Razzia on the Fadeea--Haussa--Names of Places--Ant-track--Circular
Letter from Mourzuk--Vast Rock--Mustapha Bey's Letter--Effects of
Water--Butterflies--Aspect of the Country--A Slave advanced
to Honour--Shonshona--Herbage--Birds--Appearance of the
Salt-Caravan--Colours of Dawn--Bilma Salt--Mode of Barter--Pass the Rock
of Mari--Granite--Indigo Plant--Presents at Stamboul--The Sultan begs
again--Old Men's Importunities--Baghzem--Curiosities of the
Route--People of Damerghou--Temporary Village of Women--Country begins
to open--Barter Transaction with Lady En-Noor.
_Dec. 10th._--I rose before the sunrise; the coldest morning we have
had; thermometer at half-an-hour after sunrise, 38 deg..
It is reported that we leave here to-morrow, or the day following. There
is arrived from Aghadez the first man of that city after the sultan,
called Amagai. He is come here respecting the affairs of the Fadeea.
En-Noor also asked to-day for a list of all the things taken by force
from us on the frontiers. It appears the Sultan of Aghadez had captured
the Sheikh of the Fadeea, or some one sheikh, and allowed him to go out
of prison on the promise that he would restore all the things taken from
us--but not to us; so these Sultans and Sheikhs of Aheer will probably
get all these things back, and divide the spoil. But, nevertheless, it
is better that the people in authority should have them, than that they
should remain in the possession of the robbers, the lawless plundering
tribes of the frontier. Probably these people will be more cautious how
they plunder another caravan of Christians. It will always be a
satisfaction to us that the robbers were made to disgorge their booty. I
have also heard that a small camel was brought in exchange for my large
lost one; and En-Noor sent it back, ordering them to restore the large
camel of the boat. My camel has been to fetch salt from Bilma.
The children call Tesaoua, and the countries thereabout, Haussa, and say
it is near, and that they go on donkeys. From this it is certain this
portion of Soudan still has the ancient name of Haussa. Afaou is merely
the Bornou name for Haussa, there being no place or district of that
name. All these countries have most of them two names, or two
pronunciations of the same name; one by the natives, and one by the
Moorish merchants and other strangers. Thus the village of En-Noor is
called by strangers Tintalous, and by the people themselves Chintullus.
Travellers had better adhere to the name the place has amongst the
strangers and foreign merchants, otherwise their narrative might be
questioned by the people abroad, who do not know the native name.
Maradee has its native name of Mariadi, but if you were to mention this
name in Mourzuk and Tripoli none would know the country of which you
were speaking. In fact, it is just the same as calling Florence Firenza,
when speaking to persons who have not travelled in Tuscany, or who are
unacquainted with Italian. I continue much occupied with the Bornouese
and Haussa languages, and am now collecting the names of insects and
animals. This is extremely difficult, as for many of the animals of
Soudan there are no Arabic names.
I measured an ant-track, and found it 125 feet. The ants were fetching
the cottony dried blossom of a withered plant, and were amazingly busy.
The tracks did not wind much. I noticed, also, in my walk, the footmarks
of hares and many other animals. This country is full of live things.
_11th._--I rose before sunrise; this is the coldest morning I have yet
had, according to the thermometer, which was only two degrees above the
freezing point (34 deg.).
A circular letter arrived to-day from Aghadez, addressed to all the
Tuaricks, written by Mustapha Bey of Mourzuk, recommending them to
render us all necessary protection. It is dated back two months.
Probably this letter was written on account of the unfavourable
intelligence which reached Mourzuk respecting us. To-morrow, please God,
we start for Soudan.
_12th._--Thank God! we left our encampment of Chintagawna this morning.
And oh, most gracious God! give us a prosperous journey, and may we be
useful to ourselves and our fellow-creatures.
We started about eleven o'clock, and went on about three hours and
a-half. The day was very cool; the thermometer in the morning, at
sunrise, being only three degrees above the freezing-point. We expect to
see the water freeze on the high plains through which we are about to
pass, before arriving at Damerghou. Our encampment is a pleasant wady,
under a conical-formed rock of considerable elevation, perhaps 1500
feet. We are also in a high situation, some 1000 or more feet above the
level of the sea. There is near this rock a lower one of an oblong form,
its sides fluted with pillars; these columnar masses are basalt. Dr.
Overweg examined the rocks, and found the outer crust a new species of
rock, a sort of trachite or brachite; and the interior a sort of basalt,
or volcanic substance. The large rock is also of the same formation. Dr.
Barth ascended the large rock.
I am now told that I made a great mistake about the wording of the
circular letter of Mustapha Bey. This letter begins by thanking the
Tuaricks of Aheer for exterminating the Walad Suleiman! It then hints
broadly at the necessity for the Turks in Mourzuk and the Tuaricks of
Aheer being friends; and to maintain this friendship one important
condition is required--that they, the Tuaricks of Aheer, shall protect
all the merchants or other travellers passing through their country, and
coming from Mourzuk. In the event of their committing a bad action, the
Bey says he may be compelled to make reprisals; so it is quite clear the
letter is written entirely on our account, and perhaps is a preliminary
measure to making reprisals. _Nous verrons._ This letter is only
addressed to the people of Aheer.
If water be the sustaining and even the generative force of vegetation
in the desert, it is also the destruction of trees and herbage; for
along the line of the current of the wady are seen immense numbers of
dead and overthrown trees, torn from their roots by the force of the
water in the rainy season. En-Noor paid me a visit this afternoon, and
took a nap in my tent.
_13th._--We rose early, but did not start till about nine o'clock. This
was the coldest day we have yet experienced: the heavens were overcast
with clouds. We came five hours; our course irregular, but always
south-east; the track through wadys filled with the usual trees of the
tholukh species. Yesterday were seen numbers of large butterflies, but
to-day, on account of the cold, few. Flies innumerable follow the
caravan. The rocks were, as yesterday, many conic-formed, and others
rounded or appearing in ranges, like huge haycocks: granite, sandstone,
and trachite. We have in the distance before us, a peculiarly shaped
rock of considerable height, called _Mari_, in the midst of a range. We
are encamped in the bed of an immense broad valley, and camels are
feeding about in considerable numbers. The salt-caravan is very near. We
are not yet in the regular caravan route, _via_ Asoudee, but expect to
reach it after to-morrow. En-Noor has with him as a guest the principal
man of Aghadez, before mentioned. This man was once a slave, but by his
address has risen thus high, as the slaves frequently do in Turkey: so
widely do similar manners prevail. Many slaves in Soudan rise to the
highest consequence.
The _shonshona_ (or practice of scarifying the face or neck) prevails
everywhere in Bornou, Soudan, and all this part of Africa; the Tuaricks
and Fellatahs being the only people who abstain from this barbarous
practice. Each device of scarifying denotes the peculiar nation of the
blacks. I have now got three sketches of faces thus disfigured, and
shall get as many as I can.
The Mahommedans of the coast usually teach that this way of marking the
body is a sin, but nevertheless the black Muslims will not abandon the
peculiarities of their nation.
_14th._--Started early, but made only two hours and a-quarter, through
the expansive valleys of yesterday. Here we found the salt-caravan,
there being in this place abundance of room, herbage, and a large well,
all necessary for such an assembly of people and beasts. On the road we
put up a covey of partridges, and a splendid solitary bird, the _hobara_
of Soudan. Footprints of the hares and of the gazelle were observed _en
route_.
By this opportunity we have got a few dates from Bilma; but they are
very poor, some of them little better than dried wood. The salt-caravan
has nothing attractive. The salt is all tied up in small bales or
bundles, the outward wrapper being matting or platting of strips of the
leaves of the doom-palm, called by the people _kabba_. Our caravan
resembles the march of a wandering tribe, there being camels, sheep,
oxen, asses, dogs, with all the paraphernalia of tents, cooking
utensils, &c. Some of the animals are laden, some unladen, playing,
running, and skipping about. Then come the human animals, men, women,
and children of every age. Our own caravan is mostly composed of the
household and slaves of En-Noor, with two or three strangers. But now
all changes to the salt-caravan, and we shall probably be soon absorbed
in it.
Yesterday morning I observed the dawn of day, and witnessed a degree of
redness and red clouds, or, more poetically, rosy-tinted clouds, which I
never before observed in all the Sahara. Probably now the sky will
change to a colouring more like England. Sunset and sunrise in the
Sahara are essentially different from those of England, the colours in
the desert being exceedingly light and bright; and often in the summer
time, at daybreak, there is a full, blazing sun in the course of three
quarters of an hour; so that, that rich colouring of the summer's dawn
in England is never here observed.
I visited the salt-caravan, or that portion of it which belongs to
En-Noor. The salt is prepared in Bilma, by the Tibboos, in three
different manners. There is, first, the _canto_, a kind of pillar or
pedestal, about 16 inches high, and 3 or 4 broad in its widest part. As
to weight, 10 of these are a good camel-load, 8 a load for a small
camel, and 6 for a weak camel. Then there are two cakes, one of refined
salt and the other coarse. These coarse cakes are about 5 inches in
diameter, and the refined ones 7 inches, the former being about 3lbs.
and the latter 5lbs. in weight. When a caravan of Tuaricks arrive at
Bilma, they find the salt all ready for them, and they pay a barter for
it in this way,--a zekka of ghaseb is exchanged against twenty of the
coarse cakes; a zekka for six of the refined cakes, and three zekkas of
ghaseb for two of the pillars. Ghaseb appears to be the only staple
thing which the Tibboos receive for their salt; they may also take now
and then turkadias, or black turbans, and on the other side the Tuaricks
bring a few dates with them: the fruit, even those of the best quality,
are not very good or fine. This commerce of barter is managed almost
solely by the women: the men remain in their houses, whilst the women go
to the salt-pits or lakes, and transact this important business; but the
men do not run away, as is commonly reported. At least, so say the
Tuaricks. The supply of salt is inexhaustible. It is, probably, on
account of the weight of the salt, and the fatigue of the camels which
carry it, with the distance, that this commerce is not very profitable
to the Tuaricks; but this can only be ascertained in the markets of
Kanou, and other large cities of Soudan. There are only six months to
the rainy season, so I have just time to go to Sakkatou and return,
without waiting long at any of the intermediate places between Sakkatou
and Kuka.
Our encampment is under some rocks, where are seen the dens of lions. At
the mouth of these caves or holes are bones of animals and the dung of
the lions.
_15th._--I rose early, but we did not start till two hours after
sunrise. The caravan was a considerable time in loading. We have only
with us En-Noor's detachment of the salt-caravan, about 130 camels. We
may be quicker in our movements to-morrow. The first morning of starting
is always thus slow. We came to-day five hours: passed the picturesque
rock Mari, like a camel couchant, and entered after three hours the
Asoudee route, or the direct caravan route from Ghat to Damerghou,
through Aheer. Another detachment of the salt-caravan passed or crossed
us, and took another route to the east. Our course was always
southwards, now S.E. now S.W., through wadys filled with trees, mostly
tholukh and its varieties; the rocks were all granite. Aheer appears to
be a region essentially of granite, although here and there are volcanic
cones striking up, composed of basalt, or a variety of this stone. The
weather was very cloudy and cold, only a little warm in the middle of
the day. We have not come to water or wells for three days, because our
journeys are very short. To-day I saw, for the first time, the indigo
plant--_neela_ in Arabic, and _bala_ in Soudanese. I was glad to make
its acquaintance. It grows amongst the other herbage, and may be easily
confounded with it as a common herb. It is now in seed, the pods being
small and very hard. This is one of the products capable of working the
regeneration of Africa, if Africa is to be civilised by legitimate
commerce.
En-Noor asked to-day if, on entering Constantinople, we English made
presents. I told him very positively, "No;" but, on the contrary,
everything which the English demanded of the Sultan of the Turks he did
for us; and because the Sultan was weak, England was obliged to protect
him against the encroachments of the other Christian nations.
I was much surprised to hear to-day that En-Noor begged a black burnouse
from Barth. The old Sheikh is a Tuarick every inch of him. Nevertheless,
it is too bad to beg the things which we wear to protect us from the
cold and the heat. Barth, I believe, has not yet made the Sheikh a
present, and he is coming Hateetah over my worthy friend. Overweg has
given the Sheikh a cloth jacket, which he could ill spare. I feel most
determinedly disposed to give nothing more; but in justice I have to
add, that his highness sends regularly the milk in the morning, that he
gave me a piece of gour-nut on the road, and that he sent me a few dates
at my request! These are great things for Tuaricks; so, "patience."
_16th._--I rose at daylight; the cold was moderate, morning foggy as
yesterday. People say we shall be only nine days from this going to
Damerghou, but I will give them twelve. All the old men in this country
apply to the Taleb for medicine to restore their powers. They very
unwillingly relinquish the exercise of the functions which give them
most delight; but nature is stronger than all things, and they must
submit to its inevitable course. In a country like Africa, where woman
is only thought of for one purpose, it chagrins these old fellows to see
all their nice plump slave-girls about them, and to find themselves past
and gone, so far as this state of existence is concerned. En-Noor and
Hateetah both made this kind of application to the Taleb. When I was
alone in my former journey in the desert, I had also the same kind of
experience.
We came two hours to-day to the well of Anfesas, before the mountain of
Baghzem. Our course was through valleys and rocks, as yesterday, and,
indeed, always in this country; for there is very little variation in
the landscape. Baghzem, instead of being the high mountain pictured to
me by the Ghadamsee merchants, is, at this view of it, only a low range.
Two little things observed to-day were, first, a "traveller's sharpening
stone," on which every person passing by sharpened his dagger or his
sword: next, were heaps of sand scraped together, and sticks or stalks
of herbage stuck on the top, as frail marks of the route, corresponding
to the heaps of stone which mark in line the routes of the Sahara. There
was also a mosque formed of boughs of trees; that is, a low wall of the
groundplan of a mosque made of boughs of trees, like the walls of stone
in other places. The trees were as before, always those full of thorns,
like the tholukh; many of the species bearing what is called the date of
this country. No animals of game were seen, except a solitary hare; but
there were marks of the foot of the mohur, or large gazelle.
The lading of the camels in the morning takes always an hour and a-half:
we have few people, compared with the number of beasts of burden.
However, under the leadership of En-Noor, who has now decked himself in
a fine yellow burnouse, a sort of ensign of authority, the caravan
marches in great order and tranquillity.
The inhabitants of Damerghou are said to be a mixture of Kohlans and
Tuaricks; the latter, however, receding into the interior. But if the
Tuaricks have dispossessed the Kohlans, they have almost become Kohlans
themselves, forgetting their own language and their own customs and
manners. This would naturally result from their habit of taking female
slaves from Soudan. Women, of course, always teach their children their
own language. In this way the population becomes in a few years
amalgamated, the blacks with Tuaricks.
_17th._--We stopped here all day, occupied with Bornouese. The place is
pleasant enough, there being a good well of water. A little temporary
village stands near, composed of the women and children belonging to the
salt-caravan.
_18th._--We halted again another day. After this rest of three days for
the camels, we are to go on quicker. Overweg paid a visit to the
temporary village, principally to see the women, taking with him the
Malem Ibrahim. He was pleasantly received, and notes the fact as the
first specimen of Soudan hospitality. I also made an excursion of an
hour to a neighbouring eminence, where I had a view from the top of a
quartz rock of the surrounding landscape of stony hills and valleys. On
the east and west were ranges and groups of mountains; on the north-east
and towards Bilma, and on the south-west round the mountain of Baghzem,
the country appeared open. North and south were rocks. In the direction
of our route (south-east) the rocks seem scattered and at wide
distances, so I expect we shall soon bid farewell to the mountains of
Aheer. The celebrated mount of Baghzem is a mighty mass of rock, not
high, but apparently of immense breadth. The town of Baghzem is on the
western side, and out of our route.
I had a little clandestine transaction with Madame En-Noor to-day. She
sent me cheese and milk, and I sent her a ring. The slaves brought the
cheese stealthily: so, I suppose, the Sultan was not to know of it. But
they say that all the goats belong to the women, and, consequently, the
milk and cheese; but the camels to the men; some women, however, have
camels. There is a sort of division of male and female property in this
country.