Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-10-26
Prom the Boston u. advertiser.

lurgh Review contains very eli'et,aiiir
az article on the Narrative OF Rooef
Adams, an American sailor, who was de.
famed as a slave, for several years IN tne
interior of Africa. He sailed from a
nerica in June, 1910, in the ship Chafles
ana proceeding on a trading voyage fa|
Tie coast ot.AfTica, was silipwrecked neat
Isape Blanco, 400 miles to the nortnwars
&C Senegal. The whole crew were tllese
made prisoners BY a tribe ei Moors, =
hort time afterwards Adams, with q
Portuguese. named Stevens, while On al
Shaving expedition was captured WITT
his masters, BY a large psrty Of negroes,
and sent as prisoners to Tombuctoo, 'o1
he sold. Heremained atthis place six
months, and the most important part o.
his narrative relates to this celebrated
city. The size, population, wealth, apd
civilization of this city have been, acco, q
ING to Adapls's account, extrayaSailtlA
exaggerated. 1t islapge IN extent, but
the houses are much scattered. The
King and Queen, Woola andFatfma. are
aid with grey hair, and the latter exces-
is,iively fat. and dressed in blue nankin.
The palace is OF mud, ans excessively
mean. The largest vessel are canoes
ten feet long. The soil is easily cultl
gated. and only with hoe. The prln-
cipal food is Guinea corn, ground be
tween two stones, boiled ard eaten with
goats milk. Noknlves. spoons, or oth
er utensils are used at their meals. They
have nooutward appearances OF religion.
no house of worship; no priests. hey
have no shops the goods imported re-
main in the kings palace until sold. A.
dams thinks that ne white man had ever
been at TombuctooS before him. from the
information he received, and from the
curiosity that his Colour excited.
After about six months they were ran
sorned by party Of Morrs, and afler a
distressing journey over the desert, and
a variety of interesting adventures, ar
rived at Wadinaon, where Adams was
detained as slave for long time, and
maltreatsd. Atlength he was
ransomed by Mr, Dupuis, the British
Vice.Consul at Magadore. From Ma
galore he proceeded 10 Fee, and thence,
under the care of the American Consul.
to Cadiz. where he arrived May IL,
1914 Afterremaining more than yeai
at Cadiz, he procevded to Gibraltar. III
pursuit Of passage 10 his native conn-
ts.y, but being disappointed. he worked
his passage to London. lie remained
there short time IN extreme poverty and
misery. Being accidentiy discover b.
some gentlemen, who had heard some
thing Of his adventures, he was. carried
to the Office Of the African committee.
He afterwards underwent various
examinations, although very reluctant 20
delay his embarsation for America, by a
number of gentlemen, from the result Of
which examinations the narrative is com
piled. A variety Of circumstances are
related, as tests of the credibiIity of A.
dams, all of which are so decidedly con-
elusive in his favour. that there is very
little reason to doubt his veracity. or the
general accuracy of his narrative.
The following is an extract from the
part of the narrative which describes the
Journey OF 90 days across the Desert,
from udenog TO We'd Duleim, during
wkich, they did not meet with human
being. or see tree or shrub, or even a
blade Of grass. They suffered greatly
from fond and water. the season being un-
commonly dry, AID the usual watering
places failing.
{" The Moors who had been in confine-
ment at Tombnctoo. becoming every day
weaker, three Of them il the four fellow
ing days lay down, unable TO proceed.
They were then placed upon the camels !;
but continual exposure to the excessive
heat of the sun. and the uneasy motion Of
The camels, seon rendered them unable
to support themselves, and towards the
end of the second day they made another
attempt to pursue their journey on foot
but could not. The next morning at day.
break they we're found dead on the sand,
in the place where they lad lain down at
night, and were left behind witaopt being
butied, The next day another Of them
lay down and like his late unfortunate
companions, was left TO perish. But on
the following day, one of the Moors de-
termined to remain behind, in the hope
that he who had dropped the day before,
might still come up, and be able to follow
the party. Some provisions were left for
him. At this timeit was expected, what
proved to be the fact, that they were
within days march Of their town, but
neither of the men ever afterwards made
his appearance, and Adams has no doubt
Al = ~ ~ :, r., h,J -