EXCURSION TO MUNGA AND THE GAMBAROU.
May 21.—Ever since my return from Mandara, an expedition,
to be commanded by the sheikh in person, had been in agitation
against a numerous people to the west called Munga. These people
had never thoroughly acknowledged the sheikh’s supremacy, and the
collecting of their tribute had always been attended with difficulty
and bloodshed. They had, however, now thrown off all restraint, and
put to death about one hundred and twenty of the sheikh’s Shouaas,
and declared they would be no longer under his control, as the sultan
of Bornou was their king; and headed by a fighi of great power, had
begun to plunder and burn all the sheikh’s towns near them. It was
reported, and with some truth, that they could bring 12,000 bowmen
into the field; by far the most efficient force to be found in the
black country. To oppose these, the sheikh assembled his Kanemboo
spearmen (who had accompanied him from their own country, and assisted
him in wresting Bornou from the hands of the Felatahs), to the amount
of between eight and nine thousand. These, with about five thousand
Shouaas and Bornou men, composed the force with which he meant to
subdue these rebels. Another complaint against the Mungowy was,
“That they were kaffering[28], and not saying their prayers! the
dogs.” This is, however, a fault which is generally laid to the
charge of any nation against whom a true Musselman wages war, as it
gives him the power of making them slaves. By the laws of Mohammed,
one believer must not bind another.
Rhamadan, the period generally chosen for these expeditions, had
commenced, since the 13th May; and on the 8th, meaning to take
the town of Yeou, with the many others on the banks of the river
of that name in his way, both for the purpose of collecting forces
and tribute[29], the sheikh left Kouka for Dowergoo, a lake about
six miles distant, his women, tents, &c. having preceded him in
the morning.
Dr. Oudney and myself accompanied him outside the gates; and at our
request, he left Omar Gana, one of his chief slaves, to be our guide
to the old city of Bornou, which we were anxious to see; and from
whence we were to proceed to Kabshary, still farther to the west,
on the Gambarou, or Yeou, and there await his arrival.
May 22.—We left Kouka with five camels and four servants for Birnie,
halting in the middle of the day, and making two marches, of from ten
to fourteen miles, morning and evening. The country all round Kouka
is uninteresting and flat, the soil alluvial, and not a stone of any
kind to be seen, but thickly scattered with trees, mostly acacias. We
sometimes came to a few huts, and a well or two of indifferent water;
and a mess of rice from our stores was our usual supper.
On the 24th, about noon, we arrived at the river Yeou, and halted at
a rather large nest of huts called Lada. We were now seventy miles
from Kouka. The river here makes a bend resembling the letter S,
the water extremely shallow, and a dry path over the bed of the
river appeared close to our halting-place, although the banks were
high, and capable of containing a very large stream. I walked out,
following the easterly course of the stream in search of game; but
within four hundred yards of the banks, the ground was so choked with
high grass and prickly underwood, that I was obliged to take a path
more inland, where a partial clearance had been made for the sake of
some scanty cotton plantations. Pursuing some Guinea fowl across one
of these, I was assailed by the cries of several women and children,
who having thrown down their water-jugs, were flying from me in
the greatest alarm. I however went on, but had not proceeded above
a quarter of a mile, when my negro pointed out several men peeping
from behind some thick bushes, and evidently watching our motions. I
desired him to be on his guard, as he carried a carbine loaded with
slugs; and we called repeatedly to them without any effect. They had
been alarmed by the women, who had represented us to be Tuaricks,
of whom they are constantly in dread, as their country is not more
than seven days distant from where these marauders are often seen;
and the extreme points of the Bornou dominions they visit without
fear. The inhabitants of these wilds cannot be induced to quit their
present homes; and they patiently submit to have their flocks and
children taken from them, and their huts burnt, rather than seek
a more secure residence in the larger towns. They have, however,
a manner of defending themselves against these cruel invaders,
which often enables them to gratify their revenge: the ground is
covered by the high grass and jungle close to the banks of the
rivers, and they dig very deep circular holes, at the bottom of
which are placed six or eight sharp stakes, hardened by the fire,
over the top of which they most artfully lay the grass, so as to
render it impossible to discover the deception. An animal with its
rider stepping on one of these traps is quickly precipitated to the
bottom, and not unfrequently both are killed on the spot.
In returning to the tents with the people whom I had alarmed, and
who cautioned me not to proceed farther in that direction, I quite
trembled at the recollection of the various escapes I had had, as
some of these blaqua, as they are called, were not a yard distant
from the marks of my former footsteps.
The country near the banks of the river to the west is ornamented by
many very large tamarind and other trees, bearing a fruit resembling
a medlar, green and pleasant to the taste, and many of the Mimosa
tribe flourished in uncontrolled luxuriance. The Googooroo, or Jujube,
abounded; and these varieties of green gave a life to the landscape
that was quite new to us. The wild fruits even were palatable;
and selecting those on which the monkeys were feeding, we devoured
them fearlessly and eagerly,—their freshness supplying the want
of either flavour or sweetness. The monkeys, or as the Arabs say,
“men enchanted,”—“Ben Adam meshood,” were so numerous, that
I saw upwards of one hundred and fifty assembled in one place in the
evening. They did not at all appear inclined to give up their ground,
but, perched on the top of the bank some twenty feet high, made a
terrible noise; and rather gently than otherwise, pelted us when
we approached to within a certain distance. My negro was extremely
anxious to fire at them; but they were not, I thought, considering
their numbers, sufficiently presuming to deserve such a punishment.
May 25.—About two miles from Lada, we left the river, and halted
at noon near a small still water. Here were several flocks of geese,
and some of the species of bird called adjutant. These mid-day halts,
with only partial shade, were dreadfully sultry and oppressive. We
moved on in the afternoon, and passing another lake of the same
description, by nine in the evening came to one much larger, called
Engataranaram. Nothing could be more wild than the country we had
passed through this day; and compared with the sterile plains I had
lately been accustomed to, seemed rich and picturesque: it was one
continued wood, with narrow winding paths, to avoid the overhanging
branches of the prickly tulloh. The frequent foot-marks of lions,
the jackal, and hyena, gave us a pretty good idea of the nature of
the inhabitants; and their roarings at night convinced us that they
were at no great distance.
We had this morning met a kafila from Soudan, consisting of about
twenty persons, and bringing one hundred and twenty slaves; and some
hours after we saw the place where they had passed the preceding
night. They had lit their fires in the very centre of the path, and
made a good fence all round them of large branches of trees and dry
wood. This fence is sometimes set fire to, when their four-footed
visitors are numerous, and approach too near. Camels and animals of
every description are placed in the centre, and should one stray in
the night, he is seldom again recovered. Kafilas never travel after
dusk, particularly those on foot; and our negroes had such a fright
during the latter part of this day’s march, that they declared on
coming up with the camels, that their lives were in danger from such
late marches, an immense lion having crossed the road before them
only a few miles from where we halted. There can be little doubt,
that by their singing and number they had disturbed the lion from
his lair, as we must have passed within ten paces of the foot of the
tree from which he broke forth on their approach: they said that
he had stopped, and looked back at them, and if they had not had
presence of mind sufficient to pass on without at all noticing him,
or appearing alarmed, some one of the party would have suffered.
[Illustration: Drawn by Major Denham.
Engraved by E. Finden.
THE RIVER GAMBAROU OF YEOU.
NEAR LADA.
_Published Feb. 1826, by John Murray, London._]
Previous to pitching our tents at night, the sheikh’s negro examined
the ground, and, after dismounting and listening attentively for an
instant, he declared some people to be near. We fired a gun, which,
after a little time, was answered by a shout, and at no great distance
we found about half a dozen Kabsharians, who said they were on their
way to Kouka, and near them we fixed ourselves for the night. In
these woods kafilas from Soudan are often robbed, and the runaway
negroes, who are good bowmen, pick off the leaders from behind the
trees, and then plunder the baggage: ten men from one kafila had,
we were informed, been so murdered during the last year.
May 26.—We pursued a westerly course for eight miles to a lake
called Gumzaigee, about a mile in length, between which and another
called Gumzaigee-gana, the road lies; seven miles beyond which is
still another lake of considerable extent, called Muggaby, or the lake
of the sultan of Bornou: this is nearly three miles long, and full
half a mile broad; its banks are beautifully green, and its depth is
very great; it contains hippopotami in great numbers, and every now
and then their black heads appeared above the surface of the water.
A few straggling parties of Kanemboo infantry had occasionally
crossed our path, for several days, on their way to join the sheikh,
but here we found about a hundred and fifty Shouaas, or Arabs of
Beni Wah’l. After our tents were pitched, and we had refreshed
ourselves by a mess of ducks and rice, we determined on riding to
visit the remains of Old Birnie[30], which extended nearly to this
lake. We proceeded by the high road to Soudan, and after about two
miles came to the spot on which once stood the capital of Bornou,
and the ruins of the city certainly tended more strongly to convince
us of the power of its former sultans than any of the tales we had
heard of their magnificence: we had seen upwards of thirty large towns
which the Felatahs had completely razed to the ground at the time they
destroyed the capital, and we were now arrived at the ruins of that
capital itself[31]. Old Birnie covered a space of five or six square
miles, and is said to have had a population of two hundred thousand
souls: the remains of the walls were in many places still standing,
in large masses of hard red brick-work, and were from three to four
feet in thickness, and sixteen to eighteen feet in height. From
the top of one of these we obtained a sight of the river Gambarou,
running nearly east, notwithstanding its windings, and only a few
miles distant. At sunset we returned to our huts.
Crossing the head of the lake Muggaby, we took a north-westerly
direction, for the purpose of seeing the remaining ruins of this once
populous district, and particularly those of a favourite residence
of the former sultan, called Gambarou, situated on the banks of the
river, four miles distant, which comes from Soudan: this district
gave its name to the waters during their passage through it. After
wading through low grounds, occasionally overflowed, where the
wild grass was above our horses’ heads, and disturbing a herd
of fourteen elephants, whose retired haunts were seldom so broken
in upon, we came to the river, which is here a very noble stream,
nearly a quarter of a mile in breadth, and situated between two
high banks thickly overgrown with jungle, bushes, and bamboo[32]:
we endeavoured to ascertain if there was any current, but the water
appeared perfectly stationary. Omar Gana, however, and the Shouaas
who had accompanied us, were unanimous in declaring that after the
rains a very strong current from west to east constantly flowed.
We determined on remaining here the next day, and ordered the tents
to be pitched under the shade of an immense tamarind tree, about two
hundred and fifty yards from the bank of the river. The water was
sweet and palatable, and very gratifying to us after the lake water
we had been drinking for the last few days, though that was nectar
in comparison with the well-water near Kouka. The shoals of fish
that rushed quite close to, and sometimes on, the shore, exceeded
any thing I ever could have supposed, both as to size and numbers:
we waded, nearly up to our knees, to a little island or sand-bank
about ten yards from the land, and found the marks of two good-sized
crocodiles quite fresh.
Close to the bank, and just at the hollow of a slight curve in the
river’s course, fourteen years ago stood the town of Gambarou,
the chosen place of residence of the late and former sultans of
Bornou; and the ruins now standing give a proof of the buildings
having been, for this country, of a princely kind: the walls of a
mosque, which were more than twenty yards square, are still visible,
and those of the sultan’s house, with gates opening to the river,
still remain; a private mosque appears also to have been attached to
the sultan’s residence: the buildings were all of brick, and must
have had a superior appearance to any town we had seen in Africa:
the situation was beautiful, and although labyrinths of thickets and
brambles now overspread the banks of the river, while wild plants and
useless grass were in the meadows, yet I was assured that the whole
neighbourhood of Gambarou was once in a superior state of cultivation;
and that in the old sultan’s time, boats were constantly moving
to and from Kabshary and other towns to the west. Kouka was at that
time not in being, and Angornou but a small parcel of huts.
May 28.—Dr. Oudney and myself mounted our horses this morning, and
followed the course of the river to the eastward, nearly three miles:
there being no pathway, we were obliged to break through the high
grass, trees, and thickly scattered bamboo, which made it a fatiguing
excursion, and after all, we could only now and then get a sight of
the water by following the track of the elephants and other animals,
whose ponderous bodies beat down every thing before them. Our negro,
Omar Gana, was alarmed, and would willingly have turned back more
than once; we, however, urged him on, and at length came to an open,
dry shoal of sand, the bed of the river extending more than two
hundred yards; here was the fresh impression of the foot of a very
large lion, and we found that the stream was here again called the
Yeou. To Omar Gana’s great satisfaction, we now returned by a more
direct path through the wood to our tents: these wilds, from their
not leading to any high road or inhabited spot, are perhaps never
visited, the whole country having been abandoned ever since the
Felatahs commenced their inroads. Wild animals of all descriptions
here abound therefore in greater numbers than in any other part of
the kingdom of Bornou: several parcels of wood tied up with oziers,
and large trees stripped of their bark and afterwards deserted,
showed how the wood-cutter had been disturbed at his work by the
ferocious inhabitants; and some whitened bones, and the remains
of a hatchet in one place, made us shudder and conclude, that some
one still less fortunate had here met a miserable death. Straggling
bands of Tuaricks also sometimes scour the country about the banks
of the river, and carry off whatever suits their purpose.
On our return to the tents, we found that our situation was by no
means so comfortable as we could have wished. Kabshary, to which
place we intended proceeding, and there awaiting the arrival of
the sheikh, had been attacked and partly burnt by the Munga people
since our leaving Kouka, and deserted by the inhabitants; and while
we were debating on what steps we should take in consequence of this
intelligence, two Kanemboo spearmen came to us in great consternation,
with news that the Munga horse had been reconnoitring all around us,
had even visited the part of the river we had been exploring in the
morning, and after murdering several Kanemboos, who were proceeding to
join the sheikh, had carried off the bullocks and whatever they had
with them. The sheikh’s delay in coming up had made them bold, and
their approach had caused all the Shouaas we had left at Muggaby to
beat a retreat; we were therefore left quite alone, and, as it seemed,
might expect every minute to be surrounded, taken prisoners, and with
an iron round our necks, with which slaves are coupled like greyhounds
in slips, marched off to Munga. Omar Gana was greatly alarmed, and
dressing himself in his steel jacket, with red _giboon_ (waistcoat)
over it, and black turban, calmed our fears but little, by leaving
us for a full hour to see if the Shouaas had really left Muggaby;
notwithstanding he at the same time assured us, that the sight of
his red jacket would frighten a hundred Mungowy. On his return,
which we looked for with much anxiety, we found the alarming reports
in part confirmed; no Shouaas were near the lake, and he was quite
sure the enemy had been there. He proposed going to Kabshary, along
the banks of the river to the west; but acknowledged that the sheikh
was not there, and that the people had moved off towards Angornou:
we considered this bad advice, and determined on returning at least
to the Kouka road; that was, however, no easy task; and after some
consideration it was determined that we were to keep close to the
bank of the river, and creep through the woods as well as we could,
avoiding all beaten paths. We moved at three in the afternoon, and
crossed about two miles distant to the north bank of the river,
our road being extremely intricate, and overgrown with trees and
underwood.
Just before sunset we came upon a herd of elephants, fourteen or
fifteen in number; these the negroes made to dance and frisk like
so many goats, by beating violently a brass basin with a stick; and
as night now began to cast over us its gloomy veil, we determined
on fixing ourselves until morning in a small open space, where a
large tree, destroyed by the attacks of the white ant, had fallen,
and afforded us fire-wood to prepare our supper: to seek it at any
distance would have been dangerous at that time in the evening, on
account of the lions, and the little grass which was gathered for
our horses was furnished by the space within sight of our tents. Our
animals were brought as close to us as possible, and we kept up
fires the greater part of the night; a few roaring salutations,
and those principally from the elephant and jackal, were the only
disturbance that we met with.
We proceeded on our course on the following day, winding with the
river; in several places we had the bank clear of trees and covered
with verdure for some hundreds of yards, and the stream nearly as
broad as the Thames at Richmond. Towards noon the wood became much
thicker, no pathway was to be discovered, and our guide declared,
that where we were he had not the least idea. A little further
on, we came to a complete stoppage; brambles were wound round the
before thickly-clustered branches of tulloh and prickly acacias;
and on removing, with great difficulty, some of those, we found the
treacherous grass underneath merely covering blaquas, large, deep,
and well staked, capable of receiving and destroying a Tuarick with
his maherhy. In endeavouring to find a passage at a short distance,
Dr. Oudney was very nearly precipitated, horse and all, into one of
these graves for the quick. We were absolutely afraid to move; and
Omar Gana, who declared these fortifications indicated our being near
to some town, which was thus prepared against the Mungowy, desired
me to fire a gun, in order to bring some of the inhabitants to serve
as our guide: accordingly two sturdy negroes came to our assistance,
who, after eying us through the trees and ascertaining who we were,
conducted us to the village, which, although at no great distance,
would have foiled all our efforts to discover: the avenues were
completely barricadoed on every side, the paths cut up, and these
blaquas so scattered in all directions, that even with a guide, and
going one by one, it was with the greatest difficulty we avoided them.
Arrived at the village, which was called Wallad, of so miserable
a description that it could not even furnish a jar of milk,
notwithstanding we produced both needles and beads,—a new difficulty
arose; for although the camels were sought after and brought in safe
by the people, yet my servant Columbus, who was behind on a mule,
did not make his appearance: we were in considerable anxiety, both on
account of the wild beasts and these pits, which were almost equally
frightful. Our alarm was a good deal increased when, after having sent
people in every direction, giving them pistols, and desiring them to
fire signals, and not return without him, the people of the village
came running to the jujube tree under which we were resting, to tell
us that Columbus and the mule had fallen into one of these blaquas,
and that they believed the mule was dead. We hastened to the spot,
and found the poor mule indeed very near it: she was sticking on
four stakes, one in her flank, and two in her hind quarter, with
her knees dreadfully torn by struggling. Had she been a larger and
heavier animal, nothing could have saved her: the man had, by a
violent exertion, thrown himself out, how he knew not, almost as
soon as he fell in, and had escaped with his leg only bruised. He
said he had lost his way hours before, and had climbed to the top of
several tamarind-trees, in order to discover traces of our route,
without success: once he thought he heard a gun, but having only
two charges of powder with him, he kept them as a defence against
the wild animals at night, and was afraid to answer the signal.
After all our difficulties, it was some comfort at length to find
that the sheikh was within only a few hours’ march of us, on
the south side of the river; and in the evening we determined on
joining him. Again, therefore, crossing the Yeou at a dry spot, we
came to the outskirts of the Bornou camp, on the banks of a large
water called Dummasak, about five miles distant from the ford: at
the river we again saw the footmarks of a very large lion, and also
those of a hippopotamus. It was after sunset when we arrived, and
passing through numerous groups of the Kanemboo spearmen, who were
lying about without any tents or covering, we came to the open space
where the sheikh’s tent and the huts of his principal people were
fixed. On learning that we had arrived, he desired our tents might
be placed near Mady Gana, the manager of his household, who brought
us his congratulations, and at the same time a very good supper of
Guinea fowl, and a kind of paste, made of wheat flour, called _ftat_,
which is considered a great delicacy. Our joy can with difficulty be
imagined at learning here the arrival of a package from England,
by a kafila of merchants from Fezzan. The pleasure of hearing
of our country and friends, the greatest enjoyment our situation
allowed us, we had been for a length of time deprived of; and this,
added to our being entirely destitute of provisions of every kind,
determined us to return to Kouka on the following morning. This our
decision we desired might be made known to the sheikh, but, from
some cause or other, the information was not communicated to him;
and, to our great surprise, by daylight he moved off, and we found
ourselves again alone without a guide, and without even knowing what
the sheikh’s wishes were with respect to our proceedings. This
was a fresh dilemma; and upon the whole we were worse off than the
day before, for the sheikh’s negro was always a protection, and we
were now at the tail of an undisciplined army, at least demi-savage,
without any knowledge of the road. After three hours’ deliberation,
and no intelligence arriving from the sheikh, we decided on making
our way to Kouka alone; and having picked up a straggler, who assured
us he knew the country, and left our wounded mule in the care of some
people in the neighbouring village of huts, we loaded our fire-arms
afresh, and commenced our route. We had proceeded, however, but a
few hundred yards on our road, when Omar Gana, mounted on a miserable
horse and in great distress, came up to us, entreating that we would
follow the sheikh as quickly as possible; that on inquiring of him
where we were, and finding that he had quitted us, he, the sheikh,
had been in a violent passion; had struck him from his horse, which
he desired might be taken from him; had directed him to return and
bring us up to the army without delay.
We had now nothing to do but to obey; and, therefore, turning round
our camels, after a four hours’ march in the heat of the day, we
arrived a second time at the lake Muggaby, which we had left only
three days before. Some spots on the road were extremely picturesque,
by nature; and this beauty of the scene was increased by the groups
of naked warriors, with their shields, resting in different places
on the borders of the lake; while hundreds of others were in the
water, spearing the fish, which they struck, and brought to shore
with very surprising dexterity: some of the fish were as large as
good-sized salmon, but shaped like a bream. Fires were lighted by
their companions on the shore, and rows of from fifty to one hundred
were staked, or strung on a line made of grass, extended from two
sticks, and most excellently and expeditiously roasted.
Muggaby, with its still dark-blue surface, had, at the time we came
on it, an appearance highly interesting: the margin, and the shallow
waters, were crowded with horses feeding, and men bathing. In the
centre, the hippopotami were constantly throwing up their black
muzzles, spouting with water; and the wood, which at the south-west
end had caught fire, and blazed to the very clouds, gave a glare to
all around which made the scene almost terrific.
We now commenced our march with the Bornou army, in which but little
order is preserved previous to coming near the enemy: every one
appears to know, that at a certain point the assembly is to take
place; and the general instructions seem to be to every one to
make the best of his own way. The sheikh takes the lead, and close
after him comes the sultan of Bornou, who always attends him on
these occasions, although he never fights. The former is preceded
by five flags, two green, two striped, and one red, with extracts
from the Koran written on them in letters of gold, and attended by
about a hundred of his chiefs and favourite slaves. A negro, high in
confidence, rides close behind him, bearing his shield jacket of mail,
and wearing his skull-cap of steel; he also bears his arms. Another,
mounted on a swift maherhy, and fantastically dressed with a straw
hat and ostrich feathers, carries his timbrel or drum, which it is the
greatest misfortune and disgrace to lose in action. On the expedition
which cost the sultan Denhamah, the late sultan of Bornou, his life,
the timbrel and the sheikh were supposed to have fallen in a sudden
rush of Begharmis; almost every one near him suffered. The people,
however, firmly believe that he was saved by a miracle; they say,
“he became invisible; that the Begharmi chiefs scoured the field,
calling out for the sheikh; that his drum sounded at intervals,
but could not be seen, any more than their leader.” Close in the
rear of the maherhies follow the eunuchs and the harem; the sheikh
takes but three wives, who are mounted, astride, on small trained
horses, each led by a boy-slave, or eunuch,—their heads and figures
completely enveloped in brown silk bornouses, and a eunuch riding
by the side of each.
[Illustration: From a Sketch by Major Denham.
Engraved by E. Finden.
A FAVORITE OF THE SERAGLIO ACCOMPANYING A MILITARY EXPEDITION.
_Published Feb. 1826, by John Murray, London._]
The sultan of Bornou has five times as many attendants, and his harem
is three times as numerous: he is attended, also, by men bearing
trumpets (frumfrum), of hollow wood, ten and twelve feet long; with
these a kind of music is constantly kept up. As this instrument is
considered an appendage of royalty alone, the sheikh has no frumfrums;
the keigomha, or standard-bearer, rides in front of him, carrying a
very long pole, hung round, at the top, with strips of leather and
silk of various colours, in imitation, probably, of the bashaw’s
tigue, or tails; and two ride on each side of him called Meestrumha
Dundelmah, carrying immense spears, with which they are supposed to
defend their sultan in action, whose dignity would be infringed upon
by defending himself; but the spears are so hung round with charms,
and the bearers so abominably unwieldy, that the idea of such weapons
being of any use in the hands of such warriors is absurd. Indeed
the grotesque appearance of the whole of this prince’s train,
with heads hung round with charms, and resembling the size and
shape of a hogshead; their protruding stomachs, and wadded doublets,
are ridiculous in the extreme.
The town of Kabshary, where we halted, had been nearly destroyed by
the Mungowy. On attacking a place, it is the custom of the country
instantly to fire it; and as they are all composed of straw huts
only, the whole is shortly devoured by the flames. The unfortunate
inhabitants fly quickly from the destructive element, and fall
immediately into the hands of their no less merciless enemies, who
surround the place: the men are quickly massacred, and the women
and children lashed together, and made slaves. Rhamadan, one of the
sheikh’s chiefs, a slave from Soudan, had been stationed here for
the last fifteen days, and under his protection the survivors of the
attack had returned, and were already rebuilding their dwellings. The
huts are convenient, and, from the abundance of long straw which the
overflowed grounds near the river furnished them, are better built,
and withstand the rain better, than those of Kouka: they are divided
on the inside by mats, which the women make with great neatness;
they have all of them a door of plaited straw in a frame of wood;
and some of the habitations of the principals have a wall of mats
round them, leaving an inclosure, in which is sometimes a second
hut for the female slaves, and the cow or goats which supply them
with milk. These unfortunate people seldom think of defending their
habitations, but rather give them up, and by that means gain time to
escape themselves, should the attack not be made in the night, and
the whole set fire to, before they have time to fly. The Kabsharians
had long been in dread of a visit from the people of Munga, and,
on their approach, the greater part of them had retreated to the
banks of the river, to the north-west of the town, which are there
extremely high; and they had made a strong post, by digging blaquas,
and placing pointed crossed stakes in trenches, which rendered their
retreat nearly inaccessible.
June 1.—The sun had scarcely risen this morning, when the sheikh
was on horseback inspecting his favourite troops, the Kanemboo
infantry: a hollow space under some sandhills, called Cornamaree,
was chosen, about a quarter of a mile from the camp, and the whole
was conducted with a good deal of order and system. He was attended
to the ground by the four sultans who accompanied the expedition
under his orders, and a circle was formed by the Arabs and the Bornou
horse. The sheikh’s principal slaves and commanders were dispersed
in different parts, habited in their scarlet bornouses with gold
lace, and surrounded also by their followers. His own dress was, as
usual, neat and simple: two white figured muslin tobes, very large,
with a bornouse of the same colour, and a Cashemere shawl for a
turban, composed his dress; over the whole, across his shoulders,
hung the sword which, as he repeatedly said, “the sultan Inglese
had sent him.” He was mounted on a very beautiful bright bay horse
from Mandara, and took his station on the north side of the circle;
while the Kanemboos were drawn up on the opposite extremity in close
column, to the number of nine thousand. On the signal being made
for them to advance, they uttered a yell, or shriek, exceeding any
thing in shrillness I ever heard; then advanced, by tribes of from
eight hundred to one thousand each. They were perfectly naked, with
the exception of a rather fantastical belt of the goat or sheep’s
skin, with the hair outwards, round their middles, and a few gubkas
(narrow strips of cloth, the money of the country), round their heads,
and brought under the nose; their arms are a spear and shield, with a
dagger on the left arm reversed, secured by a ring which goes on the
wrist, the point running up the arm, and the handle downwards. The
shields are made of the wood of the fogo, a tree which grows in the
shallow waters of the great lake, and are so extremely light, as to
weigh only a few pounds; the pieces of wood of which it is formed are
bound together by thongs of the hide of bullocks with the hair on,
which is also carried along the edge of the outside of the shield
in vandykes and forms an ornament; they are something the shape of
a gothic window, and most of them slightly convex. Under cover of
these, the Kanemboo attack the bowmen with great order, and at a
slow pace. Their leaders are mounted, and are distinguished merely
by a tobe of dark blue, and a turban of the same colour.
On nearing the spot where the sheikh had placed himself they quickened
their pace, and, after striking their spears against their shields for
some seconds, which had an extremely grand and stunning effect, they
filed off to the outside of the circle, where they again formed, and
awaited their companions, who succeeded them in the same order. There
appeared to be a great deal of affection between these troops and
the sheikh; he spurred his horse onwards into the midst of some of
the tribes as they came up, and spoke to them, while the men crowded
round him, kissing his feet, and the stirrups of his saddle. It was a
most pleasing sight; he seemed to feel how much his present elevation
was owing to their exertions, while they displayed a devotion and
attachment deserving and denoting the greatest confidence. I confess
I was considerably disappointed at not seeing these troops engage,
although more than compensated by the reflection of the slaughter
that had been prevented by that disappointment.
On seeing the sheikh after this inspection, he asked me what I thought
of his Kanemboos: I could not help expressing my pleasure at their
orderly and regular appearance, and he smiled when I assured him
that I thought with such troops as these he need fear but little
the attempts of the Arabs and Fezzaneers. Rhamadan, who had been
stationed at Kabshary since the burning of the town, gave me an
account of a second attack made by the Mungowy since his arrival. He
had about two hundred and fifty people with him, amongst whom were
about a dozen Arabs in the sheikh’s service, who had guns. Eight
or nine hundred of Munga people made their appearance by daylight
one morning, principally to try the strength of their enemies,
which it was, of course, Rhamadan’s business to prevent their
ascertaining. He succeeded in driving them back, although not without
some loss, quite to the inclosed country, where they had greatly the
advantage of him, and killed nearly thirty of his men with their
arrows. Rhamadan now practised a _ruse de guerre_, by which means
he destroyed nearly half the force of his enemies:—He appeared
to give up the chase, and retired with his party; towards evening,
however, he moved round by the river to a watering-place, where he
expected the Mungowy would go to drink and refresh themselves, and
rushing upon them unperceived, slaughtered upwards of four hundred.
[Illustration: From a Sketch by Major Denham’s.
Engraved by E. Finden.
KANEMBOO SPEARMAN.
MUNGA BOWMAN.
IN THE SERVICE OF THE SHEIKH OF BORNOU.
_Published Feb. 1826, by John Murray, London._]
June 3.—A reconnoitring party of cavalry went out soon after
daylight with Rhamadan and Dauood (David) at their head. About three
in the afternoon they began to return, bringing with them women and
children of both sexes, to the amount of eight hundred: one Shouaa,
a friend of mine, brought a poor woman with four children, two in
her arms, and two on the father’s horse, who had been stabbed for
defending those he held most dear upon earth. They also brought
a number of very fine horses, and several hundred bullocks and
sheep. The poor wretches, on being brought to the sheikh’s tents,
uttered the most piteous cries, and, after looking at them, he desired
that they might all be released: saying,—“God forbid that I
should make slaves of the wives and children of any Musselman! Go
back; tell the wicked and powerful chiefs, who urge your husbands
to rebel and to kafir, that I shall quickly be with them; and it is
them I will punish, not the innocent and the helpless.”
June 4.—We found to the south a very pretty lake, embosomed in a
thick wood, and the town Bassecour, with from fifteen hundred to two
thousand inhabitants; and, on crossing it, saw two other populous
towns, called Caroom and Batily; and again, nearer the river, which
was about four miles from Bassecour, several others. I did not return
until after sunset, when the positions of the Kanemboo, who always are
on duty on the side nearest the enemy, afforded some very picturesque
groups. They have a regular chain of posts, or pickets, consisting
of five or six men each, extending from the main body to some one of
the tribes, who always act as an advance, about two miles in front,
and cover the whole front of the army. They lie very snugly under
the shelter of their shields, which protect them both from wind
and rain, as well as the arrows of their foes. One or two of each
party are always on the look out, and their peculiar watch-cry is
passed from one sentry to the other, at every half hour or oftener,
the whole night through. On the least disturbance taking place in
the camp, or horses breaking loose, after a sudden storm, the whole
body strike their shields, and set up a yell, to show that they are
awake to the circumstance: this also is their tattoo, may be heard
for miles, and answers the blowing of the sheikh’s horn for the
last prayers at Ashèa.
June 5.—Many hundreds of the Munga people now came in, bowing
to the ground, and throwing sand upon their heads, in token of
submission. At night every thing was prepared for our marching to
the capital, leaving the women, camels, and baggage, at this place;
but the people sent word, that if the sheikh remained where he was,
they would come to him, and surrender themselves.
June 6.—Several towns sent their chiefs, and submitted in this
manner,—bringing peace-offerings, on the sheikh’s swearing
solemnly not to molest them farther; but Malem Fanaamy, a fighi of
great talent, the cause of the rebellion of these people, refused
to come, because he feared to lose his head, and offering, at the
same time, two thousand slaves, one thousand bullocks, and three
hundred horses, to the sheikh, as the price for peace[33]. The
offer was refused: the sheikh’s object being the subjection of
this rebellious chief, and not his death or plunder.
We had, the night before, attempted to send off two rockets, but
which, to my great disappointment, as well as the sheikh’s, had
failed: they had been carelessly carried, and the composition had
fallen out of them. This evening he sent “to beg that I would try
two more, and, please God, make them go better.” I replied, “that
I would do my best;” and, most fortunately, they succeeded to my
wish. They were, indeed, a beautiful sight, as the night was extremely
dark, and created exceeding wonder. Some of the messengers, who had
come from the towns to the west, fell on their faces, and began to
pray most fearfully when the rockets burst in their descent. This
evening, also, Malem Fanaamy had sent his son, a man of about thirty,
handsomely attended, who also witnessed this wonderful exhibition.
The following day, Malem Fanaamy himself made his appearance. His
people had become clamorous, and, having no alternative, he came
superbly mounted on a white horse, with full one thousand followers,
and, dismounting at the door of the sheikh’s tent, humbled himself
to the dust, and would have poured sand on his head, but this was
by the sheikh’s order prevented, and the fighi brought into his
presence. As is the custom on these occasions, he came in poor
habiliments, and with an uncovered head. The sheikh received his
submission, and, when he really expected to hear the order for his
throat to be cut, he was clothed with eight handsome tobes, and his
head made as big as six with turbans from Egypt.
June 11.—The feast of the Aide having arrived, and the Rhamadan
finished, the new moon was ushered in by loud shouts, and by the
firing of guns, and our last rocket was sent up in honour of the
feast. It was preceded by a volley fired by my negroes with two
carabines, and two brace of pistols, with my own gun, which gave great
pleasure; for certainly never were people so enamoured of gunpowder
and smoke. By sunrise all the troops were under arms, and the sheikh
and all the chiefs mounted, and dressed in their finest bornouses,
rode round the camp, and prayed at a short distance. The chiefs of
two Munga towns came in to-day, but brought no tribute. We visited
the sheikh in the evening, to congratulate him on the Rhamadan being
over. He asked a great many questions, particularly about printing;
and, addressing me, said:—“Why did you not bring plenty of
rockets? They are the most wonderful things I ever saw.” At night
we had a dreadful storm, and we were witnesses of a curious custom
which the natives have, of digging an immense hole immediately after
rain, and, when they come to the dry sand, getting into the hole,
and lying down to avoid the damp earth.
June 15.—To avoid the excessive heat of the tents, as we were
still to be stationary, we rode to the town Gomsee, before the sun
had gained sufficient power to be oppressive, and passed nearly the
whole of the forenoon in the corner of the hut of a woman, who had
come to the tents the day before for medicine. She had been troubled
with ringworms for ten years: she recognised me on my entering the
town, which I merely intended passing through, in order to gain the
shade of some large tamarind-trees and mangoes that grow close to the
lake; but she was so anxious that I should come to her house, that
I could not refuse. Her husband was one of the principal persons,
and their huts rather superior to the rest. In an inclosure of mats
were three huts, one for the man, and the two others for his wife and
slaves. I took possession of the former; when, after a repast of milk,
and a kind of thick drink, made of a paste from the gussub flour,
with honey and pepper, I had visits from at least one hundred of the
inhabitants, male and female. This is nearly the last of the Bornou
towns westwards. Although the men of Bornou are not warriors, nor the
women favoured by nature, they are certainly a kind, inoffensive race;
and in one hour were as intimate with me, as if I had been amongst
them for years. It was decreed, however, that we were not to part
quite such good friends. At noon my host brought in a very beautiful
wild bull-skin, with water, on which he begged I would “sully”
(pray), and, on my refusal, the usual investigation took place,
which ended in my attendant explaining to them, “that I did not
sully;” that is, “that I was not Mislem:” upon which, “Kerdie,
Kerdie,” was whispered about. The women held up their hands, and the
men retired to a distance, and I found my popularity rapidly decrease.
No kafila is permitted to enter Kouka during the sheikh’s absence,
nor dare the merchants offer any goods for sale till they have
his permission. On this account, one consisting of ten merchants
from Soudan was ordered to encamp at a short distance from us, and
await the movements of the army. They had nearly a hundred slaves,
the greater part female, and girls of from twelve to eighteen years
of age, some of them from Nyffee, and still further to the west,
of a deep copper colour, and beautifully formed; but few of these
were ironed. The males, who were mostly young, were linked together
in couples, by iron rings round their legs; yet they laughed, and
seemed in good condition.
It is a common practice with the merchants to induce one slave to
persuade his companions, that on arriving at Tripoli they will be
free, and clothed in red, a colour all negroes are passionately
fond of; by which promises they are induced to submit quietly,
until they are too far from their homes to render escape possible
but at the risk of starvation. If the hundreds, nay thousands, of
skeletons that whiten in the blast between this place and Mourzuk,
did not, of themselves, tell a tale replete with woe, the difference
of appearance in all slaves here (where they are fed tolerably),
and the state in which they usually arrive in Fezzan, would but
too clearly prove the acuteness of the sufferings which commence on
their leaving the negro country.
A circumstance happened during the last two days, which created
a great sensation amongst the chiefs; and while it proved that
absolute power in the person of the sheikh was not unaccompanied by
a heart overflowing with feelings of mercy and moderation, it also
displayed many amiable qualities in his untutored and unenlightened
subjects. Barca Gana, his general, and his favourite, a governor of
six large districts, the man whom he delighted to honour, who had more
than fifty female slaves, and twice the number of male, was taught a
lesson of humility that made me feel exceedingly for him. In giving
presents to the chiefs, the sheikh had inadvertently sent him a horse
which he had previously promised to some one else, and on Barca Gana
being requested to give it up, he took such great offence, that he
sent back all the horses which the sheikh had previously given him,
saying that he would in future walk or ride his own. On this the
sheikh immediately sent for him, had him stripped in his presence,
and the leather girdle put round his loins; and, after reproaching
him with his ingratitude, ordered that he should be forthwith sold
to the Tibboo merchants, for he was still a slave. The favourite,
thus humbled and disgraced, fell on his knees, and acknowledged the
justness of his punishment. He begged for no forgiveness for himself,
but entreated that his wives and children might be provided for, out
of the riches of his master’s bounty. But on the following day, when
preparations were made for carrying this sentence into effect, the
Kaganawha (black Mamelukes), and Shouaa chiefs about the sheikh’s
person, fell at his feet, and notwithstanding the haughtiness of
Barca Gana’s carriage to them since his advancement, entreated
to a man pardon for his offences, and that he might be restored to
favour. The culprit appearing at this moment to take leave, the sheikh
threw himself back on his carpet, wept like a child, and suffered
Barca Gana, who had crept close to him, to embrace his knees, and
calling them all his sons, pardoned his repentant slave. No prince
of the most civilized nation can be better loved by his subjects
than this chief; and he is a most extraordinary instance, in the
eastern world, of fearless bravery, virtue, and simplicity. In the
evening, there was great and general rejoicing. The timbrels beat;
the Kanemboos yelled, and struck their shields; every thing bespoke
joy: and Barca Gana, in new tobes and a rich bornouse, rode round
the camp, followed by all the chiefs of the army.
June 18.—We commenced our return to Kouka, after an expedition
to me very interesting, and one in which the sheikh had displayed a
vast deal of tact and good management; for although he threatened the
extermination of the Munga people, yet nothing could have been more
injurious to his interests than carrying such threats into execution,
had he, indeed, been sufficiently strong to have done so. They are
a powerful people, and can bring twelve thousand bowmen into the
field; their arrows are much longer than those of the Felatahs, and
they have a way of poisoning them more fatally than those people. A
nation possessing such a force as this amongst his own people,—who,
from their situation on the frontier, were constantly exposed to the
attacks both of the Felatahs and the Tuaricks, and by being more
accustomed to warfare, were consequently better troops than any
in the kingdom of Bornou,—it became a matter of great importance
to the sheikh to conciliate by fair means, if it were practicable,
and he was perfectly alive to the policy of such a proceeding. The
Mungowy nearly all fight on foot, while Bornou may not improperly be
called an equestrian nation. The infantry here, however, as in our
own quarter of the globe, most commonly decide the fortune of war;
and the sheikh’s former successes may be greatly, if not entirely,
attributed to the courageous efforts of the Kanem spearmen, in leading
the Bornou horse into the battle, who, without such a covering attack,
would never be brought to face the arrows of their enemies. No use
had ever yet been made of the accession of strength to Bornou by its
junction with the Munga people, and the sheikh had this in view when
he planned the present expedition. All these considerations had their
weight with him, as well as the numerical force with which he had to
contend, and he availed himself of the superstition of the people,
and his own fame as a Malem (writer), to do that which, probably,
by the effect of his arms alone, it might have been difficult to
accomplish. He is reported to have spent three successive nights in
writing charms: the effects of which were, that the spears of some of
the enemies’ chiefs were found in the morning blunted and hacked,
whole quivers of arrows were found broken also, and their arms changed
from one hut to another; other chiefs were seized with sickness,
and all with fear. My rockets are also said to have struck terror
indescribable into the hearts of the Mungowy. Their chief, Malem
Fanaamy, declared, “that to withstand a sheikh of the Koran who
performed such miracles was useless, and, at the same time, _haram_
(sin).” This confession of his inability to contend with El Kanemy
determined the people to submit.
Some of the Munga people were brought to me; they were completely
Bornou, and had all the simplicity, good nature, and ugliness, which
are the particular characteristics of that people. Malem Fanaamy
himself was a sort of lusus naturæ; Nature had set a peculiar mark
upon him, by covering one side of his face with a thick beard, while
on the other not a hair was to be seen. This of itself, amongst a
people so utterly ignorant, was sufficient to gain him disciples,
who were ready to believe him gifted with superior powers. In these
untraversed climes, a very little learning indeed is sufficient to
raise a man’s fame and fortune to the highest pitch. Persons who
have been to Mecca, of the meanest capacities, who amuse them with
tales of the countries and people they have seen on the road, are
treated with the greatest respect, and always provided for; indeed
every house is open to them: and any European travelling in these
countries might acquire an influence by these means, which would
enable him to carry all his objects into effect with great facility.
On the 19th of June we returned to Kabshary, and found that great
progress had been made in rebuilding the town. The sheikh gave a sum
of money towards completing the work, and exempted the inhabitants
from tribute for a season; and all, therefore, was rejoicing. The
Alowany Shouaas are here in very great force. We had some visits from
the women in the evening, who were really beautiful; and although of
a sort of dingy copper colour, are here called white, and consequently
held in but little estimation by the natives—black, and black only,
being considered by them as desirable. I bathed this morning in the
Gambarou, while poor Dr. Oudney rested on the banks: live muscles
are in plenty, and we found some very pearly oyster-shells at the
bottom of the river.
While we remained at Kabshary, we encountered another violent
storm, and were much amused at the economy of the Shouaas when the
storm approached. I saw all were extremely busy digging holes in
the sand with their spears, evidently too small for them to get
into themselves, and we were not a little surprised at seeing them
presently bury their shirts and trowsers two or three feet deep in
the sand, which, on the rain subsiding, they dug up, and put on,
quite dry, with an air of great comfort and satisfaction. They never
are affected by thus exposing their naked bodies to the fury of
the tempest, while we, who were always covered, had colds, agues,
and pains, that they were entirely free from.
We had news to-day that the people of Waday had, with a large army,
visited Begharmi, that persecuted country, and again pillaged all
the towns; and also that our huts had been broken into at Kouka,
and some, if not all, of our property stolen. The first report turned
out a false one, but the second, to our sorrow, was too true. Hillman
had been confined fifteen days to his bed with ague, and during this
time, in the night, the robbery was effected.
June 23.—We proceeded on our return, and again pitched our tents on
the banks of the Muggaby. In all the woods are flocks of wild animals,
called by the Bornouese korookoo, and by the Arabs el buger-achmer,
the _red bullock_: some of these were disturbed to-day, and one got
into the midst of our horsemen; it has immense horns, and is something
between the ox and the antelope. Spears were struck at him without
number, but he effected his escape, carrying off several sticking
in his flesh. The horses were exceedingly alarmed, and many of their
riders measured their lengths on the sand. The two kafilas from Soudan
passed us to-day, on their way to Kouka; they consisted of one hundred
and fifty slaves, with about twenty merchants and their servants,
and thirty camels. Most of the people ran to the outskirts of the
camp to see them pass, it being the custom, on these occasions, to
dress out these poor victims of the most cruel avarice that certainly
ever entered into the breast of man, in rags of different colours,
only to be taken from them again on the procession being over. The
merchants, who gratify their vanity the most in this way, lose, it
is said, fewer slaves; but I observed several of these before me,
whose unbidden tears flowed down their cheeks as they drew their
mantle close round them, seeming to wish by that means to stifle
their misery with the appearance of it.
It was intended this evening to have killed an hippopotamus, an
animal which exists in great numbers in the lake on the borders of
which we were encamped, but a violent thunder-storm, to our great
disappointment, prevented our witnessing so novel a species of
sport. The flesh is considered a great delicacy. On the morrow we had
a full opportunity of convincing ourselves that these uncouth and
stupendous animals are very sensibly attracted by musical sounds,
even though they should not be of the softest kind: as we passed
along the borders of the lake Muggaby at sunrise, they followed
the drums of the different chiefs the whole length of the water,
sometimes approaching so close to the shore, that the water they
spouted from their mouths reached the persons who were passing along
the banks. I counted fifteen at one time sporting on the surface;
and my servant Columbus shot one of them in the head, when he gave
so loud a roar, as he buried himself in the lake, that all the others
disappeared in an instant.
[Illustration: From a Sketch by Major Denham.
Engraved by E. Finden.
ABDEL GASSAM. A FELLATAH FROM TIMBOCTOO.
A BORNOUESE. ON A JOURNEY.
_Published Feb. 1826, by John Murray, London._]
We made a long march to Dummasak, when we halted until the afternoon
of the next day. The army here dispersed, and the Shouaas and Kanemboo
went off to their respective homes.
By daylight we began to move. The sheikh sent for us to ride near him,
and, accompanied by nearly all the people who had remained behind,
and who came out thus far to welcome the successful return of their
prince, we arrived once more at the capital, amidst the shouts of
the men, and the shrieks of the women, to take possession of our
old habitations.
The kafila which came from Soudan during this expedition brought a
young fighi from Timboctoo, the son of a Felatah chief of D’jennie,
named Abdel Gassam ben Maleky. He was on his way to Hage, and had left
Timboctoo, as is the custom, without any thing beyond the shirt on his
back, the rags of which he exchanged on the road for a sheep’s skin,
subsisting entirely on charity. He was a very fine and intelligent
lad, of about sixteen, of a deep copper colour, but with features
extremely handsome and expressive. He was five months from D’jennie,
and greatly exhausted by fatigue and the want of nourishing food:
his whole wardrobe was his sheep’s skin; and although the sheikh
gave him a tobe, he said he almost thought it a sin to indulge in
the luxury of putting it on. We were on the expedition to Munga when
he arrived, and about the time of our evening meal, Abdel Gassam
generally made his appearance at our tents: bad as the fare was,
he found it preferable to the cold mess of flour and water he got
elsewhere. He knew little or nothing of the road by which he had come
to Kano, not even the names of the places he had halted at. Abdel
Gassam said he could scarcely believe such good people as we were
could be any thing but Moslem: but he had heard of Christians before;
and when I asked how, and where, he gave the following account:—
“Many years ago, before I was born, white men, Christians, came from
Sego to D’jennie, in a large boat, as big as two of our boats. The
natives went out to them in their canoes; they would not have done
them any harm, but the Christians were afraid, and fired at them with
guns, and killed several in the canoes that went near their boat:
they proceeded to Timboctoo, and there the sultan sent to them one
of his chiefs, and they held a parley. The Christians complained that
the people wanted to rob them. The sultan was kind to them, and gave
them supplies. Notwithstanding this, they went off suddenly in the
night, which vexed the sultan, as he would have sent people with them,
if they had not been afraid of them a little: and he now sent boats
after them, to warn them of their danger, as there were many rocks
in the belly of the river, all pointed. However the Christians went
on, and would not suffer the sultan’s people to come near them,
and they all perished.” My informant never heard that any thing
belonging to them was saved, but remembers himself seeing a man
often with his father, who was in one of the canoes that followed
them, and who had seen them strike against the rocks—indeed he
brought the news to Timboctoo. Their appearance excited a great
sensation amongst the people;—had frequently heard people talk
about the Christians, and the large boat, for a whole day, at his
father’s;—to this day they talk about them. They had guns fixed
to the sides of the boat, a thing never seen before at Timboctoo,
and they alarmed the people greatly.
Abdel Gassam was a sort of prodigy, and could repeat the Koran from
the beginning to the end. I repeatedly asked him what they would
do to us, if we were to go to Timboctoo? “Why,” answered he,
“do by you as you now do by me, feed you. The sultan is a great
man, with a large heart, and is kind to strangers. Many whites, but
not like those in the great boat, come to D’jennie, and also the
servants of these people, who he thinks were Christians, but they do
not go to Timboctoo: they come from the great water; and the Felatahs
at D’jennie, by their means, supply Timboctoo with cloth and silk,
yellow and red, and guns, which are much sought after. Does not know
what these white people take back, but always heard, slaves and gold
dust. The sultan of Timboctoo is a very great man, never goes out
to ghrazzie; but his slaves go, and bring back many slaves, mostly
females, from the Kerdy countries, by which he is surrounded. At
D’jennie and Melli, which are both subject to Timboctoo, the
population is mostly Felatah. The whole road to Timboctoo is inhabited
by Moslems; but to the north and south of the route are Kerdies, who
sometimes attack kafilas; but they are very much afraid of Bello, who
protects merchants. Kashna, Kano, Houssa,—one language; Timboctoo,
D’jennie,—one language; but they also speak Felatah. At Sego the
population is Negro, Kerdy, Kaffir. All communication between Sego,
D’jennie, and Timboctoo, is by water: the river is very large, and
called Qualla; and Kabra is the place where every thing going from,
or coming to, Timboctoo, is embarked or disembarked. Kabra is five
hours distant only from Timboctoo: always understood that this great
river, which has many names and branches, went from Nyffé south,
between high mountains. The river at Kano is not the same; indeed,
believes it is only a lake, and no river.”
This information, as far as it goes, may, I conceive, be relied
on. Unlike nearly all the Moorish traders, who are often tutored by
others, who have been rewarded for describing probably what even
they never saw, and come prepared to say any thing that will best
please you, this lad undoubtedly had never been questioned by any one
previous to his answering my inquiries: he knew but little Arabic,
and had scarcely been noticed in his long journeys, during which he
had been handed over from one kafila to another.
He left Kouka in the month of August, in company with an old fighi,
for Waday, with a small leather bag of parched corn, and a bottle
for his water. I gave him a dollar to pay for his passage across
the Red Sea, which he sewed up in his sheep’s skin: I however
heard afterwards, that he had been drowned in crossing one of the
branches of the Tchad. My informant was a Waday Shouaa: but if they
found out that he had the dollar, he was most likely murdered for
the sake of such a booty.
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 28: Gaadeen, kafir.]
[Footnote 29: The feudal law exists here in full force; and a man
unwilling to serve, provides one or more substitutes according to
his means.]
[Footnote 30: Birnie means Medina, the capital, in the Bornou
language.]
[Footnote 31: From these ruins the sheikh procures the greater part
of the nitre used in preparing his gunpowder.]
[Footnote 32: There are two species of the bamboo, one called Kayay,
and the other Gummary.]
[Footnote 33: This fighi was a most extraordinary person, and his
fame for knowledge and charm-writing was by some thought to exceed
that of the sheikh himself, of whom he was jealous to a degree. He
had passed years amongst the Kerdies to the south, and knew
“· · · · · · · · · · · · · The dreadful art
To taint with deadly drugs the barbed dart.”
He was now, however, about to be humbled.]