MY RECEPTION IN YÓLA.—SHORT STAY.—DISMISSAL.
At length I had reached the capital of Ádamáwa, having had altogether a
very lucky and successful journey; but now all depended upon the manner
in which I should be received in this place: for although it was quite
enough to have successfully penetrated so far, after having discovered
and crossed the upper course of that large river, about the identity of
which with the Chadda there could be little doubt, I entertained the
hope that I might be allowed to penetrate further south, and investigate
at least part of the basin of the river. I had heard so much about the
fertile character of those regions, that I was intensely desirous to see
something of them.
It was an unfavourable circumstance that we arrived on a Friday, and just
during the heat of the day. The streets were almost deserted; and no
person met us in order to impart to us, by a friendly welcome, a feeling
of cheerfulness and confidence.
Yóla is a large open place, consisting, with a few exceptions, of conical
huts surrounded by spacious courtyards, and even by cornfields, the
houses of the governor and those of his brothers being alone built of
clay. Keeping along the principal street, we continued our march for a
mile and a quarter before we reached the house of the governor, which
lies on the west side of a small open area, opposite the mosque, a flat
oblong, building, or rather hall, enclosed with clay walls, and covered
with a flat thatched roof a little inclined on one side. Having reached
this place, my companions fired a salute, which, considering the nature
of Bíllama’s mission, and the peculiar character of the governor, which
this officer ought to have known, and perhaps also since it happened to
be Friday, was not very judicious.
Be this as it may, the courtiers or attendants of the governor, attracted
by the firing, came out one after another, and informed us that their
master must go to the mosque to say his midday prayers[67] before he
could attend to us or assign us quarters. We therefore dismounted and sat
down in the scanty shade of a jéja or caoutchouc-tree, which adorns the
place between the palace and the mosque, while a great number of people,
amounting to several hundreds, gradually collected, all eager to salute
me and shake hands with me. Fortunately, it was not long before Láwl came
out of his palace and went into the mosque; and then I obtained a few
moments’ respite, the people all following him, with the exception of the
young ones, who very luckily found the camels a worthier object of their
curiosity than me. It had been my intention to salute the governor when
he was crossing the place, but I was advised not to do so, as it might
interfere with his devotional feelings.
The prayer was short; and when it was over I was surrounded by much
larger numbers than before, and, being fatigued and hungry, I felt
greatly annoyed by the endless saluting and shaking of hands. At length
we were ordered to take up our quarters in the house of Ardo Ghámmawa,
a brother of our fellow-traveller Íbrahíma; but this being close to the
east end of the town, we were not much pleased with the arrangement, as
it not only obliged us for the moment to return the whole way we had
come, but also for the future deprived us of an unreserved and friendly
intercourse with the governor. This was not calculated to inspire us with
confidence as to the success of our proceedings.
It was past two o’clock in the afternoon when at length I reached my
quarters and took possession of a large, well-ventilated, and neat
“záure,” or hall, the walls of which were all painted. In the inner
courtyard there was also a very neat and snug little hut, but that was
all, and we had great trouble in obtaining quarters for Bú-Sʿad and the
Mʿallem in some of the neighbouring courtyards. I felt rather fatigued
and not quite at my ease, and therefore could not much enjoy a dish of an
extremely good pudding of bairi or sorghum, with excellent clear butter,
and a large bowl of milk; but nevertheless, although a storm, accompanied
with much rain, broke out in the evening and rendered the air rather
humid, I remained the whole night where I was, instead of retiring into
the well-protected though rather sultry hut.
_Saturday, June 21._—In the morning I selected my presents for the
governor, the principal part of which consisted of a very handsome red
cloth bernús, which we had found among the things left by the late Mr.
Richardson; but when we were ready to go we received the information
that Láwl was in his fields, and that we could not see him. Meanwhile
I received a visit from an Arab from the far-distant west, with whom I
had made acquaintance in Kúkawa, and who had given me some very valuable
information. It was el Mukhtár, of the tribe of the Idésan in Bághena,
who had previously paid a visit to Ádamáwa, and was well acquainted with
the country. It is always very pleasant for a traveller to meet another
roving spirit somewhere again, particularly in a country like Central
Africa. Having acknowledged his visit by the gift of a knife and a little
frankincense, I presented our host, the Ardo Ghámmawa, with a fine “ríga
gíwa” (an “elephant-shirt”)—that is to say, one of those enormous wide
black shirts made only in Núpe, and which was one of the few articles
which I had been able to provide in Kanó for the furtherance of my
plans. The family of the Ardo had formerly been settled in Ghámmawa, in
the south-western province of Bórnu, but, when the Fúlbe were driven
back from that country, emigrated and settled here. But this man still
bears the title “Ardo Ghámmawa”—“the mayor of (the Fúlbe community of)
Ghámmawa.”
Having been told that the governor had returned to his palace, we mounted
on horseback about ten o’clock, and, preceded by the Ardo Ghámmawa,
returned the long way to the lamórde or palace; but after waiting on
the damp ground, exposed to the sun for more than an hour, we were told
that we could not see him, and were obliged to return with our present.
I was greatly vexed, and felt, in consequence, my fever increasing,
especially as another very heavy storm broke out in the afternoon, when
the air became quite chilly. However, I was somewhat cheered by making
acquaintance in the afternoon with an Arab from Mokha, of the name of
Mohammed ben Áhmed, who styled himself sheríf, most probably rather
pleonastically; but, apart from such pretension, he was an amiable and
most interesting man, who had travelled for many years over the whole
eastern coast of the continent between Mombása and Sofála. He was the
first to satisfy my curiosity with a description of the celebrated Lake
Nyassa as an eyewitness. He had even visited Bombay and Madras.
_Sunday, June 22._—In consequence of the information received from Ardo
Ghámmawa that to-day we were certainly to see the governor, we got ready
at an early hour, taking with us also a present for his brother Mansúr,
who had made himself expressly a candidate for a present, by sending me,
the day before, a small pot of honey. While we were passing his house,
he was coming out to pay his respects to his brother. We made a short
halt and exchanged compliments with him; and when, on reaching the area
before the governor’s house, we had dismounted and were sitting down in
the shade of the tree, he walked most benignly and frankly up, and sat
down in front of me. We then entered the palace; and having waited a
short time in the segífa or záure, which here was formed by a spacious
flat-roofed room supported by massive square pillars, we were called into
the presence of the governor.
[Illustration]
Mohammed Láwl, son of Mʿallem Ádama, was sitting in a separate hall,
built of clay, and forming, for this country, quite a noble mansion.
From without especially, it has a stately, castle-like appearance, while
inside, the hall was rather encroached upon by quadrangular pillars two
feet in diameter, which supported the roof, about sixteen feet high, and
consisting of a rather heavy entablature of poles in order to withstand
the violence of the rains. The governor was very simply dressed, and had
nothing remarkable in his appearance, while his face, which was half
covered by a somewhat dirty shawl, had an indifferent expression. Besides
him there were none present but Mansúr and a mʿallem.
Having, as the first European that had ever visited his country with
the distinct purpose to enter into friendly relations with him, paid
him my respects on behalf of my countrymen, I delivered my letter of
introduction from Sheikh ʿOmár, who in a few but well-chosen lines
introduced me to him as a learned and pious Christian, who wandered
about to admire the works of the Almighty Creator, and on this account
cherished an ardent desire to visit also Adamáwa, of the wonders of which
I had heard so much. Láwl read it, and, evidently not quite displeased
with its contents, although he took umbrage at some of the expressions,
handed it silently over to the mʿallem and Mansúr. Hereupon Bíllama
delivered his letters, of which not only the contents, but even the very
existence had been totally unknown to me. They were three in number, one
from the sheikh himself, one from Malá Ibrám, the former possessor of the
southern province of Bórnu, and one from Kashélla ʿAli Déndal, or Ladán,
the officer who by his late predatory incursion had given grounds for
complaint.
As soon as these various letters were read, all of which laid claim,
on the side of Bórnu, to the territory of Kófa and Kóbchi, a storm
arose, and in a fit of wrath Láwl reproached my companion with daring to
come forward with such pretensions—he, who was himself well acquainted
with the country and with the point in dispute. If Sheikh ʿOmár wished
for discord, well: he was ready; and they would harass each other’s
frontier-provinces by reciprocal incursions. Having given vent to his
feelings towards Bíllama, his anger turned upon me; and he told me to
my face that I had quite different reasons for coming into his country
from those stated in Sheikh ʿOmár’s letter; referring to some ambiguous
words in Malá Ibrám’s writing in which that officer stated “that, with
regard to me, the objects of my journey to Ádamáwa were a perfect secret
to him.” Now I must confess, after all my acquaintance with the politics
of these people, and notwithstanding all Háj Beshír’s kindness and
benevolence towards me, that I think the Bórnu diplomatists quite capable
of a little double dealing; that is to say, I suspect that they were
willing to make use of me to frighten the governor of Ádamáwa. Perhaps
also they were afraid lest, if I should succeed in Ádamáwa, I might not
return to their country. I shall have to mention similar circumstances
on my journey to Bagírmi. Viewing matters in this light, I wrote from
Kúkawa, requesting Her Majesty’s Government to inform the Sheikh of Bórnu
that it was their distinct desire that we should penetrate onwards,
and that he would confer an obligation upon them by facilitating the
execution of our plans.
Be this as it may, after a long dispute with regard to the boundaries,
in which my friend from Mokha, and a learned native of Wadáy, Móde ʿAbd
Alláhi, who was employed by Láwl as a sort of secretary of state for
foreign affairs, took part, I, with my party, was ordered to withdraw
for a time. After sitting for full two hours on the damp ground outside,
we received an intimation that we might return home. Thus I had to
return with my presents a second time to my quarters; and of course I was
greatly vexed. However, several people who saw my emotion endeavoured
to console me; and Mansúr, who before we left came out of his brother’s
audience-hall, entered into conversation with me, and assured me that
this unkind treatment in no way related to me, but that it was only
intended for Bíllama, the officer of Bórnu. There was present also the
very amiable mʿallem whom I had met in Saráwu Fulfúlde, and who had
come after us; and I felt sorry that I was not disposed to answer his
well-meant discourse in the manner it deserved.
When we reached Mansúr’s house he invited us to dismount, and entering
the interior of his wide and neat dwelling we had a long and animated
conversation, when I explained to him in a deliberate manner that such
treatment did not offend me on my own account, but on account of the
Government—the very first and most powerful in the world—which had sent
me; that instead of coming with hostile intentions, as was imputed to
me, I had come with the friendly design of paying my respects to the
governor on behalf of the British sovereign, and to present him with a
few specimens of our products and manufactures; that I had, no doubt,
at the same time an intense desire to see their country, as it was the
avowed purpose of Europeans in general, and of the English in particular,
to become acquainted, and to open intercourse, with all parts of God’s
creation.
Mansúr explained to me, in return, that they well knew that I had not
come to make war upon them, although Láwl, in the first fit of his anger,
scarcely seemed to suspect anything less than that, “but that they were
vexed because I had come to them under the protection of the Bórnu
people, their enemies.” A letter from the Sultan of Stambúl, or even from
my own sovereign, would have recommended me much more advantageously.
The sheikh had expressly designated me as one recommended and protected
by the Porte, and Bú-Sʿad had mentioned, with a slight disregard of the
real facts, that through inadvertence only I had left both letters, as
well that from the Sultan of Stambúl, as from the English sovereign, in
Kúkawa. Now I certainly had with me a treaty written in Arabic, such
as it was desirable that the governor of Ádamáwa should subscribe; but
to produce this under existing circumstances would have been absurd,
especially as it did not emanate directly from the Government, and was
not authenticated, either by seal or in any other way, and I thought it
better not to mention it. It was no bad policy on the part of Bú-Sʿad to
represent me as sent on a special mission by the British Government to
the Fúlbe princes, and as obliged only by the death of my companion to
deviate from my intended course, in order to supply his place in Kúkawa.
Meanwhile it was past midday; and after a stormy night the sun shone
forth with overpowering force, while we sat all the while in an open
courtyard without the least protection. On reaching my quarters, I was
so exhausted and ill that I thought I could do nothing better than take
without delay a powerful emetic, after which I felt much better, but
rather weak. Having somewhat restored my spirits by a conversation with
Mohammed ben Áhmed, I retired into the close hut, and had a sound sleep.
Monday having passed quietly, with the exception of a great many people
calling for “laiya” or charms, and for medicines, Tuesday the 24th
arrived, when it was my destiny to leave this country, which I had but
just entered, and to retrace my steps over the long and infested road
which I had lately travelled.
I felt tolerably well in the morning, but afterwards became very ill,
and unfortunately took too weak a dose of medicine. In this state I had
a visit from two very handsome and amiable young Fúlbe, and in my rather
morose mood refused their urgent request, made in the most simple and
confidential way, to say the “fat-ha,” or the opening prayer of the
Kurán, with them. I have always regretted my refusal, as it estranged
from me a great many people; and although many Christians will object to
repeat the prayer of another creed, yet the use of a prayer of so general
an import as the introductory chapter to the Kurán ought to be permitted
to every solitary traveller in these regions, in order to form a sort of
conciliatory link between him and the natives.
After some other visitors had come and gone, I received, about ten
o’clock, a formal visit from Móde ʿAbdalláhi, the foreign secretary, and
my friend from Mokha, in the name of the governor. Having moistened their
organs with a cup of coffee, they acquitted themselves of their message
in the following terms: “The sultan”—all these provincial governors bear
the title of sultan—“had ordered them,” they said, “to beg me to accept
his most respectful regards, and to inform me that he was nothing but
a slave of the sultan of Sókoto, and that I was a far greater man than
himself. As such a man had never before come to his country, he was
afraid of his liege lord, and begged me to retrace my steps whither I had
come; but if in course of time I should return with a letter from Sókoto,
he would receive me with open arms, would converse with me about all our
science, and about our instruments, without reserve, and would show me
the whole country.”
To this message, which was certainly couched in very modest and
insinuating terms, I answered that Mohammed Láwl, so far from being a
slave of the sultan of Sókoto, was renowned far and wide as the almost
independent governor of a large province; that the fame of his father
Ádama, as a nobly born, learned Púllo, extended far and wide throughout
Tekrúr, or Negroland, and had even reached our own country; that it
was absurd to argue that I was greater than himself, and that on this
account he could not receive me on his own responsibility, but was
obliged to refer my suit to his liege lord in Sókoto. I brought forward
the examples of Kátsena and Kanó, especially the latter place, in which,
though it was the seat of a governor dependent on the Emír el Múmenín,
in the same way as the governor of Ádamáwa, I had long resided, without
any representations being made to the sovereign lord. “Oh! but the
relations of Kátsena and Kanó,” said the messengers of the governor, “are
entirely different from those of this province. These are large and busy
thoroughfares for all the world, while Ádamáwa is a distant territory
in the remotest corner of the earth, and still a fresh unconsolidated
conquest.” There was certainly some truth in this last remark; and
whatever I might say to the contrary, the question was decided, and all
reasoning was vain.
The two messengers having gone through their business in this way,
informed me that they were only the forerunners of the real messenger,
Mansúr, the brother of the governor. This was very pleasant news to
me; and although, after this shock of disappointment, I felt extremely
ill and weak, I rose from my couch, and went to receive Mansúr when he
arrived at the door of the hut. He then officially, and in a very feeling
manner, confirmed all that Móde ʿAbdalláhi and the sheríf Mohammed had
said, and expressed his deep regret that I was not allowed to stay. When
he was going, I handed to his servants the little present destined for
him, which consisted of twenty-five drʿa of striped Manchester, a pair of
English razors, scissors, a looking-glass, a parcel of cloves, a little
jáwi, or benzoin, and a small piece of camphor.
Mansúr had been gone a little while when I received information that
the governor had sent me a horse and two slaves as a present, with the
intimation that I might likewise let him have the present which I had
brought with me for him. But this I refused to do, declaring that I could
not, under the present circumstances, either accept from him or give him
anything, not having come as a merchant, to barter with him, but as the
messenger of another powerful sovereign, to treat with him on friendly
terms. My servant, Bú-Sʿad, who, in the covetousness of his heart,
already fancied himself in the possession of the two slaves, whom he
knew well I myself could not accept, but whom he thought I would give up
to him, went so far as to declare that, as the present had come from my
sovereign, I had no alternative but to bestow it. But seeing that I was
firm, the messengers went away, and soon after a horseman arrived with
the order for me to leave the town instantly.
Meanwhile, during all this negotiation and dispute, I had become
extremely weak, and the excitement had brought on a very severe fit
of fever. Indeed, I scarcely thought that I should be able to sit on
horseback, and to bear the sun, it being then just noon, and the sun
shining forth with great power. Nevertheless I got my things ready; but
having left my quarters a little too soon, and being obliged to wait
some time for the other people, I became so weak that I could no longer
keep on my feet, but lay down on the ground till my companions arrived.
Sitting then firmly in my large Arab stirrups, and holding on to the
pommel, I proceeded; and though I fainted twice, I soon regained some
strength, a slight breeze having arisen, which greatly mitigated the
burning heat.
Numbers of people accompanied me, expressing their grief and sorrow at my
abrupt departure. By my refusing to write laiya, or to say the fat-ha, I
had estranged many a friendly disposed native, and by my obstinacy I had
incurred the displeasure of their master; yet many of the people openly
disapproved of his conduct towards me.
An immense quantity of rain having fallen during my stay here, the
country appeared to me much more beautiful now than when we came, and
full of fine cattle; and I felt so refreshed that I considered myself
able to go as far as Ribágo, a ride of six hours, at a slow rate.
Bíllama behaved exceedingly well; for when my treacherous servant
Bú-Sʿad, who was afraid lest Mohammed Láwl should wreak his anger upon
me on the road, intimated to him that, “if anything of that sort should
happen, they of course were Moslemín”—thus indicating that they could not
defend me against those of their own creed, but should leave me to my
fate,—he indignantly left his company, and rode up to me. Thus, without
any accident, except that all my luggage was once more wetted through
while passing the deep water of the Máyo Bínti, we reached the friendly
village, where without ceremony I took up my quarters in the well-known
courtyard of our former host. But, before proceeding further on my
journey back, I must try to make the reader better acquainted with the
country, though the abrupt way in which I was obliged to leave it allows
me only, in most cases, to speak from the information of the natives.
Yóla is the capital of an extensive province, called by foreigners
generally, and by the conquering Fúlbe in diplomatic language, Ádamáwa,
but the real name of which is Fúmbiná. Indeed Ádamáwa is quite a new name
given to the country (exactly as I stated in my report sent to Europe
some years ago) in honour of Mʿallem Ádama, the father of the present
governor, who succeeded in founding here a new Mohammedan empire on the
ruins of several smaller pagan kingdoms, the most considerable of which
was that of Kókomi. Whether what the people used to say be true, that the
name of the wife of this officer was Ádama too, I am not able positively
to decide.[68]
Yóla is quite a new settlement, called by this name after the princely
quarter of the town of Kanó,—the former capital, of which Denham’s
expedition heard some faint report, being Gúrin. Yóla is situated in
a swampy plain, and is bordered on the north side by an inlet of the
river, the inundation of which reaches close to that quarter where I
was living. The town is certainly not less than three miles long from
east to west. It seems probable that there are different names for the
different quarters; but my stay was too short to allow me to learn them.
The courtyards are large and spacious, but often contain only a single
hut, the whole area being sown with grain during the rainy season. All
the huts are built with clay walls, on account of the violence of the
rains, and are tolerably high. Only the governor and his elder brothers
possess large establishments, with dwellings built entirely of clay.
Notwithstanding its size, the place can hardly contain more than twelve
thousand inhabitants.
It has no industry; and the market, at least during the time of my stay
there, was most insignificant and miserably supplied; but certainly
during the season of field labours, as I have already had occasion to
observe, all the markets in Negroland are less important than at other
times of the year. The most common objects in the market, which find
ready sale, are túrkedí, beads, and salt,[69] while other articles,
such as striped Manchester, calico, cloth bernúses, are generally sold
privately to the wealthier people. The only articles of export at present
are slaves and ivory. Four good túrkedí, bought in Kanó for 1800 or 2000
kurdí each, will generally purchase a slave; and a túrkedí will often buy
an elephant’s tusk of tolerable size.
Slavery exists on an immense scale in this country; and there are many
private individuals who have more than a thousand slaves. In this
respect the governor of the whole province is not the most powerful
man, being outstripped by the governors of Chámba and Kóncha—for this
reason, that Mohammed Láwl has all his slaves settled in rúmde or
slave-villages, where they cultivate grain for his use or profit, while
the above-mentioned officers, who obtain all their provision in corn
from subjected pagan tribes, have their whole host of slaves constantly
at their disposal; and I have been assured that some of the head slaves
of these men have as many as a thousand slaves each under their command,
with whom they undertake occasional expeditions for their masters. I have
been assured also that Mohammed Láwl receives every year in tribute,
besides horses and cattle, about five thousand slaves, though this seems
a large number.
The country of Fúmbiná is about two hundred miles long in its greatest
extent, running from south-west to north-east, while its shortest
diameter seems to reach from north-west to south-east, and scarcely ever
exceeds seventy or eighty miles; but this territory is as yet far from
being entirely subjected to the Mohammedan conquerors, who in general
are only in possession of detached settlements, while the intermediate
country, particularly the more mountainous tracts, are still in the hands
of the pagans. The people in this part of the country are engaged in
constant warfare. While the country north from the Bénuwé, between Yóla
and Hamárruwa, is entirely independent, and inhabited by warlike pagan
tribes, the best-subjected tract seems to be that between the Wándalá
and the Músgu country, where the settlements of the conquering tribe are
very compact. I must observe, however, that I am not quite clear as to
the exact manner in which those distant settlements are dependent on the
governor of Ádamáwa. That part of the country seems to deserve a great
deal of interest, and to be destined to become a province by itself.
It is sometimes designated by the special name of “Jemmára,” a name
certainly of general import, and meaning nothing but “the congregation”—a
corruption, in short, of Jemmáʿa.
The country is certainly one of the finest of Central Africa, irrigated
as it is by numerous rivers, among which the Bénuwé and the Fáro are
the most important, and being diversified with hill and dale. In
general, however, it is flat, rising gradually towards the south, from
an elevation[70] of about eight hundred feet, along the middle course of
the Bénuwé, to fifteen hundred feet or more, and broken by separate hills
or more extensive groups of mountains; but, as far as I know, there is
not here a single example of large mountain masses. Mount Alantíka, of
which I had a fine view from several points, though at a considerable
distance, is considered as the most massive and elevated mountain in the
whole country; and this is an entirely detached mountain, at the utmost
fifty miles in circumference, and elevated certainly not more than eight
thousand five hundred or nine thousand feet above the plain from which
it rises. No doubt the Bénuwé may be presumed to have its sources in a
mountainous tract of country; but of the uppermost course of this river I
was not able to obtain the least information, while I have been able to
lay down its lower course with great approximative certainty.[71] Yet,
although the elevation of the country is in general the same, the nature
of the different districts varies greatly: thus in Chámba, apparently
on account of the neighbourhood of Mount Alantíka, which attracts the
clouds, the rainy season is said to set in as early as January, so that
by the end of April or beginning of May the first crop is ripe, while in
Yóla, and in the country in general, the rains rarely begin before March.
The grain most commonly grown in the country is _Holcus sorghum_; but
in this respect also there is a great difference between the districts.
Thus, the country of the Mbúm round Ngáundere scarcely produces anything
but rógo, or yams, which form the daily, and almost sole food of the
inhabitants. Meat is so dear there that a goat will often fetch the price
of a female slave. Ground-nuts (_Arachis hypogæa_) are plentiful both in
the eastern and the western districts. A tolerable quantity of cotton
called “póttolo” in Ádamáwa, is cultivated: but indigo or “chachári” is
very rare, and is hardly cultivated anywhere but in Saráwu and Máruwa;
and this is very natural, as the Fúlbe do not value coloured shirts.
With regard to exuberance of vegetation, Tibáti seems to be one of the
richest places; there both kinds of the banana, or ayabáje, the gónda,
or papaya, “du-kúje,” several species of the gúro tree, the _Pandanus_,
the _Kajilia_, the monkey-bread tree, or _Adansonia_, the “rími,” or
_Bombax_, and numerous other kinds are found. Of the palm tribe, the
deléb-palm, or gigiña, and the _Elaïs Guineensis_, are frequent, but
strictly limited to certain localities, while the date-tree (called by
the Fúlbe of Ádamáwa by the beautiful name “tannedaráje”[72]) is very
rare, and, except a few specimens in Yóla and Búndang, scarcely to be met
with. Among the bushes, the _Palma Christi_ or _Ricinus_, is extremely
common. Altogether, the predominant tree in the southern provinces of
Ádamáwa seems to be the banana. There are hot springs in the country of
the Bakr Yemyem, about three days’ south from Kóncha, which are said to
issue from the west foot of a mountain stretching from east to west, and
to have a very high temperature; the water is reported to be palatable.
Of animals, the elephant is exceedingly frequent, not only the black or
grey, but also a yellow species. The rhinoceros is often met with, but
only in the eastern part of the country. East from the Bénuwé the wild
bull is very common. The most singular animal seems to be the ayú, which
lives in the river, and in some respects resembles the seal;[73] it comes
out of the river in the night, and feeds on the fresh grass growing on
its banks.
With regard to domestic animals, cattle were evidently introduced by
the Fúlbe some two or three hundred years ago. There is an indigenous
variety of ox, but quite a distinct species, not three feet high, and of
dark-grey colour; this is called máturú. The native horse is small and
feeble; the best horses are brought from the northern districts, chiefly
from Úba.
I now proceed to mention the names of the most powerful Fúlbe
governors of the country, to which I shall subjoin a list of
the native tribes, over which the conquerors are gradually
extending their sway, and which they may even partially succeed
in exterminating. Of those who are bound to the governor of
Ádamáwa in due allegiance—that is to say, who send him a
certain present and assist him in his warlike expeditions,
the governors of Chámba and Kóncha take the first rank. The
present governor of Chámba, Ámba (properly Mohammed) Sámbo,
who is now a very old man, has made himself extremely famous
by his daring and distant expeditions, and more especially
that to the Íbo country and to Mbáfu, which he undertook three
years ago, and through which he has succeeded in extending not
only the influence, but even the dominion of the conquerors,
in a certain degree, as far as the Bight of Benín. I have some
reason to suspect that it was partly owing to this expedition,
which brought the Fúlbe into contact with tribes on the coast,
who, on account of their dress, furniture, and many of their
customs, were regarded by them as Christians, that Mohammed
Láwl looked upon my presence with distrust; for there were
still some hundreds of slaves of those so-called Christian
tribes scattered over Ádamáwa. Mohammed dan Jóbdi also, the
governor of Kóncha, has made some very interesting expeditions,
the itineraries of some of which I shall give in the Appendix.
More powerful certainly than these two, and in a state of
quasi-dependence on the governor of Yóla only, though at
present in open hostility with him, is Búba, the governor of
Búbanjídda. The name of this province also is entirely new, and
is formed in a very remarkable way, being compounded of the
name of the conqueror himself (Búba) and of that of his mother
(Jídda). Búbanjídda is an extensive province, including the
districts on the upper course of the Bénuwé; and its capital is
called Ray-Búba. The governor is so powerful that, having in
vain solicited the Emír el Múmenín, his sovereign lord, to make
him a chief vassal, like the governor of Hamárruwa, so as to be
independent of the governor of Ádamáwa, he has placed himself
in open opposition to both. It is also very remarkable that
Ray-Búba (that is to say, the town which at present bears this
name) was, with the exception of Tibáti, the only walled town
which the Fúlbe found in the country; and it took them three
months of continual fighting to get possession of it. I have
already mentioned, in another place, that this country produces
the best sort of iron; and it is not improbable that the more
warlike spirit of its inhabitants, the Dáma, is in some degree
connected with this circumstance.
Less powerful than the three governors just mentioned, but
nevertheless mighty vassals, and most of them valiant champions
of the faith, are the following chiefs: Bákari (properly
Bú-Bakr), governor of Ribágo, north from Búbanjídda; Ardo
Badéshi, governor of the territories of the Falí; Mʿallem
Sudé, governor of Holma; Mʿallem Hámma, governor of Song; the
governor of Súmmo;[74] Mahmúd, governor of Kílba; Mʿallem
Dáuraka, governor of the large settlement of Máruwa or Marba;
Mʿallem Yúsufa, the pious old governor of Bínder; Mʿallem
Ádama, the dashing governor of Agúrma in the territory of
the Dáma; Ardo ʿOmáro, seignior of Sabóngi, near Búbanjídda;
Mʿallem Mústafa, the pious old lord of Míndif; Ardo Gári, the
energetic and learned master of Bógo, whose people joined the
Bórnu army on the expedition to Músgu which I shall describe
later; the lord of Kafta-Báudi; Húrsu, or Khúrsu, master of
Pédde or Fétte.
The dominion of the Fúlbe is generally centred in single
settlements, which are of various descriptions, comprising not
only large towns, where a numerous host of these intruders, and
a powerful chief, reside, but also more private settlements,
such as country seats of governors, “ribádo” or “ribágo”; seats
of mere petty chiefs, or “jóro”; farm villages, or “úro”; slave
villages, or “rúmde.” But the Fúlbe are continually advancing,
as they have not to do with one strong enemy, but with a number
of small tribes without any bond of union. It remains to be
seen whether it be their destiny to colonize this fine country
for themselves, or in the course of time to be disturbed by
the intrusion of Europeans. It is difficult to describe how a
Christian government is to deal with these countries, where
none but Mohammedans maintain any sort of government. It cannot
be denied that they alone here succeed in giving to distant
regions a certain bond of unity, and in making the land more
accessible to trade and intercourse.
The most numerous among the native tribes, as I have already
stated above, are the Bátta, whose prince, Kókomi, was,
previous to the conquest of the Fúlbe, the most powerful chief
in the country. They are divided into several great families,
speaking also various dialects, which in some cases differ from
each other very widely, and are closely related to the Marghí.
Many of the names of their districts serve to designate the
territories as well as the tribes settled in them, of which
several are still entirely independent of the Fúlbe.
The Bátta inhabit not only all the country on the middle course
of the Bénuwé and along the Fáro for some distance beyond
Mount Alantíka, but also the whole region north from these
rivers as far as the southern boundaries of Bórnu. It is in
their language that the river has received the name Bé-noë, or
Bé-nuwé, meaning “the Mother of Waters.”
The tribe which ranks next in number and importance is the
Falí, settled between the upper course of the Bénuwé and
the southern provinces of Bagírmi, of whose families and
territories (the same name generally indicating both) I learnt
the following names: Safaláwa, Yamyam (probably not an original
name), Gidér, Débba, Múndam, with the chief place Lére, the
residence of the powerful pagan prince (kówa) Gónshomé, Mámbay,
Dáma, Láme, Láka, Durú, Nánigi, not far east from Chámba, and
Bóka. Their idiom seems to be quite distinct from that of the
Bátta; but it shows some affinity with other neighbouring
tongues.[75] Among the few people belonging to this tribe
with whom I came into contact, I observed some of very light
colour. Then follow the Mbúm, living to the south from the
Bátta and south-west from the Falí, and partly subjected,
the Fúlbe conquerors being principally established in the
place called Ngáundere. There is another large place, called
Bére. As separate divisions of the Mbúm, I learnt the names
of the Máiwa, Wúna, and Buté. South-east from the Mbúm live
the Yángeré, and still further on in that direction the Báya.
In what relation the Chámba, after whom the large place at
the southern foot of Mount Alantíka is called, stand to the
above-named tribes, I cannot say. The Chámba are said to have
driven from these seats the Kóttofo, who dwell at present
further south. Then there are several other tribes, ranked by
my informants as separate nations, the independence or relation
of which to the rest I am not able to determine, as I have not
obtained specimens of their languages. These are the Holma, the
Zummáwa, the Gudá, the Kílba, Honá, Búza, the Bá, Múchelár,
Hína, Búla, Múkubá,[76] all of whom live in the mountainous
region to the south-west from Mount Míndif, and no doubt are
partially cognate with other tribes; but in order to group
them, it is necessary to collect specimens of their languages.
Around Ádamáwa, partly within, partly beyond its boundaries,
but in a certain degree of subjection, are the following
tribes: the Tikár (by this name, at least, they are called
by the Fúlbe, though they have, probably, another name for
themselves, as by this they do not seem to be known near the
coast), the Yétem,[77] the Dókaka, the Batí, a tribe of rather
light colour, the Dáka, the Wére, the Díngding (partly armed
with muskets, and regarded by the Fúlbe as Christians), the
Mbáfu. Then the Wága, the Yángur, and the Róba. With most of
these tribes the reader will be brought into nearer contact
by the itineraries subjoined in the Appendix, where I shall
have occasion to add a few remarks with regard to information
obtained by Europeans near the coast. Here, however, it will
be not without interest to compare with this list of tribes
the following list of languages spoken in Ádamáwa which
Mohámmedu gave me: Battanchi,[78] Damanchi, the idiom spoken
in the province of Búbanjídda; Falanchi, Bumanchi, or perhaps
more correctly Mbumanchi, the language of the Mbúm and of the
people of Báya; Butanchi, Tekarchi, Mundanchi, Marghanchi,[78]
Kilbanchi, Yangurchi, Gudanchi, Chambanchi, Kotofanchi,
Weranchi, Duranchi, Wokanchi, Toganchi, Lekamchi, Parparchi,
Kankamchi, Nyangeyárechi, Musganchi,[78] Mandaranchi,[78] or
rather “Ára Wándalá,” Gizaganchi, Rumanchi, Giderchi, Dabanchi,
Hinanchi, Muturwanchi, Zinanchi, Zaninchi, Momoyëenchi,
Faninchi, the idiom of Fani, the dominion of Hajji Ghálebu,
Nyaganchi, Dewanchi, Lallanchi, Doganchi, Longodanchi.