Note 22 — Chapter I

Mr. Hutchison writes, that from Inta to Jennë is said to be 41 journies. This Gentleman, the Resident at Coomassie, merely accompanied the Mission to act in that capacity in case the object could be accomplished, and was not instructed to report: the officer conducting the Mission being responsible to the extent of his industry, and the opportunities, for the various desiderata, excepting the Botanical and Medical, which were expected from the Surgeon, Mr. Tedlie. Mr. Hutchison’s time was much employed in making duplicates and copies of the frequent and voluminous dispatches to head quarters. The Moors disliking even a second European to be present at their geographical communications, Mr. Hutchison, through his obliging disposition, which accommodated itself to every thing auxiliary to the pursuits of the Mission, rendered me a great service, and quieted the uneasiness of the Moors by keeping watch, and diverting the various Ashantee visitors who would have intruded, with great patience and address. There was no time even for a communication of the data I had collected before the Mission left Coomassie, for we may be said to have lived in public the latter part of the four months, and Mr. Hutchison’s genius inclining more to the cultivation of the Ashantee and Arabic languages, which I had no doubt would yield to his great industry, I did not intrude less congenial pursuits on his attention, (the desiderata having been amply realized,) but merely requested he would let me know what any intelligent Moor, arriving after my departure, might say of the Interior, and, if possible, procure a chart from him, especially if he was not a native of Houssa or Bornoo, which two of the Moors who had drawn for me were. After I had finished my Geographical Report, Mr. Hutchison sent, with some other interesting particulars, added as notes with his initials, a chart drawn by a Jennë Moor just arrived, confirming all I had collected in the most satisfactory manner. The names of the countries from the source of the Niger to Egypt were written in Arabic, with Mr. Hutchison’s expression of the pronunciation in English opposite. I particularly recollect that his ear differed somewhat from mine, which accounts for the trifling differences in our spelling. I shewed Mr. Hutchison my charts as curiosities, but he took no minutes of the names, uninteresting from his never having had an opportunity of reading Major Rennell’s Dissertations, which would alone make them so to any one. He gives a better proof of this, than my own impression, by the following extract from his letter to me, accompanying the chart: “The Bornoo you used to talk about, you will find the same as the lake Chaudi, or Al Bahare Noohoo, or else you know a country I I do not recollect hearing of;” but, in the postscript, he writes, “On looking over my memoranda, I find Bornoo is the principal monarchy the Arabs alone stand in awe of, and one of the four kingdoms best known on the Quolla.” Mr. Hutchison unconsciously confirming what I had learned, is even more satisfactory than if I had left him any basis for his enquiries; indeed, his own object, the acquirement of the language, was too important to be interrupted unnecessarily. Before I attach any quotation from this Gentleman’s letters, I must acknowledge the assistance I had previously derived from his spirited zeal as an officer, as well as that which has since resulted from his interest in intellectual pursuits.