irregular detachments, as chance or attachment grouped the people
together; but we soon came to another halt, and much conversation
ensued, in consequence of which, three of the Fugábú horsemen were
despatched to the south, to bring up an experienced guide. Having at
length resumed our march, through a fine undulating and well-wooded
country, we chose about sunset an open place for our encampment, where
we were told we should rest till the moon had risen. Strict orders were
given not to light a fire, in order that the enemy might not become
aware of our approach. But as soon as it became dark, very large fires
were seen to the south-east, forming one magnificent line of flame; and
as it was clear that these were not common fires for domestic use, but
appeared rather to be beacons, it was conjectured that the enemy had
tidings of our coming, and were calling together their people. An order
was therefore immediately given to proceed; but scarcely were the loads
put upon the camels, and every thing ready for the march, when a
counter-order was received, that we were to remain. We then began to
make ourselves comfortable, when a third order was given to load
immediately and to pursue the march.
This ordering and countermanding seemed to arise rather from the bad
organization of a band subject to no strict authority, but where every
man of any experience and a little valour had something to say, than
with the intention of misleading a lurking spy; but, whatever the cause,
it was rather trying, and my two men, Bu-Zéd and Áhmed, neither of whom
was very energetic, could scarcely be persuaded to load a second time,
while all the people were getting ready with great expedition, and
marched off as soon as they were ready. We therefore remained behind
from the beginning. Unfortunately the load was so badly adjusted that
several things soon fell down and had to be replaced; and this happening
more than once, the distance between us and the host became so great,
that at last not even the slightest noise could be heard of the troop
before us to direct our course; but having once noticed the direction by
the stars, I was able to guide my servants. To make matters worse, the
ground was covered with high grass, and it was not easy to proceed at a
rapid rate. Trees were very scanty here.
At length the Arabs became aware of my having been left at a great
distance behind, and about midnight made a halt, when I overtook them.
After having lightened my camel, we proceeded with expedition through
the dark night, illuminated only by the distant fires, which gave a
painful idea of the resistance we were to meet with, till after two
o’clock in the morning of the 18th, when we reached a rising ground,
and, dismounting, lay down near our wearied horses to get an hour’s
rest.
We then continued our march with great alacrity for an hour, when we
came to a halt on undulating sandy ground thickly covered with bushes.
The horsemen galloped on in advance, while Overweg and I remained with
the train, consisting of from sixty to seventy camels mounted by young
men, and boys not more than ten years old, who were looking forward with
such avidity for prey that they could scarcely be kept back. At length
we began to proceed slowly, but soon came to another halt, as till now
we had not heard a single shot; but when the day dawned, the greedy
multitude could not be kept back any longer, and on we went.
We here obtained a faint view of an irregular valley-formation ahead of
us, adorned with a few palm-trees, which, in the dubious light of the
dawn, gave to the country an interesting and entirely new appearance.
Crossing this valley-plain, we gradually ascended higher ground, and
reached a small deserted village, consisting of large spacious huts. But
though we turned off from it to the north, in order to prevent our
little troop from dispersing to make booty, the best-mounted and most
daring of them started off on their light mehára to see if something
might not have been left to suit them.
Some little cultivation was to be seen around the village; but in
general the country continued to bear the most evident traces of
desolation. At length its dreary aspect became relieved, and we
descended into a regularly formed valley called Gésgi, about 500 yards
broad, and inclosed between high cliffs of sandstone. This was the first
regular valley-formation which we saw on our journey to Kánem; for as
yet all depressions in the ground presented rather the character of
hollows without a regular shelving or sloping in any direction. This
valley, on the contrary, extending from north to south, was apparently
the occasional channel of a small torrent, and, on account of the
moisture extending over the whole of it, was adorned with several groups
of palm-trees, and in several places with corn-fields.
But while this valley presented great attraction to the European
traveller, it was not less attractive to the covetous Arab freebooter;
and all order ceasing in our little troop, the young inexperienced lads
who composed our _cortége_ dispersed in all directions. Some small
flocks of sheep had been observed in the valley; and they were now
pursued by part of our companions, while others ransacked the huts of a
small hamlet situated on the western brow of the vale. It was very
fortunate for us that no natives were lurking hereabouts, as they might
have done immense mischief to our troop, scattered as it was about the
country. Overweg and I were almost left alone, when, after having looked
about in vain for traces of the footsteps of the horsemen who had gone
in advance, we ascended the eastern slope, which was extremely steep and
very difficult for the camels. Gradually our companions, fearing to
expose themselves by staying behind, collected around us, and we
proceeded in a south-easterly direction, when we soon came to another
and more favoured valley, called Hénderí Síggesí, its bottom adorned
with a thicker grove of date-trees and with beautiful corn-fields—that
is to say, fields of wheat with their golden stalks waving in the
wind—while the high ground, being elevated above the bottom of the
valley about 120 feet, was planted near the brow with fields of millet,
which was just ripe, but not yet reaped. What with the rich vegetation,
the steep cliffs, the yellowish crop, the burning hamlet, and the people
endeavouring to make their escape, it formed a very interesting scene,
which is represented in the accompanying view.
[Illustration: Drawn by J. M. Bernatz, from a Sketch by Dr. Barth.
M. & N. Hanhart, lith. et impt.
HÉNDERI SÍGGESI.
Octr. 18th. 1851.]
Keeping along the western brow, which in some places, where the rock lay
bare, was extremely steep, we observed that several natives, including
even two or three horsemen, had taken refuge in the thickest part of the
date-grove, watching our motions. A small hamlet of straw huts of a
peculiar shape, not unlike those of the Koyám described on a former
occasion, and lying at the very brink of the steep rocky declivity, had
been set on fire. Our wild, lawless companions now began to descend into
the valley at a spot where the slope was more gradual, raising a war-cry
in order to frighten those people who were hid in the grove. Five good
horsemen would have sufficed to overthrow this whole troop of young
unbearded lads, who were snapping their firelocks without being in
general provided with balls. It was very lucky, indeed, that Overweg and
I with our people kept well together in the foremost part of the train,
for the natives, rushing suddenly out from their hiding-place upon the
stragglers, laid hold of two camels, with which they immediately made
good their retreat, their young riders, who a moment before had shown
such courage, having betimes jumped off their animals and run away. Our
companions were now full of gesticulations and warlike threats; but
nobody dared to attack the small body of men, and dispute with them
their booty. We soon reached the level on the eastern side of the
valley; but if we had hesitated before what course to pursue, we were
now quite puzzled to find the whereabouts of the horsemen. Wandering
thus up and down without any distinct direction, we of course, as it was
not safe for us to dismount and take a moment’s rest, suffered great
fatigue, after a whole day and night’s journey. Meanwhile the sun had
almost reached the zenith, and I felt extremely weak and exhausted.
At length some of the horsemen were seen, at a great distance beyond a
more shallow dell, driving before them a herd of cattle; and rescued at
length from the dangerous position in which we had been, destitute as we
were of any sufficient protection, we hastened to cross the valley, and
to join our more warlike and experienced friends. Falling in with them,
we went together to a place a little further down this wide flat valley,
where there were a small hamlet and stubble-fields. Here at length I
hoped to get a little rest, and lay down in the scanty shade of a talha;
but unfortunately there was no well here, and after a very short halt
and a consultation, the order was given to proceed. I was scarcely able
to mount my horse again and to follow the troop. The Arabs called this
valley, which was very flat and produced no date-trees, Wádi el Ghazál,
but what its real name is I did not learn; it has of course nothing to
do with the celebrated and larger valley of this name. The well was not
far off, in another fine valley, or rather hollow, deeper than Wádi el
Ghazál but much flatter than either Síggesí or Gésgí, and called Msállat
or Amsállat. It was adorned with a wild profusion of mimosa, and in its
deepest part provided with “kháttatír” or draw-wells, irrigating a fine
plantation of cotton, the first we had yet seen in Kánem.
The Arabs had not made a very considerable booty, the Woghda having
received intelligence of their approach and saved what they could. The
whole result of the expedition was fifteen camels, a little more than
three hundred head of cattle, and about fifteen hundred sheep and goats.
The Arabs were for some time in great anxiety about Ghét, and a party of
horsemen who had gone with him to a greater distance; but he joined us
here, driving before him a large flock of sheep. We were busy watering
our horses, and providing ourselves with this necessary element. But
there was not much leisure; for scarcely had we begun to draw water,
when the alarm was given that the Woghda were attacking us, and three
bodies of horsemen were formed in order to protect the train and the
booty. The main body rushed out of the valley on the south-east side,
and drove the enemy back to a considerable distance; but the intention
of encamping on the slope near this well was given up as too dangerous,
and it was decided to go to a greater distance, though the intention of
penetrating to Mʿawó seemed not as yet entirely to be abandoned. It took
us a considerable time to get out of this wooded valley, the Arabs being
afraid of being attacked and losing their booty.
At length, the cattle and flocks having been driven in advance, we
started, and, leaving the vale, ascended elevated rocky ground, from
which, following a south-westerly direction, we descended, a little
before two o’clock in the afternoon, into the narrower eastern part of a
deep and beautiful valley, which here is adorned by a pretty grove of
date-trees, while its western part expands into fine cultivated ground.
Here we made a halt of about half an hour, in order to water the animals
and replenish our skins; for not even here was it thought advisable to
encamp, as it is regarded as a very inauspicious place, this being the
spot where, in 1850, the Kél-owí fell upon the Welád Slimán and almost
exterminated them. After so short a halt we again pursued our march. I
was now so totally exhausted that I was obliged to dismount at short
intervals and lie down for a moment; and once, when left alone, it was
only with the utmost exertion that I was able to mount my horse again;
but nevertheless I managed to drag myself along. At length, about
sunset, we chose a place for our encampment on the brow of the slope
descending into a deep valley. Having now been thirty-four hours on
horseback with only short and insufficient intervals, I fell senseless
to the ground, and was considered by Mr. Overweg and our people as about
to breathe my last. But after an hour’s repose I recovered a little,
and, having had a good night’s rest, felt myself much stronger on the
following morning, so that I could even undergo some exertion which was
not exactly necessary.
[Sidenote: Monday, Oct. 20th.]
Descended with our people into the valley when they went to fetch water.
It is called Áláli Ádia, or Jerád, from a small hamlet lying on the
highest ground, and called Áláli. The well was very rich and plentiful;
but no traces of cultivation appeared at the foot of the date-trees. The
slope was rather steep, and about 130 feet high. The Arabs, who had
contracted their encampment or “dowar” within the smallest possible
compass, barricading it with their baggage, as all the empty bags which
they had taken with them on the expedition were now full of corn from
the magazines of the enemy, were not at all at their ease, and seemed
not to know exactly what course to take, whether to penetrate further in
advance or to return. Several Fugábú and people belonging to Hallúf came
to pay their respects to Sheikh Ghét; and a person of considerable
authority, called Keghámma, or rather Keghámma-futébe (Seraskier of the
West), the very man of whom we before had heard so much talk, came also
and paid me a visit in my tent; for, being in a weak state, I had been
obliged, when the sun became oppressive, to pitch my tent, as there was
no shade. There being no other tent in the encampment, I received visits
from several parties who wished to breakfast a little at their ease, and
among others from a man called Kédel Batrám, Hallúf’s brother. Keghámma
stated that he was certainly able to bring us to Kárká; but this was a
mere pretence, and he himself retracted his promise shortly afterwards
before the sheikh. Our cherished object lay still before us, at a
considerable distance; but our friend Ghét thought that he had brought
us already far enough to deserve some more presents, and plainly
intimated as much to us through ʿAbd-Allah. Fortunately I had a handsome
yellow cloth caftan with me, embroidered with gold, and towards evening,
when I had recovered from a severe fit of fever which had suddenly
attacked me in the afternoon, we went to pay our compliments to the
chief, and begged him to accept of it; at the same time we told him we
should be satisfied if we were enabled to visit the district belonging
to the keghámma. But the situation of the Arabs soon became more
dangerous, and nothing was thought of but to retrace our steps westward
with the greatest possible expedition.
I was lying sleepless in my tent, in a rather weak state, having
scarcely tasted any kind of food for the last few days on account of my
feverish state, when, in the latter part of the night, a great alarm was
raised in the camp, and I heard the Arabs mount their horses and ride
about in several detachments, raising their usual war-cry, “yá riyáb, yá
riyáb;” but I remained quietly on my mat, and was not even roused from
my lethargical state when I received the intelligence that a numerous
hostile army, consisting of the Woghda, the Médelé, the Shíri, and the
people of the Eastern Keghámma, was advancing against the camp. I
received this news with that indifference with which a sick and
exhausted man regards even the most important events. Neither did I stir
when, with the first dawn of day on the 21st, the enemy having actually
arrived within a short distance, our friends left the camp in order to
offer battle. I heard about ten shots fired, but did not think that the
Arabs would be beaten. Suddenly Overweg, who had saddled his horse at
the very beginning of the alarm, called out anxiously to me that our
friends were defeated, and, mounting his horse, started off at a gallop.
My mounted servant, Bú Zéd, had long taken to his heels; and thus, while
Mohammed was hastily saddling my horse, I flung my bernús over me, and
grasping my pistols and gun, and throwing my double sack over the
saddle, I mounted and started off towards the west, ordering Mohammed to
cling fast to my horse’s tail. It was the very last moment, for at the
same time the enemy began to attack the east side of the camp. All the
people had fled, and I saw only the chief slave of Ghét, who, with great
anxiety, entreated me to take his master’s state sword with me, that it
might not fall into the hands of the enemy.
But I had not gone a great distance when I heard firing close behind me,
and, turning round, saw the Arab horsemen rallying, and with the cry,
“He keléb, keléb,” turn round against the enemy, who had dispersed in
order to collect the spoil. I went on in order to inform Mr. Overweg,
who, together with the Arabs who were mounted on camels, and even
several horsemen, had fled to some distance and posted themselves on a
hill. Assuring him that the danger was over, I returned with him to the
camp, where we were rather surprised to find that not only all our
luggage was gone, but that not even a vestige of my tent was left.
The enemy, attracted only by the English tent and Sheikh Ghét’s baggage,
had scarcely touched the effects of the other people, but considered my
tent as a fair prize and ran away with it. But the Arabs pursuing them,
we got back most of our things. A leathern English bag of mine which
contained some articles of value had been cut open, just, as it seemed,
at the moment when our friends came up with the enemy. Our chief loss
consisted in our cooking utensils and provisions; I also much regretted
the loss of an English prayer-book, which had belonged to Mr.
Richardson. Four of the Arabs had been killed, and thirty-four of the
enemy. Mr. Overweg was busily employed in dressing some severe wounds
inflicted on our friends. The Arabs were furious at the insolence, as
they called it, of the enemy who had dared to attack them in their own
encampment, and they swore they would now go and burn down all their
hamlets and their corn. The horsemen actually left, but returned in the
course of the afternoon rather silently, with a sullen face and
unfavourable tidings; and before sunset they were once more obliged to
defend their own encampment against another attack of the energetic
natives; they, however, succeeded in beating them off. Hallúf
distinguished himself greatly by his valour, killing three or four of
the enemy with his own hand.
But notwithstanding this little victory, the forebodings for the night
were very unfavourable, and our friends would certainly have decamped
immediately if they had not been afraid that in the darkness of the
night the greater part might take to their heels, and that a shameful
flight would be followed by great loss of life and property. Accordingly
they determined to remain till the next morning. But an anxious and
restless night it was; for they had received authentic news that a body
of from thirty to forty Wadáy horsemen were to join their enemies that
night and to make a joint and last attack upon them; and they were well
aware that the enemy had only been beaten from want of horses. All the
horses remained saddled, and the whole night they sounded the watchcry;
but the most restless was the renegade Jew ʿAbd-Allah, who felt
convinced that this would be his last night, and was most anxious to get
a razor in order to shave his head before the hour of death.
[Sidenote: October 22nd.]
The night passed on without the enemy appearing, and with the dawn of
day the sign for decamping was given, when everybody endeavoured to get
in advance of his neighbour. The enemy, as was positively stated
afterwards, arrived there about an hour later; but seeing that we were
gone, did not choose to pursue us.
Thus we left the most interesting part of Kánem behind us, the country
once so thickly studded with large populous and celebrated towns, such
as Njímiye, Agháfi, and all those places which I shall describe in the
Appendix from the account of the expeditions of Edrís Alawóma, with many
rich valleys full of date-trees.
Keeping first in a westerly, and afterwards in a more south-westerly
direction, through a rather uninteresting country, we arrived about
eight o’clock in the morning in a wide vale called Tákulum, full of rich
succulent herbage and fine trees, where, it being supposed that we were
out of danger, it was decided to give the horses and camels a feed after
having watered them. I, for my part, was extremely thankful for getting
a few hours’ rest in the shade of a venerable acacia, near the gentle
slope surrounding the hollow. But just in the greatest heat of the day
we left this pleasant resting-place, near which is the ordinary
residence of the keghámma, in the valley Kárafu, and followed a more
north-westerly direction, ascending gradually from the vale, and
entering a well-wooded district, where all the grass had recently been
burnt, or was still burning; and in one place it was even with some
danger that we found our way through the flames. This burning of the
grass, as I have stated above, seems to be a general practice all over
Negroland.
Towards evening the country became quite open, and ahead of us a small
range was seen, at the western foot of which our resting-place was said
to be; but it seemed very distant, and it was quite dark when we made
halt in two separate encampments, not being able to reach the point of
destination. Our supper was very simple indeed; for, having lost all our
provisions at the taking of the camp at Áláli, we were obliged to
content ourselves with a few bad dates, the only thing we were able to
obtain from our friend Sheikh Ghét.
[Sidenote: Thursday, October 23rd.]
While our camels and people kept along the direct road, together with
the train and part of the horsemen, Overweg and I, following Sheikh Ghét
and his troop, took a more northerly direction, and passed the heat of
the day in a fine valley. It was certainly one of the finest vales we
had seen in the country, except that it did not produce date-trees. But
the district of Shitáti, which we again had entered here, seems not to
be favourable for that tree, while Shíri and the neighbourhood of Mʿawó
is very productive in date-trees. Part of the bottom was laid out in
corn-fields, irrigated from Kháttatír, near which some huts were
standing, while a larger village, at present deserted, is situated on
the brow of the slope dominating the valley. It is called Burka-drússo,
or Burka-drústo. Here we enjoyed a few hours of tranquil repose; but
with the exception of this our enjoyment was very scanty, having nothing
to breakfast upon but a handful of dates and some water. But our
material wants were inconsiderable in comparison with the disappointment
which we felt, as we clearly saw that all hope of reaching the Bahar el
Ghazál, or even Mʿawó, was to be given up, and the hope of attaining
those districts had been the only reason which had induced us to join
our fate with this band of freebooters. We had spent all the property
that remained to us to enable us to undertake this expedition, and our
reflections therefore were far from pleasant.
When the heat of the day had passed by, the Arabs pursued their march,
and we followed them, reascending the higher level and marching over a
pleasant country well adorned with trees and bushes, while we left a
hollow called Núkko on our left, one of the three vales of Shitáti which
bear this name, and further on crossing another one called Arnánko. When
night approached, our companions began to put their horses into a gallop
in order to arrive betimes, while we preferred going on more slowly.