recovered, set out with a large _kafila_, bound to Kano in Soudan. Dr
Oudney, however, was in a very unfit state to travel, being almost in
the last stage of consumption. A few days after they had gone, a
_kafila_ arrived from the north, and with it came a young ensign of the
80th Regiment, Mr Toole, who had taken the place of Mr Tyrwhit,
detained on account of sickness. Major Denham was much pleased with his
appearance and manners--his countenance, indeed, being an irresistible
letter of introduction. He had made the long journey from Tripoli to
Bornou in three months and fourteen days, arriving with only the loss of
five camels. Denham's spirits revived with the society of so pleasant a
friend, and he determined to take the first opportunity of visiting the
Shary and Loggun. The sheikh willingly gave them permission, appointing
a handsome negro, Belial, to act as their guide and manager. He was
altogether a superior person, and was attended by six slaves. These,
with themselves and personal attendants, formed their party.
Their journey was commenced on the 23rd of January, 1824. After leaving
Angornou, they proceeded east, along the borders of the lake, to Angala,
where resided Miram, the divorced wife of the sheikh, El Kanemy, in a
fine house--her establishment exceeding sixty persons. She was a very
handsome, beautifully-formed negress about thirty-five, and had much of
the softness of manner so extremely prepossessing in the sheikh. She
received her visitors seated on an earthen throne covered with a Turkey
carpet, and surrounded by twenty of her favourite slaves, all dressed
alike in fine white shirts which reached to their feet; their necks,
ears, and noses thickly ornamented with coral. A negro dwarf, measuring
scarcely three feet, the keeper of her keys, sat before her,
richly-dressed in Soudan _tobes_.
The Shary was reached on the 23rd. The travellers were surprised at the
magnitude of the stream, which appeared to be fully half a mile in
width, running at the rate of two or three miles an hour towards the
Chad.
Remaining some days at the town of Showy on the banks of the river, they
embarked, accompanied by the _kaide_, or governor, and eight canoes
carrying ten slaves each. After a voyage of nearly eight hours, they
reached a spot thirty-five miles from Showy. The scenery was highly
interesting: one noble reach succeeded another, alternately varying
their courses; the banks thickly scattered with trees, rich in foliage,
hung over with creepers bearing variously-coloured and aromatic
blossoms. Several crocodiles were seen, which rolled into the stream
and disappeared as they approached.
After proceeding further down the river, they returned to Showy, and
then made another excursion up the stream.
With much grief Denham perceived symptoms of illness in his companion,
who, however, complained but little. While he was suffering they
reached a place which is so infested by flies and bees that the
inhabitants cannot move out of their houses during the day.
Their houses are literally formed one cell within another, five or six
in number, in order to prevent the ingress of the insects. One of their
party, who went out, returned with his eyes and head in such a state
that he was ill for three days.
Hence they moved on to Zarmawha, an independent sultan, who had twice
been in rebellion against the sheikh. Belial was received with scant
courtesy; but the sultan was very civil to the white men, to whom he
sent a variety of dishes of food, and was highly pleased with the
presents he received, observing that the English were a race of sultans.
Mr Toole's sufferings increased, though they managed to reach Loggun,
on the banks of the Shary. As they approached, a person, apparently of
consequence, advanced towards them, bending nearly double and joining
his hands, followed by his slaves, stooping still lower than himself.
He explained that he was deputed by the sultan to welcome the white men,
and, preceding their party, conducted them to a habitation which had
been prepared for them, consisting of four separate huts, well-built
within an outer wall, with a large entrance-hall for their servants.
Next morning Denham was sent for to appear before the sultan, when he
was preceded through the streets by ten immense negroes of high birth,
with grey beards, bare heads, and carrying large clubs. After passing
through several dark rooms, he was conducted to a large square court,
where some hundred persons were assembled, seated on the ground. In the
middle was a vacant space to which he was led, and desired to sit down.
Two slaves in striped cotton _tabes_, who were fanning the air through a
lattice work of cane, pointed out the retirement of the sultan. This
shade was removed, and something alive was discovered on a carpet,
wrapped up in silk _tobes_, with the head enveloped in shawls, and
nothing but the eyes visible. The whole court prostrated themselves and
poured sand on their heads, while eight _frum-frums_ and as many horns
blew a loud and very harsh-sounding salute.
This great man, however, was not above doing a stroke of business, for,
after enquiring whether the major wished to buy female slaves, he
observed: "If you do, go no further; I have some hundreds, and will sell
them to you as cheap as anyone."
Though a much handsomer race than the Bornouese, the Loggun people are
thieves, and, judging from their chiefs, great rascals. It appeared
that there were two sultans, father and son, both of whom applied to the
major for poison that would not lie, to be used against each other, the
younger one offering him three female slaves as a bribe.
The province of which Loggun is the capital, is called Begharmi. The
people are in many respects similar to the Bornouese, with whom they are
constantly at war. They possess a strong force of cavalry, clothed in
suits of thick quilted armour, with helmets of the same material, easily
penetrated however by bullets, though impervious to arrows. Their
horses are also covered in the manner of their riders. So unwieldy are
these warriors, that they require to be assisted when mounting their
steeds. Their weapons are long, double-headed spears, something like
pitchforks with flattened prongs.
Shortly after this a large body of them, five thousand strong, with two
hundred chiefs were defeated by the Bornouese, when all the chiefs and a
considerable number of the men were slain.
The Loggunese, however, have made considerable progress in the arts of
peace. The clothes woven by them are superior to those of Bornou, being
beautifully glazed, and finely dyed with indigo; and they make use even
of a current coin of iron, somewhat in the form of a horse-shoe, which
none of the neighbouring nations possess. Their country abounds in
grain and cattle, and is diversified with forests of acacias and other
beautiful trees.
As they proceeded on their journey, poor Mr Toole grew worse.
Escaping several dangers, they returned to Angala, where at first the
major hoped his poor friend might recover, but on the 26th of February a
cold shiver seized him, and just before noon he expired, completely
worn-out and exhausted. He had scarcely completed his 22nd year, and
was in every sense an amiable and promising young officer.
On Denham's return to Kouka, he found the sheikh with a large army
collected to attack the Begharmis, who were scouring the country. As,
however, he was suffering from fever, he went on to Kouka, where he
heard of the death of Dr Oudney at a place called Murmur. The sheikh's
expedition was successful, and the people were highly delighted with the
plunder which had been obtained.
Sickness, however, was at work in the city. Omar, an Arab, who had
arrived with Mr Toole, died, and Columbus caught the fever, and had to
take to his bed. The major, however, was cheered by the arrival of Mr
Tyrhwit, who had been sent out by the British Government to strengthen
the party. He brought a present of two swords, two brace of pistols, a
dagger, and two gold watches, which were received by El Kanemy with
great delight. On hearing that some rockets had also been forwarded, he
exclaimed: "What besides all these riches! There are no friends like
these; they are all true; and I see by the book that, if the prophet had
lived only a short time longer, they would have become Moslem."
On the termination of the Rhamadan, June 1st, the sheikh again took the
field, proceeding eastward along the shores of the Chad, against a
powerful Biddomah chief, called Amanook, who held a strong position on
some islands near the shores of the lake. The object of the expedition
had been kept a great secret till the neighbourhood of the country to be
attacked was reached. The army marched through the country of the
Shooas, a people who live entirely in tents of leather and huts of
rushes, changing but from necessity, on the approach of an enemy or want
of pasturage for their numerous flocks. They seldom fight, except in
their own defence. Their principal food is the milk of camels, in which
they are rich, and also that of cows and sheep; often they take no other
nourishment for months together. They have the greatest contempt for
and hatred of the negro nations, and yet are always tributary either to
one black sultan or another. There is no example of their ever having
peopled a town or established themselves in a permanent home.
The sheikh having halted the main body of his army, Barca Gana advanced
with a thousand men, being joined also by four hundred Dugganahs. They
found the chief, Amanook, posted, with all his cattle and people, on a
narrow pass between two lakes, having in front of him a lake which was
neither deep nor wide, but full of holes, with a deceitful, muddy
bottom.
The sheikh's troops had long been without food, and the sight of the
bleating flocks and lowing herds was too much for them. Barca Gana,
however, seeing the strength of the enemy's position, wished to halt,
and to send over spearmen on foot, with shields, who would lead the
attack. The younger chiefs however exclaimed: "What! be so near them as
this, and not eat them? No, let us on: this night their flocks and
women will be ours!" In this cry the Shooas also joined. The general
yielded, and the attack commenced. The Arabs led the way with the
Dugganahs. On arriving in the middle of the lake the horses sunk up to
their saddle-bows; most of them were out of their depth, and others
floundering in the mud; the ammunition of the riders became wet, their
guns useless. As they neared the shore, Amanook's men hurled at them
with unerring aim a volley of their light spears, charging with their
strongest and best horses, trained and accustomed to the water, while at
the same time another body, having crossed the lake higher up, came by
the narrow pass and cut off the retreat of all those who had advanced
into the lake. The sheikh's people now fell thickly. Barca Gana,
although attacking against his own judgment, was among the foremost, and
received a severe spear-wound in his back, which pierced through four
_tobes_ and his iron chain armour, while attacked by five chiefs, who
seemed determined on finishing him. One of these he thrust through with
his long spear, and his own people coming to his rescue with a fresh
horse, he was saved, though thirty of his followers were either killed
or captured by Amanook's people.
It was expected that Amanook would attack the camp, but, instead of so
doing, he sent word that he would treat with the sheikh, and that he
wished for peace. If peace was not to be obtained, however, he swore by
the Prophet that he would turn fish, and fly to the centre of the water;
and, should even the sheikh himself come, he would bring the _wady_
against him.
The major and his companions visited the general, whom they found
suffering much from his wound, but Denham acting as surgeon, it in a
short time healed. Barca Gana then strongly advised him to return to
Kouka, showing that his hopes of getting to the east would certainly be
disappointed.
A little sheikh, who had arrived from Fezzan, endeavoured to poison the
mind of El Kanemy against the English, telling him that they had
conquered India and probably fully intended to attack Bornou.
On the major's return to Kouka he found that Captain Clapperton had just
returned from Soudan. On going to the hut where he was lodged, Denham
did not know his friend as he lay extended on the floor, so great was
the alteration in him; and he was about to leave the place, when
Clapperton called out his name. Notwithstanding this, so great were
Clapperton's spirits, that he spoke of returning to Soudan after the
rains. He had performed a very interesting journey, the particulars of
which will shortly be narrated.
The sheikh had just before made himself very unpopular with the female
portion of his subjects, having, in consequence of his determination to
improve the morality of his people, issued an order such as the most
savage of despots have never ventured to enact. One morning the gates
of the city were kept closed at daylight, and sixty women who had a bad
reputation were brought before him. Five were sentenced to be hanged in
the public market, and four flogged. Two of the latter expired under
the lash, while the former were dragged, with their heads shaved,
through the market, with ropes round their necks, and were then
strangled and thrown by twos into a hole previously prepared.
The effect on the people was such that a hundred families quitted Kouka
to take up their abode in other towns, where this rigour did not exist.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
CLAPPERTON'S JOURNEY TO SOUDAN.
EXPEDITION OF CLAPPERTON AND OUDNEY TO SOUDAN--BEAUTY OF THE WOMEN--
CRUELTY OF THE ARABS--DR. OUDNEY PRESCRIBES FOR THE SICK--REACH
KATAGUM--SLAVES OFFERED AS PRESENTS--DEATH OF DR. OUDNEY--CLAPPERTON
ARRIVES AT KANO--CITY DESCRIBED--HAUSSA BOXERS--SACKATOO REACHED--
RECEPTION BY SULTAN BELLO--GREAT INTELLIGENCE OF THE SULTAN--WONDER AT
ENGLISH CUSTOMS--DESIRES THAT A CONSUL AND DOCTOR MAY BE SENT TO HIM--
CLAPPERTON LEAVES SACKATOO--SUFFERINGS FROM THIRST--DANGEROUS JOURNEY--
RETURNS TO KOUKA--VISIT TO LAKE CHAD--JOURNEY ACROSS THE DESERT TO
TRIPOLI.
It will be remembered that Captain Clapperton, accompanied by Dr
Oudney, set out from Kouka on the 14th of December, 1823, for the
purpose of exploring Soudan. Their party consisted of Jacob, a Jew, two
servants, and three men of Fezzan. They had three saddle-horses and
four sumpter mules. They travelled in company with a _kafila_ in which
were twenty-seven Arab merchants and about fifty natives of Bornou.
Most of the Arabs rode on horseback, some having, besides, a led horse,
but all the rest of the party were on foot.
Doctor Oudney was of great service to the _hadji_, who had injured his
hand by the bursting of a gun. He invariably pitched his tent close to
that of the doctor, who regularly dressed it for him.
Passing old Birnie, they had after two days to pass through an
undulating country, frequently wading across hollows filled with water.
Having to cross a river, the _hadji_ had provided himself with a large
raft, on which his own and his friends' baggage was carried across; but
the Arabs, who passed lower down the river, were dreadfully frightened.
The greatest difficulty was with the camels and female slaves, the women
screaming and squalling loudly. The camels were towed across, one man
swimming before with a halter in his teeth, while another kept beating
the animal behind with a stick, while it every now and then attempted to
turn back, or bobbed its head under water.
The next day they were exposed to another danger. The grass having been
set on fire, the flames advanced rapidly, and must have put them all to
flight, had they not sought shelter within the ruined walls of old
Birnie.
They passed through numerous towns and villages, the people belonging to
a tribe of Shooa Arabs. The women were really beautiful. They wore
their hair in a form which at a distance might be mistaken for a helmet,
a large braid at the crown having some resemblance to a crest.
They had now to pass through a country inhabited by Bedites, who had not
embraced Islamism. Protected by the natural fastnesses of their
country, they were held in dread and abhorrence by all the faithful.
The road lay over very elevated ground, and so low was the temperature
in the morning, that the water in their shallow vessels was crusted with
thin flakes of ice, and the water-skins themselves were frozen as hard
as a board. The horses and camels stood shivering with cold. Dr
Oudney also became extremely ill, probably from the low temperature.
They had just entered the country of the Bedites when two men were met,
who were immediately seized by the Arabs; one was a Shooa and the other
a negro. One of the Bornouese had inflicted a dreadful cut under the
left ear of the negro, and, notwithstanding his wound, they led the poor
fellow by a rope fastened round his neck. Clapperton could not refrain
from beating the merciless Bornouese and at the same time threatening to
lodge the contents of his gun in his head if he repeated his cruelties.
He took occasion to impress on the minds of the Arabs how unworthy it
was of brave men to behave so cruelly to their prisoners, and he
thoroughly shamed them into good behaviour.
Having crossed the river You, they reached the city of Katagum, when a
servant of the governor met them with a present, and, accompanied by a
band of horsemen with drummers drumming and two bards singing the
praises of their master, they entered the city. Here they remained,
while the caravan pursued its course.
This was the most eastern of the Felatah towns. They were here visited
by a Tripolitan merchant who was very rich, possessing no less than five
hundred slaves and a vast number of horses.
Through all the towns and villages which they had passed, the sick were
brought to be cured, while numbers came for remedies against all sorts
of fancied diseases.
The governor received them in the most simple way. They found him
seated under a rude canopy, on a low bank of earth, with three old men
attending on him. They shook hands and then sat down on the floor. He
was highly pleased with the presents he received, and offered anything
they might wish for, especially slaves. Clapperton told them that a
slave was unknown in England, and that the moment one set foot on
British ground he was instantly free. When he heard that their only
object was to see the world, he told them that they must go to the
Sultan Bello, who was a learned man and would, be glad to meet people
who had seen so much.
A lucky omen, as the natives supposed it, occurred. Among the presents
offered by the king was ajar of honey; this one of the servants upset
without breaking the pot. Had it been broken, the omen would have been
unfortunate; as it was, the governor was highly pleased, and ordered the
poor to be called in to lick up the honey. They rushed in, squabbling
among themselves. One old man, having a long beard, came off with a
double allowance, for he let it sweep up the honey and then sucked it
clean.
Dr Oudney soon after this became too weak to sit his horse, but still
he begged to be carried on. They therefore travelled forward to the
town of Murmur. Here they were compelled to stop, though the doctor the
next morning, after drinking a cup of coffee, with the assistance of his
companions dressed. It was soon evident that he would be unable to
proceed. He was carried back into his tent, where in a short time
Captain Clapperton, with unspeakable grief, witnessed his death without
a struggle or a groan. He was but thirty-two years of age. His friend
had a deep grave dug, and enclosed it with a wall of clay to keep off
the beasts of prey. He had also two sheep killed and distributed among
the poor.
Ill as Captain Clapperton himself was, and now left alone among strange
people, the loss to him was severe and afflicting. Still, his ardent
spirit triumphing over sorrow and trouble, he pursued his journey, and
on the 20th of January he entered Kano, the great emporium of the
kingdom of Haussa. He dressed himself in his naval uniform to make an
impression on the inhabitants of the city, which, from the description
of the Arabs, he expected to see of surprising grandeur. His
disappointment was therefore great, when he traversed the place. He
found the houses nearly a quarter of a mile from the walls, and in many
parts scattered into detached groups between large stagnant pools of
water. Not an individual turned his head round to gaze at him, all
being intent on their own business. The market-place was bordered to
the east and west by an extensive swamp, covered with weeds and water
and frequented by wild ducks, cranes, and vultures. The house which had
been provided for him was close to a morass, the pestilential
exhalations of which were increased by the sewers of the houses all
opening into the street.
Fatigued and sick, he lay down on a mat which the owner had spread for
him. His mansion had six chambers above, extremely dark, and five rooms
below, with a dismal-looking entrance, a back court, draw-well, and
other conveniences. Little holes, or windows, admitted a glimmering
light into the apartments. Nevertheless, this was thought a handsome
mansion.
All the Arab merchants, not prevented by sickness, who had travelled
with him from Kouka, came to see him, looking more like ghosts than men,
as almost all strangers at the time were suffering from intermittent
fever.
The governor gave him a private audience, and seemed highly pleased with
the presents he received, promising to forward them on to his master,
the Sultan Bello, at Sackatoo, after his own return from an expedition
which would occupy him fifteen days.
During the interval Captain Clapperton suffered greatly from fever.
The newspapers which he here received from Major Denham apprised him of
Belzoni's attempt to penetrate to Timbuctoo by the way of Fez.
On returning from a ride he met two large bodies of troops, who were to
accompany the governor, each consisting of five hundred horse and foot.
The latter were armed with bows and arrows, the cavalry with shields,
swords, and spears, and sumptuously accoutred. The swords were broad,
straight, and long, and were indeed the very blades formerly wielded by
the knights of Malta, having been sent from that island to Tripoli,
where they were exchanged for bullocks and carried across the desert to
Bornou, thence to Haussa, and, at last, re-mounted at Kano for the use
of the inhabitants of almost all central Africa. The shields were
covered with hides of animals, and were generally round; but there were
some of an oval shape, in the centre of which was scored a perfect
Maltese cross. He observed crosses of other forms cut in the doors of
the houses.
Several camels, loaded with quilted cotton armour, both for men and
horses, were in attendance. This armour was arrow proof; but it is
seldom worn, except in actual combat. The saddles had high peaks before
and behind, and the stirrup-irons were in the shape of a fire-shovel.
A nephew of the Sultan Bello paid him a visit the next morning and told
him, after taking a cup of tea, which he liked very much, that he had
hitherto looked upon a Christian as little better than a monster, though
he now confessed that he liked the traveller. Another nephew came also,
a most intelligent young man, who read and spoke Arabic with fluency,
and was very anxious to see everything, and to hear all about England.
He found the market well supplied with every necessary and luxury in
request among the people of the interior. The sheikh, who superintended
it, however, fixed the prices of all wares, for which he was entitled to
a commission; and, after every bargain, the seller returned to the buyer
a stated part of the price by way of a blessing, or a "luck-penny" as it
would be called in England. Cowries were here used as coins, though
somewhat cumbersome, as twenty were worth only a halfpenny; thus, in
paying a pound sterling, nine thousand six hundred shells had to be
counted out. As he remarks: "The great advantage of the use of the
cowrie is that forgery is excluded, as it cannot possibly be imitated."
The natives show also great dexterity in counting out even the largest
sums.