starting, we were greeted by the aspect of a few green kitchen-gardens,
while we were still gradually ascending. On reaching the highest level,
we obtained a sight of the mountains of Damerghú (“dúwatsu n Damerghú,”
as they are called), a low range stretching parallel with the road
towards the east, while ahead of us, and westward, the country was
entirely open, resembling one unbroken stubble-field. Having crossed a
hollow with a dry pond and some trees, we had at about eight o’clock a
village close on our right, where, for the first time, I saw that
peculiar style of architecture which, with some more or less important
varieties, extends through the whole of Central Africa.
These huts, in as far as they are generally erected entirely with the
stalks of the Indian corn, almost without any other support except that
derived from the feeble branches of the _Asclepias gigantea_, certainly
do not possess the solidity of the huts of the villages of Ásben, which
are supported by a strong framework of branches and young trees; but
they greatly surpass them in cleanliness, on account of the large
available supply of the light material of which they are built. It is,
however, to be remarked that the inhabitants of this district depend in
a great measure for their fuel too upon the stalks of the Indian corn.
The huts in general are lower than those in Ásben, and are distinguished
from them entirely by the curved top of the thatched roof, which
sustains the whole. In examining these structures, one cannot but feel
surprised at the great similarity which they bear to the huts of the
aboriginal inhabitants of Latium, such as they are described by
Vitruvius and other authors, and represented occasionally on terra cotta
utensils, while the name in the Bórnu or Kanúri language, “kósi,” bears
a remarkable resemblance to the Latin name “casa,” however accidental it
may be. It is still more remarkable that a similar name, “kúde,” is
given to a cottage in the Tamil and other Asiatic languages.
More remarkable and peculiar than the huts, and equally new and
interesting to us, as the most evident symptom of the great
productiveness of this country, were the little stacks of corn scattered
among the huts, and in reality consisting of nothing but an enormous
basket made of reeds, and placed upon a scaffold of thick pieces of wood
about two feet high, in order to protect the corn against the “kúsu” and
the “gará” (the mouse and the ant), and covered over on the top with a
thatched roof, like that of the huts.[205] Of these little corn-stacks
we shall find some most interesting architectural varieties in the
course of our travels. The “gará,” or white ant (_Termes fatalis_), is
here the greatest nuisance, being most destructive to the corn as well
as to all softer kinds of house-furniture, or rather to the houses
themselves. Every possible precaution must be taken against it. The
“kúsu,” or mouse, abounds here in great numbers, and of several species:
particularly frequent is the jerbóa (_dipus_), which for the traveller
certainly forms a very pleasant object to look at as it jumps about on
the fields, but not so to the native, who is anxious about his corn.
While reflecting on the feeble resistance which this kind of
architecture must necessarily offer in case of conflagration,
particularly as water is at so great a distance, I perceived almost
opposite to this little hamlet a larger one called Mája, on the other
side of the road, and shaded by some thorn-trees. From both villages the
people came forth to offer cheese and Indian corn for sale. They
differed widely from the fanatical people among whom we had been
travelling; most of them were pagans and slaves. Their dress was mean
and scanty; this of course is an expensive article in a country where no
cotton is produced, and where articles of dress can only be obtained in
exchange for the produce of the country. On a field near the path the
Guinea corn was still lying unthreshed, though the harvest had been
collected two months before. The threshing is done with long poles. The
whole of Damerghú produces no durra or sorghum, but only millet or
_Pennisetum typhoïdeum_, and all, as far as I know, of the white
species.
Further on, the stubble-fields were pleasantly interrupted by a little
pasture-ground, where we saw a tolerably large herd of cattle. Then
followed a tract of country entirely covered with the monotonous
_Asclepias gigantea_, which at present is useful only as affording
materials for the framework of the thatched roofs, or for fences. It is
worthless for fuel, although the pith is employed as tinder. The milky
juice (which at present is used by the pagan natives, as far as I know,
only to ferment their gíya, and which greatly annoys the traveller in
crossing the fields, as it produces spots on the clothes, and even
injures the hair of the horses) might become an important article of
trade. The cattle, at least in districts where they have not good
pasturage, feed on the leaves of the asclepias.
We were gradually ascending, and reached at about a quarter-past ten
o’clock the summit of a rising ground, the soil of which consisted of
red clay. Altogether it was an undulating country, appearing rather
monotonous, from its almost total want of trees, but nevertheless of the
highest interest to one just arrived from the arid regions of the north.
Having passed several detached farms, which left a very agreeable
impression of security and peacefulness, we came upon a group of wells,
some dry, but others well filled, where besides cattle a good many
horses were led to water—a cheerful and to us quite a novel sight; many
more were seen grazing around on the small patches of pasture-ground
which interrupted the stubble-fields, and some of them were in splendid
condition—strong and well-fed, and with fine sleek coats; all of them
were of brown colour. But there was another object which attracted our
attention: the trough at the well was formed of a tortoiseshell of more
than two feet in length; and on inquiry we learnt that this animal, of a
large size, is not at all rare in this district. It was already
mentioned, as common in these regions, by the famous Andalusian
geographer El Bekri.
Villages, stubble-fields, tracts covered with tunfáfia (the
_Asclepias_), detached farms, herds of cattle and troops of horses
tranquilly grazing, succeeded each other, while the country continued
undulating, and was now and then intersected by the dry bed of a
watercourse. Having passed two divisions of the aïr, or aïri, which had
preceded us, and had encamped near some villages, we obtained quite a
new sight—a large quadrangular place called Dam-mágaji (properly Dan
Mágaji, “the son of the lieutenant,” after whom it is called),
surrounded with a clay wall, spreading out at a short distance on our
left, while in the distance before us in the direction of Zinder, a high
cone called Zozáwa became visible. Leaving a village of considerable
size on our right, at a quarter to three o’clock we reached a small
hamlet, from which numbers of people were hurrying forward, saluting us
in a friendly and cheerful manner, and informing us that this was
Tágelel, the old chief’s property. We now saw that the village consisted
of two distinct groups separated from each other by a cluster of four or
five tsámias or tamarind-trees—the first poor specimens of this
magnificent tree, which is the greatest ornament of Negroland.
Our camping-ground was at first somewhat uncomfortable and troublesome,
it being absolutely necessary to take all possible precautions against
the dreadful little foe that infests the ground wherever there is arable
land in Sudán—the white ant; but we gradually succeeded in making
ourselves at home and comfortable for the next day’s halt.
The greatest part of the following day was spent in receiving visits.
The first of these was interesting, although its interest was diminished
by the length to which it was protracted. The visitor was a gallant
freeborn Ikázkezan, of a fine though not tall figure, regular, well-
marked features, and fair complexion, which at once bespoke his noble
birth; he was clad in a very good red bernús, of the value of 70,000
kurdí in Kanó, and altogether was extremely neatly and well dressed. He
came first on horseback with two companions on camels, but soon sent his
horse and companions away, and squatted down in my tent, apparently for
a somewhat long talk with me; and he remained with me for full three
hours. But he was personally interesting, and a very fine specimen of
his tribe; and the interest attaching to his person was greatly enhanced
by his having accompanied the expedition against the Welád Slimán, which
none of our other friends the Kél-owí had done. On this account I was
greatly pleased to find that his statements confirmed and corroborated
the general reports which we had heard before. He was all admiration at
the large fortification which, as soon as they heard that the Tawárek
intended an expedition against them, the Arabs had constructed at
Késkáwa, on the shore of lake Tsád (carrying trees of immense size from
a great distance), and where they had remained for two months awaiting
the arrival of their enraged foe. He expressed his opinion that nothing
but the Great God himself could have induced them to leave at length
such a secure retreat and impregnable stronghold, by crazing their wits,
and confounding their understandings. I also learnt that these daring
vagabonds had not contented themselves with taking away all the camels
of the Kél-owí that came to Bílma for salt, but, crossing that most
desolate tract which separates Kawár or Hénderi Tedá (the Tébu country)
from Aïr, pursued the former as far as Agwáu.
At the time I conversed with my Ikázkezan friend about this subject I
was not yet aware how soon I was to try my fortune with the shattered
remains of that Arab horde, although its fate had formed an object of
the highest interest to the expedition from the beginning. As for
ourselves, my visitor was perfectly well acquainted with the whole
history of our proceedings; and he was persuaded that, out of any
material, we were able to make what we liked, but especially fine
bernúses,—an opinion which gave rise to some amusing conversation
between us.
This interesting visitor was succeeded by a great many tiresome people,
so that I was heartily glad when Overweg, who had made a little
excursion to a great pond of stagnant water, at the foot of the hill of
Farára, the residence of Mákita, returned, and, lying outside the little
shed of tanned skins, which was spread over his luggage, drew the crowd
away from my tent. Overweg, as well as Ibrahím, who had accompanied him,
had shot several ducks, which afforded us a good supper, and made us
support with some degree of patience the trying spectacle of a long
procession of men and women laden with eatables, passing by us in the
evening towards the camping-ground of the chief, while not a single dish
found its way to us; and though we informed them that they were missing
their way, they would not understand the hint, and answered us with a
smile. Many severe remarks on the niggardliness of the old chief were
that evening made round our fire. While music, dancing, and merriment
were going on in the village, a solitary “maimólo” found his way to us,
to console the three forsaken travellers from a foreign land, by
extolling them to the skies, and representing them as special ministers
of the Almighty.
[Sidenote: Wednesday, January 8th.]
To-day I began a list of the principal towns and villages of Dam-erghú,
which I shall now give as it was corrected and completed by my
subsequent inquiries; but first I shall make a few general observations.
Aïr, or rather Ásben, as we have seen above, was originally inhabited by
the Góber race—that is to say, the most noble and original stock of what
is now, by the natives themselves, called the Háusa nation; but the
boundaries of Ásben appear not to have originally included the district
of Dam-erghú, as not even those of Aïr do at the present day, Dam-erghú
being considered as an outlying province, and the granary of Aïr. On the
contrary, the name of Dam-erghú (which is formed of the same root as the
names Daw-erghú, Gam-erghú, and others, all lying round Bórnu proper)
seems to show that the country to which it applied belonged to the
Kanúri race, who are in truth its chief occupants even at the present
day, the Bórnu population being far more numerous than the Háusa; and
though a great many of them are at present reduced to a servile
condition, they are not imported slaves, as Mr. Richardson thought, but
most of them are serfs or prædial slaves, the original inhabitants of
the country. It is true that a great many of the names of the villages
in Dam-erghú belong to the Háusa language; but these I conceive to be of
a former date. The district extends for about sixty miles in length, and
forty in breadth. It is altogether an undulating country of very fertile
soil, capable of maintaining the densest population, and was in former
times certainly far more thickly inhabited than at present. The bloody
wars carried on between the Bórnu king ʿAli ʿOmármi on the one side, and
the sultan of Ágades and the Tawárek of Aïr on the other, must have
greatly depopulated these border districts.
In giving a list of the principal villages of this region, I shall first
mention five places which owe their celebrity and importance, not to
their size or the number of their inhabitants, but rather to their
political rank, being the temporary residences of the chiefs.
I name first Kúla-n-kérki—not the village mentioned above as being seen
in the distance, but another place half-a-day’s journey (“wúëni,” as the
Háusa people say) east from Tágelel—of considerable size, and the
residence of the chief Músa, who may with some truth be called master of
the soil of Dam-erghú, and is entitled serkí-n-Dam-erghú in the same
sense in which Mazáwaji was formerly called serkí-n-Ásben; and to him
all the inhabitants of the district, with the sole exception of the
people of the three other chiefs, have to do homage and present
offerings.
Olalówa, about three miles or three miles and a half S.W. of Tágelel, is
rather smaller than Kúla-n-kérki. It is the residence of Mazáwaji, a man
of the same family as Ánnur, who, till a short time before our arrival
in Aïr, was “amanókal-n-Kél-owí,” residing in Ásodi, in the place of
Astáfidet. Though he has left Aïr voluntarily, he still retains the
title “serkí-n-Kél-owí,” and is a friendly and benevolent old man.
Olalówa has a market-place provided with rúnfona, or rúnfas (sheds),
where a market is held every Sunday; but it is not well attended by the
inhabitants of the other places, owing to the fear entertained of
Mazáwaji’s slaves, who seem (mild as their master is) to be disposed to
violence.
Farára, the residence of Mákita, or Ímkiten, the man who played the
chief part during the interregnum, or rather the reign of anarchy in
Ásben, before the installation of ʿAbd el Káder. It is situated about
two miles from Tágelel, on the west side of the road which we were to
take, on the top of a hill, at the foot of which is a very extensive
lagoon of water, from which the inhabitants of Tágelel also, and of many
surrounding villages, draw their supply.
Tágelel, the residence of Ánnur, although of small size (the two groups
together containing scarcely more than a hundred and twenty cottages),
is nevertheless of great political importance in all the relations of
this distracted country.
Here also I will mention Dankámsa, the residence of an influential man
of the name of Úmma, which in a certain respect enjoys the same rank as
the four above-named villages.[206]
I will also add in this place the little which I was able to learn about
the mixed settlements of Tawárek and black natives between Dam-erghú and
Múniyo. As these places are the chief centres whence proceed the
predatory excursions which are carried on continually against the
northern districts of Bórnu, information with regard to them is not
easily obtained. The chief among them is the principality of Alákkos or
Elákwas[207], about three (long) days N.E. from Zínder, and two from
Gúre, the present residence of Muniyóma. The ruling class in this
sequestered haunt of robbers and freebooters seems to belong to the
tribe of the Tagáma; and the name of the present chief is Abu-Bakr, who
can lead into the field perhaps two hundred horsemen. The chief place
bears the same name as the whole principality; and besides it there are
but a few small places, among which I learnt the name of Dáucha. Alákkos
is celebrated among the hungry inhabitants of the desert, on account of
its grain; and in the desert-song, the verse which celebrates the horse
of Tawát, is followed by another one celebrating the grain of Alákkos,
“tádak Elákwas.”
Quite apart seems to be a place called Gáyim, which is governed by a
chief called Kámmedán; and I know not whether another place called Kárbo
be comprised in the same principality or not. These are the great haunts
of the freebooters, who infest the border districts, from Dam-erghú to
the very heart of Kánem.
[Sidenote: Thursday, January 9th.]
This was the great market-day in Tágelel, on which account our departure
was put off till the following day; but the market did not become
thronged until a late hour. I went there in the afternoon. The market-
place, which was about 800 yards distant from our encampment, towards
the west, upon a small hilly eminence, was provided with several sheds
or rúnfas. The articles laid out for sale consisted of cotton (which was
imported), tobacco, ostrich-eggs, cheese, mats, ropes, nets, earthenware
pots, gúras (or drinking-vessels made of the _Cucurbita ovifera_ and _C.
lagenaria_) and kórios (or vessels made of a fine sort of reed, for
containing fluids, especially milk); besides these there were a
tolerable supply of vegetables, and two oxen, for sale. The buyers
numbered about a hundred.
In the afternoon two magozáwa, or pagans, in a wild and fanciful attire
(the dry leaves of Indian corn or sorghum hanging down from their
barbarous headdress and from the leather apron, which was girt round
their loins and richly ornamented with shells and bits of coloured
cloth), danced in front of our tents the “devil’s dance”—a performance
of great interest in regard to the ancient pagan customs of these
countries, and to which I may have occasion to revert, when I speak
about Dodó, or the evil spirit, and the representation of the souls of
the dead.
Tágelel was a very important point for the proceedings of the mission on
several accounts. For here we had reached the lands where travellers are
able to proceed singly on their way; and here Overweg and I were to part
from Mr. Richardson, on account of the low state of our finances, in
order to try what each of us might be able to accomplish single-handed
and without ostentation, till new supplies should arrive from home.
Here, therefore, the first section of my narrative will most
appropriately terminate.
[Footnote 200: The Tagáma were said by some of our informants to have
come from Jánet; but I was not able to confirm this piece of
information. However I am sure that they belong to a stock settled in
these regions long before the Kél-owí. We find them settled on the
borders of Negroland in very ancient times. Horneman, from what he heard
about them, believed them to be Christians.]
[Footnote 201: Clapperton and Denham’s Travels, vol. ii. p. 107.]
[Footnote 202: The Western Tawárek call the doctor “anéssafar.”]
[Footnote 203: I shall describe this sort of tent in the narrative of my
stay amongst the Western Tawárek.]
[Footnote 204: This name means “the mosque;” and the tribe, apparently,
has formerly been settled somewhere in a town. By the Arabs it is
regarded as greatly Arabicized, and is even called ʿÁraba. We shall meet
another tribe of the same name in the West.]
[Footnote 205: A representation of such a stack of corn is given in the
next volume.]
[Footnote 206: Besides these I learnt the names of the following places
of Dam-erghú:—Nimináka, Gómtu, Sabón-garí, Dágabi, Dagábitáng, Bírji-n-
bága; Kúfkúf (called Kobkob by Mr. Richardson in the itinerary which, on
his first journey to Ghát, he forwarded to Government[a]), in the W.,
with a lake of very great dimensions; Babá-n-bírni, a place which I
think in former times has been the chief town of the district; Kuyáwa,
Da-n-kúmbu, Da-n-gérki, Marké (a very common name in Central Sudán);
Zozáwa, at the foot of the high cone of the same name mentioned above;
Lekári, also S.; Dammágaji, the place mentioned above; Ngól-mata, N.;
Ngól-ganó, Ngól-kalé, Banwélki, Gagáwa, Karíkau, Keshír-keshír,
Dammókochi, Nakéfadáng, Damméle, Guyé-guyé, Kabíwa, Fókeni, Gámakay,
Burúru, Gángará, Tágelel-ta-Dágabi (different from Ánnur’s residence);
Maryámatángh, Kusúmmetángh (both these places are Tawárek settlements);
Maizáki, Málemrí, Malenkáderi (prop. Mʿallem Káderi), Chíririm, Esúwi,
Músherí, Músajá, Aikáuri, Addankólle, Jémagu-Gomaigéne, Lamá, Hámedan,
Karáza, Alkúre, Dantánka, Agwá, Makárarí, Kasallíya, Fárag, Gámaran,
Ungwa Sámmit, Yesíyu-Négdar, Chílim-potúk (N. of Kulankérki), Ginnári,
Golmaija, Kúnkuré (the tortoise), Báya-n-Dúchi (a village so called on
account of its being situate behind a hillock or rocky eminence, and the
birthplace of the chief Músa), Dakári, Majá, Gílmirám, Maihánkuba.]
[Footnote a: _b_, _p_, and _f_ (or rather _ph_, _ʿp_) are frequently
interchanged in all the dialects of the Central African languages.]
[Footnote 207: There can scarcely be any doubt that this place has some
connection with the tribe of Ilasgwas, mentioned by Corippus.]
APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
* * * * *
I.—ROUTE FROM ÁGADES TO SÓKOTO.
Day.
1st. Leaving Ágades in the afternoon, you encamp in the valley called
Úleye, where there is a well.
2nd. Kerbúb, a valley with water in the sand; start at daybreak, arrive
after sunset.
3rd. Aʿazeru; arrive at sunset, having started before daylight. The
whole ground travelled over is covered with pebbles, and now and then
with a little sand.
4th. Tebérkurt; arrive after sunset, having passed a watering-place
called Arúthes. All pebbles and stones.
5th. Íngal, a small town; salt of very good quality, and of red colour,
is obtained, but only in small quantities. The inhabitants, mostly
belonging to the tribe of the Íghdalén, speak a dialect of the Sónghay,
and possess much cattle, with which they supply the market of Ágades.
Formerly the S.W. gate of that town was therefore called “Kófa-n-Íngal.”
Arrive at sunset; ground pebbly, very few large stones.
6th. ——, a well, the name of which my informant did not remember; arrive
about 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
7th. Afáyen, a valley, where you arrive about the same time; pebbles and
sand.
8th. Encamp on the pebbly plain a little before sunset.
9th. The same; the plain here is overgrown with a little herbage.
10th. A spot called Semye-táyen; arrive at sunset.
11th. Jóbeli, a considerable place belonging to the province of Ádar,
the territory of which begins here.[208] It is the market of the Kél-
gerés. The language of the inhabitants is said to be a dialect of the
Sónghay; you arrive at about three o’clock P.M., after having passed on
your road “Tésaki,” a locality probably so called from the “capparis
sodata.”
12th. Awelímmiden, an encampment of the section of this great Tawárek
tribe which is called “Awelímmiden wuén Bodhál”; at sunset.
13th. Ir-zaghúr, a village; arrive about one o’clock P.M.; road very
rugged.
14th. Tinfáf, a village (N.B. I forgot to ask my informant to what tribe
belong the inhabitants of these two places); road rocky.
15th. Dúk-rausu, a village; about one o’clock P.M.
16th. Múzki, a village; at sunset; stony.
17th. Kónni, a considerable place, residence of Ádam, a chief who
commands a large body of cavalry; arrive a little after mid-day; road
very rocky.
18th. Jáni, a village; at sunset.
19th. Wúrno, a considerable place, the present residence of Emír el
Mumenín Alíyu, son of Bello; arrive at one o’clock P.M., after having
passed Saláme and other villages.
20th. Sókoto, after a march of about eight or nine hours.
II.—ROUTE FROM ÁGADES TO MARÁDI, ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION OF THE
KÉL-GERÉS GOJÉRI AND HIS COMPANION GHÁSER.
1st. Érazar, a valley, where you arrive about three o’clock P.M., having
started from Ágades in the morning.
2nd. Ém-réndel, a valley; arrive about the same hour.
3rd. Urzédem, a valley; arrive at sunset, your march having led over a
sandy region.