, but his army had suffered so much from the scarcity of water, that several of his men had died by the way. This induced him to direct his march towards a watering place in the woods, where his men, having quenched their thirst, and being overcome with fatigue, lay down carelessly to sleep among the bushes. In this situation, they were attacked by Damel, before daybreak, and completely routed. Many of them were trampled to death, as they lay asleep, by the Jaloff horses; others were killed in attempting to make their escape; and a still greater number were taken prisoners. Among the latter, was Abdulkader himself. This ambitious, or rather frantic prince, who but a month before had sent the threatening message to Damel, was now himself led into his presence as a miserable captive. The behavior of Damel on this occasion, is never mentioned but in terms of the highest approbation; and it was, indeed, so extraordinary in an African prince, that the reader may find it difficult to give credit to the recital. When his royal prisoner was brought before him in irons, and thrown upon the ground, the magnanimous Damel, instead of setting his foot upon his neck, and stabbing him with his spear, according to the custom in such cases, addressed him as follows: "Abdulkader, answer me this question; if the chance of war had placed me in your situation, and you in mine, how would you have treated me?" "I would have thrust my spear into your heart," returned Abdulkader, with great firmness, "and know that a similar fate awaits me."-"Not so,' said Damel; "my spear is indeed red with the blood of your subjects killed in battle, and I could now give it a deeper stain, by dipping it in your own; but this would not build up my towns, nor bring to life the thousands who fell in the woods. I will not, therefore, kill you in cold blood, but I will retain you as my slave, until I perceive that your presence in your own kingdom will be no longer dangerous to your neighbors, and then I will consider of the proper way of disposing of you." Abdulkader was accordingly retained, and worked as a slave for three months; at the end of which period, Damel listened to the solicitations of the inhabitants of Foota Torra, and restored to them their king. Strange as this story may appear, I have no doubt of the truth of it. It was told me at Malacotta, by the Negroes; it was afterwards related to me by the Europeans on the Gambia; by some of the French at Goree; and confirmed by nine slaves, who were taken prisoners along with Abdulkader, by the watering place in the woods, and carried in the same ship with me to the West Indies. The distress which the inhabitants of Guinea experience at the loss of their children, which are stolen from them by the persons employed in the slave trade, is, perhaps, more thoroughly felt than described. But, as it is a subject to which every person has not attended, the following is an attempt to represent the anguish of a mother, whose son and daughter were taken from her by a ship's crew, belonging to a country where the God of justice and mercy, is owned and worshipped. "Help! O help! thou God of Christians! Cruel white men steal my children, God of Christians! hear my prayer. "From my arms by force they 're rended, Sailors drag them to the sea Yonder ship at anchor riding, "There my son lies, pale and bleeding, "See his little sister by him, Drops of blood her face besprinkle, "Now they tear her brother from her! Hear the little daughter begging: See, upon the shore she 's raving; "I am young, and strong, and hardy; "Christians, who's the God you worshi, "Ah! my poor distracted mother, Up his sails he quickly hoisted, " |