must say of him that he was the most noble Arab merchant I have seen in
Negroland. Though at present he had not much merchandise of value with
him, he was a wealthy man, and had enormous demands upon several
governors and princes in Negroland, especially upon Múniyóma, or the
governor of Múniyo, who was indebted to him for about thirty
millions—shells, of course, but nevertheless a very large sum in this
country. Of his “sirríya,” who always rode at a respectful distance
behind him, I cannot speak, as she was veiled from top to toe; but if a
conclusion might be drawn from her attendants, who were very sprightly,
well-formed young girls, she must have been handsome. The male servants
of my new friend were all characteristically dressed, and armed in the
native fashion with bows and arrows,—knapsacks, water-bottles, and
drinking-vessels all hanging around them in picturesque confusion; but
among them there was a remarkable fellow, who had already given me great
surprise in Kanó. When lying one day in a feverish state on my hard
couch, I heard myself saluted in Romaic or modern Greek. The man who
thus addressed me had long whiskers, and was as black as any negro. But
I had some difficulty in believing him to be a native of Negroland. Yet
such he was, though by a stay in Stambúl of some twenty years, from his
boyhood, he had not only learned the language perfectly, but also
adopted the manners, and I might almost say the features, of the modern
Greeks.
In such company we continued pleasantly on, sometimes through a
cultivated country, at others through underwood, meeting now and then a
motley caravan of horses, oxen, and asses, all laden with natron, and
coming from Múniyo. Once there was also a mule with the other beasts of
burden; and on inquiry, on this occasion, I learnt that this animal,
which I had supposed to be frequent in Negroland, is very rare, at least
in these parts, and in Kanó always fetches the high price of from sixty
to eighty thousand kurdí, which is just double the rate of a camel. In
Wángara and Gónja the mule seems to be more frequent. But there is only
one in Kúkawa and in Timbúktu, the latter belonging to one of the
richest Morocco merchants.
Animated scenes succeeded each other:—now a well, where the whole
population of a village or zángo were busy in supplying their wants for
the day; then another, where a herd of cattle was just being watered; a
beautiful tamarind-tree spreading a shady canopy over a busy group of
talkative women selling victuals, ghussub-water, and sourmilk, or
“cotton.” About ten o’clock detached dúm-palms began to impart to the
landscape a peculiar character, as we approached the considerable but
open place Gabezáwa, which at present exhibited the busy and animated
scene of a well-frequented market. In this country the market-days of
the towns succeed each other by turns, so that all the inhabitants of a
considerable district can take advantage every day of the traffic in the
peculiar article in which each of these places excels.
While pushing our way through the rows of well-stocked sheds, I became
aware that we were approaching the limits of the Kanúri language; for
being thirsty, I wished to buy ghussub-water (“furá” in Háusa), but in
asking for it, received from the women fresh butter (“fulá” in Kanúri),
and had some difficulty in making them understand that I did not want
the latter. Continuing our march without stopping, we reached at noon
the well-known (that is to say, among the travelling natives) camping-
ground of Kúka mairuá, an open place surrounded by several colossal
specimens of the monkey-bread tree, kúka or _Adansonia digitata_, which
all over this region of Central Africa are not of that low, stunted
growth which seems to be peculiar to them near the coast, but in general
attain to a height of from sixty to eighty feet. Several troops of
native traders were already encamped here, while a string of some thirty
camels, most of them unloaded, and destined to be sold in Kanó, had just
arrived. A wide-spreading tamarind-tree formed a natural roof over a
busy market-scene, where numbers of women were selling all the eatables
and delicacies of the country. The village lay to the south-east. Here
we pitched our tents close together, as robbers and thieves are very
numerous in the neighbourhood; and I fired repeatedly during the night,
a precaution which the event proved to be not at all useless. The name
of the place signifies “the Adansonia with the water.” However, the
latter part of the name seemed rather ironical, as I had to pay forty
kurdí for filling a waterskin and for watering my horse and my camels;
and I would therefore not advise a future traveller to go to a
neighbouring village, which bears the name of “Kuka maífurá,” in the
belief that he may find there plenty of cheap furá or ghussub-water.
[Sidenote: Wednesday, March 12th.]
Our encampment was busy from the very first dawn of day, and exhibited
strong proof of industry on the part of the natives; for even at this
hour women were offering ready-cooked pudding as a luncheon to the
travellers. Some of our fellow-sleepers on this camping-ground started
early; and the two Welád Slimán also, who led the string of camels,
started off most imprudently in the twilight. As for us, we waited till
everything was clearly discernible, and then took the opposite direction
through underwood; and we had advanced but a short distance when a man
came running after us, bringing us the exciting news that a party of
Tawárek had fallen upon the two Arabs, and after wounding the elder of
them, who had made some resistance, had carried off all their camels but
three. I expressed my surprise to my horseman that such a thing could
happen on the territory of the governor of Kanó, and urged him to
collect some people of the neighbouring villages, in order to rescue the
property, which might have been easily done; but he was quite
indifferent, and smiling in his self-conceit, and pulling his little
straw hat on one side of his head, he went on before us.
Small villages belonging to the district of Zákara were on each side,
the inhabitants indulging still in security and happiness; the following
year they were plunged into an abyss of misery, Bokhári making a sudden
inroad on a market-day, and carrying off as many as a thousand persons.
I here had a proof of the great inconvenience which many parts of
Negroland suffer with regard to water, for the well at which we watered
our horses this morning measured no less than three and thirty fathoms;
but I afterwards found that this is a very common thing as well in Bórnu
as in Bagírmi, while in other regions I shall have to mention wells as
much as sixty fathoms deep. Beyond this spot we met a very numerous
caravan with natron, coming from Kúkawa; and I therefore eagerly
inquired the news of that place from the horsemen who accompanied it.
All was well; but they had not heard either of the arrival or of the
approach of a Christian. This natron, which is obtained in the
neighbourhood of the Tsád, was all in large pieces like stone, and is
carried in nets, while that coming from Múniyo consists entirely of
rubble, and is conveyed in bags, or a sort of basket. The former is
called “kílbu tsaráfu,” while the name of the latter is “kílbu bóktor.”
We soon saw other troops laden with this latter article; and there were
even several mules among the beasts of burden. The commerce of this
article is very important; and I counted to-day more than five hundred
loads of natron that we met on our road.
I then went on in advance with “Mr. Sleep,” and soon reached the village
Dóka, which by the Arabs travelling in Negroland is called, in semi-
barbarous Arabic, “Súk el karága,” karága being a Bórnu word meaning
wilderness. The village belongs to the Ghaladíma. Here we sat tranquilly
down near the market-place, in the shade of some beautiful tamarind-
trees, and indulged in the luxuries which my gentleman-like companion
could afford. I was astonished as well as ashamed at the comfort which
my African friend displayed, ordering one of the female attendants of
his sirríya to bring into his presence a basket which seemed to be under
the special protection of the latter, and drawing forth from it a
variety of well-baked pastry, which he spread on a napkin before us,
while another of the attendants was boiling the coffee. The barbarian
and the civilized European seemed to have changed places; and in order
to contribute something to our repast, I went to the market and bought a
couple of young onions. Really it is incredible what a European
traveller in these countries has to endure; for while he must bear
infinitely more fatigue, anxiety, and mental exertion than any native
traveller, he is deprived of even the little comfort which the country
affords—has no one to cook his supper, and to take care of him when he
falls sick, or to shampoo him;
“And, ah! no wife or mother’s care
For him the milk or corn prepare.”
Leaving my companion to indulge in the “kief” of the Osmánli, of which
he possessed a great deal, I preferred roving about. I observed that
during the rainy season a great deal of water must collect here, which
probably explains the luxurious vegetation and the splendid foliage of
the trees hereabouts; and I was confirmed in my observation by my
companion, who had travelled through this district during the rainy
season, and was strongly impressed with the difficulties arising from
the water, which covers a great part of the surface.
Having allowed our people, who by this time had come up, to have a
considerable start in advance of us, we followed at length, entering
underwood, from which we did not emerge till we arrived near Gérki.
According to instructions received from us, our people had already
chosen the camping-ground on the north-west side of the town; but my
horseman, who had gone in advance with them, thought it first necessary
to conduct me into the presence of the governor, or rather of one of the
five governors who rule over this place, each of them thinking himself
more important than his colleague. The one to whom he presented me was,
however, a very unprepossessing man, and not the same who on my return
from the west in 1854 treated me with extraordinary respect. Yet he did
not behave inhospitably to me; for he sent me a sheep (not very fat
indeed), with some corn and fresh milk. Milk during the whole of my
journey formed my greatest luxury; but I would advise any African
traveller to be particularly careful with this article, which is capable
of destroying a weak stomach entirely; and he would do better to make it
a rule always to mix it with a little water, or to have it boiled.
The town of Gérki is a considerable place, and under a strong government
would form a most important frontier-town. As it is, it may probably
contain about fifteen thousand inhabitants; but they are notorious for
their thievish propensities, and the wild state of the country around
bears ample testimony to their want of industry. The market, which is
held here before the S.W. gate, is of the most indifferent description.
The wall with its pinnacles is in very good repair. In order to keep the
thievish disposition of the natives in check, I fired some shots late in
the evening; and we slept undisturbed. On my return-journey, however, in
1854, when I was quite alone with my party, I was less fortunate, a most
enterprising thief returning thrice to his task, and carrying away, one
after the other, first the tobe, then the trowsers, and finally the cap
from one of my people.
[Sidenote: Thursday, March 13th.]
Not waiting for the new horseman whom I was to receive here early in the
morning, I went on in advance with my companion, in order to reach
Gúmmel before the heat of the day; and we soon met in the forest a
string of twelve camels, all laden with kurdí or shells, and belonging
to the rich Arab merchant Bú-héma, who resides in Múniyo, and carries on
a considerable commerce between Kanó and Kúkawa. I will here mention,
that in general 100,000 kurdí are regarded as a camel-load; fine
animals, however, like these will carry as much as a hundred and fifty
thousand, that is, just sixty dollars or twelve pounds’ worth. It is
easy to be understood that, where the standard coin is of so unwieldy a
nature, the commerce of the country cannot be of great value.
About two miles before we reached the frontier-town of the Bórnu empire
in this direction, we were joined by the horseman of the governor of
Gérki; and we here took leave of Háusa with its fine and beautiful
country, and its cheerful and industrious population. It is remarkable
what a difference there is between the character of the ba-Háushe and
the Kanúri—the former lively, spirited, and cheerful, the latter
melancholic, dejected and brutal; and the same difference is visible in
their physiognomies—the former having in general very pleasant and
regular features, and more graceful forms, while the Kanúri, with his
broad face, his wide nostrils, and his large bones, makes a far less
agreeable impression, especially the women, who are very plain and
certainly among the ugliest in all Negroland, notwithstanding their
coquetry, in which they do not yield at all to the Háusa women.
Birmenáwa is a very small town, but strongly fortified with an earthen
wall and two deep ditches, one inside and the other outside, and only
one gate on the west side. Around it there is a good deal of
cultivation, while the interior is tolerably well inhabited. Konché, who
was in a great hurry to reach Gúmmel, would have preferred going on
directly without entering the town; but as I was obliged to visit it in
order to change my horseman, it being of some importance to me to arrive
in Gúmmel with an escort, he accompanied me. The population consists of
mixed Háusa and Kanúri elements.
Having obtained another man, we continued our march through a country
partly under cultivation, partly covered with underwood, and were
pleased, near the village Tókun, to find the Háusa custom of a little
market held by the women on the roadside still prevailing; but this was
the last scene of the kind I was to see for a long time. We reached the
considerable town of Gúmmel just when the sun began to shine with great
power; and at the gate we separated, the sheríf taking his way directly
towards his quarters in the southern part of the town, while I was
obliged to go first to the house of the governor, the famous Dan-Tanóma
(the son of Tanóma, his own name being entirely unknown to the people);
but on account of his great age, neither on this nor on a later occasion
did I get a sight of him. Indeed he was soon to leave this world, and by
his death to plunge not only the town wherein he resided, but the whole
neighbouring country, into a destructive civil war between his two sons.
However, on my first visit Gúmmel was still a flourishing place, and
well inhabited, and I had to pass through an intricate labyrinth of
narrow streets enclosed between fences of mats and reeds surrounding
huts and courtyards, before I reached the dwellings of the few Arabs who
live here; and after looking about for some time I obtained quarters
near the house of Sálem Maidúkia (the Rothschild of Gúmmel), where my
Morocco friend was lodged. But my lodgings required building in the
first instance, as they consisted of nothing but a courtyard, the fence
of which was in a state of utter decay, and a hut entirely fallen in, so
that there was not the least shelter from the sun, whereas I had to wait
here two days at least for my new friend, whose company I was not
inclined to forego, without very strong reasons, on my journey to
Kúkawa.
However building is not so difficult in Negroland as it is in Europe;
and a most comfortable dwelling, though rather light, and liable to
catch fire, may be erected in a few hours; even a roof is very
sufficiently made, at least such as is here wanted during the dry
season, with those thick mats, made of reed, called “síggedi” in Bórnu.
But most fortunately Sálem had a conical roof just ready, which would
have afforded satisfactory shelter even from the heaviest rain. I
therefore sent immediately my whole remaining supply of kurdí to the
market to buy those mats and sticks; and getting four men practised in
this sort of workmanship, I immediately set to work, and, long before my
camels arrived, had a well-fenced private courtyard, and a splendid cool
shade, while my tent served as a store for my luggage, and as a bedroom
for myself.
Having, therefore, made myself comfortable, I was quite prepared to
indulge in the luxurious luncheon sent me by the maidúkia, consisting of
a well-cooked paste of Negro millet with sourmilk, after which I
received visits from the few Arabs residing here, and was pleased to
find one among them who had been Clapperton’s servant, and was well
acquainted with the whole proceedings of the first expedition. He had
been travelling about a good deal, and was able, with the assistance of
a companion of his, to give me a tolerably complete itinerary of the
route from Sókoto to Gónja, the gúro-country and the northern province
of Asianti. These Arabs necessarily lead here a very miserable sort of
existence; Sálem, however, a native of Sókna, has succeeded in amassing
a considerable fortune for these regions, and is therefore called by the
natives maidúkia. He had a freed slave of the name of Mohammed
Abbeakúta, who, though not at all an amiable man, and rather self-
conceited, nevertheless gave me some interesting information. Among
other things, he gave me a very curious list of native names of the
months[42], which are not, however, those used by the Háusáwa, nor, I
think, by the Yórubáwa, he having been evidently a native of Yóruba. He
also gave me the following receipt for an antidote in the case of a
person being wounded by poisoned arrows: a very young chicken is boiled
with the fruits of the chamsínda, the áddwa (_Balanites_), and the
tamarind-tree; and the bitter decoction so obtained, which is carried in
a small leathern bag ready for use, is drunk immediately after receiving
the poisonous wound, when, as he affirmed, the effect of the poison is
counteracted by the medicine. The chicken would seem to have very little
effect in the composition, but may be added as a charm.
The next morning I went with ʿAbd el Khafíf to pay our compliments to
old Dan-Tanóma. His residence, surrounded by high clay walls, and
including, besides numbers of huts for his household and numerous wives,
some spacious halls of clay, was of considerable extent; and the
courtyard, shaded by a wide-spreading, luxuriant tamarind tree, was a
very noble area. While we sat there awaiting the governor’s pleasure, I
had a fair insight into the concerns of this little court, all the well-
fed, idle parasites coming in one after the other, and rivalling each
other in trivial jokes. The Háusa language is the language of the court;
and the offices are similar to those which I mentioned above with regard
to Kanó. Having waited a long time in vain, the weak old man sending an
excuse, as he could not grant us an interview, we returned to our
quarters.
To-day being Friday was market-day; and in order to see the market in
its greatest activity I mounted at noon on horseback, and went out. In
all these parts of Negroland, the customs of which are in every respect
so different from those of Yóruba and the neighbouring countries, the
market (in Kúkawa and Maseña as well as in Kanó, Sókoto, and even
Timbúktu) is always most frequented and most busy in the hottest hours
of the day, notwithstanding the great fatigue which all the people, and
particularly the strangers, have to undergo.
The market of Gúmmel is held outside the town, between the two gates on
the west side, but nearer to the “chínna-n-yalá”[43] (the northern
gate), which is remarkable on account of its well-fortified condition.
Though I had heard a good deal about Gúmmel, I was nevertheless
surprised at the size and the activity of the market, although that held
on Saturday is said to be still more important. Gúmmel is the chief
market for the very extensive trade in natron, which, as I have
mentioned above, is carried on between Kúkawa and Múniyo on one side,
and Núpe or Nýffi on the other; for this trade passes from one hand into
another, and the Bórnu people very rarely carry this merchandise further
than Gúmmel. Large masses of natron, certainly amounting to at least one
thousand loads of both qualities mentioned above, were offered here for
sale—the full bullock’s load of the better quality for five thousand, an
ass’s load of the inferior sort for five hundred kurdí. There were also
about three hundred stalls or sheds, but not arranged in regular rows,
where a great variety of objects were offered for sale,—all sorts of
clothing, tools, earthenware pots, all kinds of victuals, cattle, sheep,
donkeys, horses—in short, everything of home or foreign produce which is
in request among the natives.
The Arabs have their place under a wide-spreading fig-tree, where I was
greatly pleased to make the acquaintance of a very intelligent man
called ʿAzi Mohammed Moníya, who gave me some valuable information,
particularly with regard to the route from Kanó to Tóto, and that from
Sókoto to Gónja. He also gave me the first accurate description of the
immense town Alóri, or Ilóri, the great centre of the conquering Fúlbe
in Yóruba, which I shall have frequent opportunity of mentioning in the
course of my proceedings. This man, who was really very intelligent, had
travelled a great deal, and had made a long stay in Stambúl, assured me
that Alóri was, without the least doubt, larger than the latter city.
Yet this immense town, of which the first accounts are due, I think, to
Capt. Clapperton, is sought for in vain in many of our most recent maps.
Greatly delighted with my visit to the market, though not a little
affected by the exposure to the sun during the hot hours, I returned to
my quarters; for though a practised traveller will bear very well the
most scorching power of the sun, if he sets out in the morning, and by
degrees becomes inured to greater and greater heat, he may suffer
fatally from exposing himself for a long time to the mid-day sun, after
having spent the morning in the shade. Later in the afternoon, the
governor sent, as a gift to me and ʿAbd el Khafíf, through his principal
courtiers (such as the ghaladíma, the chiróma, and others, who were
accompanied by a long train of followers), a young bullock, they being
instructed at the same time to receive in return the present, or
“salám,” as it is generally called, which we had prepared for him. I
gave them a subéta and a small flask with rose oil, which is an article
in great request with the fashionable world in Háusa and Bórnu. In the
evening, we received also corn for our horses.
[Sidenote: Saturday, March 15th.]
This was a most fortunate and lucky day for me; for suddenly, when I
least expected it, I was visited by an Arab from Sókna, of the name of
Mohammed el Mughárbi, who had just arrived with a little caravan of
Swákena from Múrzuk, and brought me a considerable number of letters
from friends in Tripoli, England, and Germany, after my having been
deprived of news from them for ten months. The letters gave me great
delight; but besides the letters there was something with them which
touched me more sensibly, by the providential way in which it supplied
my most urgent wants.
I was extremely short of cash, and having spent almost my whole supply
of shells in fitting up my quarters, paying my guides, and discharging
Makhmúd, who had proved quite unfit for service, I had very little left
wherewith to provide for our wants on our long journey to Kúkawa. How
surprised and delighted was I, then, on opening Mr. Gagliuffi’s letter,
at the unexpected appearance of two Spanish dollars, which he forwarded
to me in order to make good an error in my account with him. Two Spanish
dollars! it was the only current money I had at that time; and they were
certainly more valuable to me than so many hundreds of pounds at other
times. However, the rascal who brought me the letters had also
merchandise on the account of the mission, to the value of one hundred
pounds; but, either because he wished to deliver it to the director
himself, or in order to obtain also the hire stipulated for him if he
should be obliged to carry the merchandise on to Kúkawa, he declared
that the things had gone on in advance to Kanó,—an evident falsehood,
which eventually caused us much unnecessary expense, and brought Mr.
Overweg and myself into the greatest distress; for I did not, in fact,
receive this merchandise till after my return from Adamáwa—having
subsisted all the time upon “air and debts.”
This and the following day I was busy answering my letters, and I will
only mention here that from this place I intimated to one of my
friends,—Mr. Richard Lepsius, of Berlin,—my foreboding that it might be
my destiny, after trying in vain to penetrate to any great distance in a
south-eastern direction, to turn my steps westwards, and to fill up my
researches into the regions about Timbúktu by my personal experience.
Having finished my parcel of letters, I gave it to the Mughárbi to take
with him to Kanó, and entrust it to the care of one of my Tinýlkum
friends, who would soon forward it to Múrzuk.