corn, which is not raised here at all, we reached Káwa after an hour’s
ride, while we passed on our left a small swamp. Káwa is a large
straggling village, which seems to enjoy some political preeminence
above the other places hereabouts, and on this account is placed in a
somewhat hostile position to the independent inhabitants of the islands,
with which the Kánembú in general keep up a sort of peaceful
intercourse. What to me seemed the most interesting objects were the
splendid trees adorning the place. The sycamore under which our party
was desired to rest in the house of Fúgo ʿAli’s sister was most
magnificent, and afforded the most agreeable resting-place possible, the
space overshadowed by the crown of the tree being inclosed with a
separate fence, as the “fágé,” or place of meeting. Here we were feasted
with a kind of “boló-boló,” or water mixed with pounded argúm or dukhn,
sour milk, and meat, and then continued our march to Kúkawa, where we
arrived just as the vizier was mounting on horseback to go to the
sheikh. Galloping up to him, we paid him our respects; and he expressed
himself well pleased with me. My companions told him that we had been
swimming about in the lake for the last two days, and that I had written
down everything. The whole cavalcade, consisting of eight horsemen, then
accompanied me to my house, where I gave them a treat.
I returned just in time from my excursion; for the next day the caravan
for Fezzán encamped outside the town, and I had to send off two of my
men with it. One of them was the carpenter Ibrahím, a handsome young
man, but utterly unfit for work, of whom I was extremely glad to get
rid; the other was Mohammed el Gatróni, my faithful servant from Múrzuk,
whom I dismissed with heartfelt sorrow. He had had a very small salary;
and I therefore promised to give him four Spanish dollars a month, and
to mount him on horseback, but it was all in vain; he was anxious to see
his wife and children again, after which he promised to come back. I,
therefore, like the generals of ancient Rome, gave him leave of
absence—“pueris procreandis daret operam.”
On the other side, it was well worth a sacrifice to send a trustworthy
man to Fezzán. The expedition had lost its director, who alone was
authorized to act in the name of the Government which had sent us out;
we had no means whatever, but considerable debts, and without immediate
aid by fresh supplies, the surviving members could do no better than to
return home as soon as possible. Moreover, there were Mr. Richardson’s
private things to be forwarded, and particularly his journal, which,
from the beginning of the journey down to the very last days of his
life, he had kept with great care,—more fortunate he, and more provident
in this respect than my other companion, who laughed at me when, during
moments of leisure, I finished the notes which I had briefly written
down during the march, and who contended that nothing could be done in
this respect till after a happy return home. I therefore provided
Mohammed, upon whose discretion and fidelity I could entirely rely, with
a camel, and intrusted to him all Mr. Richardson’s things and my parcel
of letters, which he was to forward by the courier, who is generally
sent on by the caravan after its arrival in the Tébu country.
There were two respectable men with the caravan, Háj Hasan, a man
belonging to the family of El Kánemi, and in whose company Mr. Vogel
afterwards travelled from Fezzán to Bórnu, and Mohammed Titíwi. On the
second of May, therefore, I went to pay a visit to these men, but found
only Titíwi, to whom I recommended my servant. He promised to render him
all needful assistance. I had but little intercourse with this man, yet
this little occurred on important occasions, and so his name has become
a pleasant remembrance to me. I first met him when sending off the
literary remains of my unfortunate companion. I at the same time
ventured to introduce myself to her Majesty’s Government, and to try if
it would so far rely upon me, a foreigner, as to intrust me with the
further direction of the expedition, and to ask for means; it was then
Titíwi again who brought me the most honourable despatches from the
British Government, authorizing me to carry out the expedition just as
it had been intended, and at the same time means for doing so. It was
Titíwi, who, on the day when I was leaving Kúkawa on my long adventurous
journey to Timbúktu, came to my house to wish me success in my arduous
undertaking; and it was Titíwi again, who, on the second of August,
1855, came to the consul’s house, in Tripoli, to congratulate me on my
successful return from the interior.
He was an intelligent man, and being informed that I was about to
undertake a journey to Adamáwa, the dangers of which he well knew, he
expressed his astonishment that I should make the attempt with a weak
horse, such as I was then riding. My horse, though it had recovered a
little from its lameness, and was getting strength from a course of
dumplings made of the husk of Negro corn mixed with natron, which it had
to swallow every morning and evening, was anything but a good charger;
and having previously determined to look about for a better horse, I was
only confirmed in my intention by the observation of the experienced
merchant.
This was one of the largest slave caravans which departed during my stay
in Bórnu; for, if I am not mistaken, there were seven hundred and fifty
slaves in the possession of the merchants who went with it. Slaves are
as yet the principal export from Bórnu, and will be so till the slave
trade on the north coast is abolished.[86]
Overweg had not yet arrived, although we had received information that
he was on his way directly from Zínder, having given up his intention of
visiting Kanó. Before I set out on my journey to Adamáwa, it was
essential that I should confer with him about many things, and
particularly as to what he himself should first undertake, but the rainy
season was fast approaching even here, while in Adamáwa it had set in
long ago, and it seemed necessary that I should not delay any longer. In
the afternoon of the fifth of May, we had the first unmistakeable token
of the rainy season—a few heavy claps of thunder followed by rain. But I
did not tarry; the very same day I bought in the market all that was
necessary for my journey, and the next day succeeded in purchasing a
very handsome and strong gray horse, “kerí bul,” for twelve hundred and
seventy rotls, equal at that moment to two and thirty Austrian dollars,
while I sold my weak horse which the sheikh had given me for nine
hundred rotls, or twenty-two dollars and a half.
Having also bought an Arab saddle, I felt myself quite a match for
anybody, and hearing in the afternoon that the sheikh had gone to
Gawánge, a place two miles and a half E. from the town towards the lake,
I mounted my new steed, and setting off at a gallop, posted myself
before the palace just when ʿOmár was about to come out with the
flourishing of the trumpets, sounding the Háusa word “gashí, gashí,”
“here he is, here he is.” The sheikh was very handsomely dressed in a
fine white bernús over another of light blue colour, and very well
mounted on a fine black horse, “fir kéra.” He was accompanied by several
of his and the vizier’s courtiers, and about two hundred horsemen, who
were partly riding by his side, partly galloping on in advance and
returning again to the rear, while sixty slaves, wearing red jackets
over their shirts, and armed with matchlocks, ran in front of and behind
his horse. The vizier, who saw me first, saluted me very kindly, and
sent Hámza Weled el Góni to take me to the sheikh, who made a halt, and
asked me very graciously how I was going on, and how my excursion to the
lake had amused me. Having then taken notice of my sprightly horse, the
vizier called my servant, and expressed his regret, that the horse which
they had presented to me had not proved good, saying that I ought to
have informed them, when they would have given me a better one. I
promised to do so another time, and did not forget the warning.
[Sidenote: Wednesday, May 7th.]
Mr. Overweg arrived. The way in which he was announced to me was so
singular as to merit description. It was about an hour before noon, and
I was busy collecting some interesting information from my friend
Ibrahím el Futáwi about Tagánet, when suddenly the little Mʿadi arrived.
This lad, a liberated slave, had been Mr. Richardson’s servant, and is
frequently mentioned in that gentleman’s journal. As he had been among
those of my companion’s people who, to my great regret, had left Kúkawa
the day before I arrived without having their claims settled, I was very
glad when he came back, but could not learn from him how it happened
that he returned; when, after some chat, he told me, incidentally, that
the tabíb (Mr. Overweg) was also come, and was waiting for me in
Kálilwá. Of course it was the latter who, meeting the lad on the road,
had brought him back, and had sent him now expressly to inform me of his
arrival. This dull but good-natured lad, who was afterwards severely
wounded in the service of the mission, is now Mr. Vogel’s chief servant.
As soon as I fully understood the purport of this important message, I
ordered my horse to be saddled, and mounted. The sun was extremely
powerful just about noon, shortly before the setting-in of the rainy
season, and as I had forgotten, in the hurry and excitement, to wind a
turban round my cap, I very nearly suffered a sun-stroke. A traveller
cannot be too careful of his head in these countries.
I found Overweg in the shade of a nebek-tree near Kálilwá. He looked
greatly fatigued and much worse than when I left him, four months ago,
at Tasáwa; indeed, as he told me, he had been very sickly in Zínder—so
sickly, that he had been much afraid lest he should soon follow Mr.
Richardson to the grave. Perhaps the news which he just then heard of
our companion’s death made him more uneasy about his own illness.
However, we were glad to meet again alive, and expressed our hopes to be
able to do a good deal for the exploration of these countries. He had
had an opportunity of witnessing, during his stay in Góber and Marádi,
the interesting struggle going on between this noblest part of the Háusa
nation and the Fúlbe, who threaten their political as well as religious
independence[87]; and he was deeply impressed with the charming scenes
of unrestrained cheerful life which he had witnessed in those pagan
communities; while I, for my part, could assure him, that my reception
in Bórnu seemed to guarantee success, although, under existing
circumstances, there seemed to be very little hope that we should ever
be able to make a journey all round the Tsád; but I thought that, with
the assistance of those people in Bínder and Maduwári whom I had just
visited, and who appeared to be on friendly terms with the islanders, it
might be possible to explore the navigable part of the lagoon in the
boat.
Mr. Overweg was, in some respects, very badly off, having no clothes
with him except those which he actually wore, all his luggage being
still in Kanó, though he had sent two men to fetch it. I was therefore
obliged to lend him my own things, and he took up his quarters in
another part of our house, though it was rather small for our joint
establishment. The vizier was very glad of his arrival, and, in
fulfilment of his engagement to deliver all the things left by Mr.
Richardson[88] as soon as Mr. Overweg should arrive, he sent all the
half-empty boxes of our late companion in the evening of the next day;
even the gun and pistols, and the other things which had been sold, were
returned, with the single exception of Mr. Richardson’s watch, which, as
the sheikh was very fond of it, and kept it near him night and day, I
thought it prudent to spare him the mortification of returning.
Mr. Overweg and I, having then made a selection from the articles that
remained to us, presented to the vizier, on the morning of the ninth,
those destined for him, and in the afternoon we presented the sheikh
with his share. These presents could not be now expected to please by
their novelty, or to awaken a feeling of gratitude in the receivers, who
had long been in possession of them; but although made to understand by
Mr. Richardson’s interpreters that he alone had been authorized by the
British Government, Mr. Overweg and I not being empowered to interfere,
and that consequently they might regard themselves as legitimate
possessors of our deceased companion’s property, they must yet have
entertained some doubt about the equity of their claim; and as soon as I
arrived, and began to act with firmness, they grew ashamed of having
listened to intriguing servants. In short, though we had put them to
shame, they esteemed us all the better for our firmness, and received
their presents in a very gracious manner.
We now spoke also about the treaty, the negotiation of which, we said,
had been specially intrusted to our companion, but now, by his death,
had devolved on us. Both of them assured us of their ardent desire to
open commercial intercourse with the English, but at the same time they
did not conceal that their principal object in so doing was to obtain
fire-arms. They also expressed their desire that two of their people
might return with us to England, in order to see the country and its
industry, which we told them we were convinced would be most agreeable
to the British Government. Our conversation was so unrestrained and
friendly, that the sheikh himself took the opportunity of excusing
himself for having appropriated Mr. Richardson’s watch.
But the following narrative will show how European travellers,
endeavouring to open these countries to European intercourse, have to
struggle against the intrigues of the Arabs; who are well aware that as
soon as the Europeans, or rather the English, get access to Negroland,
not only their slave-trade, but even their whole commerce, as they now
carry it on, will be annihilated.
We had scarcely re-entered our house when, the rumour spreading through
the Arab quarter of the manner in which we had been received, and of the
matters talked of, El Khodr, a native of Dar-Fúr, and the foremost of
the native traders, went to the sheikh with the news that seven large
vessels of the English had suddenly arrived at Núpe, and that the
natives were greatly afraid of them. This announcement was soon found to
be false, but nevertheless it served its purpose, to cool a little the
friendly and benevolent feeling which had been manifested towards us.
The following day we went to pitch the large double tent, which we had
given to the sheikh, on the open area before his palace in the eastern
town; and having fully succeeded in arranging it, although a few pieces
were wanting, it was left the whole day in its place, and made a great
impression upon the people. At first it seemed rather awkward to the
natives, whose tents, even if of large size, are mere bell-tents; but in
the course of time it pleased the sheikh so much, that when I finally
left the country, he begged me to entreat the British Government to send
him another one like it.[89]
We also paid our respects to the principal of the sheikh’s brothers, as
well as to his eldest son. Having obtained permission, we visited ʿAbd
e’ Rahmán, the brother and rival of the sheikh, as we could not
prudently be wanting in civility to a person who might soon get the
upper hand. We presented him with a fine white heláli bernús, and sundry
small things; he received us very graciously, and laughed and chatted a
good deal with us on the first as well as on a second visit, when I was
obliged to show him the pictures in Denham’s and Clapperton’s work, and
the drawing I had myself made of his friend, the Kánemma chief, Ámsakay,
of which he had heard; but his manners did not please us very much. His
countenance had a very wild expression, and he manifested little
intelligence or princely demeanour, wrangling and playing the whole day
with his slaves. Besides, we were obliged to be cautious in our dealings
with him; for we had scarcely made his acquaintance, when he sent us a
secret message, begging for poison, with which he most probably wished
to rid himself of his deadly enemy the vizier. Quite a different man was
Yúsuf, the sheikh’s second brother, with whom during my last stay in
Kúkawa, in the beginning of 1855, I became intimately acquainted. He was
a learned and very religious man, always reading, and with a very acute
sense of justice; but he was not a man of business. As for Bú-Bakr, the
eldest son of ʿOmár, who now unfortunately seems to have the best claim
to the succession, he was a child, devoid of intelligence or noble
feelings. Twice was I obliged to have recourse to his father to make him
pay me for some articles which he had bought of me.
The much desired moment of my departure for Adamáwa drew nearer and
nearer. The delay of my starting on this undertaking, occasioned by the
late arrival of Mr. Overweg, had been attended with the great advantage
that, meanwhile, some messengers of the governor of that country had
arrived, in whose company, as they were returning immediately, I was
able to undertake the journey with a much better prospect of success.
The subject of their message was, that Kashélla ʿAlí Ladán, on his late
predatory incursion into the Marghí country, had enslaved and carried
away inhabitants of several places to which the governor of Adamáwa laid
claim, and it was more in order to establish his right, than from any
real concern in the fate of these unfortunate creatures, that he was
pleased to lay great stress upon the case. Indeed, as the sequel shows,
his letter must have contained some rather harsh or threatening
expressions, to which the ruler of Bórnu was not inclined to give way,
though he yielded[90] to the justice of the specific claim. At first
these messengers from Adamáwa were to be my only companions besides my
own servants, and on the 21st of May I was officially placed under their
protection in the house of the sheikh by several of the first courtiers
or kokanáwa, among whom were the old Ibrahím Wadáy, the friend and
companion of Mohammed el Kánemi in his first heroical proceedings,
Shítima Náser, Hámza, and Kashélla ʿAli, and the messengers promised to
see me safe to their country, and to provide for my safe return.
Ibrahíma, the head man of these messengers, who were all of rather
inferior rank, was not such a man as I wished for; but fortunately there
was among them another person named Mohámmedu, who, although himself a
Púllo by descent, had more of the social character of the Háusa race,
and was ready to gratify my desire for information. He proved most
useful in introducing me into the new country which I was to explore,
and would have been of immense service to me if I had been allowed to
make any stay there.
After much delay, and having twice taken official leave of the sheikh in
full state, I had at length the pleasure of seeing our little band ready
for starting in the afternoon of Thursday, the 29th May, 1851. Rather
more, I think, with a view to his own interest, than from any
apprehension on my account, the sheikh informed me, in the last
interview which I had with him, that he would send an officer along with
me. This move puzzled me from the beginning, and caused me some
misgiving; and there is not the least doubt, as the sequel will show,
that to the company of this officer it must be attributed that I was
sent back by Mohammed Láwl, the governor of Adamáwa, without being
allowed to stay any time in the country; but, for truth’s sake, I must
admit that if I had not been accompanied by this man it is doubtful
whether I should have been able to overcome the very great difficulties
and dangers which obstruct this road.
[Footnote 80: This certainly did not belong to the largest craft of the
islanders; for one of the boats which accompanied Mr. Overweg afterwards
on his voyage on the lake was almost fifty feet long, and six and a half
wide.]
[Footnote 81: Kánembú is the plural of Kánémma.]
[Footnote 82: The Yédiná named to me the following islands as the
largest and most important:—Gúriyá, Yíwaa Dóji, Belárge, Húshiyá Billán,
Purrám, Maibuluwá, Fidda, Kóllea Dallabórme, Turbó Dakkabeláya, Fujiá
Chílim, and Bréjaré, the latter having many horses. Almost all these
names have been since confirmed by Mr. Overweg, although he spells some
of them in a different way, and perhaps less accurately, as he obtained
all his information from his Kanúri companions; indeed, notwithstanding
his long sojourn among the islanders, he did not even learn their real
name, viz.—Yédiná. The Yédiná belong evidently to the Kótoko, and are
most nearly related to the people of Nghála; they are probably already
indicated by Makrízi under the name اتعنا and their language was
originally entirely distinct from the Kanúri, although in process of
time they have adopted many of their terms.]
[Footnote 83: Mr. Overweg writes Sëurum.]
[Footnote 84: The distance of the western shore of this island cannot be
more than at the utmost thirty miles from the shore of the lagoon, at
least at certain seasons. Mr. Overweg’s indications in respect to this
island, which he would seem to have navigated all round, are very vague.
At all events, I think that it must be considerably nearer the shore
than it has been laid down by Mr. Petermann, but it is difficult, nay
impossible, to fix with precision the form or size of these islands,
which, according to season, vary continually.]
[Footnote 85: One of the horsemen from Bínder informed me of some other
harbours hereabouts, named Kelá kemágenbe (elephant’s head), Daláwa,
Kabáya, and Ngíbia.]
[Footnote 86: This is now really the case. I shall speak of the articles
of trade in Bórnu at the end of my work.]
[Footnote 87: Unfortunately Mr. Overweg made no report on this his
excursion, most probably on account of his sickness in Zínder, and his
afterwards being occupied with other things. His memoranda are in such a
state that, even for me, it would be possible only, with the greatest
exertion, to make anything out of them, with the exception of names.]
[Footnote 88: A complete list of all these things was forwarded to the
Government at the time.]
[Footnote 89: Such a tent has lately been sent through the liberality of
the Earl of Clarendon, together with some other presents.]
[Footnote 90: I will here give verbatim a few extracts of my despatch to
Government, dated Kúkawa, May 24, 1851, from which it will be seen how
sure I was already at that time of the immense importance of the river
which I was about to discover.
“My Lord,—I have the honour to inform your Lordship that, on Tuesday
next, I am to start for Adamáwa, as it is called by the Fellátah
(Fullan), or Fúmbiná, a very extensive country, whose capital, Yóla, is
distant from here fifteen days SSW., situated on _a very considerable
river_ called Fáro, which, joining another river not less considerable,
and likewise navigable, called Bénuwé, falls into the Kwára, or Niger,
at a place between Kakanda and Adda, not more than a few days distant
from the mouth of that celebrated river.” “My undertaking seemed to me
the more worthy, _as it has long been the intention of Government to
explore that country;_ for orders had been given to the Niger expedition
to turn aside, if possible, from the course of that river, and to reach
Bórnu by a southern road, which it was presumed might be effected partly
or entirely by water, &c. As for my part, I can at present certify, with
the greatest confidence, that there is _no connection whatever between
those two rivers_, the Chadda, which is identical with the Bénuwé, on
the one, and the Sháry, the principal tributary of Lake Tsád, on the
other side. Nevertheless, the Fáro as well as the Bénuwé seem to have
their sources to the E. of the meridian of Kúkawa; and the river formed
by these two branches being navigable for large boats into the very
heart of Adamáwa, there will be _a great facility for Europeans to enter
that country_ after it shall have been sufficiently explored.”—After
speaking of the northern road into the interior by way of Bílma, I
concluded with these words:—
“By and by, I am sure, _a southern road will be opened_ into the heart
of Central Africa, but the time has not yet come.”]
[Illustration: DR. BARTH’S TRAVELS IN NORTH AND CENTRAL AFRICA Sheet No.
8. MAP OF THE ROUTE from KÚKAWA TO YÓLA 29. May to 24. July 1851.
Constructed and drawn by A. Petermann.
Engraved by E. Weller, _Duke Strt. Bloomsbury._
_London, Longman & Co._]
CHAP. XXXII.
SETTING OUT ON MY JOURNEY TO ADAMÁWA. — THE FLAT, SWAMPY GROUNDS OF
BÓRNU.
[Sidenote: Thursday, May 29th.]