accompanying plate, I went to join my companion, and we decided upon
ascending the more elevated of the two eminences; but having attained to
the height of some hundred feet, I felt quite exhausted, especially as I
had a severe cold, and gave it up; but Mr. Overweg ascended to the top,
which rises to about 700 feet above the plain.[21] These rocky mounts
abound with a species of black monkey, while even beasts of prey
generally have their haunts here. The crevices formed by the granite
blocks are adorned with small trees and shrubs. The view from here, over
the immense plain towards the south, girt as it was by a continuous band
of middle-sized timber, was very characteristic, the uniform line being
relieved in the foreground by the other rocky mount.
[Illustration: Drawn by J. M. Bernatz, from a Sketch by Dr. Barth.
M. & N. Hanhart, lith. et impt.
ENCAMPMENT AT WÁZA.
Jany. 22nd. 1852.]
This place belongs already to the territory of Logón, and consists of
several small hamlets inhabited by Shúwa, but governed by a chief, or
“lawán,” who belongs to the tribe of the Fúlbe.
It was here that we received the news that a courier had arrived from
Fezzán, but that he had been plundered, by the Tawárek, of the letters
and articles which he was carrying for us. This, of course, was sad
news, although we did not expect to receive money, or anything of great
value, at the time.
[Sidenote: January 22nd.]
After a long delay, caused by the straying of the vizier’s favourite
horse, which he rode every day, and which had most mysteriously
disappeared during the night, from the midst of the encampment, we left
this interesting spot, and after a good ride over a very rich though
insufficiently cultivated tract of country, encamped at a short distance
from a broad shallow water adorned with the finest trees; it is called
Zéngiri. From here we reached Díggera, and took up our quarters in our
old camp, pitching our tents on the very spot where they had stood two
months previously; and from this point onwards, we stopped each day at
the same place where we had encamped on our outward journey.
[Sidenote: February 1st.]
On our re-entering the capital there was a good deal of ceremony and
etiquette observed, when the whole army[22], at least that part which
had not yet been disbanded, was formed into one compact line of battle,
in order to receive in a suitable manner the military salutes which
were paid to the commander-in-chief on his successful return.
Distinguished above all those who came to meet us and pay their
compliments to the commander, was Ghét, the chief of the Welád Slimán,
who, a few days previously, had arrived from Kánem, where we left him,
and from whence he had made a successful expedition against the Kúnkuna
in Kárká. Galloping up with the utmost speed, at the head of his
little band of from twenty to thirty horsemen clad in their picturesque
attire, this petty Arab chief exhibited an interesting and animated
specimen of horsemanship, which presented a remarkable contrast to
the unwieldy movements of the clumsy and sluggish figures of the
negroes. Returning to our old quarters in the town, we were treated
with a peculiar dainty of the Kanúri, consisting of the fresh seeds of
the grain called masr (_Zea maïs_), which are roasted in a peculiar way.
Thus ended this expedition, which opened to us a slight glimpse into
the richly-watered zone of the equatorial regions, which had been
supposed to form an insurmountable barrier of a high mountain-chain,
and brought us into contact with tribes, whose character had been
represented as almost approaching to that of wild beasts. We had
certainly not entered those regions under such circumstances as were
most desirable to us; but on the contrary, we had been obliged to
associate ourselves with an army whose only purpose was to spread
devastation and misery over them. Nevertheless, situated as we were,
while we could not prevent this mischief, we were glad that we had been
enabled to see so much. We were without any means, no further supplies
having arrived; but I did not despair, and in order still to be able
to try my fortune once more in another direction before I returned
home, besides other articles, I even sold my large tent, and employed
part of the proceeds to line my small tent, which was fast wearing out
and neither excluded rain nor sun.
[Footnote 21: Mr. Vogel, who likewise visited this spot in 1854, found
the plain elevated 920 feet above the level of the sea, while the two
mounts attained the respective heights of 1300 and 1600 feet.]
[Footnote 22: For a list of the several detachments which constituted
the army, at least the cavalry, on this expedition, see Appendix III.]
[Illustration: DR. BARTH’S TRAVELS IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA Sheet No.
11.
MAP OF THE ROUTE from KÚKAWA TO MÁSEÑÁ 5 March-21 August 1850.
Constructed and drawn by A. Petermann.
Engraved by E. Weller, _Duke Strt. Bloomsbury._
_London, Longman & Co._]
CHAP. XLVI.
SETTING OUT FOR BAGÍRMI. — THE COUNTRY OF KÓTOKÓ.
I had returned to the town on the 1st of February, 1852; on the 4th of
March I again set out on a journey to Bagírmi. However, I did not feel
very confident as to the success of my enterprise. The sultan of Bagírmi
was reported as being absent from his capital on an expedition to the
south-east of his dominions; but I was given to understand that there
would be no great difficulty in addressing myself to the lieutenant-
governor, whom he had left to represent him in his absence, in order to
be allowed to join him, and to be thus enabled to explore those more
southern regions which by myself I had no prospect of visiting. I
introduced myself, accordingly, to the agent of that prince, who resides
in Kúkawa. This man is a eunuch, who was made prisoner by the Kanúri in
the second battle of Ngála, and had risen to the dignity of mestréma, or
first eunuch, of the sultan of Bórnu. But although I made him a small
present, he received me rather coolly, and did not inspire me with much
confidence as to my ultimate success.
I had exhausted my means entirely, having been obliged to purchase at
high prices, for credit, even the very small supply of presents which I
was able to take with me. I had only two very indifferent servants,
Mohammed ben Habíb and Mohammed ben Áhmed, both young lads from Fezzán,
as limited in their intelligence as they were conceited in their
pretensions as Moslemín, and not possessing the least knowledge of the
country which we were about to visit.
The only animals I had for my conveyance were a horse and a she-camel.
Hence I did not set out with that spirit of confidence which ensures
success; but, having determined to return to Europe if new supplies did
not very soon arrive, I resolved to make a last desperate attempt to
accomplish something before I finally left the country.
Mr. Overweg accompanied me as far as Ngórnu, where we took up our
quarters with my friend the kashélla Kótokó. Here, in my present
destitute condition, I was greatly delighted at receiving, by private
message from the vizier, a small parcel of coffee, and from the mʿallem
Mohammed, a loaf of sugar. Such tokens of disinterested friendship are
very gratifying to the traveller in a foreign land.
[Sidenote: Friday, March 5th.]
At the beginning of the cotton-plantation I took leave of my European
companion. He was to make an excursion, accompanied by Kótokó, along the
shores of the lake towards Máduwári—the very place where, in the course
of a few months, he was destined to succumb.
I had received from the mestréma a trooper as escort; but he was not the
kind of man I should have liked. If phrenologists had taken his features
as the general type of the Negro race, they would have felt themselves
authorized in assigning to them a more intimate affinity with monkeys
than with men; and his cheerless but self-conceited disposition was in
perfect harmony with his exterior.
The waters of the lagoon had already considerably decreased, laying bare
fine fresh pasture-grounds, on which numerous herds of cattle were
grazing, while small pools of stagnant water, left behind by the
retiring inundation, afforded some relief to the monotony of the plain.
A great deal of cotton is cultivated on these fertile grounds, and an
immense deal more might be cultivated. The people were busy in all
directions in the labours of the field, while, on those grounds which
were not cultivated, the luxuriant weed of the _Asclepias_ was re-
assuming its ordinary domain. Scarcely a single tree was to be seen; and
only as we proceeded onwards a few specimens gradually appeared.
Thus we passed the village of Kúkiya, where we had taken up our first
night’s quarters on the expedition to Músgu. Here the deep sandy soil
was at times enlivened by isolated clusters of the dúm-bush; and people
were digging, here and there, for the rush-nut (“hab el ʿazíz” or
“nefú,” _Cyperus esculentus_) which I have mentioned on former
occasions. A tract of indifferent cultivation was relieved by a fine
field of wheat, belonging to several of the great men or kokanáwa of
Kúkawa. Having here watered our horses, we wanted to make a halt during
the heat of the day, at a hamlet belonging to Háj Ibrahím; but we were
rather inhospitably received, and stretched ourselves therefore under
the shade of a caoutchouc-tree at some distance from the village. The
tree was remarkable on account of a peculiar “sáfi” or charm, which
testified to the many remains of pagan rites still lingering in these
countries. It consisted of two earthern pots placed one upon the other,
and filled with a peculiar substance, and was supposed to guarantee
prolificness to the mares of the village. The ground being an ordinary
resting-place for travellers, swarmed with insects, principally that
large kind of “karí” common to the cattle in this country.
When we started again in the afternoon, we met a caravan, consisting of
camels and pack-oxen laden with Guinea corn, which one of our friend
Lamíno’s people was taking to town from his master’s plantation. At an
early hour we reached Yédi, which we had also touched at on our
expedition to Músgu. I intended to have taken up my quarters inside the
town; but the streets were so narrow that I preferred encamping outside.
A young Shúwa lad here offered his services to me. At the well where we
had watered our horses he had rendered us gratuitous assistance; and I
had given him a few needles in return. Being in want of a servant, I
accepted his offer, and had strong reason in the course of my travels to
be glad of having done so; for although in the beginning he caused me
some trouble, and behaved at times rather awkwardly, he proved on the
whole a very useful servant.
I was hospitably treated in the evening by a young man of the name of
Degéji, who had accompanied Mr. Overweg on his voyage on the lake. He
was a barber and a musician, and rather a gay sort of person.
[Sidenote: Saturday, March 6th.]
We followed the direct route for Ngála. The country, open at the
commencement, became gradually covered by the dúm-bush, and further on
by middle-sized trees of various kinds. Besides the wife of my escort
trooper, who was to pay a visit to her father in Bagírmi, and who was at
least a degree better than her husband, a very cheerful man of the name
of Kágo had attached himself to our little troop. He had been acquainted
with the members of the former expedition, and was anxious to give me
all possible information with regard to the qualities of the various
trees and bushes which adorned the wilderness, especially the kári,
karáwa, and látram; and on this occasion I learnt that a kind of
disease, which would seem to be the stigma of a closely-packed
civilization, is not at all rare in these countries: it is here called
“dun.” Everything testifies to the richness of this country, which is
now left to utter neglect. The population of the small villages which
dot the landscape is mixed, consisting one half of Kanúri, and the other
of Shúwa; and I was not a little surprised to find in one of them, which
belongs to a man named Mʿallem Tálbay Sámi, Felláta or Fúlbe mixed with
the Kanúri. Most of the Shúwa had already deserted their villages for
temporary residences in other quarters.
At an early hour we halted in the village Kostári, the inhabitants of
which had seen me on a former occasion. They seem to be very poor, which
may however be attributed to their laziness. According to their own
account, they were living almost entirely upon the waterfowl which
frequent the shores of the lagoon in countless numbers; and indeed the
whole village was full of wild geese and ducks. However, I succeeded in
getting a little milk, some honey, and kréb, or kashá,—a kind of seed,
probably identical with the _Poa Abyssinica_, but of which there are
different species: here in Bórnu there are principally two species,
called “kashá ngórgo” and “kashá magáya,” while in Wádáy there are three
or four, called “denáng,” “líliyák,” “shorók,” and tanfáfanáng, besides
a collateral species called “felé.”
It is very remarkable that, while the waters of the lake are fresh, most
of the water which is obtained hereabouts, at a very short distance from
its shore, is full of natron. The water of this place was so impregnated
with that mineral, that it was scarcely drinkable, which was felt the
more as the air was oppressive in the extreme; and I felt so exhausted
at the commencement of my journey, and after a long stay in the town,
that I was obliged to recruit my strength with a small remnant of
_mastico_ which I had with me. The heat was so intense that I felt very
grateful when, later in the afternoon, a slight breeze sprung up. My
poor animals, however, fared still worse than myself, being tormented by
a large blood-sucking fly.
Major Denham travelled, on this route, along the south side of the lake:
but the road which he took is now entirely given up, on account of the
insecurity of the country, and the place or rather district Keskári
mentioned by him, lying from three to four hours’ march north-east from
this place, is entirely deserted; we therefore followed a more southerly
road.
The first object which attracted our attention here was a herd of wild
hogs, an animal which I had very rarely seen in these regions, but which
I afterwards found frequenting in great numbers the country bordering on
the river Shári; it even seems to form a substantial part of the food of
the natives, not excepting the Mohammedans.
While we were winding along the narrow path leading through the forest,
the vegetation all at once exhibited an entirely new and very remarkable
feature; for here, all on a sudden, I saw a group of perhaps ten or
twelve large trees of arborescent _Euphorbiaceæ_. I have mentioned small
specimens of euphorbia, on my journey through Dámerghú, and even in
Háusa; but I had afterwards almost entirely lost sight of it in
Negroland. Here, however, this plant grows to a height of certainly not
less than from thirty to thirty-five feet, its succulent, luxuriant,
cactus-like leaves contrasting in a very remarkable manner with the
monotonous and dry vegetation of the mimosas around. There must be
something very peculiar in the soil in this tract; for I never
afterwards, in the whole of my travels, beheld the euphorbia attain to
such an altitude, the greatest height which I saw it reach being twenty
feet. This was in the country of Músgu, in an entirely isolated
instance; and even on the journey to Bagírmi I did not meet with a
single specimen of this plant, however small.
Proceeding through a part of the forest which exhibited a fresher
appearance, and which was enlivened by a troop of horsemen whom we met,
we reached the village of Dábuwa at five o’clock in the afternoon. Here
we were hospitably received, in consequence of the persuasive manners of
my cheerful companion Kágo, while the apish grimaces of the trooper who
formed my official escort were quite disregarded. Poultry, milk, and
negro corn were given to us for our supper in the evening. In this place
the people are not so badly off for water, the well measuring not more
than five fathoms.
[Sidenote: Sunday, March 7th.]
When we started, we entered a very dense part of the forest (“karága
tsílim,” as the Kanúri say), with a rich variety of trees, but all of
middle size, and not a single tamarind- or monkey-bread tree was to be
seen. As we proceeded, however, the country became a little more open,
the “karága tsílim” giving way to the “dírridé,” or clear forest, and
signs of cultivation were seen. Here I observed that the clayey soil, or
“ánge,” was intersected by small ridges, in order to retain the water,
during the rainy season, for the cultivation of the másakuwá. Cotton
also seemed to be cultivated to some extent. In this district too the
villages contained a mixed population of Shúwa and Kanúri. The village
Gujári, which we passed further on, was distinguished by an extensive
pottery. Here the road was enlivened by a numerous caravan of pack-oxen
laden with grain, on their way to Díkowa, the town described on my
expedition to the Músgu country; for, as I have there stated, the
cultivation of that place is almost entirely limited to cotton, while
all the corn which is required for the consumption of the inhabitants is
imported. The cotton is not carried by beasts of burden, but on the
heads of the natives; and a little further on we met a numerous train of
these people, whose appearance imparted some idea of industry. Passing
on our road many patches of that black boggy soil, called “fírki” or
“ánge,” which I have described on a former occasion, we reached the
small village of Hókkum at about half-past eight in the morning.
We had expressly chosen this road in order to avoid the wells of bitter
water in the village Jémage, which lies on the southern road; but here
we fared worse, for there was no water at all in the village, and we had
to send to a great distance to get a small supply, the quality of which
was anything but agreeable. This scarcity of water, however, seemed to
arise only from the laziness of the inhabitants; for the wells are not
more than three fathoms deep, and the floods of the lake themselves
occasionally approach so near that it has been found necessary to
protect the village on its north side by a dyke. Here we passed the heat
of the day in the shade of a kórna-tree, the fruit of which, being just
ripe, in want of some better indulgence, we did not despise.
I was greatly surprised to observe here that salt is obtained by burning
the dung of cattle. It is indeed very remarkable how the poorer people
in Negroland endeavour to supply their want of this article, which in
every stage of society has become such an essential ingredient of common
diet.
About half an hour after starting in the afternoon, we reached a
considerable watercourse, which, bordered by fine spreading trees, had a
very pleasant appearance. It is called Komádugu Ímbulú, or Mbulú. This
watercourse was asserted by my companion Kágo to be entirely distinct
from the Yálowe, or komádugu of Díkowa; and from the experience I had on
my return-journey I think he was correct. The banks of the watercourse
were twelve feet high; its breadth was from twenty to twenty-five yards;
but the depth of the water was only a foot and a half. No current was
then perceptible. The trees of the forest, after we left this
watercourse, were of a greater variety, but all of rather stunted
growth. We observed here great quantities of the grass called kréb or
kashá, which I have before mentioned, and which constitutes a
considerable part of the food of the poorer inhabitants. We passed
several towns in a state of the utmost decay and entirely deserted; and
traversing a dense underwood, which we scarcely expected to see in the
neighbourhood of a large town, reached at five o’clock the clay walls of
Ngála.
The interior of this town has a very peculiar character, and nothing
similar to it is seen in any part of Negroland, although the place at
present is in a great state of decay; for all the ancient quarter of the
town consists of clay houses, built on an imposing and elevated terrace.
The palace of the governor is indeed something quite stupendous for
these regions, having, with its immense substructure, and its large and
towering walls, the appearance of a large citadel. We were quartered in
the extensive mansion of the gedádo or delátu, in which Mr. Tully died;
but it, as well as the whole of the town, was in the utmost state of
decay. The times of Méram, the beloved wife of the sheikh Mohammed el
Amín el Kánemy, had gone by; and the wealth of Ngála had been consumed
by the slaves of the present sheikh and his vizier. The once magnificent
palace of Méram itself is nothing but a large, desolate heap of ruins.
The quarters, however, which were assigned to me were in a tolerable
state of repair, consisting, as they did, of an upper story, which
afforded me sufficient protection against the numbers of mosquitoes
which infest the place. We remained here the following day, when I went
to pay a visit to the governor at his residence; but I felt rather sorry
for it, as the good impression which the imposing exterior of the palace
had made upon me, was destroyed by the ruinous and desolate state of the
interior. The whole province is now in a very neglected condition, such
as would indicate that the ruler of the country himself acknowledged his
incapability of defending his subjects against another inroad of the
Wádáy.
The governor was not a very intelligent man; but it was he who first
called my attention to the fact that the town of Ngála has its own
peculiar idiom, quite distinct from the Kanúri, and I afterwards found
that it is even different from the dialects of the other principal
places in the province of Kótokó, though it is very closely related to
the idioms spoken by the islanders of the Tsád (the so-called Búdduma,
but whose real name is Yédiná) on the one side, and to that of the Músgu
on the other. At some distance from Ngála is the town of Ndíffu, or
Ndifú, which is said to have been one of the latest strongholds of the
tribe of the Soy, or Só, whom I have repeatedly mentioned in my
historical sketch of the empire of Bórnu; and sundry remarkable
ornaments are said to be dug up frequently in that place.
[Sidenote: Tuesday, March 9th.]
I had seen scarcely any traces of cultivation on the western side of the
town; and when we set out again I found as little on the other sides.
Nevertheless the environs of Ngála, especially the north-east side, are
of great interest in the eyes of the Bórnu people, as having been the
scene of two important battles fought with the Bagírmi, in the first of
which, in the year of the Hejra 1233, the sultan Dúnama was slain; and
my companions, who remembered all the incidents of that struggle,
pointed out with patriotic enthusiasm the various positions which each
body of the combatants had occupied.
The country, however, became very monotonous, extending in an almost
unbounded plain of black argillaceous soil of the description mentioned
above, although after the rainy season, when the whole ground has become
inundated, it is changed into one vast field of cultivation, producing
that peculiar variety of sorghum or holcus which is called másakuwá; but
at that season the whole of this country is scarcely passable for
horses, and still less so for camels. Several small villages, inhabited
by Shúwa, were to be seen at some distance to the south. We lost a great
deal of time through having missed our way in a forest of small mimosas
which surround this plain, till we at length reached a village called
Síttahe, where we rested during the heat of the day. The village
consists of two separate groups, one of which contains large conical
huts for the rainy season, while the other is formed of light oblong
dwellings adapted for the dry season, constructed entirely of mats. Here
we were entertained by a mʿallem who had formerly possessed considerable
property, but who had suffered greatly from the contributions levied
upon him by the slaves of his liege lord. It is these impudent slaves of
the court, who, having no interest in the welfare of the inhabitants,
inflict so much evil on the country. With regard to the settlements of
the Arabs in this district of Kótokó, I think that they are not more
than two hundred years old. Most of these Arabs belong to the numerous
tribe of the Sálamát.