We continue our Journey--Huntsmen--Gum on the Tholukhs--The
Salt-Caravan--A Bunch of Gum--Games among the
Slaves--Baghzem--Trees--Palm of Pharaoh--Deserted Villages--Birds'
Nests--Wife of En-Noor--Unan--Lizards--Bad News--Christmas
day in Africa--Christmas-boxes--Begging Tuaricks
again--Bargot--Musicians--Speculations--Tribes at War--Parasitical
Plant--Importance of Salt--Animals--Agalgo--Force of the Caravan--Beat
of Drum--Approach the Hamadah--Giraffes--Poisoned Arrows--Ear of
Ghaseb--Soudan and Bornou Roads.
_Dec. 19th._--We started early, and journeyed on eight hours and
a-half--the best day we have had since leaving Tintalous. Our course
still towards that immense block of mountain, the celebrated Baghzem. We
are now encamped along its side. We crossed a large wady with
ancient-looking trees, having antiquity, in fact, stamped on their
trunks, all of the tholukh species. The sand of this desert is covered
with the footsteps or marks of the gazelle and hare; but we saw only one
gazelle and one hare. The gazelle was followed by a stupid mongrel-bred
dog; it jumped high in the air, and was soon out of sight. The Kailouees
are no huntsmen. I question whether they have ever caught a gazelle or
any full-grown animal in their lives; they are a stupid set, and their
dogs worse still in field-sport, though always living in the desert.
There are huntsmen amongst the Haghars. The Kailouees prefer running
down men, or rather women. All they think of is riding or straying from
place to place after the women--this is their sport.
This may be called a country of dry wadys. The name is appropriate all
the year round, except on the few days when the floods are seen pouring
down these seeming beds of rivers. Hereabouts are the largest tholukh
and other trees found in Aheer. Those that grow on high ground are
small, but from their trunks are picked off, by the slaves, pieces of
gum. To-day, however, I could not succeed in getting a piece. What was
found was carried to En-Noor. I shall soon get a taste of it. We
continue with our same number of camels; no other detachments of the
large salt-caravan have yet joined us. En-Noor is still very active,
riding before and behind, seeing that all is right. He is followed by
his shadow. He wears his yellow burnouse. I have heard of no town on
this side of Baghzem.
An immense quantity of stone is scattered over the route hereabouts.
Overweg believes it to be basalt, or a species of volcanic stone of
similar character.
I am preparing myself for my Soudan journeys, and, _en route_, take as
much rest as possible. Cold winds prevail night and morning, but the sun
burns a few hours in the day. Certainly now is the best season for
travelling in this country. What it is in Soudan it is impossible to
tell.
_20th._--We rested to-day. There is a well a short distance off, called
Tilya. This morning early filed by a large division of the salt-caravan,
about three hundred camels. We passed them yesterday. They had also a
little merchandise besides salt. Some of the people inquired of me if I
had found my camels. I told them two were still missing. They were all
strangers, but were, nevertheless, civil. I made a short excursion in
search of gum amongst the tholukh-trees. I was fortunate enough to find
one piece, or, rather, a small bunch of pellucid drops, of a bright
amber-colour. The bunch was scarcely exuding from the tree on which it
was found, and was ready to drop when touched, hanging by the slenderest
connexion. It was even somewhat disposed to become liquid. This gum is
found only on the small young trees. The taste was very pleasant. It is
astonishing how little gum has been picked off these trees by our
people, although we have passed tens of thousands of them _en route_.
The slaves of the caravan were having a game amongst themselves this
morning. They brought into my tent a man bound as dead, and I was
obliged to pay a handkerchief to relieve myself of the bad omen. Such a
thing is considered a horrible thing if you do not buy away the ill
effects of it. This is certainly an easy way of collecting money and
goods. It was, however, amusing to see the fellow, how still he lay;
truly it was as still as death. The ceremony itself arose out of the
culprit, or man bound, having lost our camels, a circumstance which has
detained us here to-day. The herdsman was thus punished for his neglect;
and so all these African people have an amusing way of turning their
misfortunes into fun, as well as of making a profit out of them. I have
already observed before, that every misfortune we have suffered has been
a benefit to the Kailouees. This has made them so careless about what
might happen to us.
_21st._--Our course was generally nearly south, but often a little
winding. Baghzem was always on our right, until we left it behind us, on
the north-west. This mountain has, probably, been so much celebrated in
all past times, because it is the most conspicuous object on the return
route from the south to the north. Overweg conjectures that it is
granite. He had no servant at hand yesterday to visit it with him, and
he did not like to go alone, because it swarms with lions.
We passed to-day mostly through undulating country, a sort of ground
which, in the Sahara, lies generally between the plateaux and the high
rocky ranges. From one of the lesser heights we had a magnificent view
of Baghzem. We passed also through and along several fine wadys, lined
with ancient trees. Perhaps, in some places, full half of the trees were
decayed, and many only naked stumps. The trees were so thick in certain
places as to deserve the name of forests--primeval forests--but, I
imagine, not to be compared with those of America.
Amongst the trees to-day appeared most conspicuously the doom-palm. This
is the first day we have seen it in such numbers. This "palm of
Pharaoh," as the Moors call it, according to their habit of coupling all
strange things with those ancient monarchs, is found in groups as well
as isolated trees. When isolate, and also when in groups, it very
frequently assumes a double-shaped trunk, or two large arms spread out
or divided from a low stump.[11] Of the leaves, which are called
_gabba_, the people make all their rope.
[11] I believe the trunk of the doom is always thus divided and
subdivided.--ED.
These trees are now laden with fruit, not ripe. The abundance of them
gives to the place of our encampment a truly tropical aspect. We
journeyed on to-day eight hours and a-half--a good, fair day. The
weather was warm, even a little sultry. As to inhabitants, we passed
many isolated huts, but saw no villages in groups. We also passed the
ruins of many villages, whose houses were better built than any I have
yet seen in this part of Aheer. This country has seen its best days; for
the huts which now take the place of these houses, high and well-built
of stone and mud, are, indeed, miserable. Probably these deserted places
are some of the towns whose people were carried off to Bornou in the
recent razzias. At the bottom of most of the wadys to-day, water was
found at a foot depth, though not a copious supply. People were at the
wells in numbers, watering their cattle.
En-Noor paid me another attention to-day, when on camel-back, in
presenting to me a piece of gour-nut. This is considered a very great
compliment. As to the fruit itself, I have not yet acquired the taste;
it is only agreeable if you are thirsty, and after chewing it drink
water.
_22d._--We remain here to-day. It is not so cold as it has been.
I am sorry Madame En-Noor has left off the milk, though I never cease to
send coffee twice a-day. I must now, however, send but once, as my sugar
is getting low.
I observed the beautiful bird's nest which I mentioned the other day. It
is a perfect piece of architecture, far superior to the huts made in
this country. The only apparent deficiency is, that it seems to hang on
nothing, or is suspended sometimes on a slender straw, at other times on
a thin twig. The nest is built of straw inside and outside, but the
inside is of a finer straw. I have not seen the bird who is the
architect of this wonderful piece of mechanism. I observed two species
of parasitical plants, one of which has a slender trunk, and has its
root in the earth; and the other, which is entirely dependent on the
tree over which it spreads for all its support and nourishment. Its
roots are in the very boughs of the tree which bears it. Some of our
blacks, who were carried over the desert when young, and had not seen or
observed this phenomenon before, burst out laughing. These comicalities
of vegetation amused them exceedingly. What excites the serious
attention of cultivated minds often produces only laughter in vulgar and
untutored people. Parasitical plants would be a complete study for the
botanist here. The doom-tree has a smaller and rounder-shaped head than
the common date-palm; the leaves are spread out very like a fan, but I
know not whether the doom is called the fan-shaped palm.
We are to stay at this place some time--there appears to be no hurry. We
shall probably be here three days more. The Sultan of Asoudee is
visiting amongst us, and has concerted with En-Noor that all the
caravans shall go together, in order that no one portion of it shall
arrive before the other in Damerghou, and so get the ghaseb cheaper; as,
of course, the early arrivals generally get the better bargains. At
first I could not understand the reason of our all going together; now
the thing is clear enough.
En-Noor called at my tent in the evening, and was very civil. I got a
little milk afterwards for the tea sent him. The royal family appear now
to be short of milk. I find that his royal highness has in reality only
one wife, who is a slave. In an African point of view, however, even
this is too much. His highness confessed to Overweg that God gave man
his limited time in this as in all things. Had the beating I have
recorded any relation to this bitter reflection?
When the sun is down, the landscape around begins to look like Old
England, the species of trees not being visible. The doom reminds me of
the shorn elms along the hedges.
_23d._--The Sultan of Asoudee sent this morning for powder, and was
thankful for a small quantity. We remained here this day. All the
valleys and country around are called _Unan_. This is also the name of a
well near us, but water is usually obtained by scooping out the sand in
the bed of the valleys, and there are few regular wells; those which are
dug are destroyed as soon as the rain returns. Such alone remain entire
as are out of the reach, or beyond the range of the periodic floods.
_24th._--We were not to come on to-day; but En-Noor changed his mind,
and we journeyed on five hours, up the valley of Unan. The eternal
sameness of the tholukh and doom--for dooms are now in great
numbers--would be wearisome, had we not had so much desert before; but
we are still delighted with the continual occurrence of trees, be they
of what species they may. There is, besides, a great abundance of wild
water-melons, which the people sometimes eat. They are very small, but
hard and sound. The lizard, which almost through the whole desert was
found darting about and around the camels' feet, has now disappeared. It
would be a curious inquiry for a naturalist to endeavour to account for
its disappearance, for the nature of the soil has not so much changed.
The only difference--but perhaps this is great for the lizard--is that
hereabouts occur periodic rains, which deluge the land for a few days in
the year; and during these few days, probably, all the land lizards
found in low places would be destroyed.
This is Christmas-eve; a sorry one for us all! We receive no news but
bad news. For to-day a man came up to us, who said he left Tripoli three
months ago, and that the cholera had been very severe in Tripoli, making
many victims; but he brought no particular news for us. He came by the
way of Ghadamez and Ghat, and yet had heard nothing of our misfortunes
on the frontier. I suppose the people of Ghat had already ceased to talk
about us and our affairs; for here in the desert, as elsewhere, things
are soon forgotten. We saw little of the rest of the caravan _en route_,
but if we ever see the whole of the camels going with us, and the
division of Aghadez, I am quite sure they will never reach the
exaggerated number of 10,000! All numbers are dreadfully exaggerated in
Africa.
_25th._--Christmas-day! My second Christmas day in Africa during this
journey. We have nothing to make a merry day of; but we must try and
cheer ourselves up by the thought that we are still spared, after
passing through so many dangers, and amidst a people naturally hostile
to us, and only softened by fear of the Turks, and by possession of the
goods of the Government, which they have taken one way or other. Yet
some of the people appear of a more kindly nature, and Overweg has
experienced a little hospitality in the huts retired from the road, or
sequestered in the surrounding valleys.
Gracious God! make us all thankful for health and strength: may we ever
praise thy protecting care of us and our mission. For the sake of our
Saviour, born on this day, pardon all our sins; give us grace to lead a
new life, and a most willing mind to receive Jesus as the Lord our
righteousness! O God, have mercy upon all our friends and relations, and
give them the will to receive the Saviour, born on this day, as their
only chance of salvation! O God, have mercy upon Africa, and on all men!
Some musicians came this morning to salute us with a little of their
rough music, a drum and a clarionet. I gave them three rings and a
little sugar. I have very little to bestow, and were I to be more
generous, or to make an effort to give them anything like a Christmas
gift, I should then have all the people upon me, begging everything I
had left. Yesterday I spoke a few words to Hamma, son-in-law of En-Noor,
and he immediately asked me for a turban. I had not spoken to him for
several weeks, or only saluted him with a few words, in order to avoid
his begging. This man has already had from me presents to the amount of
fifty dollars! Thus I am cut off from all conversation with these
people, and have no practice in speaking the languages of the interior.
I must try to get on better than this. Overweg, as doctor, is better
off. The sick, and the people who bring the sick, must talk to him, and
must receive a favour from him. And he frequently gets a few cheeses in
return. The women make extraordinary propositions. The other day they
offered him a slave or a bullock for a medicine to produce a child.
The place of our encampment is called Bargot, which I believe is also
the name of a well, near or about an hour and a-half distant. I have
also heard the name of Bergu. Yesterday we passed some ruins of houses,
built of stone and mud. I am glad that Barth borrowed my Bible, and is
reading to-day. Overweg also was the first to propose prayers on Sundays
when we are staying long together in one place.
We are now near the Hamadah, which is a journey of full four days
without water. We arrive at the water on the morning only of the fifth
day. I gave a Christmas-box to all the servants of the expedition, seven
persons, each a cotton handkerchief and a ring. This is all I could
spare. Yusuf had a silk handkerchief and no ring. The kind of ring
esteemed here is one having a good imitation of a stone, and the metal
is as good as gold for these people. With the exception of the Gatronee
and my mahadee, the rest ill deserved their Christmas-box, but it is
necessary to forget and to forgive. However, I am now more strict with
them, as we are leaving the Tuaricks, amongst whom some of our servants
became almost Tuaricks themselves in manners.
The Sultan of Asoudee is still with us, and keeps up a sort of state
about him, although he is a poor weak fellow indeed, compared to
En-Noor. He has not paid us a visit, and we have not seen him. En-Noor,
probably, does not wish to bother us with such a visit. The musicians
who saluted us this morning came from him, but they did not know it was
a feast-day of Christians, and only came to pick up what they could get.
I sent Madame En-Noor a piece of white loaf-sugar, and told her it was a
Christmas-box. She received it with many thanks; so I have chronicled
all our doings this day. I read the two first chapters of St. Luke in
Arabic. We had no provisions, or anything with which we could produce
the resemblance of a plum-pudding. As to roast beef, we have some bits
of preserved beef, which we eat with our baseen and hamsa.
Amidst so many uncertainties in Central Africa we may not see another
Christmas-day. O God! whenever the time of our departure is come, may we
be found relying for salvation on that Saviour, thine only-begotten Son,
born on this day.
Overweg and I conversed late at night on the mechanism of the heavens,
and the antiquity of the world, according to the received theories of
astronomers and geologists; the dark and black vault above, sprinkled
over with brilliant points, being the object which first set our
thoughts in motion. The stars are time itself, and also illustrations of
the passage of light through the universe. The earth was once a hotter
orb, passing successively from a vaporous to a fluid, and then a solid
state. The northern climes were once torrid zones, from the evidence of
the fossil remains and from coals, which are masses of tropical trees.
Such were the speculations in which we indulged.[12]
[12] I have not thought it advisable to abridge or alter this
_naive_ account of a Christmas-day on the southern borders
of the Sahara. Mr. Richardson seems already to feel certain
presentiments of the fate that awaited him. In other places
I have omitted devotional passages; but in this it seemed
to me that it would be unjust to the memory of this amiable
traveller to do so.--ED.
_26th._--We stay here to-day. There is some trouble amongst those
restless tribes, the Kaltadak and Kalfadai; and Yusuf was sent for this
morning by En-Noor to write some letters for him to these marauding
tribes. They are fighting amongst themselves. The route from the North
will never be safe for Europeans until these tribes are properly
subjugated; and when will that time come? It is now reported that we all
go to Zinder. I shall be glad of this opportunity to get a few dollars,
and then make the best of my way to Sakkatou. But our delay here renders
this trip always less certain, and seems to point out that I shall go
first to Bornou.
The most frequent parasitical plant, which is found upon nearly all the
tholukhs, is called _koushi_ in Haussa, and _barango_ in Bornou. It is a
fine plant, and its flower is not unlike the woodbine or honeysuckle,
but devoid of all fragrance. The leaves are succulent, full of moisture,
in shape a long oval, the longest not more than an inch and a quarter.
This parasite also fastens itself on other trees, and often kills the
branches from which it draws its strength--a real sap-sucker. The
karembo frequently dies in its embraces.
Hamma, the son-in-law of En-Noor, is not to go with us, on account of
the quarrels with the Kalfadai and the Kaltadak. He is exceedingly
disappointed, for it deprives him of making anything for himself in
Haussa; and En-Noor keeps him very poor indeed, as his highness does
everybody about him.
The salt-caravan is the affair of life and death for Aheer; and the
reason is now clear to me why it is that En-Noor goes every year with
it, and directs and superintends its movements. This is the greatest
service he can render to his country, and the Kailouees generally.
Without this salt the population of Aheer would soon all perish, or
emigrate to Soudan. The other commerce of the country could not suffice
for the support of the inhabitants.
_27th._--We had a visit from the people of the country before starting;
they appear to be a fine race of men, whiter than most of the Kailouees,
and nearly all tall. In these nomade districts the weakly children
generally die off, leaving only the robust. We journeyed on southwards
five hours, through wadys formed by the force of the waters, gradually
approaching the great Hamadah. The doom now disappeared, and most of the
trees dependent on much water; for here the wadys are all shallow.
Footmarks of the ostrich, gazelle, hare, habara, and some other
interesting animals, cover this portion of the desert. The gazelles have
more room, and the ostriches also. The former, besides, are out of the
way of the lion; for this beast seldom pursues its prey across the
desert plains.
People say we shall see many animals in the Hamadah, because the lion
does not come there. A large gazelle was taken this evening by some of
the caravan.
A few locusts and many fine butterflies were busy about. We are encamped
at a place called Agalgo, or Agallegu. There is a well at the distance
of an hour; so that the number of days during which no water is found is
reduced to three: but this water is a sort of collection from the rain
remaining beyond its time, and is not always found.
We are now on the edge of the plateau. En-Noor said to-day, "There are
five thousand camels with us;" but I question whether there be more than
two thousand. It is of great importance to ascertain this, for thus only
the force of the country may be estimated. We are now said to be eight
days from Damerghou.
The Sultan of Asoudee has detained many of En-Noor's young people, to
protect the country in case there be any troubles with the Kalfadai.
Several pieces of scoria, or lava, were found on the road, showing a
district here once to have had active volcanoes. The granite begins to
disappear, to be replaced by sandstone. This sandstone, generally,
according to Overweg, forms plateaux; whereas granite is found in rocks
and ridges in the midst of valleys.
_28th._--We started early. The camels move on at the beginning of their
day's work to the beating of the _kanga_, or drum. We have two or three
drums, but the drummers have little skill, and the beating is always the
same monotonous sound. Our course varied from S.E. to S.W., but lay
always southward, through shallow valleys, or low, indented, or
scooped-out plains; the whole country being what the people call
_hamadah_, or plateau. All the large trees have disappeared with the
doom-palm. Nevertheless there are everywhere the marks of water. Yet the
rain cannot fall here so much as in the mountainous regions which we
have left behind, for it is high ground only which brings down the rain
in Africa; except, indeed, near the equator. As yesterday, the sand and
soft earth are covered with the footmarks of gazelles, ostriches, the
habara, and even the giraffe. The people, in fact, say we shall see the
giraffe before we arrive at Damerghou. But of these animals, who have
left thus the impression of their feet on the sand, we saw not one.
Indeed it is quite a matter of luck to fall in with animals in the
desert. I have seen but very few. My colleagues have both encountered
lions and monkeys, neither of which have I seen.
We have come to-day seven hours and a-half, a very good march for
En-Noor. The nights are cold enough; there is also a fresh breeze,
generally from north-east, every day: nevertheless, the sun burns hot.
The sky has always now a few clouds, and the atmosphere is a little
thick and misty. We have with us various queer characters; amongst the
rest, a fellow who boasts of his having killed many people with poisoned
arrows. When I come near him I always attack him, not, indeed, with his
favourite weapon, but with irony. I tell him, "Ah! poisoned arrows kill
many people.--What matters it?--There is no God" (looking up, and saying
_Babo Allah!_) This has had its effect once or twice, and he has
confessed it is not so very fine to kill people with poisoned arrows.
Evening came on, but I heard nothing of water. We are encamped near a
small hill. I looked to-day again attentively at our strings of camels.
Instead of five thousand, I do not believe there are more than five
hundred. We have few people with us in comparison with the number of
camels, and these are many of them slaves of the masters who are
remaining behind in Aheer. The disturbed state of the country has
prevented many persons of consequence from joining us. To-day, my
mahadee brought me an ear of ghaseb, of immense length--about three
times the length of the ghaseb grown in Ghadamez and other oases of the
Sahara; nine times the length of an ear of wheat. This was found growing
on the road, and intimates that we are approaching Soudan very fast. I
also picked up to-day camomile flowers and the senna-plant.
Explanation of Soudan and Bornou common words for articles of dress,
food, instruments for manufacturing:--
_Jebus_, leathern bag.
_Foofoo_, paste of Indian corn.
_Bouza_, a species of beer. In Waura, near the western coast, it is made
of guinea-corn, honey, Chili pepper, a root of coarse grass; in Kanou
and Wadai it is made of only ghaseb and honey, and is therefore more
pure and agreeable. It is called by some, acid beer.[13]
_Kolla_, the gour-nut, called "African," or "Soudan."
_Shea_, the butter-tree.
_Manioc_, root. The main article of food in Congo, used as flour.
[13] In Egypt it is made of rice.--ED.
I trust, under the auspices of a good Providence, to arrive strong in
Soudan. There our greatest enemy is fever! I walked a little to-day, and
found myself better for the exercise; but, as a rule, I avoid exposing
myself to fatigue.