1st day. Chappáto, a ksar of the Bámbara, a few miles west from Dáli.
Halt at noon in Bʿaínbála.
2nd. Jibónfo, a town inhabited by Fúlbe. Pass the heat in Úm el ʿArúk.
One day from Úm el ʿArúk is Musáwelí, a considerable ksar of the
Aswánek, about two hours north of Kolí. Another road from Musáwelí to
Kasambára leads, 1st, to Úm el ʿArúk; on the 2nd day, by Kúsh to Kóla;
on the 3rd, to Serére; on the 4th, to Kasambára. One day and a half from
Jibónfo is Tangenágha. Halt at noon in Raranrúlle, a Bámbara village;
sleep at Fúrti or Dambo-selli; reach at noon, the next day, Jibónfo.
3rd. Kolí, a considerable place; arrive about three o’clock P.M. It is
two hours south from Musáwelí.
4th. Encamp in the open country, having halted during the heat in Kúmba,
which is not farther distant from Kolí than Kábara from Timbúktu, and
consists of two villages, separated from each other by a valley, where
the market is held; the northern village being called Ferbága, and the
southern one, Lellága.
5th. Kóla, a Bámbara place, distant two days north-west from Kála, and
six from Sansándi. Arrive before noon.
X 2.—_Zigzag route from Sansándi to Kasambára, according to the Idésan
El Mukhtár.[74] Slow rate with camels._
2nd day. Karandúgu, dependent upon Bámbara. Country level; all the
houses clay; no reed huts.
4th. Denfó, a large walled place, under the dominion of Bámbara;
residence of a governor; abundance of trees, rice; horned cattle, sheep;
much cotton. The natives, dressed in tobes, take their supply of water
from wells. In Karandúgu informant changed his north north-easterly
direction for one going west.
5th. Salákoró, a small village of Bámbara, densely inhabited. Country
well cultivated. Arrive at sunset.
6th. Bernínkoró, a small village, but well inhabited. Even the smaller
towns and villages in this quarter are constructed of clay. Grain in
abundance; much honey and butter.
7th. Murja, a large walled place; residence of a governor called Mamári,
and nicknamed by informant Elli-Bú-seruwál. The inhabitants, including
the governor, all idolaters, but dress well; like all the Bámbara
people, they have a golden stud in the right ear. A great portion of
them speak Arabic. They are armed with muskets and arrows. The country
is perfectly level; no valleys, only wells.
8th. Encamp at sunset in the open country. The country here intersected
by sandy ridges, nebák or erreg rendering the passage difficult. No
cultivation, but tall trees; no water.
9th. Kumba, first town of Bághena, separated by a ravine into two
distinct quarters, each ruled by a governor of its own. In the ravine or
valley the market is held. The inhabitants are all Mohammedans; speak
Bámbara. Informant, from some cause or other, did not take the direct
road from Murja to Kasambára by way of Alássa.
10th. Kolí, at sunset; a large walled town, half clay, half reed. The
whole country is under cultivation; cattle and sheep; wells; no running
water. The Welád e’ Rahmún, the Shébahín, besides the Aswánek, have
villages on the road. There are also the Fúlbe tribes, the Bowár, with
the chief Bú-genó, and the Hásinibóro, with the chief Sumbúnne, but
acknowledging the supremacy of Bághena.
11th. Rorínga, a temporary dwelling-place of the roving tribes,
including the Idésan. Arrive at four o’clock P.M., having rested at
noon.
12th. Úm el ʿArúk, a large village, with shallow wells. Much cotton and
indigo. Arrive about noon.
13th. Chapáto, a place inhabited by Sellát, a section of Aswánek,
Mohammedans; many temporary settlers. Early in the morning.
14th. Kúsh, a large place, residence of the Helbúbu Welád Mahbúb, who
have no handicraft or market; make war in company with the Arabs; are
armed with muskets; their idiom Bámbara, Aswánek, and Arab; all clay
dwellings.
15th. Tónorár, small place; as usual, consisting of clay dwellings;
residence of the Arúsíyín, with their chief Sídi Sála; herds of cattle;
no camels; much honey.
16th. Kserát Shigge (probably meaning “the manufacturing or weaving
towns,” shigge being generally the name given to cotton in these
quarters). At present the Kesíma, a section of those in Sús, dwell here.
Arrival in the morning early.
17th. Kasambára, large place; clay and reed; residence, at the time of
informant’s journey, of Mukhtár, son of Mohammed, whom my informant
believed able to bring into the field from 6000 to 7000 cavalry, but
only a few infantry.