Having rested awhile in my hut, I, with my companions, obeyed the
summons of the governor, and found our poor old friend, Ábú-Bakr, in the
very same room where we had left him more than a year previously. He was
now quite lame in consequence of his disease of señi, but looked a
little better than on the former occasion, and I soon had an opportunity
of admiring his accurate knowledge of the country; for, when Áhmed el
Wádáwi, had read to him the kasáíd or poems addressed by my friend El
Bakáy to the emír Áhmedu, and began to relate some of the more
remarkable incidents of our journey, he was corrected every moment in
the nomenclature of the places by the governor, who appeared to possess
the most accurate philological knowledge of all the spots along the
river as far as Tóndibi, where he had been obliged to turn his back on
his voyage up the Niger. He apparently took great interest in the
endeavour of the Sheikh to open a communication with the Fúlbe of Gando
and Sókoto, and expressed his deep sorrow that on his former voyage, he
was prevented by the hostile behaviour of the chief El Khadír from
reaching Timbúktu, when my companions assured him, that the Sheikh, on
the first news of his approach, had sent a messenger in order to insure
his safety from the Tawárek.
Even if we do not take into account this attempt of his, there is no
doubt that the governor of Say is of the utmost importance in the
endeavour to ascend this river, and it is only to be lamented that he
has not greater means, pecuniary and military, at his disposal, in order
to draw from the favourable position of his province all the results
possible. Altogether his circumstances at this moment, especially in
consequence of the rebellion of the province of Déndina, were rather
poor. At the same time his own debilitated condition prevents him from
exerting his power, and can only tend to increase his political
weakness. The rather inhospitable treatment which we received may thus
be explained. Nevertheless, I made him this time a considerable present,
including a red bernús of inferior quality, which I had kept back for
the occasion. However I was so fortunate, in acknowledgment for some
medicines with which I endeavoured to alleviate his complaint, as to
receive from him a small piece of sugar, which was a great treat to me,
as I had long been deprived of this luxury, there being none in the
market; and when we left the place, after a stay of three days, he was
generous enough to make my companions a present of a camel, of which
they stood much in need.
The market was, in many respects, better provided than on our outward
journey; but with this advantage was coupled the great disadvantage to
me personally that a large troop of Háusa traders having recently
arrived and richly supplied the market with the manufactures of that
region, the prices at present ranged much lower, and for the very best
indigo-dyed shirt, I obtained only 6000 shells, while two others did not
fetch more than 2000 each. Millet was plentiful, although by no means
cheap, the third part of a suníye, or twenty-four measures of Timbúktu,
being sold for 4000 shells, consequently twice or thrice as dear as in
the latter place; but there was hardly any rice. There was not a single
sheep in the market, nor any horned cattle, either for slaughtering or
for carrying burdens; nor were there any dodówa cakes or tamarinds; nay,
even the fruit of the monkey-bread tree, or kúka, was wanting; the only
small luxury which was to be found in the market, besides the fruit of
the dúm-palm, consisting of fresh onions, certainly a great comfort in
these regions.
Such is the miserable character of this market, which, in such a
position, situated on the shore of this magnificent river, and on the
principal highroad between Eastern and Western Negroland, ought to be of
primary importance. It was with great delight that the feeble but well-
meaning governor listened to my discourse, when, on taking leave, I led
him to hope that an English steamer would, please God, soon come to
ascend the river, and supplying his place of residence with all kinds of
European articles, would raise it to a market-place of great importance;
and he was the more agreeably affected by such prospects, as my friendly
relation with the Sheikh El Bakáy had convinced him of the peaceable
intentions of the Europeans.
[Sidenote: Wednesday, August 2nd.]
It was in the afternoon that we left our narrow quarters in the town of
Say, which had appeared to us the more inconvenient, as we had
experienced several thunder-storms, which had obliged us to take refuge
in the interior of our narrow huts. Before reaching the bank of the
river, we had to cross a large sheet of water, which here likewise
intersected the town, filling out the whole hollow bordered by the dúm-
palms, and causing a serious interruption in the communication of the
different quarters of the town. Nevertheless, the level of the river at
present seemed only about five feet higher than it had been the previous
year, a little earlier in the season, and the inconvenience must be
greatly increased when the water reaches a higher level. It is a wonder
that the town is not sometimes entirely swamped, although we must not
forget that the river, the preceding year, had attained an unusual
height, so that the water this year could scarcely have sunk to its
average level before it had again commenced rising. The rocky cliff
which obstructs the river about the middle of its course, at present
only emerged from the water about a foot and a half. According to all
appearances it must sometimes be entirely submerged, so that vessels
must be upon their guard in navigating this part of the river,
especially as it is not improbable that there are more sunken rocks
hereabouts.
It was with a deep feeling of satisfaction that I again crossed this
magnificent river, on whose banks I had lived for so long a time, and
the course of which I had followed for so many hundred miles. It would
have been of no small importance, if I had been able to follow its banks
as far as Yaúri, and thus to connect by my own inspection the middle
course of this noble river with the lower part, as far as it has been
visited by the Landers, and partly, at least, by various distinguished
English officers. But such an undertaking was entirely out of the
question, on account of the exhausted state of my means, the weak
condition of my health, and the advanced stage of the rainy season,
which made it absolutely necessary for me to reach Sókoto as soon as
possible; and, what was still more, in consequence of the rebellious
state of the province of Déndina, which at the time made any intercourse
along the river impossible for so small a troop as I had then under my
command. At this season of the year, moreover, it would be
impracticable, even if the country were in a tranquil state, to keep
close along the banks of the river.
This time also I had succeeded in crossing the river without any
accident, with the single exception, that a camel which belonged to one
of my companions was so obstinate, that it was found impossible to
induce it to enter the boats, which were not of the same size as those
of the preceding year. It was thus forced to cross the river by swimming
alongside, and arrived in the most exhausted state, the river being
about 900 yards across. The nearest village being too far off, we were
obliged to encamp for the night on the gentle grassy slope of the bank,
which, a little above and below the place of embarkation, forms steep
cliffs of about 80 feet elevation. The evening was beautiful, and the
scenery of the river, with the feathery dúm-palms on the opposite shore,
was lovely in the extreme, and well adapted to leave on my mind a
lasting impression of the magnificent watery highroad which Nature has
opened into the heart of this continent. Thus I took leave of the Niger.
[Sidenote: Thursday, 3rd August.]
We now commenced our journey along our former well-known path, which,
however, in the richer garment of vegetable life in which Nature had
decked herself out, presented now a very different aspect, and after a
march of six miles, we reached the village of Tóndifú, surrounded by
fine crops of millet, which were almost ripe, and of the very remarkable
height of fifteen to twenty feet. In order to protect their property
from the attacks of the numberless swarms of birds, almost the whole
population was scattered through this forest-like plantation, and kept
up such a continual noise and clamour, that it had quite an alarming
effect, more especially as the people were concealed from view.
Having then kept along the fáddama as far as the village of Tanna, we
left our former route, for a more northerly direction, and after a march
of five miles reached the miserable remains of a hamlet called Jídder,
which the preceding year had been ransacked and entirely destroyed by
the Jermábe, as the inhabitants of Zerma, or Zabérma, are called by the
Fúlbe. But the fine crops around testified to the natural fertility of
the soil. In this village, which has a well surrounded by dúm-palms, it
had been our intention to halt; but through a ridiculous
misunderstanding of my Méjebrí companion, who never could shorten the
march sufficiently, but who this time was punished for his troublesome
conduct, we continued on, and leaving the village of Hari-bango at some
distance on our right, did not reach another hamlet till after a march
of about five miles more. This place, which is called Mínge, had been
likewise ransacked by the enemy in the turbulent state of the country,
and exhibited a most miserable appearance; but here also there was a
good deal of cultivation, and I was not a little astonished at finding,
in such a desolate place, a man who was retailing meat in his hut, but
on further inquiry, it proved to be the flesh of a sick animal, a few
head of cattle having remained in the possession of the inhabitants.
In order to avoid sleeping in the dirty huts, I had pitched my tent on
the grassy ground, but was so much persecuted by a species of hairy ant,
such as I had not observed before, that I obtained almost less sleep
than the preceding night on the banks of the Niger, where mosquitoes had
swarmed.
[Sidenote: Friday, August 4th.]
This day brought me to Támkala; my camels pursuing a shorter and I a
more circuitous route, but both arriving at the same time at the gate of
this town. It had been my intention, from the beginning, to visit this
place; but the turbulent state of the country had induced me the year
before to follow a more direct road, and I did not learn until now, that
on that occasion Ábú el Hassan, as soon as he heard of my approach, had
sent four horsemen to Gárbo, in order to conduct me to his presence; but
they did not arrive till after I had left that place. The town of
Támkala, which gives great celebrity to this region, had suffered
considerably during the revolution of Zabérma; and if the bulky crops of
native corn (which were just ripe) had not hid the greater part of the
town from view, it would most probably have presented even a more
dilapidated appearance; for not only was the wall which surrounded the
place in a great state of decay; but even the house of the governor
himself was reduced almost to a heap of ruins. It was rather remarkable
that, as I approached the building, a female slave, of rather light
yellowish colour, saluted me, the white man, in a familiar manner, as if
I had been a countryman and co-religionist of hers. She belonged, I
think, to a tribe to the south of Ádamáwa.
Having then paid our respects to the governor, we returned to our
quarters, which, although not so objectionable in themselves, were so
closely surrounded by the crops that we could scarcely find a spot to
tie up our horses; and the huts were so full of all sorts of vermin that
I scarcely got a moment’s repose during my stay here. Besides the common
plague of different species of ants and numberless swarms of mosquitoes,
to my great surprise I found the place also full of fleas,—an insect
which I had not seen since I had left Kúkawa, and which formerly was
believed to be entirely wanting in Negroland. Thus I had sufficient
reason to lament that I had here been obliged to take up my quarters
inside the town; the place being situated at the brink of a swampy
valley, the dallul Bosso filled at present with water and dúm-palms, and
the crops surrounding the wall so closely that no space was left to
pitch a tent.
It was just market-day, but besides meat, sour milk, tobacco, and
pepper, nothing was to be got. Millet was very dear; indeed, the poor
state of the market was well adapted to confirm the report that the
greater part of the inhabitants were subsisting on the fruit of the dúm-
palm. However, I had no affairs to transact in this town besides paying
my compliments to the governor, and therefore was not compelled to make
a long stay. But my business with the latter was of rather a peculiar
character, the people assuring me that he was very angry with me for not
having paid him a visit the previous year. My companions, the followers
of the Sheikh, even wanted to make me believe that he objected to see me
at all; but I entertained a strong suspicion that this was only a petty
trick played by them to further their own interest; for, being supplied
by the Sheikh with a present for this governor, they wanted to claim for
themselves all the merit of the visit. Having declared that if the
governor did not want to see me, he should certainly not obtain a
present from me, I very speedily obtained an audience, and was so
graciously received, that I could scarcely believe that he had
entertained any hostile feeling towards me; for on my entrance he rose
from his seat, or divan, made of reed, and met me at the door.
Responding to his cordiality in the most friendly manner, I told him
that only the most urgent circumstances and the advice of my own guide,
the messenger of Khalílu, had induced me the preceding year to act
contrary to my own well-determined principle, which was, to make
friendship with all governors possessed of power and authority along my
road; and that, in consequence of his warlike disposition and
straightforward and chivalrous character, he had become known to me long
before, and occupied the first rank among those whom I intended to
visit. My speech, backed by a tolerable present, made a very favourable
impression upon the governor, especially when he understood that it was
I who had induced the Sheikh to honour him with a mission; and he
entered into a very friendly conversation, admitting that the Jermábe,
or the inhabitants of Zerma, had really pressed him very severely the
last year, till he had at last succeeded in vanquishing their host and
killing a great number of them.
We then read to him the letter of the Sheikh, who bestowed great praise
upon my character, and recommended me in the most favourable terms. Sídi
Áhmed made a most eloquent speech, especially as regarded the sanctity
and learning of his master, who, he said, was very anxious to establish
peaceable intercourse along the Niger, and wanted Ábú el Hassan to
prevent the Berber tribe of the Kél-gerés and Dínnik from continuing
their predatory expeditions upon the territory and against the people of
Alkúttabu. The energetic governor, feeling flattered by these
compliments, took very graciously the hints which my eloquent friend
threw out, that, besides his other noble efforts, the Sheikh had no
objection to having homage paid to his exalted position by a small
number of decent presents; and two of the pupils of the Sheikh, Mohammed
ben Mukhtár and Máleki, were pointed out to him as the persons who would
remain here, in order to receive at his hand the presents destined for
the Sheikh at the earliest possible opportunity. This whole business
having been transacted in the presence of only one or two of his most
confidential friends, the governor had all his courtiers again called
in, when Sídi Áhmed read to them the poem in which the Sheikh had
satirized the chief of Hamda-Alláhi, Áhmedu ben Áhmedu, on account of
his not being able to catch me, which caused a great deal of merriment,
but of course could only be appreciated by those who had a very good
knowledge of Arabic, of which the greater part of the audience probably
did not understand a single word. It was rather a curious circumstance
that these people should express their satisfaction at the failure of an
undertaking of their own countrymen.
Altogether Ábú el Hassan made a favourable impression upon me. He was by
no means a man of stately appearance, or of commanding manners, and his
features wanted the expressive cast which in general characterises the
Fúlbe; and being destitute of any beard, he looked much younger than he
really was, as his age can certainly not be much under sixty. His skin
was very fair, and his dress of great simplicity, consisting of a shirt
and turban of white colour, the red bernús which my companions had
presented to him only hanging loosely from his shoulders. He is a native
of the island of Ansóngho where his forefathers were settled from
ancient times; and it is entirely owing to his personal courage and his
learning that he has reached the position he now occupies. Ábú el
Hassan, seems fully to deserve to be under the orders of a more
energetic liege lord than the monkish and lazy Khalílu, who allows his
kingdom to be shattered to pieces; and in any attempt to ascend the
Niger, the governor of Támkala is of considerable importance. The
principal weakness of his position consists in his want of horses, as he
is thus prevented from following up the partial successes which he at
times obtains over his enemies.
Having thus met with full success in our transactions with the governor,
we left the audience hall, (which struck me by its simple mode of
architecture,) consisting of a long narrow room covered with a gabled
roof thatched with reed, such as are common in Yóruba. On returning to
my quarters I distributed my last presents among those of my companions
who were to remain here, and handed them a letter for the Sheikh,
wherein I again assured him of my attachment to his family, and
expressed the hope that, even at a great distance, we might not cease to
cultivate our mutual friendship.
It had been our intention this time to choose the road by Junju, the
place which I have mentioned before as lying on the northern part of the
course of the dallul Máuri; but the governor advised us urgently to
avoid this place, which, being only of small size, and not strong enough
to follow a certain line of policy, was open to the intrigues of friends
as well as enemies.
[Sidenote: Sunday, August 6th.]
Before we started, the governor sent me a camel as a present, but I gave
it to my companions, although my own animals were in a very reduced
state. There was a good deal of cultivation along the track which we
pursued, but the irregular way in which the crops had sprung up, did not
seem to testify to any considerable degree of care and industry; but my
people argued that famished men, like the distressed inhabitants of this
town, did not possess sufficient energy for cultivating the ground.
Following a southerly direction we approached nearer the border of the
dallul, or ráfi, the surface of which alternately presented higher or
lower ground, the depressions being of a swampy character. Towards the
east the valley was bordered by a chain of hills, rising to a
considerable elevation, on the top of which an isolated baobab tree
indicated the site of a place called Gʿawó, by which the road leads from
Támkala to Junju. Gradually the cultivation decreased, and was for a
while succeeded by dúm-bush, from which a very fine but solitary gamji
tree started forth. However, the country further on improved and began
to exhibit an appearance of greater industry, consisting of corn-fields
and small villages, half of which indicated by their names their origin
from the Songhay; others pointed to Háusa. All of them were surrounded
by fine crops, and one called Bommo-hógu was furnished with a small
market-place. It was a cheering incident that an inhabitant of the
village of Gátara, which we passed further on, gave vent to his generous
feelings by presenting me with a gift of fifty shells, which I could not
refuse, although I handed them to my companions. It was here also that
we met the only horsemen whom we had seen in the province. They had
rather an energetic and stately appearance. Having passed a small
market-place situated in the midst of the corn-fields, and at present
empty, we reached the village of Báshi, where we expected to find
quarters prepared for us, but were only able, after a great deal of
delay, to procure a rather indifferent place.
We were glad to meet here a native traveller, or mai-falké, from Wurno,
who communicated to us the most recent news from Háusa and Kebbi,
although very little was to be told of the chivalrous deeds of the two
great Féllani chiefs ʿAlíyu and Khalílu, both of whom were accelerating
the ruin of their nation. About an hour after our arrival, we were
joined by a native duke, who, according to the arrangement of the
governor of Támkala, was to perform the journey through the unsafe
wilderness of Fógha in our company. This man was ʿAbdú serkí-n-Chíko,
lord of Chíko, or, to speak correctly, lord of the wilderness; his
title, or “ráwani” (properly shawl or turban), being just as empty and
vain as many others in Europe, the town of Chíko having many years
previously been destroyed by the enemy. But, whatever the hollowness of
his title might be, he himself was of noble birth, being the son of ʿAbd
e’ Salám[46], who was well-known as being once the independent master of
the important and wealthy town of Jéga, which had made so long and
successful resistance against ʿOthmán, the Jihádi; Bokhári, the present
ruler of that place, was ʿAbdú’s brother. Besides his noble descent, the
company of this man proved to be interesting, for he displayed all the
pomp peculiar to the petty Háusa chiefs, marching to the sound of drums
and horns. He was richly decked out with a green bernús, and mounted on
a sprightly charger, although his whole military force numbered only
three horsemen and six archers; and his retinue had by no means a
princely appearance, consisting of a motley assemblage of slaves,
cattle, sheep, and all sorts of encumbrances. But, notwithstanding this
empty show, he was a welcome companion on the infested road before me,
and when he paid me a visit in my hut, I at once presented him with a
fine black ráwani, thus confirming on my part the whole of his titles.
He at once proceeded to give me a proof of his knowledge of the world
and of his intelligence, and I found sundry points of resemblance
between him and Mohammed-Bóró, my noble friend of Ágades. Having been
joined here also by two attendants of ʿAbd el Káderi, a younger brother
of Khalílu, there seemed to be a sufficient guarantee for the safety of
our march. The village where I fell in with these people was rather
poorly supplied with provisions, and neither milk nor anything else was
to be got, and, owing to the number of mosquitoes, repose was quite out
of the question.
[Sidenote: Monday, August 7th.]
A moderate rain which came on in the morning, delayed us for some time.
Our route lay through a rich country, at times exhibiting traces of
careful cultivation, at others left to its own wild luxuriant growth.
Having passed the village of Belánde, which was adorned by numbers of
dúm-palms, and the extensive hamlet called Úro-emíro, we entered more
properly the bottom of the valley or ráfi, being already at this season
for a great part covered with swamps, which, a month later, render the
communication extremely difficult, although at times, the ground rises a
few feet higher than the ordinary level. But although this low ground is
extremely well adapted for the cultivation of rice, very little was at
present actually to be seen.
At length we thought that we had entirely left the swampy ground behind
us; but about a mile and a half beyond the village Gerláje, which we
left on one side, we had to cross a very deep and broad swamp, in which
one of the last of my camels fell down and died. Three miles beyond, we
reached the village of Gárbo, which was already familiar to me from my
outward journey, although I was scarcely able to recognize it, so great
was the change produced by the rich vegetation, and the crops of millet
and sorghum which had sprung up through the influence of the rainy
season. But the inhabitants also, elated by the hope which the prospect
of a rich harvest held out to them, exhibited a far more cheerful
temperament than on my former visit, and immediately led me through the
narrow lanes to the house of the emír, who received me in a hearty
manner as an old friend. On entering into conversation with him, I was
not a little astonished to find that he was acquainted with all the
incidents of my stay in Timbúktu. He quartered me in the same small but
neatly arranged hut where I had been lodged during my former stay, and
from which I felt rather sorry to drive away the industrious landlady.
The governor treated me in an extremely hospitable manner, sending me,
besides milk and corn, even a small heifer, although I had made him only
a very trifling present. His name is ʿAbd el Waháb, and he is a brother
of Ábú el Hassan by his father’s side. With such cheerful treatment we
enjoyed our stay here very much, the weather having cleared up, and a
rainy morning being succeeded by a fine afternoon.
The friendly disposition of the governor was the more agreeable, as we
were delayed here the following day, several of my companions being
disabled by sickness, and the Serkí-n-Chíko wanting to lay in a supply
of corn for the road. I spent a great deal of my leisure time, thus
involuntarily obtained, in the company of the latter, who detailed to me
the incidents of the struggle of his family with the Jihádi, and dilated
on the importance of the town of Jéga, which is a market place of great
consequence, especially for rough silk, with which it supplies the whole
of Zánfara, and even the distant market of Alóri, or Ilóri. In fact, I
am quite sure that the silk which has been obtained from the missionary
station in Yóruba, is nothing but the selfsame article introduced into
this country from Tripoli, and again exported from thence to Háusa. In
my conversation with this man, he mentioned a circumstance which struck
me as peculiar, that the Háusa people have no general name for the
Songhay. Their only designation for them is Yammatáwa, meaning the
western people, a term which is only used in opposition to Gabbestáwa,
the “eastern people,” without any regard to nationality.
[Sidenote: Wednesday, August 9th.]
On leaving the village of Gárbo, we were induced to follow the traces of
our Háusa companion, and to ascend directly the steep rocky passage
which we had turned on our former journey; but we found that this time
also the proverb was confirmed, that “the more haste the less speed,”
for the passage proved so difficult that all the luggage fell from the
backs of the camels, and caused us a great deal of delay. However, as
soon as we reached the flat level of the forest, we proceeded onward
without interruption till we had passed our former place of encampment.
Finding no water here we pushed on, but, unfortunately, on account of
part of our caravan having gone on in advance, we were prevented from
encamping before the storm, which had gathered over our heads during the
afternoon, broke forth, when the whole ground was in a moment so deeply
covered with water that it was impossible to encamp. Thus, although
drenched to the skin, we were obliged to keep on, in the most
uncomfortable manner, till we found a little higher ground, where the
branches of a sylvan encampment supplied us with the means of protecting
our luggage against the extreme humidity of the ground. It is such
encampments as these which are the cause of so much unhealthiness to
travellers, and I did not feel at all comfortable until, with great
difficulty, I had lighted a fire inside my wet tent, the rain continuing
outside with increased violence. But the weather affected my people, who
were less protected than myself, in such a manner, that they were
shivering with wet and cold in the morning, and we did not get off until
a late hour.
Having met some energetic and warlike-looking horsemen from Fógha, and
passing several small ponds, we descended a little, and then proceeding
over the hilly ground, which was more scantily timbered, we gradually
approached the remarkable valley of Fógha. As I had decided upon
visiting the town of Kallíyul, I was obliged to change here my direction
to the south-west, keeping along the side of the valley. The narrow
footpath was now overgrown with rank grass, and the numerous salt-
manufacturing hamlets were destitute of life and animation, and
overgrown with vegetation. We were also glad, for the sake of the
famished inhabitants of this district, to see the fields waving with
tolerably rich crops, and a few cattle grazing about. Some animation was
caused by an encampment of native traders which we passed, consisting of
light sheds built of reed.
Proceeding thus onwards we reached the town of Kallíyul, and were here
received outside the gate by two horsemen, when I was without delay
quartered in a large and clean hut built of clay, and about thirty feet
in diameter. I had scarcely made myself comfortable, when Señína, and
the most respectable of the inhabitants, came to pay their compliments
to me in the most cheerful manner, saluting me as an old acquaintance
and as an enterprising and successful traveller; while I, in my turn,
complimented them on account of their having retrieved some of their
losses by capturing a fine herd of cattle from the enemy. I was glad to
see that they were not in such a famished condition as when I was here a
year previously, and I gratefully acknowledged the moderate proof of
hospitality which they were able to bestow upon me, consisting of a
little túwo, a large quantity of milk, and a few kóla nuts. I rewarded
their kindness as well as I was able under my present reduced
circumstances.
It was here that I learnt with certainty the death of my friend the
vizier of Bórnu; for although the governor of Say, when we read to him
the general letter of recommendation which the Sheikh el Bakáy had
written for me, had remarked that ʿOmár was no longer ruler of Bórnu,
and had thrown out some hints respecting the death of the vizier, those
indications were too vague to be relied on; but now circumstances were
mentioned in such a positive manner that I could no longer entertain a
doubt as to the truth of the report, and it was with some anxiety that I
thought of Mr. Vogel and his companions, and my own affairs in the
country of Bórnu.
Towards evening I wandered about a little, and found the town only
scantily inhabited, although, as I have said before, the hamlets for
manufacturing salt are almost deserted at this time of year, as no salt
can be obtained as long as the bottom of the valley is covered with
water. The situation of the place is of considerable strength, being
defended not only by the wall on the east side, but also by a swamp on
the west side, at least during part of the year; and it is this
circumstance which renders it more intelligible how the inhabitants have
been able to defend themselves against the repeated attacks of the
revolted Déndi.
The greatest object of interest for me, and which would alone have
rewarded a visit to the place, was a specimen of an oil-palm, _Elais
Guineensis_, quite isolated, but, together with some palm bushes of the
same species, serving to prove that this palm can thrive, even in the
interior, in localities where the soil is impregnated with salt, as is
here the case; although in general it is assumed, and seems to be proved
by experience, that it cannot grow at any great distance from the ocean.
We had taken up our quarters inside the town, in consequence of the
statement of ʿAbdú that we should be able to cross the valley at this
spot, but to my great disappointment I learned that I should have to
retrace my steps for some miles, as far as the spot where I had crossed
the valley on my outward journey. In order therefore not to lose more
time than was necessary, I left the place in the afternoon of the next
day, intending to encamp beyond the valley at the entrance of the
forest. After a good deal of opposition from my companions, I effected
my purpose, being escorted out of the town by Señína, with two mounted
archers, and followed by all the people who wanted to take the same
road; for as soon as they saw me marching out with confidence, they all
followed, one after the other, and encamped close round my tent, which I
had pitched on the eminence above the valley near the dúm-palms, as if
it were a talisman to protect them against any attack; and midnight had
scarcely passed, when the drum of ʿAbdú was heard in the distance,
indicating that he also did not tarry. But in consequence of the
laziness of my people, whom the numbers of mosquitoes had scarcely
allowed to close their eyes, he arrived before we had prepared our
luggage, so that we did not get off until three o’clock in the morning;
and, owing to a pack-ox belonging to ʿAbdú having fallen down in the
narrow path in the forest, we lost another hour before we could fairly
proceed.
Marching then onwards without further delay, we reached, half an hour
before noon, the site of Débe, in the dense thicket of the forest, which
was inundated with water, and made a short halt, without dismounting, in
order to allow the Háusa people to drink their furá. There were about
one hundred fatáki or native traders, most of them bearing their little
merchandise on pack-oxen or asses, but some of them carrying it on their
heads as dan-garúnfu. Having refreshed ourselves, we continued our
march, but, frightened by a thunder-storm which was gathering over our
heads, encamped near a shallow pond of water. However, there was but
little rain, and we had a tolerably quiet evening. Here also we suffered
greatly from the mosquitoes, which, together with the extreme insecurity
of the communication, are the great drawback to the full enjoyment of a
journey through Kebbi.
[Sidenote: Sunday, August 13th.]
About two miles from our starting-point, having slightly ascended, we
had again to descend the steep rocky passage, the rising ground before
us, with its dense timber, appearing like a chain of mountains. Having
then ascended again, we reached the tebki, or pond, which I have
mentioned on my outward journey, and being thirsty, we all went to
drink, but found the water so abominable, that all my companions from
Timbúktu were attacked with serious illness, especially Sídi Áhmed, who
was seized suddenly with such a severe attack of fever that he declared
the water to have been poisoned. But although it is not totally
impossible that the enemy might have poisoned the pond—from which they
knew that all the passers-by supplied themselves with water—with some
herb or other, I think that its unwholesome character was caused in the
same manner as the water of the brook near Úro Béleng, which had made
one of my companions and myself ill on a former occasion.
Having again descended a rocky passage, we passed the site of a former
encampment of Sultan Bello, which he used as his head-quarters when he
destroyed the towns of Débe and Kúka. The sight of this place, together
with the remembrance of the ruinous warfare which had proceeded from
thence, gave my companions an opportunity of expatiating on the great
strength of Kebbi in former times, when the whole of Gúrma, with all the
Songhay places as far as Téra, were subject to them; but I never heard
that the dominion of this country, or of any province of Háusa, had ever
extended as far as Timbúktu. Proceeding then cheerfully on, we reached
the first monkey-bread trees at the border of the forest, and were
greatly delighted at the sight of the fine herds of cattle belonging to
the inhabitants of Tilli, with the rich crops, part of which was already
cut in order to satisfy the most urgent wants of the population. The
whole district, together with its fine timber, which had now put forth
its utmost exuberance of foliage, left a very pleasing impression.
Thus we reached the town of Tilli, but the western gate being very
narrow, we had to turn round half the circumference of the wall in order
to reach the eastern entrance; but having at length penetrated into the
interior, we were lodged close to the western gate, where we had arrived
an hour previously. I had thus the advantage of getting a good insight
into the relations of the population of this place, and found the town
to be much better off and more densely inhabited than Zogírma. But while
the governor of the latter town ranks like a petty sultan, and has some
cavalry under his command, that of Tilli is a mere mayor, without rank
or authority. The present governor, whose name is Búba-Sadíki, enjoyed
still less authority from personal reasons, as he was prostrated with
the same illness which had lamed the governor of Say. This “señi,” or
rheumatism, as I have stated on former occasions, is a kind of disease
of which every African traveller who exposes himself a great deal during
the rainy season, particularly along swampy regions and in leaky boats,
is very susceptible. I suffered dreadfully from it after my return to
Bórnu.
While the télamíd of the Sheikh went in person to the governor in order
to alleviate, if possible, his enfeebled state by means of their prayers
and blessing, I made him a small present, and he sent me some rice in
acknowledgment. The little market was tolerably well supplied, and I was
very glad to find here, besides sorghum, the large wholesome onions of
Gando, and some dodówa, sour milk also being in considerable abundance;
and it was interesting to observe how much more cheerful all the
inhabitants were under the present circumstances, than they had been the
previous year. I should have liked very much to have paid my compliments
to my friend of Zogírma, in order to see how he was going on after being
relieved from a great part of the anxiety which appeared to oppress him
the year before; but fearing the delay, I resolved to make direct from
here to Birni-n-Kebbi.
[Sidenote: Monday, August 14th.]
We had heard already on our journey that we had arrived at the very
latest time in order to cross, with any degree of safety, the swampy
fáddama of the gúlbi-n-Sókoto, which a little later in the season is
extremely difficult to pass. At all events it was very fortunate that no
rain had fallen for the last few days, or we should have experienced
considerable difficulty in crossing this swampy ground: even as it was,
we had to traverse three sheets of water, the first of which was about
three feet deep and of considerable breadth, the second forming the real
bed of the river, running with a south-westerly bend towards the Kwára,
although not so wide as the former, and the third forming a stagnant
creek. Having passed some ricefields, we at length, after a march of a
little more than three miles, emerged from the swampy bottom of the
valley, and ascended rising ground covered with the fine crops belonging
to the inhabitants of Diggi, and soon after left the town itself on our
right, which from our former journey had remained in our remembrance, as
we had here been met by the chivalrous sons of the governor of Zogírma.
Here dukhn and durra were grown promiscuously in the same field,
affording a proof that this ground is well adapted for both kinds of
cultivation.
Having here fallen into our former road, I hastened on in advance along
the well-known path towards Birni-n-Kebbi, which however now exhibited a
different character, on account of the whole country being covered with
tall crops; and turning round the walls of Kóla, we reached the gate of
Birni-n-Kebbi. The aspect of this town had likewise undergone an entire
change, but not to its advantage; the town, which of itself is narrow,
being still more hemmed in by the crops. For the moment, the place had
certainly a rather desolate appearance, the greater part of the
inhabitants being engaged in an expedition led on by ʿAbd el Káderi, or
as he is commonly called, ʿAbd el Káderi-ay, a younger brother of
Khalílu. As I rode up to the house of the mágaji or governor, Mohammed
Lowel, he was just sitting in his parlour with a few of his people, when
he, or rather his attendants, having recognized me as his old
acquaintance ʿAbd el Kerím, came out to salute me in a very cheerful
manner. However, the expedition being expected to return the same
evening, there was no room for us inside the town, and we were obliged
to seek shelter outside, descending the steep and rugged slope to the
border of the fáddama, where we obtained, with difficulty, quarters for
myself, in an isolated farm. The hut was extremely small, and full of
ants; but the door was provided with a peculiar kind of curtain, made of
the leaves of the deléb-palm, which, while admitting access, entirely
excluded the mosquitoes, which infested this place in enormous
quantities. We were well treated by the owner, or maigída, of the farm,
in conformance with the orders which he received from the mágaji, to
whom I sent a small present, reminding him of the larger gift which I
had given him the preceding year. His hospitality was the more
acceptable, as the market was very badly supplied, neither millet nor
rice being procurable; sour milk also was extremely dear, as on account
of the crops, and the quantity of water covering the valley, the cattle
had been all sent off to a great distance, into the neighbourhood of
Gando.
Late in the evening the expedition returned, bringing about one hundred
head of cattle and thirty slaves, whom they had captured from the enemy.
But although the commander of the expedition was to return to Gando
himself, I did not like to wait for him, and started early the next
morning along our old path, which was only distinguished at present by
the quantity of water with which it was covered, especially near the
village Háusáwa, where the whole shallow bed of the valley formed one
sheet of water three feet deep. A good deal of cultivation of rice was
at present to be seen. Thus we reached Gúlumbé, where, this time, in
consequence of the quantity of rain that had fallen, inundating the
ground outside close up to the wall, I took up my quarters inside the
town, and obtained tolerably good lodgings, the courtyard being
surrounded by a most exuberant growth of vegetation, and the finest
timber; but the mayor did not treat us quite so well as I expected,
although I made him a present of a black shawl. The market here also
being badly provided, I had great difficulty in obtaining a sufficient
supply of corn for my horse.
We had scarcely left the narrow lanes of the town with its extraordinary
exuberance of vegetation, when the rain set in, so that we were wet both
from above and below, the path either leading through tall crops, or
through pools of stagnant water. The path further on, according to the
information which we collected from people whom we met on the road,
being entirely inundated, when we reached that western branch of the
fáddama near the village of Badda-badda, we followed a more southerly
direction to the large open village Kóchi, where we intended passing the
night. But it was with the utmost difficulty that we obtained lodgings,
nor did we experience the least sign of hospitality, and while an
immense quantity of rain fell outside, I was greatly tormented by the
number of mosquitoes, which were insufficiently excluded from my hut by
a stiff piece of leather hung before the door.
[Sidenote: Thursday, August 17th.]
As soon as the weather allowed us we left this inhospitable village, and
soon afterwards entered forest, to which succeeded fine crops of corn.
Four miles beyond Kóchi, we had to cross a large fáddama full of water,
and intersected in the middle by a running stream, bordered by great
numbers of water lilies, and giving us altogether a fair idea of the
difficulties attending travelling through this country at the present
season of the year. A month later it would be entirely impassable for a
European traveller encumbered with any amount of luggage. But the road
was tolerably well frequented, and we were met by a long train of broad-
shouldered square built Núpe females, each with a load of from six to
eight enormous calabashes on her head, journeying to the Friday market
of Jéga.
This is the important place, which, under the command of ʿAbd e’ Salám,
had made a long and successful resistance against the author of the
reformatory movement of the Fúlbe, and which, on account of its
mercantile importance, had attracted attention in Europe a good many
years ago; and although it has declined at present from its former
importance, it was still of sufficient consequence to make me desirous
of visiting it; but the great quantity of rain which fell at this time
by rendering the communication very difficult for loaded camels,
prevented me from executing my design. A little further on I met with
one of those incidents which, although simple and unimportant in their
character, yet often serve to cheer the solitary traveller in foreign
countries, more than the most brilliant reception. After having crossed
a valley, we were ascending the last rocky passage before coming to
Gando, when we met here a troop of men, and as soon as one of them saw
me in the distance, he broke out into the cheering exclamation,
“Márhaba, márhaba, ʿAbd el Kerím.” It was highly gratifying to me when
returning after a long absence to a place where I had resided for so
short a time, to be recognized immediately and saluted in so hearty a
manner, although my stay in Gando was connected with many a melancholy
reminiscence.
Here, on the top of the rocky eminence, we obtained a view of the valley
of Gando, and, descending, soon reached the gate of the town, and
straightway rode to the house of the monkish prince, where we were soon
surrounded by a number of people, who congratulated me on my fortunate
return. After a while, there appeared also my tormentor, El Bakáy, which
name now appeared to me as a mere satire, associating as it did this
vilest of Arabs with that noble man who had showed me so much
disinterested friendship. But when he again commenced his old tactics, I
immediately made a serious protest, declaring at once, that the only
thing which it was in my power to give him this time, was a black tobe
and a red cap; and this I assured him he should not get until the very
moment when I was about to leave the place. The dismal clay-house, where
I had been lodged during my former stay in the place, had since fallen
in; and other quarters were assigned to me, consisting of a courtyard
and two huts.
[Footnote 46: The original residence of ʿAbd e’ Salám had been Kóri,
from whence he had carried on war with ʿOthman for five years.]