Page 128 - Empires of Medieval West Africa

E p i l o g u e

From 1881 to 1898, Samori’s army fought against French forces that
were trying to conquer the Western Sudan. He had more than 30,000
soldiers, and many of them carried firearms. Thousands of muskets
(a type of long gun) were acquired from agents on the coast of Sierra
Leone. Samori also had entire villages of blacksmiths who manufac-
tured firearms, musket balls, and gunpowder.
As pressure from the French increased, Samori tried to move most
of the people of his empire farther to the east. It proved impossible to
feed so many people, though. By 1898, they were cornered and starv-
ing in the mountains of Liberia. Samori was forced to surrender to the
French, who sent him to live in Gabon. Two years later he died.

In TheIr Own wOrds

Women, Calabashes, and Gold Dust

the Europeans’ desire for african gold was and which is most likely to contain the
fueled by the writings of arab geographers gold. This small quantity is mixed with
and others, including scottish explorer mungo some pure water, and being moved about
in the calabash, is carefully examined.
park (1771–1806). this is his description of If a few particles of gold are picked out,
women panning for gold in one of the fields the contents of the other calabash are
that provided gold for kings of the medieval examined in the same manner . . . [she]
west african empires. is well contented if she can obtain three
or four grains from the contents of both
A portion of sand or clay . . . is put into a calabashes. Some women, however, by
large calabash, and mixed with a sufficient long practice, become so well acquainted
quantity of water. The woman . . . then with the nature of the sand, and the mode
shakes the calabash in such a manner of washing it, that they will collect gold
as to mix the sand and water together, where others cannot find a single particle.
and give the whole a rotary motion, at The gold dust is kept in quills, stopped
first gently, but afterwards more quick, up with cotton; and the washers are fond
until a small portion of sand and water, of displaying a number of these quills in
at every revolution, flies over the brim their hair. Generally speaking, if a person
of the calabash. . . . After the operation uses common diligence in a proper soil,
has been continued for some time, the it is supposed that as much gold may be
sand is allowed to subside, and the collected . . . in the course of the dry season
water poured off. . . . The woman now as is equal to the value of two slaves.
takes a second calabash, and shakes the
sand and water gently from the one to (source: miller, ronald, editor. The Travels of
the other, reserving that portion of sand Mungo Park. london: J. m. dent & sons ltd.,
which is next the bottom of the calabash, 1954.)

12