THE COUNTRY OF THE SHALLOW RIVERS.—WATER-PARTING BETWEEN THE RIVERS
BÉNUWÉ AND SHARI.
_Friday, Dec. 26._—At length we went onward to pursue our march, turning
considerably out of our road towards the east, in order to avoid the
residence of Ádishén, and to prevent its being pillaged. The army,
proceeding in several large detachments, presented an interesting aspect.
Here also green crops of the winter corn, or “másakwá,” were still
standing in the fields. Further on we came to open pasture-grounds,
and after a march of about ten miles we reached a village called Bógo,
where we encamped. All the inhabitants had made their escape, although
their chief, whose name is Bakshámi, was an ally and friend of Ádishén.
The cottages were well built, but there was a great scarcity of trees.
Amongst the furniture was a fishing-basket, or, as the Kanúri call it,
“káyan”; and some of them were filled with dry paste of the red species
of holcus, which however the people were afraid to touch, lest it might
be poisoned. On a former expedition several people had been poisoned by
a pot of honey which had been left behind, on purpose, by the natives
in their flight. Already on this day’s march we had observed, in the
distance towards the west, an isolated rocky mount; and here we saw it
in more distinct outlines, while beyond, at a greater distance, the
continuous mountain chain of Mándará became slightly visible.
_Saturday Dec. 27._—Our march at first led through a dense forest, after
which we emerged upon more open swampy meadow-lands covered with rank
grass, and full of holes caused by the footprints of the elephant. Great
quantities of Guinea-fowl were caught. Only here and there an isolated
mimosa interrupted the unbroken line of the savanna. It was after a
march of six miles that we obtained a sight of the first deléb-palm in
the Músgu country. Already repeatedly in the narrative of my travels
I have called the attention of the reader to this beautiful fan-palm;
but in all the localities where I had before observed it, it was
rather isolated. Even in Ádamáwa it is limited to peculiarly favoured
localities, while in some extensive provinces of that country, such as
Búban-jídda, it is wanting entirely. But here we had reached the country
where this beautiful and useful tree, probably only a variety of the
famous _Borassus flabelliformis_, is the most common and predominant
representative of the vegetable kingdom. The Músgu call it in their
language “úray.” From the Músgu country it seems to spread in an almost
uninterrupted and unbroken line through the southern provinces of Bagírmi
and Wadáy, as far as Kordofán, sending a few scouts and forerunners to
adorn the capital of Bagírmi and the watercourse of the Bat-há.
We chose our encampment in a village called Bárea, consisting of
scattered huts, and surrounded by rich stubble-fields, which were shaded
by large wide-spreading karáge trees, presenting a most cheerful and
comfortable scene. But we soon became aware that the fertility and beauty
of this district were due to the neighbourhood of a large sheet of water
full of crocodiles and river horses or “ngurútu,” and enlivened even by
a few small canoes. It had been indicated already on our march by the
flight of numerous waterfowl passing over our heads. Beautiful as the
country was, however, the place was deserted, the inhabitants having
given up their cheerful homes, and left the tombs of their worshipped
ancestors to the discretion of the hostile army, in order to seek safety
in flight. The village is the residence of a chieftain of the name of
Musíkko, who acknowledges Kábishmé, the chief mentioned above, as his
sovereign lord.
In the afternoon I received a short visit from a rather shabby sort
of man, the chief of a place called Médebé, but who was an object of
interest to me, as he had been sent as a messenger to the prince of
Mándará, and had just arrived in the encampment from the capital of that
little country. Travelling at a comfortable rate, he had arrived in three
days from Morá, sleeping the first night in the place called Mókoshi, the
second in Fétte, the place above-mentioned, and from thence to-day had
reached this place; but the whole journey, in an expeditious march, may
easily be accomplished in two days. Difficult as it would be to me to
impart to the reader the delight which I always felt in tracing my routes
from one point to another, and joining two places with which I had become
acquainted, by new itineraries he may forgive me for sometimes troubling
him with these geographical details.
[Illustration: MÚSGU.]
_Sunday, Dec. 28._—We did not spend our Sunday in a quiet contemplative
manner; but nevertheless we spent it worthily, employing it in a good
day’s march, which opened out to us new and important features of the
character of the new region we had just entered. It was a pity we
were not allowed by circumstances to proceed in our real character of
peaceful travellers, anxious to befriend all the people with whom we
came in contact, instead of being obliged to join this host of merciless
and sanguinary slave-hunters, who, regardless of the beauty of the
country and the cheerful happiness of the natives, were only intent
upon enriching themselves with the spoil of the inhabitants. After
a march of a little less than five miles, we emerged from the thick
forest, and entered upon stubble-fields with numerous groups of huts and
wide-spreading trees, whose branches were all used for storing up the
ranks of nutritious grass of these swampy grounds, for a supply in the
dry season. The country was pleasant in the extreme. Several artificial
ponds enlivened the hamlet, and called to mind similar scenes in my
native country, except that ducks and geese were wanting. The only scenes
of active life which were at present to be seen were those of pillage and
destruction.
The architecture of the huts, and the whole arrangement of the yards, was
very similar to that of the village we had first seen on entering the
country. But the tops of the granaries in general were here provided with
a sort of “fennel,” covered in by a roof of straw. Broad well-trodden
paths, lined by thick fences of a peculiar bush called “mágara” in
Kanúri, which I have mentioned in another locality, were winding along
through the fields in every direction. But there was one object which
attracted my attention in particular, as it testified to a certain degree
of civilization, which might have shamed the proud Mohammedan inhabitants
of these countries. For while the latter are extremely negligent in
burying their dead, leaving them without any sufficient protection
against the wild beasts, so that most of them are devoured in a few days
by the hyænas, here we had regular sepulchres, covered in with large
well-rounded vaults, the tops of which were adorned by a couple of beams
cross-laid, or by an earthen urn. The same sort of worship as paid by
these pagans to their ancestors prevails in a great part of Africa, and
however greatly the peculiar customs attached to the mode of worship may
vary, the principle is the same; but I nowhere more regretted having no
one at hand to explain to me the customs of these people, than I did on
this occasion. The urn most probably contains the head of the deceased;
but what is indicated by the cross-laid beams I cannot say.
I was so absorbed in contemplating this interesting scene, that I
entirely forgot my own personal safety; for the vizier, without my
becoming aware of it, had pursued the track on his powerful charger at
an uncommonly quick rate, and was far in advance. Looking around me, I
found only a small number of Shúwa horsemen near me, and keeping close
to them pursued the path; but when we emerged from the thick forest, and
entered another well-cultivated and thickly-peopled district, every trace
of a trodden footpath ceased, and I became aware that I was entirely
cut off from the main body of the army. A scene of wild disorder here
presented itself. Single horsemen were roving about to and fro between
the fences of the villages; here a poor native, pursued by sanguinary
foes, running for his life in wild despair; there another dragged from
his place of refuge; while a third was observed in the thick covert of
a ficus, and soon became a mark for numerous arrows and balls. A small
troop of Shúwa horsemen were collected under the shade of a tree, trying
to keep together a drove of cattle, which they had taken. In vain did
I address Shúwa and Kanúri, anxiously inquiring what direction the
commander-in-chief had taken; nobody was able to give me any information
with regard to his whereabouts. I therefore scoured the village in all
directions, to see if I could find by myself the track of the army; but
the traces ran in every direction.
Here I fell in with several troops of horsemen, in the same state of
uncertainty as myself, and joined one of them, where there were some
heavy cavalry; neither the attendants of the vizier, nor the man who
carried his carpet, could tell which direction he had taken. While
anxiously looking about, I suddenly heard behind us the beating of a
drum or “gánga,” and following the sound found a considerable number of
horsemen, of every description, collected on an open area; and here I
received the exciting news that the pagans had broken through the line
of march at the weakest point, and that while the vizier had pursued his
track, the rear had been dispersed. If these poor pagans, who certainly
are not wanting in courage, were led on by experienced chieftains, and
waited for the proper opportunity, they would be able, in these dense
forests, where cavalry is scarcely of any use, to do an immense deal of
damage to this cowardly host, and might easily disperse them altogether.
But the principal reason of the weakness of these Músgu tribes is, that
they have only spears and the “góliyó,” and no arrows; else they would
certainly be able to keep these troublesome neighbours at a respectful
distance. Of what little use even the firelock is to the latter, I had
ample opportunity of judging, several musketeers having come to me
anxiously entreating me to provide them with flints, as their own had
been lost or had proved useless.
At length the motley host moved on without order or array; but their
irresolution and fear, owing to a few pagans who were concealed in a
thicket, were so great, that after a while we retraced our steps. Having
then taken a more easterly direction, we reached, through a thick forest,
a large swampy piece of water in low meadow-grounds, not less than a
mile in breadth, covered with rank grass, the dry ground in some places
intervening. Here I found a considerable part of the cavalry, drawn up in
a line and watering their horses, and I learned that the encampment was
near. It would have been very unsatisfactory to be exposed to a serious
attack in the company of the disorderly host in which I had lately found
myself.
[Illustration: ENCAMPMENT IN THE FOREST.]
Having watered my horse, I followed the deep sound of the big drum of
the vizier, and found the body of the army a few hundred yards from
the eastern border of this ngáljam, in rich stubble-fields shaded by
beautiful trees; but as yet no tent was pitched, and a great deal of
anxiety prevailed, the first camels having arrived without their loads,
which they had thrown off, their drivers having taken to flight; but
this circumstance ensured the safety of the greater part of the train,
as the commander immediately despatched two officers with their squadrons
to bring up the rear. To this circumstance we were indebted for the
safety of our own camels, which had been in imminent danger, the pagans
having collected again in the rear of the principal body of the army. The
Bórnu camels are half mehára, and, while they surpass in strength the
camels of the desert, possess a great deal of their swiftness. Not only
does the camel which carries the war-drum always follow close behind the
commander, at whatever rate he may pursue his march, but even his other
camels generally keep at a very short distance, and the best camels of
the courtiers follow close behind.
The village we had just reached was named Kákalá, and is one of the
most considerable places in the Músgu country. A large number of slaves
had been caught this day; and in the course of the evening, after some
skirmishing, in which three Bórnu horsemen were killed, a great many
more were brought in: altogether they were said to have taken one
thousand, and there were certainly not less than five hundred. To our
utmost horror, not less than one hundred and seventy full-grown men were
mercilessly slaughtered in cold blood, the greater part of them being
allowed to bleed to death, a leg having been severed from the body. Most
of them were tall men, with not very pleasing features. Their forehead,
instead of shelving backwards, was generally very high, and the line
of the face straight; but their thick eyelashes, wide, open nostrils,
thick lips, high cheek-bones, and coarse bushy hair, gave them a very
wild appearance. The proportions of the legs, with the knee-bone bent
inward, were particularly ugly; and on the whole they were more bony
than the Marghí. They were all of a dirty black colour, very far from
that glossy lustre which is observed in other tribes. Most of them wore
a short beard. The ears of several were adorned with small copper rings,
while almost all of them wore round their necks a thick rope made of the
dúm-bush or ngílle, coarsely twisted, as a sort of ornament.
_Monday, Dec. 29._—Soon after setting out from the place of encampment,
we had to cross the ngáljam, which here also was thickly overgrown with
rank grass, and the passage of which was very difficult, owing to the
countless holes caused by the footprints of the elephant. We then entered
a dense forest, where I saw again, for the first time, my old Háusa
acquaintance, the kókia, a middle-sized tree with large leaves and with a
fruit of the size of an apple, which at present was green, but even when
ripe is not edible. This tree, in the course of the expedition, I found
to be very common in the wilds of this country.
The unwarlike spirit of our large army became more apparent than ever
by to-day’s proceedings: for a vigorous commander would certainly have
accelerated his march through this forest, in order to take the enemy
unawares; but long before noon a halt was ordered in the midst of the
forest—certainly against the inclination of the majority. There was a
great deal of indecision; and in truth there seemed to be many who wished
rather that the enemy should have time to escape, than to incite him to
make a desperate struggle for his safety. The neighbouring pond (where,
on our arrival, a herdsman who had come to water his cattle had been
slain), we were told, did not contain a sufficient supply of water for
the wants of the whole army; and when at length we had fairly dismounted,
the rank grass being burnt down in order to clear the ground, and the
fire being fed by a strong wind, a terrible conflagration ensued, which
threw us into the greatest confusion, and obliged us to seek our safety
in a hasty retreat. Nevertheless, after a great deal of hesitation,
it was at length determined to encamp here. There was no scarcity of
water—for the pond proved to be very spacious and of great depth; but the
grass having been burned, the whole ground was covered with a layer of
hot ashes, which blackened everything.
By-and-by the camels arrived, the encampment was formed, and every one
had given himself up to repose of mind and body, when suddenly the
alarm-drums were beaten, and everybody hastened to arms, and mounted
his horse. It seemed incredible that an enemy whose movements were
uncombined, and not directed by any good leaders, should attack such an
army, of more than ten thousand cavalry, and a still greater number of
foot, although I am persuaded that a resolute attack of a few hundred
brave men would have defeated the whole of this vain and cowardly host.
The alarm, as was to be expected, proved unfounded; but it showed the
small degree of confidence which the people had in their own strength.
Three pagan women had been seen endeavouring to reach the water by
stealth; and this gave rise to the conclusion that the enemy was near,
for the dense forest all around hemmed in the view entirely.
When at length the encampment had resumed its former state of
tranquillity, the prince Ádishén, with a numerous suite of naked
followers, came to my tent, and I requested him to enter; there was,
however, nothing attractive or interesting about him, and I was glad to
get rid of him with a few presents. The difference between the Marghí
and Músgu, notwithstanding the affinity indicated by their language
and some of their manners, is indeed great, and is, as I have already
intimated above, rather to the disadvantage of the latter, whose forms
exhibit less of symmetry, and whose features have a very wild and savage
appearance. Neither in these Músgu courtiers, nor in the common people,
had I observed any of those becoming ornaments, especially those iron
arm-rings, which I have mentioned in describing the Marghí.
Ádishén had shaved his head, in order to give to himself the appearance
of a Moslim, and wore a tobe; but of his companions, only one had adopted
this foreign garment, all the others having their loins girt with a
leather apron. In order to keep themselves on horseback, they have
recourse to a most barbarous expedient. They make a broad open wound on
the back of their small sturdy ponies, in order to keep their seat; and,
when they want to ride at full speed, they often scratch or cut their
legs, in order to glue themselves to the horse’s flanks by means of the
blood which oozes from the wounds; for, as I have stated above, they have
neither saddle, stirrups, nor bridle, and they use nothing but a simple
rope to guide their animals. They generally carry only one spear, but
several “góliyós” or handbills, the latter being evidently their best
weapon, not only in close fight, but even at a distance, as they are
very expert in throwing this sharp and double-pointed iron sideways, and
frequently inflict severe wounds on the legs of horses as well as of men.
Some of their chiefs protect their persons with a strong doublet made of
buffalo’s hide, with the hair inside.
_Tuesday, Dec. 30._—This was the last day’s march which our expedition
was to make towards the south, or rather south-east. For the first ten
or eleven miles we kept through dense forest, the thick covert of which
rendered it difficult for us to make our way, while the restless and
vicious Bórnu horses, crowded together and hemmed in by the thicket,
repeatedly came into most unpleasant collision; and here again I was
much indebted to my massive stirrups, which bravely kept their ground
against bush and man. The whole forest consisted of middle-sized trees,
the kókia being predominant, while scarcely a single tree of larger size
was to be seen. It seemed very natural that all the wild animals should
flee before such a host of people; but I was astonished at the scarcity
of ant-hills, notwithstanding the great degree of moisture which prevails
in these extensive levels, and which is so favourable to the existence of
this insect. Our march the whole morning had been straight for Dáwa, the
village of the Túfuri or Túburi, a section of the great tribe of the Farí
or Falí, of which I have spoken in a former part of my narrative.
There had been a great deal of discussion in the last day’s council as
to the expediency of attacking this place, the subjection, or rather
destruction of which was of great importance, not only to Mʿallem Jýmma,
but even to the Fúlbe settled in the eastern districts of Ádamáwa in
general. This party at last had gained the upper hand over the greater
part of the cowardly Kanúri courtiers; but at present, when we approached
the seat of this tribe, who are well known to be warlike, and when the
question arose whether we should engage in battle with these people in
three or four hours’ time, it became rather a serious affair. When,
therefore, after a march of four hours, we reached a beautiful fresh
meadow-water or “ngáljam” overgrown with rank grass, surrounded by large
spreading ngábbore trees, which pleasantly diversified the monotonous
forest, we made a halt, and while the horsemen watered their animals,
an animated “nógona,” or council, was held in the shade of a beautiful
fig-tree. Here it was decided that, at least to-day, we should not march
against Dáwa and the Túburi, but were to change our course more to the
eastward in the direction of Démmo. It is probable that the vizier on
this occasion promised to his friends, that after he had taken up his
headquarters at Démmo, and deposited safely, in the fortified encampment,
the spoil that he had already made in slaves and cattle, he would march
against Dáwa; but unfortunately, or rather luckily for the inhabitants,
it was not our destiny to visit that interesting and important place, as
I shall soon have occasion to mention.
During our halt here I contemplated, with the most lively and intense
interest, the rich and animated scene which presented itself before my
eyes,—a mass of some thousand horsemen, dressed in the most varied manner
and in the most glowing colours, with their spirited chargers of every
size, description, and colour, crowded together along the green margin of
a narrow sheet of water, skirted by a dense border of large trees of the
finest foliage.
After a halt of about a quarter of an hour we were again in the saddle,
and pursued our march, but now in an entirely different direction,
keeping almost due east, and crossing the shallow watercourse, which
stretched from north to south a little below our halting-place, the place
where we crossed it being quite dry, and full of holes caused by the
footsteps of the elephant. The wilderness for a while was clearer; but
after a march of about two miles we reached a very thick covert, where
it was found necessary to send out scouts, in order to see if the enemy
was lying in ambush. It is a great pity that these poor natives do not
know how to avail themselves, against their cruel and cowardly enemies,
of the fastnesses with which nature has endowed these regions. Of course
these immense forests, which separate one principality, and I might say
one village, from another, are themselves a consequence of the want of
intelligence and of the barbarous blindness of these pagan tribes, who,
destitute of any common bond of national unity, live entirely separated
from, and even carry on war against each other.
Scarcely had we made ourselves a path through the thicket, when we
reached another meadow-water, which at present, however, looked rather
like a bog, and offered some difficulties to the passage of the horses.
Having then for some time kept upon dry ground, about noon we had to
cross another swamp; but beyond this the country became open. Having now
reached the place of our destination, the banners were unfolded, the
drums beaten, and the greater part of the cavalry hurried on in advance
ready for fighting, or rather for pillage, for no enemy was to be seen.
Immediately afterwards we reached the village of Démmo, and marched
slowly along, looking out for the best place for encamping. Numerous
deléb-palms became visible behind the shady acacias, when suddenly we
obtained sight of a broad shallow watercourse, larger than any we had yet
seen in this country—more than two miles in width, with a considerable
sheet of open water, where two pagan canoes were seen moving about.
Greatly interested in the scene, we closely approached the edge of the
water, which seemed to be of considerable depth, although a number of
hungry Kánembú had passed the first open sheet, and were fishing in its
more shallow part, which divided the open water into two branches. From
beyond the opposite shore a whole forest of deléb-palms were towering
over the other vegetation of lower growth, as if enticing us to come and
enjoy their picturesque shade. The direction of the watercourse at this
spot was from south-west to north-east; and, according to the unanimous
statement of those who had any knowledge of these regions, it joins the
Serbéwuel, that is to say the upper course of the river or “éré” of Logón.
Here we stood awhile, and looked with longing eyes towards the
opposite shore; it was a most interesting and peculiar scenery, highly
characteristic of these level equatorial regions of Africa. What an
erroneous idea had been entertained of these regions in former times!
Instead of the massive Mountain range of the Moon, we had discovered only
a few isolated mounts; instead of a dry desolate plateau, we had found
wide and extremely fertile plains, less than one thousand feet above the
level of the sea, and intersected by innumerable broad watercourses with
scarcely any inclination. Only towards the south-west, at the distance of
about sixteen miles, the low rocky mount of the Túburi was seen.
But not less interesting than the scenery of the landscape was the aspect
of the host of our companions, who were here crowded together at the
border of the water. Only very few of them had penetrated as far before;
and they looked with curiosity and astonishment upon this landscape,
while most of them were rather disappointed that the water prevented them
from pursuing the poor pagans, the full-grown amongst whom, with few
exceptions, had just had time to escape. But a considerable number of
female slaves and young children were captured; for the men did not take
to flight till they became aware, from the thick clouds of dust which
were raised by the army, that it was not one of the small expeditions
which they were accustomed to resist, that was coming to attack them.
Besides the spoil in human beings, a considerable number of colts and
cattle were brought in.
Having indulged in the aspect of this rich scene, which formed such a
contrast to the monotonous neighbourhood of Kúkawa, we retraced our
steps, in order to encamp at some distance from the water, which of
course gives life to millions of mosquitoes, and encamped amongst the
smouldering ruins of the huts. The whole village, which only a few
moments before had been the abode of comfort and happiness, was destroyed
by fire and made desolate. Slaughtered men, with their limbs severed from
their bodies, were lying about in all directions, and made the passer-by
shudder with horror. Such is the course of human affairs in these
regions! Small troops of light cavalry tried to pursue the enemy; and
there was some fighting in the course of the afternoon, when a few men of
the Bórnu army were killed.
_Wednesday, Dec. 31._—We remained here this and the following day,
it being the intention of the Bórnu people, according to their own
statement, to reduce this country to subjection; and I deeply regretted
that the circumstances under which we visited this region did not
allow me to collect all the information I wished. But roving about the
encampment, I endeavoured to pick up what I could. All the huts had clay
walls, which were from four to six inches thick, and had resisted the
conflagration, the roofs, consisting of beams and reed, having fallen
in. The diameter of the huts varied from eight to twelve feet. Each
hut contained a large jar for holding water, and some had a peculiar
fireplace, enclosed by separate walls, and not unlike an oven; but,
although in general the arrangements of the huts was comfortable, I found
the dwellings in other villages of this country far superior, nor did I
observe here such large courtyards as I had seen elsewhere. In the centre
of the village there were some extensive tanks, or pools of water,
which seemed to be made by the hand of man. The whole encampment, or
“ngáufate,” was surrounded with a strong fence of thorny bushes, rather
for the purpose of preventing the slaves from escaping, than to defend
the encampment against an enemy. Having wandered about amidst this scene
of destruction, I went in the afternoon to the border of the “ngáljam,”
which was enlivened by horses and cattle grazing, and people quietly
reclining here and there, or bathing in the water. I then wandered along
the bank to some distance, where the sheet of open water on this side was
entirely interrupted, while on the other shore a considerable strip of
water stretched out before the view.
Here, in Démmo, the year 1852 opened to me, in the course of which I
at that time entertained a hope of returning homewards, not fancying
that I was to remain three years more in these barbarous countries,
amidst constantly varying impressions of discovery, of disappointment,
of friendly and hostile treatment, and under all sorts of affliction,
distress, and sickness. Our stay here was varied by a few interesting
incidents, one of which I will relate. The intriguing Shúwa chief Mʿallem
Jýmma, whose ambitious designs did not allow him any rest, had not only
persuaded the head man of Démmo, who had made his escape, but even the
chief of the nearest village on the other side of the ngáljam, to make
his subjection publicly, and to seek the protection of Bórnu. They were
therefore introduced this day into the nógona or council, and threw dust
upon their heads. But when they had to confirm their subjection by an
oath, the pagan prince of Démmo indeed took an oath, raising a handful of
earth, and allowing it to glide through his fingers, but the chief from
the other side of the ngáljam refused to take the oath, under the pretext
that this earth was not fit for his vow, not being his own soil; he said
he must first bring a handful of earth from his own country. An oath
taken upon earth that belonged to their native soil was also common among
the ancients.
Both chiefs had made their appearance in their native attire, that is
to say, quite naked with the exception of a narrow leather strip round
their loins; and it caused great merriment to the courtiers, that when,
in consequence of their subjection, they were officially dressed in
black tobes as a sort of investiture, the chief of Démmo drew his shirt
over his head, reckless whether the lower parts were covered or not.
In order to amuse the assemblage, they also blew their little horn, an
instrument which every Músgu grandee carries with him, and which bears
a great resemblance to a bugle; but in this accomplishment a priest who
accompanied them was more clever than themselves, producing melodious and
sonorous sounds from this simple and uncouth instrument.
This was the first and only time that I became aware that these pagan
tribes had separate priests; and I felt greatly disappointed that I did
not come into closer contact with them, nor was able to learn from other
people what were their peculiar duties. But, in general, I think I am not
mistaken in supposing that the sacerdotal functions with these tribes of
the interior are less developed than those on the coast, for as yet I
had seen very little of real fetishism. In general, the office of priest
seems to be connected with that of chief. This man also received a shirt
as a present; but it was only a white one of inferior quality, and I
do not think he kept it very long after he had left the assemblage of
these civilized people. As the price of the benevolent reception which
the prince of Démmo had experienced, he, as is generally the case in
these distracted communities, betrayed the interests of his countrymen,
promising that he would lead the army to a large walled town (so, at
least, he was understood to say), where they were to find plenty of booty
and spoil. Accordingly, an expedition on a large scale, which was to be
led by the vizier in person, was fixed for the next day.
_Friday, Jan. 2._—Having remained quiet for some hours in the morning,
probably to make the neighbouring chieftains believe that we had no
intention of moving, we suddenly set out, with almost the whole of the
cavalry and a portion of the Kánembú spearmen, led on by our new ally
the chief of Démmo, who, mounted on a little pony, clad in his new black
garment, presented a very awkward and ridiculous appearance.
The first village which we reached, after about an hour’s march through
a clear forest, was quite deserted; and it was but natural that all the
people around should be upon their guard. The landscape was exceedingly
beautiful, richly irrigated and finely wooded, while, to our great
astonishment, the ground was so carefully cultivated that even manure
had been put upon the fields in a regular manner, being spread over the
ground to a great extent—the first example of such careful tillage that I
had as yet observed in Central Africa, both among Mohammedans and pagans.
The inhabitants had had so much leisure to make their escape, that they
had left very little behind to satisfy the greediness of the enemy; and
we therefore continued our march without delay, in a north-easterly
direction. This whole fertile district bears the name of Wúliya; but I
did not learn the peculiar name of this village.
After a march of about four miles, we crossed another watercourse, at
present only from ten to fifteen inches deep, and surrounded by beautiful
pasture-grounds, which during part of the year are inundated, and must
then present the appearance of an extensive lake. This fresh green
basin was adorned all around by luxuriant fig and “karáge”-trees, and
slender detached dúm-palms towered picturesquely above the green foliage,
but no deléb-palms were to be seen. Then followed another village,
likewise deserted by its unfortunate inhabitants, and then again open
meadow-lands, intersected by a narrow channel-like watercourse, in a
direction from south-west to north-east.
The watercourse was from sixty to seventy yards broad, and enclosed so
regularly between its banks, which were about ten feet high, that it had
quite the appearance of an artificial canal,—a peculiarity which in the
course of time I frequently observed, not only here, but also in the
similar watercourses along the Niger. At the point where we crossed it,
the sheet of water was entirely broken by a small sandbank, so that we
went over without wetting our feet. However, I conjectured that this
was an artificial dyke thrown up by the persecuted natives, in order to
keep open an easy connection with the river, on which alone their safety
depended. Without any delay the expedition pushed on, in the hope of
overtaking the fugitives before they had crossed the river; for here we
were quite close to the western shore of the river of Logón, which is
generally, but erroneously, called Shári, while this name, which belongs
to the language of the Kótoko, and means “river” in general, applies more
properly to the larger eastern branch below Klésem, which is inhabited
by Kótoko, and to the united stream lower down below the junction of the
two branches. In this place the river, or “éré,” is called Serbéwuel,
I think, in the Músgu language; higher up, where we shall make its
acquaintance in the course of our further researches, it is called Bá-Gun
and Bá-Bay, “bá” being the general name for river in the language of
Bagírmi and the native tribes of the Sóm-ray, as well as in the language
of the Manding or Mandingoes.
After a short time we stood on the banks of the stream. It was a
considerable river even at the present moment, although it was greatly
below its highest level, and probably represented the mean depth of the
whole year. At present it was about four hundred yards wide, and so
deep that six Shúwa horsemen, who, in their eager desire for spoil, had
ventured to enter it, were carried away by the stream, and fell an easy
prey to about a dozen courageous pagans, who, in a couple of canoes,
were gliding up and down the river to see what they could lay their
hands upon. They felt that we were unable to follow them without canoes,
although for any active body of men it would have been an easy affair to
construct a few rafts for crossing over, there being a plentiful supply
of timber.
The banks of the river on this side were at present about twenty-five
feet high. The opposite shore was not so steep, and from its rich
vegetation had a very inviting appearance; but I was glad, for the sake
of the poor natives, that we were unable to reach it, and I think even
our friend the Háj Beshír looked at this interesting landscape rather
with a degree of scientific interest than with anger and disappointment.
Unfortunately, on this occasion I had not taken my telescope with me, but
I was so fortunate as still to get a sight of this river a little lower
down. Having stood here for a few minutes on the steep bank, looking down
into the stream, which rolled unceasingly along, cutting off our further
progress, we turned our horses’ heads in the direction from which we
had come, while our friends endeavoured to soothe their disappointment
by saying, that if the pagans had escaped from their hands, they would
certainly not fail to fall into the power of their enemies, viz. the
pagans who lived on the other side of the river under the protection of
Bagírmi.
We thus turned our backs upon the river, my European companion and I
greatly satisfied with our day’s work, which had afforded us a sight of
this fine stream, but our companions, in sullen silence and disappointed,
on account of the expected spoil having escaped from their hands. Indeed,
where they had expected to find that “El Dorado,” that walled town full
of male and female slaves, I never succeeded in ascertaining. The whole
day’s spoil was limited to a handful of slaves—unfortunate creatures
whom sickness or ill-advised courage prevented from leaving their native
villages,—besides a couple of cattle, a few goats, fowls, and a little
corn, but principally ground-nuts, of which large quantities were carried
off by the hungry Kánembú spearmen.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF MÚSGU DWELLING.]
The whole army was in such a mood as to be glad to find any object on
which to vent its anger; and such a one soon presented itself, for when
we again reached that channel-like watercourse which I have mentioned
above, and were watering our horses, four natives were seen, who,
evidently confiding in their courage and their skill in swimming, had
here taken refuge in the deepest part of the water, in order to give
information to their countrymen of the retreat of the enemy. As soon as
our friends caught sight of this little troop of heroes, they determined
to sacrifice them to their vengeance. With this view, the whole of the
cavalry arranged themselves in close lines on each side of the water.
But the task was not so easy as it appeared at first; and all the firing
of the bad marksmen was in vain, the Músgu diving with remarkable
agility. When the vizier saw that in this way these heroes could not
be overpowered, he ordered some Kánembú to enter the water; and a very
singular kind of combat arose, the like of which I had never seen before,
and which required an immense deal of energy, for, while these people had
to sustain themselves above the water with the help of their feet, they
had at the same time to jump up, throw the spear, and parry the thrusts
of their adversaries. The poor Músgu people, on their side, were not
only fighting for their lives, but even, as it were, for their national
honour. They were of large and muscular frame, single-handed far superior
to the Kánembú; but at length, after a protracted struggle, the superior
numbers of the Kánembú got the upper hand, and the corpses of three of
the Músgu were seen swimming on the surface of the water. But the fourth
and last appeared to be invincible, and the Kánembú, who had lost two of
their companions, gave him up in despair. After this inglorious victory
we pursued our march homewards, keeping a little more to the north than
when we came. This part of the country exhibited the same fertile and
pleasant character as that we had seen before. It was densely inhabited
and well cultivated, even tobacco being grown to a great extent. As for
the villages themselves, they afforded the same appearance of comfort and
cheerfulness which we had observed in the others. But all these abodes of
human happiness were destroyed by fire.
After having accomplished these great deeds, we returned to our
encampment. Here we remained during the two following days, while the
most important business was transacted. This was the partition of the
slaves who had been taken during the expedition; and the proceeding was
accompanied by the most heartrending scenes, caused by the number of
young children, and even infants, who were to be distributed, many of
these poor creatures being mercilessly torn away from their mothers,
never to see them again. There were scarcely any full-grown men.
More interesting to me than this horrible affair was the sending of a
messenger to Kúkawa; and it was doubly so on account of the roundabout
way which this man had to pursue, the track by which we had come being
at present greatly infested by the desperate pagans, who very recently
had massacred a whole troop of horse and foot who had come from Kúkawa,
with the exception of one, who had succeeded in making his escape. The
messengers, therefore, who were now sent, were obliged to take the road
leading past the villages of the Fúlbe, going from Démmo to Káfta, which
I have previously mentioned, and from thence to Bógo, whence they were to
follow the general track, which I have described on a former occasion. An
escort of fifteen Kanúri and two Fúlbe accompanied the two messengers, as
their first day’s march was very dangerous.
For the last few days there had been a great talk of an expedition, on a
large scale, against the Túburi, whither it was said we were to transfer
the whole encampment; and I and my companion already anticipated a great
deal of delight, as the isolated rocky mount which we had seen on the
day of our arrival seemed to be well worthy of notice. But, as I have
already stated, the Bórnu people were greatly afraid of this place, the
real reason probably being, that they apprehended the pagans might retire
upon the top of the mountain, and, having abundance of water in the
neighbourhood, offer a successful resistance, although we were told that,
on a former occasion, a single kashélla, ʿAlí Fugomámi, had extended his
expedition as far as that place.
The Fúlbe, by whom this free pagan community was regarded with great
hatred, urged the expedition with the greatest energy; but the cunning
vizier pretended afterwards, in a conversation which he had with Overweg
and me, that it was purposely, from motives of policy, that he did not
accede to this scheme, as he did not want to exterminate this tribe,
being unwilling to pull down with his own hands this last barrier to the
restless spirit of conquest which the Fúlbe or Fellatá displayed. The
usurper ʿAbd eʾ Rahmán, evidently from a motive of ambition, in order to
be enabled to say that he had penetrated further than his late rival the
vizier, whom he had successfully crushed, in the beginning of the rainy
season of 1854 pushed on into the very country of the Túburi, and thus
enabled Dr. Vogel to lay down that most interesting point by astronomical
observation, although the great lake which my friend thought to find
there was apparently nothing but a widening of that stagnant watercourse
which forms the north-eastern branch of the Bénuwé, namely the Máyo
Kébbi, and was laid down by me in the map of Central Africa, which I sent
home from Kúkawa.
_Monday, Jan. 5._—It was at a very early hour on Monday morning, a little
after midnight, when the guide of the expedition came to my tent, and,
while I was just dreaming of the rocky mountain of the Túburi, whispered
in my ear that a distant expedition was to be undertaken that very day,
but not into the country of the Túburi, and that the baggage was to
remain here. Although I should rather have preferred visiting the latter
tract, situated at the north-eastern branch of the basin of the Niger,
I nevertheless was determined not to let any opportunity pass by of
extending my geographical knowledge as much as possible, and therefore
ordered my horse to be saddled. Mr. Overweg meanwhile, when he heard that
the vizier was not to lead the expedition in person, but that the young
Bú-Bakr, son of the sheikh, was to take the command, remained behind;
and as I had no mounted servant, and could not expect that a man on foot
would accompany me to a great distance, I was obliged to go quite alone.
Meanwhile the bugles of Bú-Bakr called the warriors together with a soft
subdued sound, in order not to allow treachery to spread the news of
their plan beforehand. Having passed with some difficulty the narrow gate
of the stockade, the expeditionary army formed outside, when we pushed on
in a north-easterly direction. But Nature has provided so well for the
defence of these poor pagans, that they are not easily taken by surprise.
We succeeded, with the dawn of day, in passing the first broad sheet
of water of the wide “ngáljam” of Wúliya, but found great difficulty
in passing another water with a deep, argillaceous soil of so boggy a
nature that several of the horses fell, even those whose riders had
dismounted; and I felt not a little anxiety on account of my own restless
and fiery horse, which was snorting like a hippopotamus. At length we
left also this morass behind us, and indulged in the hope of having
overcome every difficulty, when suddenly we had before us another and
far deeper water, which delayed us for a long time. But bad as was our
situation whilst we were thus sticking fast in the mud, I could scarcely
help laughing heartily, as this very delay enabled the poor pagans to
escape with their wives and property to a place of safety. As for most
of the horses, the water went over their backs, while I on my stately
charger had the water three inches above my knee. A courageous enemy,
led on by a clever commander, might at this moment have easily captured
most of the horses, and put all the host to flight. At length, after
two hours’ exertion, we emerged from this broad sheet of water, which,
when full, must present the appearance of an extensive central lake
three or four miles in breadth, and many more in length, and now entered
upon green pasture-ground, which, however, during the highest state of
the inundation is itself under water. Here the army divided into three
bodies, and pushed on vigorously, although a great many had retraced
their steps upon seeing the deep water.
Proceeding in this way, we reached the first hamlets, and here formed
a regular line of battle, while the greater part of the army rushed on
in advance, at the sound of the drum and the horns of the kashéllas, to
see if there was anything left for them; but all the inhabitants had
made their escape. Another delay occurred owing to one of the followers
of Bú-Bakr falling into a ditch or hollow twelve feet in depth and the
same in breadth, from which he was extricated with some difficulty,
while the horse died on the spot. But there was plenty of leisure, the
pagans having long ago had sufficient time to make their escape beyond
the river. If those simple people had followed the same stratagem which
the Bórnu people employ against the Tuarek, digging a quantity of holes
and covering them over with bushes, they might have done a great deal of
mischief to the cavalry.
This whole tract of country still belongs to the extensive district
of Wúliya; but the villages have separate names, which, owing to the
unfortunate circumstances under which I visited the country, I was not
able to learn. Having passed a considerable village, we reached, a little
before eleven o’clock, the furthermost line which the waters of the river
Serbéwuel attain during its highest state of inundation, while when they
recede they leave extensive ponds of stagnant water behind, which nourish
a rich supply of the most succulent herbage. The shore was here about
eight feet high, while at the other point, where we had visited the river
a few days previously, it was not so well marked. Of course, where the
inner shore consists of steeper banks, so that the river does not rise
over the higher level to a considerable height, the outward shore cannot
be marked so distinctly.
About thirteen hundred yards beyond this grassy outward shore we reached
the inner bank of the river, which consisted of sand, and was here only
ten feet high. The river at present was confined to this bank, running
at this spot from S. 25° E.; but a little lower down it changed its
direction, running west by north. Higher up, the opposite shore was
richly overgrown with trees, among which deléb- and dúm-palms were
conspicuous; but no villages were to be seen, although a place named Kár
is said to lie on the eastern shore. The reason we had directed our march
to this point seemed to be, that the river is here rather broad, being
about eight hundred yards across, and forming a large sandbank, so that
my friends had entertained the hope that they would be enabled to ford
it, which in some years, when the rains have not been very considerable,
may be possible at this season, and even this year might probably be
effected in two months’ time. But at present this was not the case, and
the rapacious Shúwa Arabs were hurrying about in despair, to and fro,
between the island and the western shore.
I too took the direction of the island, as the most interesting point,
although I became aware that it was not possible to penetrate further on.
The first branch of the river on this side of the island, which was the
broader of the two, was not more than from eighteen to nineteen inches
deep, and could not but become dry in a short time, when the island, or
rather sandbank, should form the knee of the bend of the river; but the
eastern branch, though apparently only about one hundred and twenty or
one hundred and thirty yards broad, seemed to be of considerable depth,
running along with a strong current, and my old friend Abú Dáúd, one of
the principal Shúwa chiefs, whom I encountered at the southern point
of the sandbank, with a sad countenance, indicated the whole nature of
this stream with the laconic and significant expression, “Yákul” (“It
eats”),—that is to say, it is not fordable.
It would have been the more dangerous to attempt to force the passage,
as the opposite shore, which was so near, and only four feet high, was
occupied by a number of stalwart pagans, who mocked at our inability
to cross the river, and seemed to be quite ready to receive in a
satisfactory manner anybody who should make the attempt. It would have
been easy to have blown away these people, and thus to clear the place
of descent; but for such an undertaking my friends had not sufficient
courage or energy. I did not see a single Kanúri on the island, but only
Shúwa, who always expose themselves to the greatest risk, and push on the
furthest. The pagans had not only occupied the opposite bank, but even
kept afloat four canoes at some distance above the island, in order to
run down, with the assistance of the current, any one who should dare to
cross the river. Three of these canoes were small; but the fourth was of
a larger size, and manned by ten Músgu.
These canoes were the only craft visible on the river, and probably
constituted the whole naval force of these pagans. Of course in a country
politically rent into so many petty principalities, where every little
community, as in ancient times in Latium and Greece, forms a separate
little state in opposition to its neighbours, no considerable intercourse
is possible, and those natural highroads with which Nature has provided
these countries, and the immense field therefore which is open in these
regions to human industry and activity, must remain unproductive under
such circumstances; but it will be turned to account as soon as the
restless spirit of the European shall bring these countries within the
sphere of his activity. This period must come. Indeed I am persuaded that
in less than fifty years European boats will keep up a regular annual
intercourse between the great basin of the Tsád and the Bay of Biyáfra.
An almost uninterrupted communication has been opened by Nature herself;
for, from the mouth of the Kwára to the confluence of the river Bénuwé
with the Máyo Kébbi, there is a natural passage navigable without further
obstruction for boats of about four feet in depth, and the Máyo Kébbi
itself, in its present shallow state, seems to be navigable for canoes,
or flat-bottomed boats like those of the natives, which I have no doubt
may, during the highest state of the inundation, go as far as Dáwa in the
Túburi country, where Dr. Vogel was struck by that large sheet of water
which to him seemed to be an independent central lake, but which is in
reality nothing but a widening of the upper part of the Máyo Kébbi.
It is very probable that from this place there may be some other shallow
watercourse, proceeding to join the large ngáljam of Démmo, so that there
would exist a real bifurcation between the basin of the Niger and that
of the Tsád. But even if this should not be the case, the breadth of the
water-parting between these two basins at the utmost cannot exceed twenty
miles, consisting of an entirely level flat, and probably of alluvial
soil, while the granitic region attached to that isolated rocky mountain
which I have mentioned above may, most probably, be turned without
difficulty. The level of the Tsád and that of the river Bénuwé near Géwe,
where it is joined by the Máyo Kébbi, seem to be almost identical; at
least, according to all appearance, the Bénuwé at the place mentioned
is not more than eight hundred and fifty or nine hundred feet above the
level of the sea. All this bounty of Nature will, I trust, one day be
turned to account, though many changes must take place in this country
before a regular and peaceful intercourse can be established. The very
scenes which I witnessed are an unmistakable proof of the misery into
which these regions are plunged.
But, as I have carried away the reader’s attention from the thread of the
narrative, so I myself had almost forgotten where I was, and it required
an admonition from my friend Abú Dáúd to induce me to look after my own
safety; for already the greater part of the Shúwa had returned to the
western shore, and threatened to leave us alone, and it did not seem
very agreeable to be taken in the rear by the pagans, and perhaps even
to be cut off by the boats. I therefore returned to the western shore,
where the army was scattered about, not knowing what to do, being rather
disinclined to retrace their steps without having enriched themselves
with booty of some kind.
Following then the course of the river, I witnessed an interesting and
animated scene,—a dozen courageous natives occupying a small elevated
island, with steep banks, separated from the shore by a narrow but deep
channel, setting at defiance a countless host of enemies, many of whom
were armed with firearms. But African muskets are not exactly like Minié
rifles, and a musketeer very often misses his aim at a distance of thirty
or forty yards. It was astonishing to see that none of this small band
of heroes was wounded, notwithstanding the repeated firing of a number
of Kanúri people. Either the balls missed their aim entirely, or else,
striking upon the shields of these poor pagans, which consisted of
nothing but wickerwork, were unable to pierce this slight defence; for
not only was the powder of a bad quality, making a great deal of noise
without possessing any strength, but even the balls were of extremely
light weight, consisting of pewter, as is generally the case here.
However, it was not prudent of me to witness this scene (which was so
little flattering to my friends) for too long a time; for when they saw
that I had my gun with me, they called upon me urgently to fire at these
scoffers, and when I refused to do so, reproached me in terms which very
often fell to my lot—“ʿAbd el Kerím fáida nsé bágo,” meaning that I was a
useless sort of person.
It is a remarkable fact that in almost the whole of the Músgu country,
except near a few isolated granite mountains, there is not a single
stone, else it would have been almost more profitable to have thrown
stones at these people, than to fire at them with the pewter balls.
With regard to those peculiar shields of wickerwork with which these
courageous Músgu people managed to protect themselves so adroitly, I had
afterwards an opportunity of examining them, and found them to be about
sixteen inches broad at the top, twenty-two at the bottom, and about
forty in length, but hollow. The material consists of the same kind of
reed with which their huts are thatched.
About noon the army began its march homewards. Certainly it was not
overburdened with spoil; for scarcely fifteen slaves had been taken,
mostly decrepit old women, who either could not or would not leave their
comfortable cottages. The anger and disappointment of the army was vented
upon the habitations of these people; and all the cheerful dwellings
which we passed were destroyed by fire. This certainly was a heavy
loss to the inhabitants, not so much on account of the huts, which they
might easily rebuild, as on account of the granaries, the grain having
been harvested some time previously; and, as far as I became aware,
there being no subterranean magazines or catamores, as I had observed
with the Marghí, and the fugitives in the hurry of their escape mostly
probably having only been able to save a small portion of their store.
In estimating, therefore, the miseries of these slave-hunts, we ought
not only to take into account the prisoners led into slavery, and the
full-grown men who are slaughtered, but also the famine and distress
consequent upon these expeditions, although nature has provided this
peculiar tribe with innumerable shallow watercourses swarming with
fish, which must tend greatly to alleviate their sufferings under such
circumstances. The forest intervening between these villages consisted
almost exclusively of “kindín” or talha-trees, which were just in flower,
diffusing a very pleasant fragrance, while here and there they were
overshadowed by isolated dúm-palms. As for déleb-palms, I did not observe
a single specimen in the whole of this district; but beyond the river
to the south-east, as I have mentioned above, I had seen several in the
distance.
After a march of four hours, we again reached the broad ngáljam of Démmo,
but at a different point from where we had crossed it in the morning
with so much delay. It seemed almost providential that we had not taken
this route in the morning, as the poor Músgu people would have had less
time to make their escape. Leaving the main body of the cavalry behind
me, I pursued my march towards my homely tent without delay; for, having
been on horseback for more than twelve hours without anything to eat, I
was quite ready for some repose and refreshment. But it took me full an
hour and a half to cross this peculiar basin, which at present was dry
in most places, and overgrown with tall rank grass, but swampy in some
parts, and intersected by holes caused by the footprints of the elephant.
A mile further along the north-western border of this swamp brought me to
my tent, and to the several dishes which awaited me; and this was one of
those rare occasions, during my travels in Negroland, on which I dined
with a truly European appetite.
The vizier was very gracious, and praised my courage in having
accompanied this distant expedition quite by myself; but the Kanúri, who
had taken part in it, detracted from my praise, using the very terms
which I have mentioned above—“Fáida nsé bágo.” Indeed, this became one
of my nicknames during my stay in Bórnu, and was the reason why I was
less popular with most of the people than my companion. It is very
natural that the motto “Afí fáida nsé?” (“Of what use is he?”) should
be the guiding principle, not only of Europeans, but barbarians and
semi-barbarians.
The following day we remained on the same spot, probably for no other
purpose than to give some repose to the people who had accompanied
the expedition the preceding day; and the vizier, who was fully aware
of my ardent desire to push further southward, at least as far as the
equator, took occasion to make merry at my expense, and, to the great
horror of the effeminate courtiers, suddenly proclaimed that it was his
firm intention to lead the expedition into those unknown regions in the
interior. At times, indeed, he could be exceedingly amiable; and he was
clever enough to conceive how Europeans could be induced to undertake
such hazardous journeys, although he was scarcely able to appreciate the
amount of courage which such an undertaking is able to inspire. He had
often spoken with me concerning my project of pushing on towards the east
coast; and he thought that a troop of ten Europeans would be able to
accomplish it, though he anticipated great obstructions from the quantity
of watercourses in those equatorial regions; and there can be no doubt
that this would be one of the greatest obstacles to such an undertaking.
In order to console me, and soothe my disappointment on finding that
this was to be the furthest point of the expedition, and that we should
retrace our steps from hence without even visiting the country of the
Túburi, he ordered Mʿallem Jýmma to be called, in order to inform me
how far the enterprising Púllo conqueror Búba had penetrated beyond
Búban-jídda; but he found that I was already fully acquainted with this
fact from other sources. The very interesting route of the Mʿallem Jýmma
from Démmo, by the village of the Túburi to Láka and Láme, I have already
communicated on a former occasion. It is to be hoped that these regions
will soon become better known, when English steamers shall go annually up
the river Bénuwé, and enable travellers to start afresh from thence for
those inland regions.