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Show PI.C:t'111'R:t OF .A!'RICA AT HOME, tll<'ir t:lSk of spinning cotton and lightened their labour \vith songs, one of lyhich \~as composed extempore, for r was myself the subjeCt of ~~·. I twas sung by one of the young women, the rest JOmmg m a sort of. chorus: the air was s\vcet and plaintive, and the words hternlly trans~ hted were these : "The winds roared and the rains fell 1 The poor while man, faint aml weary, Crune ami sat under our tree.- He has no mother to bring him milk; No wife to grind his corn. en onus. Let us pil1Jlhe white man; No mother has he to bring him milk, No wife tO grind his corn." •• Trifling as this recital may appear to the reader, to a person in my situation, the circumstance was aflCcting in the highest degree. I was oppressed with such unexpected kindness and sleep fled from my eyes. In the moming I presented my compassionate landlady with two of the four bras'i buttons which remained on my waistcoat, the only recompence I could make her. " July 21st. I continued in the village all the day in conversatiGn with the natives, who came in crowds to see me; but was rather uneasy that no message had arrived from the king; the more so as the people began to whis· per, that Mansong had received some accounts of me, from the Moors and Slatces, (free black slave merchants) residing at Sego. I leamt that many consultations had been held with the king, conceming my reception and disposal ; and some of the villagers frankly told me, that I had many enemies, and must expect no favour. "About eleven o'clock the next day, a mcssct1ger ar~ rived from the king, but gave me very little satisf:tction. He inquired particularly if I had brought any present, and seemed much di•appointed when he was told that I had been robbed of every thing by the Moors. "VVhcn ~ pro· posed to go along with him, he told me to stop unttl tho afternoon, \\'hen the king would send for me. PICl'UR·E OF AFRICA AT 110!.1.! . " In the afternoon of the following day, another mes• scnger arrived from Mansong, with a bag in his hands. He told me it was the king's pleasure that I should depart forthwith from the vicinage of Sego, but that Mansong wishing to relieve a white man in distress, had sent m~ five thousand kowries,* to enable me to purchase provi. sions in the course of my journey; the messenger added that if my intentions were really to proceed to .fenrn:, h~ had orders to accompany me as a guide to Sansanding." The Dutchess ~f Devonshire, a lady distiuguished both for her beauty and accOTJ•flislnne~tts, was so highly pleased wzth the above specunen qf Afncan poetry and kindness, that she made a versiou of it ·with her own pen, as follows, .and had it set to music by an eminent composer. " A NEGRO SONG, "FROM :lfR, PARK'S TRAVELS. I. " The loud wind roar'd, the rnin fell fa,sl ; The White Man yielded to the blast: He sat him down beneath our tree, For weary, faint, and sad was he ; And ah, no wife or mother's care, For him the milk or corn prepare : CHORUS. The 'Vhite Man shall ow pity share; Alas, no wife, or moU1er's care, For him the milk or corn prepare. II. The storm is o'er, the tempest past, And Mercy's voice has bush'd the blast ; The wind is heard in whispers low; The White Man far away must go;JJut ever in his heart will bear, Remembrance of the Negros' Care. CBOB.US. Go, White Man, go ;-but with thee bear The Negro's wish, the Negro's pray'r, Remembrance of the Negro's care." * A speciea of little ehella used in Africa as curreDClJ ill place of money. X |