Our camp also afforded me at times some other amusement; for although
the Tawárek had returned to their usual seats, the Gwanín were still
kept back here by their fear of the Kél-hekíkan, and they occasionally
got up a national play, which caused a little diversion. But I did not
like these people nearly so well as the wild Ímóshagh; for, having
become degraded by being subjected to the caprices of stronger tribes,
they have almost entirely lost that independent spirit which is so
prepossessing in the son of the desert, even though he be the greatest
ruffian.
One afternoon they collected round my tent and began boasting of what
they had done for me. They told me that the Fullán had written to their
Sheikh, Weled ʿAbéda, accusing the Gwanín that, in the night when El
Bakáy was bringing me back to Timbúktu, they had been fighting against
them, and, among other mischief, had killed a horse belonging to them;
and that their chief had answered, that his people had done well in
defending me, and that nobody should hurt me after I had once succeeded
in placing myself under the Sheikh’s protection. And this, be it
remembered, was the self-same chief who had murdered Major Laing; and
one or the other of these very Gwanín, with whom I had dealings every
day, were perhaps implicated in that very murder. I was thus led to
inquire of these people whether there were no papers remaining of that
unfortunate traveller, and was told that they were all scattered or made
away with; but I learned, to my great surprise, that there were letters
for myself in Ázawád, which had arrived from the east; and although
these people were not able, or did not feel inclined, to give me full
information about this matter, which was of so much interest to myself,
the fact proved afterwards to be quite true; but it was a long time
before I got possession of those letters.
Nature now looked more cheerful; and, after the little rain that had
fallen, spring seemed to have set in a second time, and the trees were
putting forth young leaves. The river having now laid bare a
considerable tract of grassy ground, the cattle again found their wonted
pasture of rich nourishing “býrgu” on its banks, and were thus able to
furnish their masters with a richer supply of milk. This was a great
point towards hastening my departure, as the télamíd (or pupils of the
Sheikh) had reason to expect that they would not be starved on the road.
The fact that the tribes which we had to pass on our road eastward were
entirely without milk, which forms their chief support, had exercised
some influence upon them.
Meanwhile the turbulent state of the country grew worse and worse, since
the Awelímmiden had shown such signs of weakness; and the Tin-ger-
égedesh were said to have fallen upon the tribe of the Takétakayen
settled in Áribínda, and to have killed six of their number. The chief,
Somki, also made at the same time a sanguinary attack upon the Kél-
hekíkan; and the state of feud and hostility among the Igwádaren had
reached an extraordinary height, for besides the common animosity which
this tribe had displayed against their former liege lord, Alkúttabu, two
different factions were opposed to each other in the most bloody feud,
one of them being led by Ákhbi and Wóghdugu, and the other by Téni, to
whom were attached the greater part of the Tarabanása and the Kél-
hekíkan.
This chief, Téni, rendered himself particularly odious to the Sheikh’s
party by keeping back a considerable amount of property belonging to the
Gwanín, among which were a dozen slaves, more than fifty asses, and
three hundred and sixty sheep. A very noisy assembly was held, in the
evening of the 1st of April, inside my “zeríba,” or fence of thorny
bushes with which I had fortified my little encampment, in front of my
tent. All the Gwanín assembled round my fire, and proposed various
measures for arranging their affairs and for subduing the obstinate old
Téni. One speaker was particularly distinguished by the cleverness of
his address and his droll expressions, although I thought the latter
rather too funny for a serious consultation. However, this man was not a
Berbúshi, but an Ído ʿAlí, and therefore could not present a fair
specimen of the capabilities of this tribe.
This same chief, Téni, was also the cause of some anxiety to myself, as
it was he who, as I have stated on a former occasion, when a young man,
was wounded in the leg by Mungo Park; and I was therefore rather afraid
that he might take an opportunity of revenging himself upon me. There is
no doubt that, in the murderous assault upon Major Laing in Wádi
Ahénnet, the Tawárek were partly instigated by a feeling of revenge for
the heavy loss inflicted upon them by Mungo Park in his voyage down the
Niger. At this very moment the dreaded chief, with part of his people,
was here in the neighbourhood, and caused great anxiety to Míni, a
younger brother of Wóghdugu, one of the chiefs of the Tarabanása, who
had come on a visit to the Sheikh. Our frightened friend, in
consequence, was rambling about the whole day on the fine black horse
which my host had made me a present of, in order to spy out the
movements of his enemy. He even wanted me to exchange my horse for two
camels, in order that he might make his escape.
This man, who was an amiable and intelligent sort of person, gave me a
fair specimen of what trouble I should have in making my way through
those numerous tribes of Tawárek along the river; for, when he begged a
present from me, I thought a common blue shirt, or “rishába,” of which
kind I had prepared about a dozen, quite sufficient for him, as I had
had no dealings whatever with him, and was under no obligation to him;
but he returned it to me with the greatest contempt, as unworthy of his
dignity.
My supplies at this time were greatly reduced, and in order to obtain a
small amount of shells I was obliged to sell a broken musket belonging
to me.
Under all these circumstances I was extremely glad when, in the evening
of the 3rd of April, the provision bags of the Sheikh, of which I was
assured the half was destined for my own use, were brought out of the
town. But, nevertheless, the final arrangements for my departure were by
no means settled, and the following day everything seemed again more
uncertain than ever, the kádhi, Weled Fʿaámme, having arrived with
another body of sixty armed men, and with fresh orders to levy
contributions of money upon the inhabitants, in order to make them feel
the superiority of the ruler of Hamda-Alláhi. At the same time the
people from Tawát set all sorts of intrigues afoot, in order to prevent
the Sheikh from leaving the town, being afraid that in his absence they
should be exposed to continual vexation on the part of the ruling tribe;
for although the Sheikho Áhmedu, in sending presents to Timbúktu, had
not neglected El Bakáy, yet he had shown his preference for Hammádi, the
rival of the latter, in so decided a manner, that my friend could not
expect that in leaving the town his interests would be respected[24];
and I had to employ the whole of my influence with the Sheikh in order
to prevent him from changing his plan.
But, gradually, everything that my host was to take with him on such a
journey, consisting of books and provisions, was brought from the town,
so that it really looked as if El Bakáy was to go himself. His horses
had been brought from Kábara on the 9th, and several people, who were to
accompany us on our journey eastward, having joined us the following
day, the Sheikh himself arrived on the 11th, and our encampment became
full of bustle. My own little camping-ground also was now enlivened with
all my people, who had come to join me; and my small store of books,
which had been brought from the town, enabled me to give more variety to
my entertainment.
A rather disagreeable incident now occurred. The Zoghorán officer, the
companion of Férreji, had come out on some errand, while I was staying
with the three brothers in the large tent, which had been erected for
Sídi Mohammed. I wanted to leave, but Bakáy begged me to stay. I
therefore remained a short time, but became so disgusted with the
insulting language of the Zoghorán, that I soon left abruptly, although
his remarks had more direct reference to the French, or, rather, the
French and half-caste traders on the Senegal, than to the English or any
other European nation. He spoke of the Christians in the most
contemptuous manner, describing them as sitting like women in the bottom
of their steamboats, and doing nothing but eating raw eggs: concluding
with the paradoxical statement, which is not very flattering to
Europeans, that the idolatrous Bámbara were far better people, and much
farther advanced in civilisation than the Christians. It is singular how
the idea that the Europeans are fond of raw eggs (a most disgusting
article to a Mahommedan), as already proved by the experience of Mungo
Park, has spread over the whole of Negroland, and it can only be
partially explained by the great predilection which the French have for
boiled eggs.
Altogether my situation required an extraordinary amount of forbearance,
for Álawáte also troubled me again with his begging propensities. But
when he came himself to take leave of me, I told him that the time for
presents was now past; whereupon he said, that he was aware that if I
wanted to give I gave, meaning that it was only the want of goodwill
that made me not comply with his wish. I assured him that I had given
him a great many presents against my own inclination. He owned that he
had driven a rather hard bargain with me, but, when he wanted me to
acknowledge at least that he had done me no personal harm, I told him
that the reason was rather his want of power than his want of
inclination, and that, although I had nothing to object to him in other
respects, I should not like to trust myself in his hands alone in the
wilderness.
The difficulties which a place like Timbúktu presents to a free
commercial intercourse with Europeans are very great. For while the
remarkable situation of the town, at the edge of the desert and on the
border of various races, in the present degenerated condition of the
native kingdoms makes a strong government very difficult, nay almost
impossible, its distance from either the west coast or the mouth of the
Niger is very considerable. But, on the other hand, the great importance
of its situation at the northern curve or elbow of that majestic river,
which, in an immense sweep encompasses the whole southern half of North-
Central Africa, including countries densely populated and of the
greatest productive capabilities, renders it most desirable to open it
to European commerce, while the river itself affords immense facilities
for such a purpose. For, although the town is nearer to the French
settlements in Algeria on the one side, and those on the Senegal on the
other, yet it is separated from the former by a tract of frightful
desert, while between it and the Senegal lies an elevated tract of
country, nay, along the nearest road, a mountain chain extends of
tolerable height. Further, we have here a family which, long before the
French commenced their conquest of Algeria, exhibited their friendly
feelings toward the English in an unquestionable manner, and at the
present moment the most distinguished member of this family is most
anxious to open free intercourse with the English. Even in the event of
the greatest success of the French policy in Africa, they will never
effect the conquest of this region. On the other hand, if a liberal
government were secured to Timbúktu, by establishing a ruler independent
of the Fúlbe of Hamda-Alláhi, who are strongly opposed to all
intercourse with Europeans, whether French or English, an immense field
might be opened to European commerce, and thus the whole of this part of
the world might again be subjected to a wholesome organization. The
sequel of my narrative will show how, under the protection of the Sheikh
El Bakáy, I endeavoured to open the track along the Niger.
[Footnote 23: Appendix I., which contains all that I know about the
western half of the desert between Timbúktu and the Atlantic.]
[Footnote 24: The present sent by the Sheikho Áhmedu consisted of 800
measures of corn to El Bakáy, and as much to Hammádi, besides ten slaves
to the latter.]