Journey from Cabra to Timbuctoo — First view of the city — The
Kissoors — The king grants the traveller an audience — Condition
of the slaves — Description of the city, its buildings, extent,
and commerce — Food and dress of the people — Bousbéhey, a city
of the Zawats — Toudeyni — Tribe of Salah — Terror inspired
by the Tooariks — Description of that tribe — The Ginbulas —
Particulars respecting the fate of Major Laing — Reflexions on
the means of penetrating to the centre of Africa.
On the 20th of April, at half past three, I set out for
Timbuctoo, escorted by Sidi-Abdallah Chebir’s slaves. Our road
lay northward. The slaves who had been on board our canoe also
accompanied us, so that we formed a numerous caravan. The youngest
slaves were mounted upon asses, as the road is very sandy and
wearisome. Near Cabra we passed two lakes, the banks of which were
overgrown with mimosas from five to six feet high. A little further
the eye was refreshed by some signs of vegetation. The country
presented the same scenery until we had proceeded half way on our
journey, and then it began to be more naked, and the sand becoming
exceedingly loose, rendered travelling very difficult. On the road we
were followed by a Tooarik, mounted on a superb horse. This marauder,
who appeared to be about fifty years of age, shewed a disposition to
appropriate to himself a young negro slave. Sidi-Abdallah Chebir’s
men represented to him that the slave belonged to their master,
and that if, on arriving at the city, he would pay him a visit,
he would doubtless receive a present. This appeared to satisfy him,
and he ceased to molest us. He eyed me narrowly, and several times
inquired who I was, and whence I came. They told him I was poor,
and he relinquished the hope of getting any thing from me.
At length, we arrived safely at Timbuctoo, just as the sun was
touching the horizon. I now saw this capital of the Soudan,
to reach which had so long been the object of my wishes. On
entering this mysterious city, which is an object of curiosity
and research to the civilised nations of Europe, I experienced an
indescribable satisfaction. I never before felt a similar emotion
and my transport was extreme. I was obliged, however to restrain
my feelings, and to God alone did I confide my joy. With what
gratitude did I return thanks to Heaven, for the happy result which
attended my enterprise! How many grateful thanksgivings did I pour
forth for the protection which God had vouchsafed to me, amidst
obstacles and dangers which appeared insurmountable. This duty
being ended, I looked around and found that the sight before me,
did not answer my expectations. I had formed a totally different
idea of the grandeur and wealth of Timbuctoo. The city presented,
at first view, nothing but a mass of ill-looking houses, built of
earth. Nothing was to be seen in all directions but immense plains
of quicksand of a yellowish white colour. The sky was a pale red as
far as the horizon: all nature wore a dreary aspect, and the most
profound silence prevailed; not even the warbling of a bird was to
be heard. Still, though I cannot account for the impression, there
was something imposing in the aspect of a great city, raised in the
midst of sands, and the difficulties surmounted by its founders
cannot fail to excite admiration. I am inclined to think, that
formerly the river flowed close to Timbuctoo; though at present it
is eight miles to the north of that city, and five miles from Cabra,
in the same direction.
I took up my abode with Sidi-Abdallahi, who received me in the most
friendly manner. He had already been indirectly acquainted with the
alleged circumstances, which, as I pretended, had occasioned my
journey across the Soudan. He invited me to sup with him; and an
excellent couscous of millet and mutton was served up. Six of us
partook of the dish, and we ate with our fingers; but in as cleanly
a way as was possible under such circumstances. Sidi-Abdallahi,
according to the custom of his countrymen, did not say a word to
me. He was a mild, quiet, reserved man. His age might be about
forty or forty-five. He was five feet high, stout and pitted with
the small-pox. His countenance was pleasing, his manners grave,
and rather dignified. He had no fault but his religious fanaticism.
After bidding my host good night, I went to repose upon a mat which
was spread upon the ground in my new lodging. At Timbuctoo the nights
are as hot as the days, and I could get no rest in the chamber which
had been prepared for me. I removed to the court adjoining the house,
but still found it impossible to sleep. The heat was oppressive;
not a breath of air freshened the atmosphere. In the whole course
of my travels I never found myself more uncomfortable.
On the morning of the 21st of April, I went to pay my respects
to my host, who received me with affability; afterwards I took a
turn round the city. I found it neither so large nor so populous
as I had expected. Its commerce is not so considerable as fame has
reported. There was not as at Jenné, a concourse of strangers from
all parts of the Soudan. I saw in the streets of Timbuctoo only
the camels, which had arrived from Cabra laden with the merchandise
of the flotilla, a few groups of the inhabitants sitting on mats,
conversing together, and Moors lying asleep in the shade before
their doors. In a word, every thing had a dull appearance.
I was surprised at the inactivity, I may even say, indolence,
displayed in the city. Some colat-nut venders were crying their
goods in the streets, as at Jenné.
About four in the afternoon, when the heat had diminished, I saw
several negro traders, all well clothed and mounted on good horses
richly harnessed, go out to ride. Prudence forbids them to venture
far from the city, for fear of the Tooariks, who would make them
pay dearly for their excursions.
In consequence of the oppressive heat the market is not held until
three in the afternoon. There were few strangers to be seen except
the Moors of the neighbouring tribe of Zawât, who often come hither;
but in comparison with Jenné, the market is a desert.
At Timbuctoo, it is very unusual to see any other merchandise except
what is brought by the vessels and a few articles from Europe,
such as glass wares, amber, coral, sulphur, paper, &c.
I saw three shops kept in small rooms, well stored with stuffs of
European manufacture. The merchants put out at their doors cakes
of salt for sale, but they never exhibit them in the market. Such
as do business at the market have stalls made of stakes covered
with mats, to protect them against the heat of the sun. My host
Sidi-Abdallahi was obliging enough to shew me over one of his
magazines in which he stowed his European merchandise. I observed
there many double-barrel guns, with the mark of Saint-Etienne,
and other manufactories. In general French muskets are much prized,
and sell at a higher rate than those of other nations. I also saw
some beautiful elephants’ teeth. My host told me that he procured
some from Jenné, but the larger ones had been bought at Timbuctoo;
they are brought hither by the Tooariks or Soorgoos, the Kissoors,
and the Dirimans, who inhabit the banks of the river. They do not
hunt the elephant with fire-arms, but catch it in snares. I regret
having never seen one of these animals caught.
On the 22nd of April, Sidi-Mbark, to whom I had made a present of
a piece of cloth with the view of gaining his friendship, told
me he should have a caravan ready in two days to go to Tafilet,
and that I must hold myself prepared to accompany him to the great
desert. This information vexed me, for I was not disposed to quit
Timbuctoo so soon. I did not, however, lose all hope of prolonging
my stay in that city.
In the evening I mentioned Mbark’s proposition to my host, adding
that I was greatly fatigued by the long journey I had performed on
foot, and that I wished to rest at Timbuctoo for about a fortnight,
after which I would avail myself of the first caravan that might
depart. I had scarcely expressed this wish, when he interrupted me,
saying in the kindest manner: “You may remain here longer than
a fortnight, if you please. You will gratify me by so doing; you
shall want for nothing.” I gratefully thanked him for his generous
hospitality. Shortly after I had another instance of his kindness,
for which I was very grateful. He had at first given me a chamber
to myself; but the Mandingo negro by whom I had been so ill treated
on board the canoe, on his arrival in Timbuctoo, quartered himself
and his female slave in my apartment. I bore this patiently for some
days; but the presence of the intruders prevented me from taking my
notes which I could only do in secret. I mentioned to Sidi-Abdallahi
that I should prefer being alone; and, after reprimanding the negro,
he lodged me in another house belonging to him, which was near the
marketplace and opposite to that which had been occupied by Major
Laing, the street only intervening between them.
Often, when seated before my door, I thought of the fate of that
unfortunate traveller, who, after surmounting numberless dangers and
privations, was cruelly assassinated when on the eve of returning to
his country. In the course of these reflections I could not repress
a feeling of apprehension, lest, should I be discovered, I might
be doomed to a fate more horrible than death—to slavery! But
I determined to act with caution, and not to afford any ground
for suspicion.
I found myself much more comfortable in my new lodging.
Sidi-Abdallahi my host had directed a mat to be spread in my chamber,
of which he gave me the key. The slaves who lived in the house were
ordered to wait on me, and they brought me twice a day couscous
and rice seasoned with beef or mutton.
The city of Timbuctoo is principally inhabited by negroes of the
Kissoor nation. Many Moors also reside there. They are engaged in
trade, and, like Europeans, who repair to the colonies in the hope
of making their fortunes, they usually return to their own country to
enjoy the fruits of their industry. They have considerable influence
over the native inhabitants of Timbuctoo, whose king or governor
is a negro. This prince, who is named Osman, is much respected by
his subjects. He is very simple in his manners: his dress is like
that of the Moors of Morocco; and his house is no better furnished
than those of the Moorish merchants. He is himself a merchant, and
his sons trade with Jenné. He inherited a considerable fortune
from his ancestors, and is very rich. He has four wives, besides
an infinite number of slaves, and is a zealous Mahometan.
The sovereignty is hereditary, descending to the eldest son. The king
does not levy any tribute on his subjects or on foreign merchants,
but he receives presents. There is no regular government. The king
is like a father ruling his children. He is mild and just, and has
nothing to fear from his subjects. The whole community, indeed,
exhibits the amiable and simple manners of the patriarchs. In case
of war, all are ready to serve; but the mild and inoffensive manners
of these people afford little ground for quarrels, and when they
arise the natives of Timbuctoo repair to their chief, who assembles
a council of the elders, all of whom are blacks. Though the Moors
are not permitted to take part in these councils, yet my host
Sidi-Abdallahi, the friend of Osman, was sometimes allowed to be
present at them. The Moors acknowledge a superior among themselves;
but they are, nevertheless, amenable to the authorities of the
country. I requested my host to present me to the king, which,
with his usual good-nature he consented to do.
The prince received me in the midst of his court. He was seated
on a beautiful mat with a rich cushion. We seated ourselves for a
few moments at a little distance from him. Sidi-Abdallahi, after
briefly relating my adventures, told him that I wished to pay my
respects to him. I could not understand their conversation, for
they spoke in the language of the Kissoors. The king afterwards
addressed me in Arabic, asking some questions about the christians,
and the manner in which they had treated me. After a short time we
took our leave: I wished to have seen the interior of the house, but
my curiosity could not be gratified. The king appeared to be of an
exceedingly amiable disposition; his age might be about fifty-five,
and his hair was white and curly. He was of the middling height,
and his colour was jet black. He had an aquiline nose, thin lips,
a grey beard, and large eyes, and his whole countenance was pleasing;
his dress, like those of the Moors, was composed of stuff of European
manufacture. On his head was a red cap, bound round with a large
piece of muslin in the form of a turban. His shoes were of morocco,
shaped like our morning slippers, and made in the country. He often
visited the mosque.
There are, as I have already mentioned, many Moors in Timbuctoo,
and they occupy the finest houses in the city. They very soon
become rich in trade, and they receive consignments of merchandise
from Adrar, Tafilet, Tawât, Ardamas, Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers.
They receive from Europe tobacco and other articles, which they
send by canoes to Jenné and elsewhere. Timbuctoo may be regarded
as the principal _entrepôt_ of this part of Africa. All the salt
obtained from the mines of Toudeyni, is brought hither on camels.
The Moors of Morocco and other countries who travel to the Soudan,
remain six or eight months at Timbuctoo to sell their goods, and
get their camels re-laden.
The cakes of salt are tied together with cords, made of a sort
of grass which grows in the neighbourhood of Tandaye. This grass
is dry when gathered; but it is afterwards moistened, and then
buried under ground to keep it from the sun and the east wind,
which would dry it too rapidly. When sufficiently impregnated with
moisture, it is taken out of the earth and platted into cord, which
the Moors use for various purposes. The camels frequently throw
their loads off their backs, and when the cakes of salt arrive in
the town they are frequently broken. This would spoil their sale,
if the merchants did not take the precaution of making the slaves
join them together again. When the pieces are fastened together,
the cakes are packed up again with a stronger kind of cord made
of bull’s hide. The cakes are ornamented with little designs,
such as stripes, lozenges, &c., traced in black. The slaves are very
fond of executing these ornaments, an employment which enables them
to collect a little supply of salt for their own use. In general,
the slaves are better treated at Timbuctoo than in other countries.
They are well clothed and fed, and seldom beaten. They are required
to observe religious duties, which they do very punctually; but
they are nevertheless regarded as merchandise, and are exported to
Tripoli, Morocco, and other parts of the coast, where they are not
so happy as at Timbuctoo. They always leave that place with regret,
though they are ignorant of the fate that awaits them elsewhere.
At the time of my departure, I saw several slaves affectionately
bidding each other adieu. The conformity of their melancholy
condition excites among them a feeling of sympathy and mutual
interest. At parting, they recommended good behaviour to each other;
but the Moors frequently hurry their departure, and interrupt
these affecting scenes, which are so well calculated to excite
commiseration for their fate.
When I was at the mosque, a middle-aged Moor stepped up to me
gravely, and without saying a word slipped a handful of cowries into
the pocket of my coussabe. He withdrew immediately, without affording
me time to thank him. I was much surprised at this delicate way of
giving alms.
The city of Timbuctoo forms a sort of triangle, measuring about three
miles in circuit. The houses are large, but not high, consisting
entirely of a ground-floor. In some, a sort of little closet is
constructed above the entrance. They are built of bricks of a round
form, rolled in the hands, and baked in the sun. The walls, except
as far as regards their height, resemble those of Jenné.
The streets of Timbuctoo are clean, and sufficiently wide to permit
three horsemen to pass abreast. Both within and without the town
there are many straw huts of a circular form, like those of the
pastoral Foulahs. They serve as dwellings for the poor, and for
the slaves who sell merchandise for their masters.
Timbuctoo contains seven mosques, two of which are large; each is
surmounted by a brick tower.
This mysterious city, which has been an object of curiosity for so
many ages, and of whose population, civilization, and trade with the
Soudan, such exaggerated notions have prevailed, is situated in an
immense plain of white sand, having no vegetation but stunted trees
and shrubs, such as the _mimosa ferruginea_, which grows no higher
than three or four feet. The city is not closed by any barrier,
and may be entered on any side. Within the town are seen some of
the _balanitis ægyptiaca_, and in the centre is a palm tree.
Timbuctoo may contain at most about ten or twelve thousand
inhabitants; all are engaged in trade. The population is at times
augmented by the Arabs, who come with the caravans, and remain awhile
in the city. In the plain several species of grass and thistles
afford food for the camels. Fire-wood is very scarce, being all
brought from the neighbourhood of Cabra. It is an article of trade,
and the women sell it in the market-place. It is only burnt by the
rich; the poor use camel-dung for fuel. Water is also sold in the
market-place; the women give a measure containing about half a pint
for a cowrie.
Timbuctoo, though one of the largest cities I have seen in Africa,
possesses no other resources but its trade in salt, the soil
being totally unfit for cultivation. The inhabitants procure from
Jenné every thing requisite for the supply of their wants, such
as millet, rice, vegetable butter, honey, cotton, Soudan cloth,
preserved provisions, candles, soap, allspice, onions, dried fish,
pistachios, &c.
If the vessels from Cabra should chance to be stopped by the
Tooariks, the inhabitants of Timbuctoo would be reduced to famine.
To obviate this misfortune, they take care to have their warehouses
always amply stored with every kind of provision. I saw the magazines
of Sidi-Abdallahi full of great sacks of rice, which keeps better
than millet.
For these reasons, the vessels which come down the river to
Cabra are deterred from making any resistance to the Tooariks,
notwithstanding the burthen of their exactions. I was assured
that, if the crews dared but to strike one of these savages, they
would forthwith declare war against Timbuctoo, and intercept all
communication with the port; the city could then receive no supplies.
To the W. S. W. of the town there are large excavations, from
thirty-five to forty feet deep: these are reservoirs, which are
supplied by the rains. Hither the slaves resort to procure water
for drink and cooking. This water is tolerably clear, but it has
a disagreeable taste and is very hot.
These reservoirs had no covering whatever; the water is
consequently exposed to the influence of the sun and the hot wind.
The excavations are dug in loose sand. I descended into the largest
of them by a gentle declivity: the bottom was not quite covered with
water. I remarked some veins of hard red sand; with this exception
the soil was grey sand, of a coarsish grain.
Near the reservoirs are some small plantations of tobacco. This
plant grows here no higher than five or six inches, and that only
by dint of watering. It is the only cultivated vegetable that I
observed in this country. Some negroes were engaged in gathering it;
and I remarked that it had already run to seed. They dry the leaves
and pound them in a mortar, and then take the powder without any
further preparation. It is merely a green powder, and has not even
the smell of tobacco. They bring it to market; but the richer class
of people prefer that which comes from Morocco, which is of a far
better quality.
The inhabitants of Timbuctoo do not smoke, but the wandering Moors
who dwell in the neighbourhood of the city use pipes.
The slaves draw the water from the reservoirs in calabashes,
with which they fill leathern bags, which are carried by asses.
Before they proceed to work, they always amuse themselves with a
short dance; for, in spite of their hard lot, they are constantly
full of gaiety. On their return home, they pour the water into jars,
where it cools and loses somewhat of its disagreeable taste. I saw
some female slaves washing in large calabashes beside the reservoirs.
Two days’ journey N. E. of Timbuctoo stands the town of Bousbéhey,
built of bricks, made of a sandy clay. It belongs to the tribe of
Zawât, who wander in the desert of that name. The inhabitants of
Bousbéhey trade in salt, which they procure in the small village of
Toudeyni. They possess many camels, which constitute their principal
property: they drink their milk, of which they also make butter. They
possess a few sheep and some horned cattle.
The merchants of Timbuctoo purchase cattle from these people, and
give in exchange millet and rice; for the soil of Bousbéhey is
totally barren, and scarcely furnishes fodder for the camels. The
Timbuctoo merchants likewise procure salt at Toudeyni, for which
they barter millet, rice, cloth, and gold.
Bousbéhey and Toudeyni, being only supplied with the grain which
the merchants of Timbuctoo receive from Jenné, would of course be
reduced to famine if the trade between the two latter cities should
be interrupted.
The country of Salah, which is inhabited by a wandering tribe
like that of Zawât, is situated on the east, and is ten days’
journey from Timbuctoo, whither the people of Salah often come for
the purpose of trade. They possess numerous herds of camels, the
milk of which, together with the grain they procure from Timbuctoo,
forms their subsistence. Sidi-Abdallahi informed me, that there
was no traffic or communication by water between Timbuctoo and the
country of Haoussa; because, said he, the navigation of the river
ceases at Cabra.
The negroes and Moors devote their attention exclusively to trade:
they possess but limited ideas of geography. All to whom I applied
for information respecting the course of the river to the east and
E. S. E. of Timbuctoo agreed in stating, that it runs to Haoussa,
and empties itself into the Nile.[4] I was unable to obtain any
more accurate information on this point, and the great problem
of the issue of the Dhioliba into the ocean will thus be left to
the demonstration of some more fortunate traveller; but, if I may
be permitted to hazard an opinion as to the course of the river,
I should say, that it probably empties itself by several mouths
into the Gulf of Benin.
The Moors of Tripoli, as well as those of Ardamas, trade with
Haoussa, whither they carry European merchandise, and in exchange
bring back gold, which they procure in the rich country of Wangara;
they afterwards go to Timbuctoo with packages of the fine cloth of
Wangara, which is woven in narrow breadths, dyed a beautiful blue,
and well glazed with gum. Sidi-Abdallahi shewed me a beautiful
piece; it resembled the cloth manufactured by the negroes more to
the north. At Galam, in 1819, I saw a similar kind of cloth which
was brought from Sego, and was made by the Bambaras. It was as well
glazed as that which I saw at Timbuctoo. In general, the negroes
of the Senegal set a high value on this article.
As the country of Timbuctoo is entirely destitute of pasture,
(for even the camels can scarcely find food) the people obtain a
considerable quantity of fodder from Cabra, which the inhabitants
of that town grow in the marshes, and which they dry for the
purpose of selling to those who keep horses, cattle, sheep, and
goats. This forage is stowed on the roofs of the houses. Timbuctoo
and its environs present the most monotonous and barren scene I ever
beheld. I once indeed saw a herd of camels near the town feeding here
and there upon thistles which had been dried up by the scorching east
wind, and on branches of the _mimosa ferruginea_, the long thorns
of which did not prevent these animals from devouring them. I was
told that these camels belonged to the Moors who journey across
the great desert.
All the native inhabitants of Timbuctoo are zealous Mahometans;
their dress is similar to that of the Moors. Like the Arabs, they
are allowed to have four wives each. The women attend to domestic
occupations, and they are not like the Mandingo females, subject
to the punishment of beating. The people of Timbuctoo, who are in
constant communication with the half-civilized inhabitants of the
Mediterranean, have some idea of the dignity of human nature. I
have constantly observed in my travels, that in proportion as a
people was uncivilized the women were always more enslaved. The
female sex in Africa have reason to pray for the progress of
cultivation. The women of Timbuctoo are not veiled like those of
Morocco: they are allowed to go out when they please, and are at
liberty to see any one. The people are gentle and complaisant to
strangers. In trade they are industrious and intelligent; and the
traders are generally wealthy and have many slaves. The men are of
the ordinary size, well made, upright, and walk with a firm step.
Their colour is a fine deep black. Their noses are a little more
aquiline than those of the Mandigoes, and like them they have thin
lips and large eyes. I saw some women who might be considered
pretty. They are all well fed: their meals, of which they take
two a day, consist of rice, and couscous made of small millet,
dressed with meat or dried fish. Those negroes who are in easy
circumstances, like the Moors, breakfast on wheaten bread, tea,
and butter made from cow’s milk. Those of inferior condition use
vegetable butter. Generally speaking, the negroes are not so well
lodged as the Moors. The latter have great influence over them,
and indeed, consider themselves far their superiors.
[Illustration: WOMAN OF THE CITY OF TIMBUCTOO.]
The inhabitants of Timbuctoo are exceedingly neat in their dress
and in the interior of their dwellings. Their domestic articles
consist of calabashes and wooden platters. They are unacquainted
with the use of knives and forks, and they believe that, like them,
all people in the world eat with their fingers. Their furniture
merely consists of mats for sitting on; and their beds are made
by fixing four stakes in the ground at one end of the room, and
stretching over them some mats or a cow-hide. The rich have cotton
mattresses, and coverlets, which the neighbouring Moors manufacture
from camel’s hair and sheep’s wool. I saw a woman of Cabra
employed in spinning these coverlets.
The natives of Timbuctoo, as I before observed, have several
wives, and to these many add their slaves. The Moors, indeed,
cohabit only with their slaves, and these females are employed
in vending merchandise in the streets, such as colats, allspice,
&c. Some also have a little stall in the market-place, while the
favourite stays at home, superintending those whose business it
is to cook for the household: the favourite herself prepares the
husband’s meals. These women are very neatly dressed: their costume
consists of a coussabe, like that worn by the men, except that it
has not large sleeves. Their shoes are of morocco. The fashion
of the head-dress sometimes varies; it principally consists of
a _fatara_ of fine muslin, or some other cotton stuff of European
manufacture. Their hair is beautifully platted. The principal tress,
which is about an inch thick, comes from the back to the front of the
head, and is terminated by a piece of cornelian of a round form and
concave in the centre; they put a little cushion under the tress to
support it, and add to that ornament several other trinkets, made of
imitation of amber or coral, and bits of cornelian cut like that just
mentioned. They also anoint the head and the whole body with butter,
but less profusely than the Bambaras and the Mandingoes. The great
heat, which is augmented by the scorching east wind, renders this
custom necessary. The women of the richer class have always a great
number of glass beads about their necks and in their ears. Like the
women of Jenné, they wear nose-rings; and the female who is not
rich enough to procure a ring, substitutes a bit of red silk for it;
they wear silver bracelets, and ancle-rings of plated steel, the
latter of which are made in the country; instead of being round,
like the bracelets, are flat, and about four inches broad. Some
pretty designs are engraved on them.
The female slaves of rich masters have gold ornaments about their
necks; instead of wearing ear-rings as in the environs of the
Senegal, they have little plates in the form of a necklace. A
few days after my arrival at Timbuctoo I fell in with a negro,
who was parading about the streets two women, whom I recollected to
have been fellow-passengers with me on board the canoe. These women
were not young, but their master, to give them the appearance of an
age better suited to the market, had dressed them well. They wore
fine white pagnes, large gold ear-rings, and each had two or three
necklaces of the same metal. When I passed them, they looked at me,
and smiled. They did not appear in the least mortified at being
exhibited in the streets for sale, but manifested an indifference
which I could easily enough account for, by the state of degradation
to which they had been reduced and their total ignorance of the
natural rights of mankind. They thought that tilings should be so,
and that they had come into this world to be bought and sold.
The negroes of the Diriman Malaka and Kissoor villages, situated
on the banks of the river, come to Timbuctoo in their canoes. They
bring to that market slaves, ivory, dried fish, earthen pots, and
various other articles, which they exchange for glass trinkets,
amber, coral and salt.
To the south of Timbuctoo there is a country called _Ginbala_,
which extends far inland. The inhabitants are, as I was told,
all Mahometans. They seldom come to Timbuctoo on account of the
Tooariks, whom they dread. They are very industrious, and raise
crops of millet and rice; they are hospitable to strangers, and
have numerous herds of horned cattle and flocks of sheep and goats.
They grow cotton, with which they manufacture stuffs for clothing.
Having nothing to fear in communicating with Jenné, they prefer
trading with that place.
The Foulahs who inhabit the neighbourhood of the river also visit
Timbuctoo. The few whom I happened to see were similar in features
and colour to those of the Fouta-Dhialon. They were armed with
several pikes.
The trade of Timbuctoo is considerably cramped by the Tooariks,
a warlike nation who render the inhabitants of the town their
tributaries. The latter, for the privilege of carrying on their
trade, give them what they demand, independently of the duties
levied on the flotillas at Cabra. A refusal to satisfy them would
be attended with serious consequences; for the Tooariks are very
numerous, and sufficiently strong to cut off all communication
between Cabra and Timbuctoo, when the city and its neighbourhood,
having within themselves no agricultural resources, would be
reduced to famine. The Moors entertain a profound contempt for the
Tooariks, and when they would express their utmost hatred of them,
they compare them to the christians, whom they suppose to be the
same kind of vagabonds and depredators. I endeavoured to refute this
error, which received implicit credit here. I assured them that the
Europeans were not to be compared to those marauders; that, instead
of robbing, they were always ready to assist and succour their fellow
creatures. “But if the christians are so very good,” said they,
“why did you not stay among them;” This question embarrassed
me a little; but I replied that God had ordained it otherwise,
and had inspired me with the idea of returning to my country to
resume the religion of my fathers.
The house of my host Sidi was constantly infested with Tooariks
and Arabs. These people visit Timbuctoo for the sole purpose of
extorting from the inhabitants what they call presents, but what
might be more properly called forced contributions. I have often
seen them sit in the court and insist on being supplied with food
until the master sent them his tribute. They always come on horseback
and their horses must be provided with forage.
When the chief of the Tooariks arrives with his suite at Timbuctoo,
it is a general calamity, and yet every one overwhelms him with
attention, and sends presents to him and his followers. He sometimes
remains there two months, being maintained all that time at the
expense of the inhabitants and the king, who sometimes give them
really valuable presents, and they return home laden with millet,
rice, honey, and preserved articles.
The Tooariks and Soorgoos are the same people: the former name
is given to them by the Moors and the latter by the negroes. They
are a wandering race, and inhabit the banks of the Dhioliba from
the village of Diré to the environs of Haoussa, which my host
informed me was twenty days’ journey E. by S. E. of Timbuctoo,
situated in a vast country of the same name, watered by the river.
The Tooariks have terrified the negroes of their neighbourhood into
subjection, and they inflict upon them the most cruel depredations
and exactions. Like the Arabs, they have fine horses which facilitate
their marauding expeditions. The people exposed to their attacks
stand in such awe of them, that the appearance of three or four
Tooariks is sufficient to strike terror into five or six villages. At
Timbuctoo the slaves are never allowed to go out of the town after
sun-set, lest they should be carried off by the Tooariks, who
forcibly seize all who fall in their way. The condition of these
unhappy beings is then more deplorable than ever. I saw some in
the little canoes almost naked, and their masters were constantly
threatening to beat them.
The Tooariks possess numerous flocks of sheep and herds of oxen and
goats. Milk and meat are their only food. Their slaves gather the
seed of the nenuphar, which is very common in all the surrounding
marshes; they dry it and thrash it. It is so small that it does
not require bruising; they boil it with their fish. The Tooariks
cultivate no kind of vegetable. Their slaves are employed in
tending their flocks and herds. They have no grain for their own
use, except what they obtain from the flotillas passing from Jenné
to Timbuctoo. During the swell of the waters, the Tooariks retire
a little into the interior of the country, where they find good
pasture. They have numerous herds of camels, whose milk is always
a certain resource for them.
The Foulahs who live in the neighbourhood of the river are not kept
in subjection by these savages. The Foulahs are very superior to
the pure negro race; they are full of energy, and are too brave
to submit to the degrading yoke of the Tooariks. These Foulahs do
not speak the Poulh language of the Fouta-Dhialon. I addressed to
them some words in that dialect which they did not understand. They
speak the language of Timbuctoo; but they have also a particular
dialect which they use among themselves. All those whom I saw on
the banks of the river were rovers.
I sometimes saw the camels of the Tooariks employed in transporting
merchandise from Cabra to Timbuctoo; but only the poorest among
them would condescend to earn any thing by this sort of labour. The
rich are too proud to work. They sell at Timbuctoo oxen and sheep
for the usual consumption of the town. Milk is very dear and not
so good as on the banks of the river.
The Tooariks have, like all Mahometans, several wives. The largest
and the fattest are the most admired. To be a real beauty with them,
a woman must have such a degree of obesity as will render her unable
to walk without two assistants.
They are dressed like the Moorish women on the banks of the Senegal;
but instead of blue Guinea stuffs they wear blue pagnes, which are
brought from Jenné, and which the merchants of Timbuctoo procure for
them. Those I saw in passing the chief’s camp were very dirty, and
the men did not appear to be very careful about their dress. Like
the negroes of Timbuctoo, they wore a white or blue coussabe,
and trowsers reaching to the ancle, such as are worn at Jenné and
Timbuctoo. The slaves have breeches, like the Moors who inhabit the
banks of the Senegal. The dress of the Tooariks, except as to the
head, resembles that of the Moors. They wear, both night and day,
a band of cotton cloth, which passing over the forehead hangs down
over the eyes and even upon the nose, for they are obliged to throw
back the head a little to enable them to see. After two or three
turns round the head the band is passed under the nose, and made
to descend a little below the chin, so that only the point of the
nose is visible. They do not take it off either to eat, to drink,
or to smoke. On these occasions they merely lift up this bandage,
which the negroes call _fatara_.
The Tooariks are great smokers. They have all fine horses, which they
manage ably. They are as cruel as they are warlike. Their weapons
consist of three or four pikes and a poniard which they wear on
the left arm; the blade pointing upward and the hilt touching the
back of the hand. To the sheath of these poniards is attached a
kind of muff, through which the hand is passed; they are straight
and very well made. This weapon is brought from the banks of the
Mediterranean. These men also carry bucklers, of tanned ox-hide,
the workmanship of which is elegant. In their form they resemble
the shields of the ancient knights, except that they are square at
the extremities.[5] They are adorned with handsome designs, and are
large enough to cover the whole body. Some negroes of Timbuctoo have
likewise bucklers of the same form, but smaller. The only weapons
of the Tooariks, who are always on horseback, are the lance and the
poniard. They do not use the bow, as the management of their bucklers
would prevent them from employing that weapon advantageously. The
people who compose this wandering tribe have long hair and a very
swarthy complexion, like the Moors. The nose is aquiline, the eyes
large, the mouth finely formed, the face long, and the forehead
rather elevated. The expression of their countenance is, however,
savage and barbarous. They are supposed to be of Arab origin,
and in fact, in some of their customs they resemble that race; but
they speak a particular dialect. They assemble in force to attack
the caravans from Tripoli, but the Morocco caravans are less exposed
to their depredations because their haunts are more northerly. They
keep many slaves, whom they partly employ in collecting gum on the
banks of the river. This gum, and also considerable quantities of
ivory, they sell to the merchants of Timbuctoo.
It is astonishing that such a number of different tribes submit
quietly to the yoke of these Tooariks, when, were they to come to
an understanding, they could so easily rid themselves of their
troublesome enemy. The Dirimans, the Ginbalas, the Kissoors,
and the Moors of Zawâ and Salah, if united, would be greatly
superior to the Tooariks, and could soon deliver themselves from
their oppression. The Tooariks dread fire-arms, of which they make
no use, while the negroes of Timbuctoo and the Moors are armed with
double-barrel guns.
The Foulahs in the neighbourhood of Jenné, led by their chief
Sego-Ahmadoo, attacked the Tooariks; the Foulahs were few in
number, on account of their distance from their country, and the
difficulty of procuring supplies of provisions; nevertheless,
they defeated the Tooariks, made a number of prisoners, whom they
put to death, and carried off a multitude of slaves and cattle,
which were valuable prizes to the victors. This defeat proves,
that there is no good reason for the dread with which the Tooariks
are regarded, and that they are really formidable to those only
who fear them. Were these tributaries, supported by the Moors,
to attempt to throw off their yoke, they would quickly succeed;
but, in general, the negroes are indolent, and the Moors, being
addicted to commerce, have no martial character. Sego-Ahmadoo,
indignant at seeing these Tooariks, who are Mahometans, although
certainly not very zealous disciples of that creed, imposing a tax
on the vessels from his country, has determined to make war upon
them; but he is too distant to maintain a long war. I conjecture
that Mungo Park was murdered by these barbarians.
After residing four years at Jenné, or Timbuctoo, the Moors return
to their own country with a little fortune; they carry with them a
number of slaves; the greater part, however, prefer trading with
Sansanding and Yamina, on account of the vicinity of the gold
mines of Bouré, whence they obtain considerable supplies of this
precious metal. The Arabs, who come from Tafilet, Adrar, Tripoli,
and other countries, bring wheat to Timbuctoo: of the flour of
this wheat small leavened loaves are made; they are round, and
weigh about half a pound each; the bread is good, and a loaf may
be purchased for about forty cowries, (equal to four sous French
money). The rich merchants, as I believe I have already observed,
eat this bread at breakfast, with tea; they have tea services which
are brought from Morocco; those which I saw were made of tin, and
the cups were small, like Sidi-Ulad-Marmoo’s, at Jenné. All the
negroes of Timbuctoo are able to read the Koran, and even know it
by heart; they make their children begin to learn it very early,
whether they take upon themselves the task of instructing them,
or confide their education to the Moors, of whose abilities they
have a high opinion. They employ writing in their correspondence
with Jenné.
Provisions are very dear in Timbuctoo, and I should have been greatly
embarrassed if, as at Timé, I had been obliged to maintain myself,
for my means would have been soon exhausted. To the worthy and
generous Sidi-Abdallahi-Chebir, I was therefore indebted for my
return through the great desert. I had only merchandise to the
value of thirty-five piastres, which I reserved to buy a camel,
to carry me to the sea-coast, either through the great desert, or
by directing my course westerly. I confess that the idea of crossing
the Sahara in so dry a season was accompanied by not a little alarm;
I was afraid that, with my slight resources, I should not be able to
support the privations and fatigues of such a journey, augmented,
as they must be, by a scorching wind, which blows unceasingly and
renders the heat intolerable. However, after mature reflection, I
resolved to encounter the dangers to which the great drought could
not fail to expose me, and to venture with a caravan among the moving
sands of the desert. I reflected that if I should return by the way
of Sego, Sansanding, and our establishments at Galam, those who
might envy the success of my enterprise, the very undertaking of
which had created for me many enemies, would pretend to doubt the
fact of my journey and of my residence at Timbuctoo, whereas, by
returning through the Barbary states, the mere mention of the point
at which I had arrived would reduce the most malignant to silence.
Sidi-Abdallahi daily lavished on me marks of his kindness; he
even went so far as to urge me to remain in Timbuctoo. He said
he would give me merchandise to trade on my own account; and,
observed, that when I should have accumulated sufficient profit,
I might return to my own country without assistance from any one.
However, the fear of being discovered, joined to a strong wish to
re-visit my native land, induced me to decline his generous offers.
I considered, moreover that, as my departure for the interior of
Africa was not authentically known, even that circumstance would
be buried in oblivion, were I to perish, and the observations I had
made would be lost to my country. Influenced by these considerations,
I resolved to endeavour to return as speedily as possible. As the
opportunity on which I relied, was likely to occur soon, I did not
neglect to take advantage of the short time which would probably
be at my disposal. I visited the great mosque on the west side of
the town; it is larger than that on the east, but is built in the
same style. The walls are in bad repair, their facing being damaged
by the rains, which fall in the months of August and September,
and which are always brought on by easterly winds, accompanied by
violent storms. Several buttresses are raised against the wall to
support them; I ascended the tower, though its staircase, which is
internal, is almost demolished. I returned several times to make my
notes, for in this little frequented spot I was not afraid of being
observed. During these travels, I always endeavoured to conceal
myself while writing, lest I should awaken the suspicion of the
Moslems: I always endeavoured to get into a wood, or placed myself
under the shade of a bush or a rock, when I wished to commit what
I thought worthy of remark to writing.[6]
From the tower I had an extensive view over an immense plain of white
sand, on which nothing grows except a few stunted shrubs, the _mimosa
ferruginea_, and where the uniformity of the picture is only here
and there broken by some scattered hills or banks of sand. I could
not help contemplating with astonishment the extraordinary city
before me, created solely by the wants of commerce, and destitute
of every resource except what its accidental position as a place
of exchange affords. The western quarter of the mosque seems very
ancient, but the whole façade on that side is in ruins. There
are also some vaulted arcades, from which the whole of the plaster
facing is detached. This mosque is constructed of sun-dried bricks,
of nearly the same form as those made in Europe. The walls are
rough-cast with a kind of coarse sand, similar to that of which the
bricks are made, mixed with the gluten of rice. In some parts of
the desert there is found a very hard ash-coloured earth, in which
sand predominates. This earth has been used in making the bricks
for the mosque. The rest of the edifice appears to have been built
after the western part was in ruins. Though the new part is very
well for a people ignorant of architecture, it is greatly inferior
to the ancient remains.
I was surprised to find in the ancient part three galleries, each
supported by ten arcades, as well built as if they had been the
work of a skilful architect. The arches are six feet wide and ten
high; there the plaster is in an excellent state, and appears to
have been white-washed. The style and the position of this building
connect it with the ruins. I am inclined to think that the mosque
consisted originally of this part only, and that additions were
afterwards made to it.
The eastern part is composed of six galleries; those of the west are
supported by nineteen pillars. The apertures are each six feet and
a half wide, and ten or eleven high. The workmanship, though pretty
well executed, is, as I have already observed, far from equalling
that of the other quarter. The first three galleries on the east
side, are one hundred and four ordinary paces[7] long, and about two
and a half broad: the three next are only sixty-four long. The length
of those on the west is only thirty nine paces. They lead to the
great tower, which faces an inner court, closed on the west by the
ruins. It is of a square form, but terminates in a small truncated
pyramid, which is also built of brick and surmounted by a pot of
baked earth. Its height may be estimated at fifty or fifty-five
feet from the base to the summit. The steps of the staircase,
which is constructed internally, are supported by pieces of wood
fixed in the walls and covered with earth. The dilapidated state
of the staircase prevented me from ascertaining the exact number
of the steps, but I observed the traces of thirty-two.
[Illustration: SKETCH OF THE PLAN OF THE GREAT MOSQUE OF TIMBUCTOO,
AND VIEW TAKEN FROM THE E. N. E.]
[Illustration: 1, 4, 3, DETAILS OF THE GREAT MOSQUE OF TIMBUCTOO; 4,
5, PLAN AND FRONT OF THE HOUSE OF SIDI ABDALLAH CHEBIR, IN WHICH MR.
CAILLIÉ RESIDED.]
The walls of the mosque are fifteen feet high and twenty-five or
twenty-six inches thick. The top of the wall of the east front is
indented in the form of battlements, the salient parts of which are
surmounted by pots of baked earth, similar to that on the summit
of the tower.
Another massive tower, of a conical form, surmounts the front
wall. It is about thirty feet high. On the dome, projecting pieces
of wood are perceptible, the use of which seems to be to unite
the masonry.
The roof of the mosque has a terrace like that of the tower, and
is moreover surrounded with a parapet eighteen inches high.
The roof of the building is supported by rafters, formed of the
trunks of the ronnier tree split into four, and placed at the
distance of a foot from each other. Pieces of salvadora wood,
brought from Cabra, where it grows in great abundance, cut to the
length of the intervals between the rafters, are placed obliquely
in double rows, crossing each other. Over these are laid mats made
of the leaves of the ronnier, which are covered with earth.
This mosque has five gates of different sizes on the eastern side,
three on the south side, and two on the north. On the western side
the ruins form at once the boundary of the mosque and of the city. On
the eastern and northern sides, the floor of the building is level
with the ground; but on the south is an ascent of four steps.
On the eastern wall, in the interior of the building, there are some
ornaments made of yellow clay. They are in the form of a chevron or
triangular festoon, two feet high, with an opening of a foot and
a half. They commence about eighteen inches above the ground. The
pillars supporting the arcades in front, have some ornaments of
the same material tolerably executed, but very much defaced. A
kind of niche, in the centre of the eastern wall, is destined for
the marabout who officiates at prayers. In another similar niche
there is a large wooden pulpit, into which the priest ascends by
two or three steps, on the days when he reads certain passages of
the Koran. The floor of the mosque was covered with mats, on which
the people kneel during prayers.
Conceiving that the description alone would not convey an adequate
idea of the construction of this mosque, I ventured to make
a sketch of it, as well as of the town; both would, I thought,
convey a better idea than words alone of the objects with which I
wish to make the reader acquainted[8].
To make my sketch of the mosque, I sat down in the street in front of
it, and, covering myself in my large wrapper which I folded over my
knees, I held in my hand a sheet of white paper close to a leaf of
the Koran. When I perceived any one approaching, I hid my drawing,
and looking at the leaf of the Koran I appeared to be absorbed in
devotion. The passers-by, far from suspecting me, regarded me as
one of the elect, and applauded my zeal[9].
The eastern mosque is much smaller than that on the western side. It
is surmounted by a square tower, similar in form and dimensions
to that of the western mosque. The walls are entirely stripped
of their parget. Many buttresses have been erected to support the
building. It has three arcaded avenues. The galleries are six feet
wide and thirty feet long.
[Illustration: MR. CAILLIÉ MEDITATING UPON THE KORAN AND TAKING
NOTES.]
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE CITY OF TIMBUCTOO.]
The mosque itself is thirty paces long and five and twenty wide.
The arcades which are three feet and a half wide and seven and a
half high are built of the same bricks as those of the western
mosque. There is an inner court, which must be passed through
before we can ascend the tower. No part of this mosque is in ruins,
though it appears very old. It is not very regularly built. I
remarked that it had two gates looking to the south and one to
the north. The western and eastern sides had no apertures. Near
the mosque, on the eastern side, are seen a small hillock of sand,
and some buildings overwhelmed by the sand blown up by the east wind.
In the centre of the town is a kind of square surrounded by circular
huts. Here grow some _palmæ christi_ and a palm-tree, the only
one I saw in the country. In the middle of this square is a large
hole, dug for a receptacle for filth. Two enormous heaps on the
outside of the town appeared to me to be also collections of dirt
or rubbish. Many a time have I ascended to the tops of these hills
to obtain a complete view of the town and to make my sketch[10].
A third and somewhat remarkable mosque stands nearly in the centre
of the town. This likewise has a tower, but not so high as those of
the other two. It has square arcades: the naves are seven feet wide
and twenty five long. The front wall is ornamented with many ostrich
eggs, some of which are also placed on the top of the tower. On
the east side is a very extensive court, in the middle of which a
_balanites ægyptiaca_ is planted by way of ornament. At the back
of the mosque on the opposite side, some _salvadoras_.
There are five mosques besides those which I have mentioned; but
they are small and built like private houses, with the exception
that each is surmounted by a minaret; all of them have an inner
court, to which the people resort in the evening to perform their
religious devotions. The criers, whose business it is to call to
prayers, receive no salary; but at stated periods they announce to
the faithful from the summits of the minarets that it is time to
pay their contributions. I happened to be at Timbuctoo at one of
these periods. Each person made his offering, consisting of bread,
millet, rice, dried fish, pistachios and cowries; all these articles
were deposited on a mat spread on the ground, before the door of
the mosque.
It frequently happened that Moors who felt interested in my
situation questioned me about European customs and the treatment
I had experienced at the hands of the christians. I tried in my
turn to obtain from them information concerning the neighbouring
nations and the distance of their country from Timbuctoo. But, so
far from satisfying my curiosity, they pretended not to hear me,
and turned from me to speak to each other. Unfortunately, I had
not the means of gaining their favour by presents. They called
me the _meskine_ (beggar). The little information I obtained at
Timbuctoo was furnished me by my host Sidi-Abdallahi-Chebir, and
by some Kissour negroes. These were the only individuals who had
the civility to reply to my questions. They had no definite idea
of the course of the river eastward of the city. Sidi assured me,
that it went to Haoussa and joined the Nile[11]. This is the general
opinion of the Arabs of this country. This river bears at Timbuctoo
the name of Bahar-el-Nil (Nile river).
The house which was appropriated for my residence not being quite
finished, I had opportunity to observe the way in which the houses
of this country are built. An excavation is made in the town itself
to the depth of some feet, where a grey sand mixed with clay is
found. This is made into bricks of a round form, which are baked
in the sun. These bricks are similar to those used at Jenné. The
young slaves carry them on their heads in calabashes, the way in
which they also carry the mortar, which is formed from the same
material. The builders, who are slaves, execute their work as
cleverly as those of Jenné. I thought indeed that their walls were
better constructed. Their doors are well made and solid; they are
formed of planks joined with bars and nails brought from Tafilet.
They fasten their doors by locks made in the country, without
iron: even the keys are of wood[12]. Some Moors use iron locks
and keys which they bring from the coasts of the Mediterranean.
Locks are not used in the interior of the houses; but chains or
bars supply their place. The roofs of the houses, none of which
have more than the ground-floor, are, like those of the mosques,
supported by rafters cut from the trunk of the ronnier, a tree which
grows to a prodigious height on the banks of the river. I have seen
some of these trees above a hundred and twenty five feet high. The
trunk is split into four quarters, which are rounded off, laid upon
the walls, and then covered with pieces of wood, mats and earth,
like the roofs of the mosques.
Each house forms a square,[13] containing two inner courts, round
which are ranged the chambers, each of which is of a narrow oblong
form and serves at once for a magazine and bed-room. These rooms
receive light only from the door of entrance, and another very
small door opening into the inner court. They have neither windows
nor chimneys.
The people of Timbuctoo have not adopted the practice, which is
general in the Soudan, of lighting fires in their houses. Some of
them build in the court a small hut of mats, in which during summer
they live day and night; the chambers being too warm.
A chamber similar to those I have above described was allotted to me;
but I had well nigh been suffocated in it. I found it impossible
to endure the heat, especially in the night. But what could I do
in a country where there is not a tree to cast the least shade? My
only refuge was a mosque which was the coolest and most airy place
I could find. The east wind too, by raising clouds of dust, darkens
the atmosphere and augments the heat. The inhabitants stay within
doors during the heat of the day, and only go out in the mornings
and evenings. The nights bring with them an oppressive calmness
of the atmosphere, and if by chance there is a breath of air,
it is felt like a burning vapour, and seems almost to scorch the
lungs. I was continually ill at Timbuctoo.
The caravan destined for Tafilet was not to leave Timbuctoo for
some days, and I was informed that the next did not start for
three months; I therefore determined to take advantage of the
earliest conveyance; for I dreaded so long a stay at Timbuctoo,
notwithstanding the reiterated invitations of Sidi-Abdallahi, who
recommended to me to take the route of Tripoli by Ardamas rather
than that of Morocco. He told me that he had intended to make
a collection for me, but that my speedy departure afforded him
no time to do so. He assured me that, if I would remain with him
some months, my subsistence should cost me nothing. I scarcely knew
how to decline such kindness, but I had formed my determination; I
excused myself to Sidi, by telling him that I was afraid to travel
in the rainy season, and finding me obstinate he looked out for a
good guide to conduct me to Tafilet.
The Moors in whose company I was about to travel were far from being
so kind and civilized as those who reside in the city. I had had an
opportunity of observing their manners before I started; for, they
often came and begged of me, and made no scruple of rousing me out of
my sleep. They are a class of men whom the Moors of a superior order
call _zenagues_, (tributaries). They are very ignorant. Many of them
do not know the first prayers of the Koran. They however observe
religious ceremonies. A poor stranger like myself, unacquainted
with their language, was in their eyes an object of contempt. I
expected therefore to suffer much in crossing the desert.
Sidi-Abdallahi informed me that he had hired a camel to carry me
to Tafilet. The thirty thousand cowries’ worth of cloth, the
proceeds of the sale of my merchandise at Jenné, sufficed to pay
for the camel. Sidi told me that he would keep my cloth and give
my guide ten mitkhals of gold, or thirty piastres.
I employed the remainder of the time I stayed in Timbuctoo in
collecting information respecting the unfortunate death of Major
Laing, which I had heard mentioned at Jenné, and which was confirmed
by the inhabitants of Timbuctoo whom I questioned respecting the
melancholy event. I learned, that when within a few days’ journey
of the city, the caravan to which the major belonged was stopped,
on the road to Tripoli, by the Tooariks, or as others alleged,
by the Berbiches, a wandering tribe, near the Dhioliba. Laing,
being discovered to be a christian, was cruelly attacked, and his
assailants continued beating him with a club until they thought
him dead. I conclude that the other christian, who was said to have
been actually murdered, was a servant of the major’s.
The Moors belonging to the caravan raised Laing up, and succeeded
in restoring him to animation. When he became sensible, they placed
him upon a camel, but he was so weak that they were obliged to tie
him on. The robbers left him almost destitute, having robbed him
of the greater part of his merchandise.
On his arrival at Timbuctoo, Major Laing healed his wounds by the aid
of an ointment which he brought with him from England. His recovery
was slow; but he was made very comfortable, owing to the letters
of recommendation which he had brought from Tripoli, and especially
to the attention of his landlord, a Tripolitan, to whom he had been
directed. The house of this Moor was near that in which I lodged at
Timbuctoo. I had frequent opportunities of seeing him. He appeared
to me a man full of kindly feelings. Many a time he has given me
dates, from mere charity, and the day before I left he made me a
present of a pair of blue cotton trowsers, to wear on my journey.
He told me that the major had been recommended by a Tripolitan
house to an old Moor, who, not having convenience to lodge him,
transferred him to his hospitality. Laing, he added, never laid aside
his European dress, and used to give out that he had been sent by
his master the King of England, for the purpose of making himself
acquainted with Timbuctoo and the wonders it contains.[14] It would
appear that the traveller had openly taken a plan of Timbuctoo,
for the same Moor told me in his simple way that _he had written
down every thing in it_.
Other Moors, whom I questioned respecting Laing, merely told me that
the major ate little, and that he lived entirely on bread, eggs,
and poultry. I moreover learned that he was tormented to say that
there is but one God and that Mahomet is his prophet; but he always
stopped at the words: “There is but one God” They then called
him cafir, and infidel, but, without ill treating him, left him
free to think and pray in his own way. Sidi-Abdallahi, whom I often
questioned as to whether the major had been insulted during his stay
at Timbuctoo, always replied in the negative; shaking his head, to
give me to understand, that they would have been sorry to annoy him.
This toleration may be accounted for by the fact, that the Moors
who reside at Timbuctoo come from Tripoli, Algiers, and Morocco,
and that, being in the habit of seeing christians in their own
countries, they are less liable to be offended at their worship and
their manners. For instance, Sidi-Abdallahi, who came from Tatta,
a town near Cape Mogador, was not inimical to the christians. Thus
it may easily be conceived that the major was free to inspect every
part of the town and even to enter the mosques.
It would appear that, after he had made himself completely acquainted
with Timbuctoo, he wished to see Cabra and the Dhioliba. But had he
left the city in the day time he would have incurred the greatest
danger from the Tooariks, who are continually roaming about the
environs of Timbuctoo, and whose attack he had too much reason to
remember. He determined to set off during the night. This was wise,
for though the Tooariks dared not touch him while he staid in the
town, they would have wrecked their vengeance on him had they caught
him beyond its limits, and murdered as well as robbed him.
Taking advantage of a dark night, Major Laing mounted his horse,
and, unaccompanied by a single native, reached Cabra, and even,
it is said, the banks of the Dhioliba, without accident. On his
return to Timbuctoo, he ardently wished, instead of proceeding to
Europe by the desert, to travel by Jenné and Sego, ascending the
Dhioliba, whence he might have reached the French factories on the
Senegal. But, no sooner had he communicated his plan to the Foulahs
established on the borders of the Dhioliba; (a great number of whom
had resorted to Timbuctoo, on hearing of the arrival of a christian)
than they all declared they would never suffer a _nasarah_ to set
foot in their territory, and if he made the attempt, they warned
him that he would have cause to repent it.
The major, perceiving that he could do nothing with these fanatics,
chose the rout of el-Arawan, where he hoped to join a caravan of
Moorish merchants, conveying salt to Sansanding; but alas! after
journeying five days to the north of Timbuctoo, the caravan with
which he had come up was stopped by Sheikh Hamet-oul’d-Habib,
an old fanatic, chief of the tribe of Zawât, who wander in the
desert of that name. Sheikh Hamet seized the major, under pretence
of his having entered his territory without permission. He then
wished to compel him to acknowledge Mahomet to be prophet of
God, and required him even to make the salam. Laing relying too
confidently on the protection of the pacha of Tripoli, who had
recommended him to all the sheikhs of the desert, refused to obey
Hamet, who more and more urgently insisted on his acknowledging
himself a Musulman. Laing continued firm, and chose to die rather
than yield; a resolution which made one of the most intelligent
of travellers a martyr to the cause of science. A Moor, belonging
to the train of the chief of the Zawâts, who was directed by
his master to kill the christian, refused to execute his order.
“What!” said he, “do you wish me to slay the first christian
who has come among us, and one who has done us no injury? give the
commission to another; I will not be the instrument of his death;
kill him yourself.” This address suspended for a moment the fatal
sentence, and the question of Laing’s life or death was warmly
debated for some time. At length the latter was decided on. Some
black slaves were summoned, and they were ordered to perform the
horrid deed, with which the Moor had refused to stain his hands.
One of the murderers immediately tied his turban round the neck
of the victim, and strangled him on the spot, he pulling one end
while his comrade held the other. The corpse of the unfortunate
Laing was cast upon the desert, to become the prey of the raven
and the vulture, the only birds which inhabit those desolate regions.
When the major had once been discovered to be a christian and
a European, death was a thousand times preferable to even a
temporary change of religion, since he must have renounced all
hope of again visiting Europe. The fate of Laing, had he become a
Musulman perforce, would have been irremediably wretched. He would
have been the slave of merciless barbarians, and exposed to all
the miseries and dangers peculiar to that country; in vain would
the pacha of Tripoli have demanded his liberation. At that immense
distance, the chief of the Zawâts would have scorned his menaces
and detained his prisoner. The resolution of Major Laing was perhaps
at once a proof of intrepidity and of foresight.
On his departure for El-Arawan the major took with him some
astronomical instruments and his papers, but very little merchandise,
for the Tooariks had relieved him of nearly all he possessed. The
Sheikh Hamet therefore gained little by the murder of the English
traveller, and he was even obliged to divide that little with
the wretches whom he had made the instruments of his crime. A
Moor of Tafilet, who belonged to the caravan, had for his share
of the spoil a sextant, which I was informed might be found in
the country. As for the major’s papers and journals, they were
scattered among the inhabitants of the desert. During my stay at
Gourland, a village of Tafilet, I saw a copper pocket compass, of
English manufacture. Nobody could tell me whence this instrument
had come, and I concluded that it had belonged to Laing. Had it not
been for the precautions I was compelled to observe in my Arabic
disguise, I would have given a good price for it; but I could not,
without betraying myself, show that I attached the least value to
an instrument, of the use of which I was supposed to be ignorant.
I have left a wide field of discovery for those who come after me,
especially in the geography and natural history of this country. What
I have suffered should not discourage future enquirers. Their
attempts will doubtless be attended with hardships and danger; but an
enterprise conducted with prudence would triumph over obstacles. To
ensure success, the traveller should, I think, make no sort of
display; he should externally adopt the worship of Mahomet, and pass
himself off for an Arab. A pretended convert would not enjoy so much
liberty, and would be an object of suspicion to such distrustful
people. Besides, I am of opinion that a converted christian would not
be tolerated among the negro tribes. The best plan would be, I think
to cross the great desert of Sahara in the character of an Arab,
provided with adequate but concealed resources. After remaining
for some time in the Musulman town selected by the traveller as
his starting point, where he might give himself out as a merchant,
to avoid suspicion, he might purchase some merchandise in that town,
under the pretence of going to trade further on, carefully abstaining
from all mention of the city of Timbuctoo.
Let us suppose Tangiers or Arbate to be the place chosen as the
point of departure; mercantile business at Fez might be alleged
as an excuse for setting off. Still adopting the same pretence,
the traveller might proceed from Fez to Tafilet, and thence to
Timbuctoo. At Tafilet there would be no danger of speaking of
Timbuctoo, for there a journey to the Soudan is an affair of frequent
occurrence and it excites no attention. It would be advisable to
purchase merchandise at Tafilet for the purpose of exportation. On
reaching Timbuctoo, the traveller should settle there, establish
a mercantile house; but he should above all things avoid appearing
rich, and must make himself familiar with the customs of the country,
and be very circumspect in every thing connected with religion.
After remaining at Timbuctoo seventeen or eighteen months, and
purchasing some Mandingo or Bambara slaves speaking the Kissour
and Tooarik languages, he might procure a middle-sized well built
canoe, for the conveyance of merchandise and provisions. It would
be necessary to take a supply of the latter, on account of the
uncertainty of being able to procure them from the people who dwell
on the banks of the river. By promising the slaves their liberty,
they might be easily prevailed upon to undertake the voyage, the
pretended object of which would be to trade in the lower part of the
river, and to purchase gum, ivory, &c. It would not be necessary to
adopt all these precautions for the passage of the river above Cabra.
To lull suspicion, it would be advisable to leave at Timbuctoo a
certain quantity of merchandise, under the care of a confidential
slave, who might have orders to dispose of it under the direction
of a Moorish merchant, during his master’s absence.
Being once fairly embarked in the canoe with six slaves, good
swimmers, it would be preferable to proceed onward during the night
on account of the wandering tribes of Tooariks and others. But even
if they were met during the day time, they might be got rid of with a
few presents. This course, prudently and cautiously followed, would,
I doubt not, be attended with complete success, and it appears to
me preferable to the plan of sending numerous expeditions, which
would rouse the cupidity and distrust of the natives.
The rapid passage of the little canoe would render the voyage
infinitely less fatiguing and dangerous than if performed in a
large vessel. Sidi-Abdallahi informed me that Haoussa was only a
twenty days’ passage from Timbuctoo, descending the river; but in
a small canoe the passage might be accomplished in twelve days, and
then the mouth of the river might be speedily reached, especially if
it empties itself into the Ocean. This plan, I am convinced, would
be far less dangerous than that of starting from the gulf of Benin,
where great difficulties would always be experienced in ascending,
both on account of the climate and the inhabitants.