NARRATIVE OF A MISSION TO CENTRAL AFRICA.
CHAPTER I.
Description of Tintalous and its Environs—Palace and Huts—Bedsteads—Kailouee Race—Unhandsome Conduct of Mr. Gagliuffi—Proposed Journey to Aghadez—Dr. Barth starts—An obstinate Bullock—Present extraordinary—State of Zinder—Affability of the Sultan—Power of Charms—Scorpions—Dialogue with a Ghâtee—Splendid Meteors—Visit from En-Noor—Intrigues of the Fellatahs—A Sultan loaded with Presents—Talk of departing for Zinder—State of the Bornou Road—Division of a Bullock—Bottle of Rum stolen—More Visits from the Sultan—A Musical Entertainment—Curious Etymological Discussions—A wonderful Prophetess—Secret Societies—Magicians—The Evil Eye—Morality of Soudan—Magnificent Meteor—Stories of the Sfaxee.
I begin at length to consider myself as it were at home in this singular country of Aheer—without, however, experiencing any desire to dally here longer than the force of circumstances absolutely requires. It must be confessed, as I have already hinted, that the town of Tintalous,[1] in front of which we are encamped, does not at all answer the idea which our too active imagination had formed. Yet it is a singular place. It is situated on rocky ground, at the bend of a broad valley, which in the rainy season becomes often-times the bed of a temporary river. Here and there around it are scattered numerous trees, many of considerable size, giving the surface of the valley something of a park-like appearance. The herbage is not rich, but it is ornamental, and refreshes the eye in contrast with the black, naked rocks, which rise on all hands to the height often of two or three thousand feet. To the east, it is true, the country is a little open; and between the mountains run in numerous white sandy wadys, sprinkled with fresh green plants, or shaded by various species of mimosa and other spreading trees, under which the shepherds and herdsmen find shelter from the sun.
The principal feature of Tintalous itself is what may be called the palace of En-Noor. It is, indeed, one, compared with the huts and stone hovels amidst which it is placed. The materials are stone plastered with mud, and also the wood of the mimosa tree. The form is an oblong square, one story high, with an interior courtyard, and various appendages and huts around on the outside. There is another house, and also a mosque built in the same style, but much smaller. Of the rest of the habitations, a few are stone sheds, but the greater part are huts made of the dry stalks of the fine herb called bou rekabah, in the form of a conical English haystack, and are very snug, impervious alike to rain and sun. There are not more than one hundred and fifty of these huts and sheds, scattered over a considerable space, without any order; some are placed two or three together within a small enclosure, which serves as a court or yard, in which visitors are received and cooking is carried on. There is another little village at a stone's-throw north. The inhabitants of these two villages consist entirely of the slaves and dependants of En-Noor.
All around Tintalous, within an hour or two hours' ride, there are villages or towns of precisely the same description, more or less numerously peopled. At Seloufeeat and Tintaghoda, however, we saw more houses built of stone and mud. This may be accounted for by the fact that the inhabitants are not nearly so migratory as those of Tintalous, who often follow in a body the motions of their master, so that he is ever surrounded by an imposing household.
I must not omit mentioning an important article of furniture which is to be observed in all the houses of Aheer—namely, the bedstead. Whilst most of the inhabitants of Fezzan lie upon skins or mats upon the ground, the Kailouees have a nice light palm-branch bedstead, which enables them to escape the damp of the rainy season, and the attack of dangerous insects and reptiles like the scorpion and the lêfa.
I shall hereafter make a few observations on the tribes inhabiting Aheer. Here I will note that they are all called Targhee, that is Tuarick, by the traders of the north; and that the predominant race is the Kailouee. To me the latter seems to be a mixture of the Berbers, or supposed aborigines of the northern coast, with all the tribes and varieties of tribes of the interior of Africa. This may account for their having less pride and stiffness than the Tuaricks of Ghât, who are purer Berbers; as well as for their disposition to thieving and petty larceny, of which I have recently been obliged to give some examples. The pure Berbers, likewise, are much less sensual than their bastard descendants, who seem, indeed, to have no idea of pleasure but in its grossest shape.
The Kailouees are, for the most part, tall and active, little encumbered by bulky bodies; some having both complexion and features nearly European. At any rate there are many as fair-looking as the Arabs generally, whilst others are quite negro in colour. The women are smaller and stouter; some are fattened like the Mooresses of the coast, and attain to an enormous degree of embon-point. They are not ill-looking, but offer nothing remarkable in their forms.
I have already set down many particulars of manners, and shall proceed to do so in the same disjointed way. At a future time all these traits must be collected to form one picture.[2] For the present I am anxious about the future progress of the Mission, and impatient, at any rate, to hear some news of our advance. We cannot do all the things we would. Our position is almost that of prisoners. We must depend entirely on the caprice of En-Noor, who, however, may already have laid out his plans distinctly, though he does not choose to communicate them to us.
Oct. 2d.—We have been lately discussing the practicability of going to Sakkatou, on a visit to the Sultan Bello; and this morning I looked over, for the first time, some "letters of credit" which Mr. Gagliuffi, our plausible consul at Mourzuk, had given me. I found that the amount offered for the use of the expedition in Kanou does not exceed a hundred and fifty reals of Fezzan, or about twenty pounds sterling, and that the agent is expressly requested not to advance any more! This extraordinary document induced me to look further, and it soon appeared that the documents on which I relied so much were mere delusions. The wording of the Arabic letter to Bornou was ambiguous; but in as far as I and my interpreter could make it out, Haj Bashaw, to whom it is addressed, was requested, if he had any money of Mr. Gagliuffi's in hand, to give me a little! I really did not expect that a person in whom I had placed so much confidence would play me this trick. But it seems that Levantines are and will be Levantines to the end of time. I have written to Government, complaining of this unworthy conduct.
3d.—Dr. Barth is about to take advantage of the delay necessarily incurred at Tintalous to visit Aghadez, the real capital of Aheer, to which the new Sultan has lately been led, and where his investiture will shortly be celebrated. This journey will extend our knowledge of this singular Saharan country, and may also be of advantage in procuring the signature of the Sultan to a treaty of commerce.
4th.—Dr. Barth started this morning in company with Hamma, Waled Ocht En-Noor (son of the sister of En-Noor). The departure took place in presence of the Sultan himself, who had come to take tea with me. The caravan was at first composed of bullocks, the camels being a little in advance on the road. Our friend the Doctor started astride on one of these animals, which are a little difficult to manage, especially when they have been out at grass for some time. Indeed, in the first place, it is no easy matter to catch them from amongst the herds; then it is hard to load them; and then, though not often, they refuse to proceed. On this occasion a powerful brute proved absolutely unmanageable. En-Noor, seeing its obstinacy, exclaimed that he gave it to me to kill and eat. He afterwards, however, modified his gift, and said that the bullock was also to be distributed amongst the Arabs of the caravans now in Tintalous; and that we were to give a turban as a present to the herdsman. I was told that, in the meantime, representation had been made to him, to the effect that it was unfair to distinguish the Christians in this manner. Soon after the animal was given it ran away, and no one could catch it.
Well, the bullock caravan went off in good style; and Sultan En-Noor remained taking his tea and eating English pickles and marmalade with me. He drank the tea and ate the other delicacies with evident pleasure, not being afraid, like the greater part of his subjects, to eat the food of Christians. Possession of power seems to have one good effect—the destruction of prejudice; pity that it sometimes goes further and destroys belief. En-Noor told us that the Sultan of Asoudee had gone out on a razzia to the west. We are obliged to hope that it will be successful, as otherwise our affairs will most materially suffer. We talked also of the state of Zinder, which is represented to be a walled town, with seven gates built amidst and around some huge rocks. The governor, Ibrahim, keeps fifty drummers at work every night, but whether with a purpose superstitious or political I do not know.
En-Noor admired much the portraits of the personages who figure in the accounts of the former expedition to this part of the world, particularly that of Clapperton. He had also a wonderful story to tell of this traveller's magic. He said that Abdallah (Clapperton's travelling name) had learned from his books the site of his (En-Noor's) father's house, that near it was a gold mine, and that he had intended to come and give intelligence of this treasure. "See!" exclaimed the Sultan, "what wonderful things are written in the books of the Christians!"
My young fighi (or writer of charms) tells me, as a secret, that he cannot write a talisman for himself, but must ask another of the brotherhood to do this for him. Neither in this place can physicians heal themselves. This civil youth made me a present of a piece of his workmanship to-day, observing, "There is great profit in its power; it will preserve you from the cut of the sword and the firing of the gun." I pray not to have occasion to test its efficacy, but hope it may also serve as a protection from the bite of scorpions, which are so plentiful about here, and are said, at this season, to jump like grasshoppers. According to the people of Tintalous there are three species of them, each distinguished by a different colour—black, red, and yellow. Despite the talk of these disgusting reptiles I went in the evening to see the wells which supply Tintalous with water. They are nothing more than holes scooped out of the sand in the bed of the wady, and supplied by ma-el-matr, "rain-water," which collects only a few feet under the sand, and passes through no minerals.
I afterwards proceeded to the encampment of the slave caravan, which is going in a few days to Ghât. A native of that place—the chief, indeed—was exceedingly rude at our first rencounter, and the following dialogue took place:—
The Ghâtee. Where are you going?
Myself. I am going to Sakkatou.
The Ghâtee. What for?
Myself. To see the Sultan, who is my friend.
The Ghâtee. How do you know him?
Myself. The English have known him for years past.
The Ghâtee. Ah!
Myself. Yes.
The Ghâtee. Have you any dollars—large dollars? (making a large circle with his thumb and forefinger.)
Myself. No: I don't carry money to Soudan, which is of no use to me. There I shall have wadâ.
Ghâtee. Eh! Eh! But cannot you give me a turban?
Myself. No, I am not a merchant, I don't bring such things; go to the Arab merchants and buy.
Ghâtee. Um! Um!
Myself. Do you know Mohammed Kafa in Ghât?
Ghâtee. Oh, yes!
Myself. He is my friend.
Ghâtee. Allah!
Myself. Yes; he sent me a fine dinner twice whilst I was in Ghât.
Ghâtee. Allah! Allah!
Myself. Do you know Haj Ibrahim? He is my great friend.
Ghâtee. Allah! Allah! (greatly surprised).
Myself. Why, how is it that you do not know me, Yakōb, as I have been in Ghât many years before?
At this some of the other people of the caravan cried out, "Yes, yes, we all know Yakōb;" so that I left the rude slave-merchant quite crest-fallen. He evidently, at first, wished to assume the airs of a Haghar, and bully me out of a present.
The caravan consisted of some thirty poor young women and children. There was also with them a small quantity of elephants' teeth.
Now that the moon is absent and the nights are clear we have a most splendid view of the heavens, its stars and constellations. The number of meteors darting to and fro overhead is very great—nearly one a minute shoots along. Some are only a faint glimmer, and have but the existence of a moment, whilst others are very beautiful and last several seconds.
5th.—The weather is improving; the strong gusts of wind have ceased, and so has the rain. We have now calm and fine days with moderate heat.
In the afternoon I received another visit from En-Noor, who came straight into my tent, like an old friend whom I had known for twenty years. He stopped with me at least an hour, drinking tea and smoking, chatting the while about his past history and present affairs. He reiterated again assurances of his friendship for the English, and his determination to remain the ally of the Queen of England! He referred to the time when the great Bello, sultan of Sakkatou, sent his ambassador to request him (En-Noor) and all his people to subject themselves to the Fellatahs. En-Noor gave him for answer, "I am under God, the servant of God, and shall not submit myself to you or to any one upon earth. My father, and grandfather, and great-grandfather, and all my ancestors, ruled here, and were the servants of God, and I shall follow in their steps." The Fellatahs then tried to seduce the people, but they all said, "We have one Sultan, that is En-Noor." All the other authorities of Aheer followed the example, and preserved their independence, the people everywhere arming themselves with whatever weapons they had in case a war should break out.
After this narrative, En-Noor spoke again of the English, and said he should send a maharee for the Queen.
I gave him a fancy ring of the value of threepence, with a mock diamond in it, which he immediately put on his finger with as much glee and pride as the gayest Parisian coquette. Yusuf and the Sfaxee, being present, swore it was diamanti; but I am quite sure the old Sheikh understood the compliment. I also gave him a pair of bellows, a basin, and a pint bottle with a little oil it; with all these things he was greatly delighted, continually admiring and trying the bellows. When he went out of the tent he himself carried all these articles away under his arm.
With reference to our wish to start for Zinder, the Sultan says he will send immediately for the boat, that it may be ready by the time Dr. Barth returns from Aghadez, when he is determined himself to take that route. He seems now in the enjoyment of good health. I felt much satisfied with his visit. Certainly, when I reflect that in the northern frontier of Aheer we were pursued for several days, like monsters not fit to live, by armed bands, this appears to me extraordinary condescension on the part of En-Noor. I hope we shall part in a friendly manner. This worthy sovereign gives the present Sultan of Sakkatou, Ali Bello, the character of a miser, but says that his father was a man of liberality. He cannot exceed En-Noor himself in greediness.
The bad state of the Bornou route is accounted for by the desire the Kailouees have to render it unsafe, so that they may have all the caravans come along their own route. The same thing is said of the Timbuctoo route from Soudan. The Haghar murder all who attempt to go from Soudan to Timbuctoo, in order that the caravans may pass Ghât and Tuat. This is called the natural explanation of the bad character of these routes.
6th.—I continue to record the few characteristic incidents of my residence at Tintalous. Our bullock has been at last killed. We could not catch him, but shot him down. The carcase was divided between no less than twenty persons, and the meat proved to be pretty good. Of my share I made steaks, which I washed down with some tea and rum. This is the first time we have had fresh beef since leaving Tripoli. The event created an immense sensation throughout the whole town of Tintalous, for the slaughter of a bullock does not take place there every day.
This morning I administered two ounces of Epsom salts to a good-natured Kailouee, who, although perfectly well, would persist in begging for medicine. These people are continually asking to be doctored when nothing ails them. En-Noor seems to have taken a fancy to our morning beverages, and has sent for tea and coffee. I am afraid he will become a regular customer. Yusuf carried off a bottle of rum from the tent in the evening, which occasioned a disturbance between the servants and myself. This worthy is not to be trusted with the care of any strong liquor. The little Hamadee was privy to the theft. In the course of the evening the new moon was seen by seven creditable persons, so that in eight days more we shall have the Feast of the "Descent of the Koran from Heaven," and four or five days after that we hope to start for Zinder.
7th.—This was a fine morning, with the thermometer at sunrise in the tent 70°; outside, 66°. The water has been so cooled during the night that my hands ached when I washed them. Later in the season it will be yet colder; and all reports tell us that in Kanou after the rains it is often very chilly.
His highness the Sultan again was attracted by my tea and marmalade, and gave me a call. He desired to see once more the portrait of Clapperton, and told me that Abdallah had five women in Sakkatou, and had left behind him three children, all boys. The Sultan was excessively friendly in manner, which induced me to make him another little present of a ring set with paste, and a small pair of gilt scissors for one of his wives. He calls me his brother, and manifests increased anxiety to be friendly with the English. According to him, a short time since the Sheikh of El-Fadeea, who commanded the attack made on us at the frontier, came here; and, in consideration of a few presents and compliments, had promised to exert himself to procure the restoration of our lost or stolen camels. En-Noor also again talked about the boat. I am in great hopes that we shall part from him on good terms, and that he will be true to his protestations. There is generally a companion with the old gentleman on these visits. This time it was an aged Tanelkum, who married a sister of the Sheikh and has been settled many years in the country. We gave him more tea, and also a piece of white sugar, to carry home.
This evening the Fezzan and Tripoli Arabs had a musical entertainment, accompanied with dancing, at which Madame En-Noor and several distinguished ladies of Tintalous assisted. It was the usual singing business, with Moorish hammering on tambourines. The dance was performed by men, mostly in imitation of the women, and was also of the usual inelegant and indelicate description. However, there was a little mixing of the derwish dances. The thing went off to the great satisfaction of the Kailouees, and was kept up till midnight.
8th.—I slept little after the villanous dancing and riot of the preceding night, and rose late. My occupation this day was completing my vocabulary of the Kailouee language, of which I expect to collect a thousand words. My interpreter sometimes gives very curious explanations when I work with him. The Arabic word which we translate "Alas!" coming under consideration, he observed: "There is no corresponding word in the languages of these countries. This word belongs to the Koran and the next world." He means, that the word has only a relation to the torment of the damned. It is curious that this Arabic term agrees with, or is like, our word wail (Ar. weel), and is the term used by our translators of the New Testament in describing the torments of the lost, "Weeping and wailing" &c.
Of the term "chaste," Yusuf observed, "There is no such expression in these languages; all the women are alike, and equally accessible when danger is absent." It is also true that the men place no bounds to their sensual appetites, and are restrained only by inability. It may be, however, that the more religious would have some scruples about intriguing with their neighbours' wives.
When we came to the word "school" Yusuf pretended there was not such a word in Kailouee. He asked, "Where in Tintalous is there a school?" The question, unfortunately, is put with too much truth. The Kailouees hereabouts seem entirely to neglect education.
I myself observe that the Arabic booss answers exactly to the vulgar word in English for kiss.[3] The name of a raven is one of many remarkable examples of a word being chosen to imitate in sound some peculiarity of the thing signified. In this case, kāk irresistibly reminds one of the raven's croaking voice; which we describe by caw. Kass, scissors, is also an imitation of the sound produced by this instrument in cutting.
In the evening the Sfaxee and Yusuf came to pay us a visit, and related divers sorts of wonders of this and other countries of Africa. The first matter concerned us. Eight days ago died in Tintalous an old witch, or prophetess, a negress, who foretold our arrival, and said to En-Noor, "A caravan of Englishmen is on the road from Tripoli, coming to you." This woman for many years was a foreteller of future events. The next thing we heard referred to the secret societies of Central Africa. Some of the chiefs of these societies have the power of killing with their eyes. One of these fellows is known to have gone to a merchant, in whose arms was sleeping a pretty female slave, and to have entered into conversation with him, asking him how he was, &c. In the meanwhile the wizard cast his eyes upon the pretty slave, and its heart withered. This power is accordingly much dreaded. If, however, any one perceive the incantation of the wizard, and say, "Begone, you son of a brach!" he immediately flees, like a dog with his tail between his legs.
In parts of Bornou, also, extraordinary things sometimes happen. There are men in those places who have the power of assuming the shapes of wild animals. This they do mostly in the nights. Under the form of lions and leopards, they go to the tents of strangers, and endeavour to lure them forth by calling out their proper names with a perfect human voice. If any one is so imprudent as to obey summons and issue forth, he is at once devoured.
The Sfaxee pledges his word of honour that there was a female slave a year ago in Mourzuk who killed five of her companions with her looks. On this a council was held by the merchants and great people of Mourzuk, to know what to do with her, and the decision come to was to send her back to Bornou; a happy decision for the poor slave! Lucky for her that she was not born in some parts of Europe, with her marvellous power. Even our friend Gagliuffi has not escaped these superstitions of the people among whom he lives. On my seeing his young turkeys for the first time, in very considerable numbers, I exclaimed, "What a host of young turkeys you have got!" On this he became quite alarmed, lest I had cast a malign look upon them, and ejaculated a counter-exclamation, "Oh, God bless them!"
The Sfaxee and Yusuf do not speak very favourably of some parts of Soudan as to morality. In some districts of Begarmi, Yusuf says, a male takes the first female he meets with, no matter how near the relationship. All the women, in fact, are in common. We must receive his asseverations for what they are worth, on this subject in general, and on the developements into which he entered. According to him, in those regions where scarcely any other roof is required but the heavens, there is no other couch spread than the earth, and no one shuns, in any act of life, the eyes of his neighbours.
Whilst these wonders of witches and tales of African lewdness were being related, a thing happened which none could disbelieve, none call in question. This was the appearance of an immense meteor in the sky, shooting over half the heavens, with a slight curve, from east to west. It had a tail like a comet, and around its head burnt a blue light of excessive brilliancy. This phenomenon appeared at a quarter to eight o'clock in the evening. I never saw anything like it before, and perhaps shall never again see its equal. It might have been visible two minutes. We all cried out with surprise at beholding it. We had our faces towards the south, and the course of the meteor was across the south, but not very high, at about the third of the circle of the heavens. Afterwards, every few minutes, small meteors were seen sporting about in the same direction, some in a straight line and others descending.
9th.—The wind of this fine cool morning prevented a visit from En-Noor. That he might not be disappointed, however, I sent him his customary tea; and amused myself by hearing the Sfaxee discourse of that constant subject of conversation, the attack of the Fadeea. According to him, on that occasion great fear was felt by all the caravan. Most of our servants had formed the resolution to abandon us. There were, however, some honourable exceptions; amongst the rest, Saïd, the great mahadee, and another. Yusuf and Mohammed Tunisee proposed the plan, that we three, the Germans, and myself, should be mounted on maharees, and either conveyed back to Aisou or forward to Tintaghoda, during the night. Some of the Kailouees wavered, as well as the Tanelkums; but En-Noor (of our escort) always declared that he would never consent to our being given up. The next morning, two or three of the assailants were very bold, and came and called out in an authoritative tone, that we must be given up. It is curious that, in spite of all the force that was mustered against us, as soon as they saw that we were determined to resist them, they immediately began to parley. The Sfaxee is an immense talker, and great allowance must be made for what he says. In reality, we shall never be able to know the exact truth with respect to this affair. Dr. Overweg confesses that he was terribly alarmed as well he might be. For my part, I was more used to desert dangers, and slept all night. Dr. Barth very kindly refused to allow anybody to awaken me.
[1] Tintalous is 40 short and 30 long days from Ghât, N.N.E.; 60 short and 50 long from Mourzuk, N.E.; 20 short, 15 long, from Zinder or Damerghou, S.S.W.; 7 long, 10 or 12 short, from Bilma, E.; 38 to 45 days from Tuat, N.W. (viâ Taghajeet). Maharees, of course, trot and gallop in half the time. These are native statements.
[2] Perhaps the note-books of Mr. Richardson, in which facts are set down fresh and distinct just as they presented themselves, will be found to be more interesting than an elaborate narrative. At any rate it has seemed better not to attempt to do what was left undone in this matter.—Ed.
[3] A good many similarities of this kind, accidental or otherwise, might be pointed out: ydrub is "to drub;" kaab would be translated, in old English, "kibe;" ykattah is "to cut;" kotta, "a cat;" bak, "a bug;" stabl, "a stable," &c. &c. I have noticed, also, some similarities with French words e.g. ykassar, "casser"—Ed.
CHAPTER II.
Muslim want of Curiosity—Gossip on Meteors—A Family Broil—Rationale of Wife-beating—Abominable Dances—Evil Communications—Dr. Overweg—Kailouee Vocabulary—Windy Day—Account of Wadaï—Madame En-Noor—Profits of Commerce—The letter Ghain—Fellatah Language—Introduction of Islamism—Desert Routes—Trade in Agate Stones—A lively Patient—The Eed—A Visit en masse—Arrival of the Boat—Butchers—Exchange of Visits with the Sultan—Diet—A Shereef—A delicate Request—Information on Maradee—Tesaoua—Itinerant Schoolmasters—En-Noor's Territory in Damerghou—Unpleasant Communication—Amulets—The Foundation of a City in the Desert—En-Noor's Political Pretensions.
Oct. 10th.—My garrulous friend the Sfaxee has gone off this morning, to bring his merchandise from Tintaghoda. The little fighi came, as usual, to see me. I showed him the Arabic New Testament. He read a few sentences, and then laid the book aside. I offered it to him, but he refused to accept the inestimable present. He represents the feelings of all the Muslims of these countries. They have not even any curiosity to know the contents of the Gospel, much less the inclination to study or appreciate them. They remain in a state of immovable, absolute indifference. Even the beautiful manner in which the Arabic letters are printed scarcely excites their surprise. En-Noor paid me his usual morning visit, drank tea, and ate pickles and marmalade. We asked him about meteors. He recollects the fall of many. One, he says, fell upon a house, and terrified the inhabitants, who came running to him. Afterwards they dug to the depth of a man, and found nothing, for it had buried itself deep in the earth. According to him, a great profusion of meteors denotes abundance of rain and herbage: but these phenomena exert also a sinister influence like comets, signifying the death of some great personage. I have no doubt that extraordinary meteors are very frequent in this part of the Sahara. En-Noor was very condescending, as usual: no change is observable in his manners.
It turned out that he had come with the intention of speaking on a very delicate subject, but had refrained. We learned what it was afterwards. Dr. Overweg was sent for in the course of the day to attend upon one of En-Noor's wives, who had been frightfully beaten by his highness the previous evening. This domestic broil formed the common topic of conversation in Tintalous. Every scandal-monger has got hold of one version of the story. From what we could gather, the great man was lying down quietly, when suddenly, without any apparent provocation, he started up, took a large stick from the fire, one of its ends still burning, and with this terrific weapon belaboured his wife over the face, striking especially at the mouth, and cutting the upper lip in two. The poor woman is now very ill. No cause can be discovered for this piece of brutality. En-Noor has, they pretend, two wives here, and one on his estate at Damerghou; but he has only one son and three daughters. No larger family has this great man, with all his wealth and slaves, been able to bring up.
Beating a wife is so common in these countries, that, only when the act is attended with features of unusual atrocity, as in this case of En-Noor, does it excite any attention. There cannot be a question of the fact, that our friend the Sultan is a great despot in every point of view. Perhaps in no other way could he maintain any authority amongst these semi-barbarian Kailouees. This, nevertheless, cannot excuse the atrocity of beating his wife with burning fagots. Some say that the exciting cause of his brutality was the eternal loquacity of the woman, of which his highness began to be afraid. This may be true, or be only an excuse invented by his courtiers. Supposing, however, the cause to have been her infidelity, let us examine what can be reasonably expected from these African women. They are not allowed scarcely to believe themselves to possess souls; they have no moral motives to be chaste, and certainly none of family and honour, being mostly slaves. Then the greater part of the young girls of consequence are married to old men, who are worn out by their sensual habits and indulgence with innumerable concubines. These young women are thus left, though married, like so many widows, without education or religious motives, and with all their passions alive, to the first opportunity which presents itself. We know what they do, and we cannot expect anything else from them.
We have often dancing now of evenings. Yesterday, hearing the tambourines and other instruments strike up, I went to the house of the Sfaxee to see what was going on. They were dancing again their Mourzuk dances before a number of delighted Kailouees, male and female; amongst the rest Lady En-Noor herself. The whole beauty and appropriateness of this exercise amongst the Moors consists, as is well known, in gross imitations of natural acts. No further description or comment can I permit myself. I have often thought that the present dance must be an inheritance from very ancient times. There seems to be a part of our nature to which it is adapted. The performances at European Operas are often nearly as indelicate.
Evil communications corrupt good manners. One of our servants has learned to act the Tuarick. He quarrelled with Yusuf, and on being told to go away replied, "Yes. I will go; but when you get up to Damerghou I will bring down the people upon these Christians, and they shall be eaten up!"
11th.—Zangheema, En-Noor's principal slave, came early this morning for Dr. Overweg, that he might attend the "beaten wife." My privileged friend went accordingly, and visited at the same time all the women of the household. They received him in a very friendly manner: some of them proved nearly white.
12th.—This day I finished my Kailouee vocabulary, which contains about a thousand words. I have never yet collected so large a quantity of materials of any of the languages of Africa. I carefully packed up my vocabulary for England, and got it ready, with other matters, to send by the first opportunity.
Dr. Overweg has again visited the belaboured wife this morning, and reports her to be improving. The Sultan seems now to repent what he has done, and is endeavouring to obtain forgiveness by kind and courteous behaviour.
There was a great deal of wind to day, but it did not come in puffs, endangering our tents. I sometimes wonder, however, how the flimsy huts of which part of Tintalous is composed are not swept away. They are made of the dry stalk of that excellent herb bou rekabah, called in Kailouee afada.
13th.—No news stirring to-day; nothing said of razzias; so much the better. We are living very quietly here, and the climate agrees with me extremely well. Some of our people, however, are sick.
14th.—The mornings continue cold; 65° outside the tent, and a few degrees higher inside. This fresh weather, no doubt, accounts for my good health.
According to a Tibboo merchant now here, and going with our caravan, the people of Wadaï would receive a Christian well, and allow him to visit their country. He represents Wadaï as a very rocky region, like Aheer, with two large rivers in it running from south to north—not season streams, but continual. He says that the people are all blacks, and a very tall race. They have a language of their own, which is difficult to learn. Warrah is the capital. The natives drink a great deal of bouza, and are nearly always intoxicated. Such is a summary account of Wadaï from the mouth of a Tibboo geographer.
This morning, Madame En-Noor sent me by Zangheema a pair of pewter earrings, in exchange for some rings. It is extremely difficult to make a good bargain with these people. With respect to our merchandise, it all sells lower here than we paid for it at Mourzuk. The profits come from the purchase of slaves. A burnouse of forty mahboubs will sell in Soudan for little more than its cost, if dollars or money is to be given; but if slaves are taken in exchange, three slaves, perhaps, may be obtained, which, in Tripoli, may be sold at forty or fifty dollars each. Hence the profit of the Soudan commerce. The article which yields the greatest profit is loaf sugar, which, costing half a dollar in Mourzuk, is said to sell for a full dollar in Bornou. To be sure there is all the risk and the heavy freight of such an article, especially if conveyed up during the rainy season.
I wrote yesterday a despatch to Government, requesting letters of recommendation to be sent up to me in Kordofan, pointing out the route of Egypt as the probable one by which I shall return to the Mediterranean. I had a long dispute with Overweg about the letter ghain, which he persists in pronouncing like a strong k. Yusuf was called in, and declared that the ghain was the letter which distinguished Arabic from all other languages. In Kailouee Tuarick there is no kaf or ghain. These Berber dialects have, however, the hard g in a thousand words, and have also the k in a great number of cases, but the hard g and the t are the consonants most frequently occurring. The Haussa has also the g hard, as in măgăree, "good;" and a great number of words with the sound tsh, as doutshee, a stone or mountain.
The Fellatah language is said to resemble the Kailouee; in other words, to be a Berber dialect. If this be the case, the Fellatah people are probably of Berber extraction, and not Arab, as they are vulgarly supposed to be. This is a question requiring still further investigation. Others, again, say that the Fellatah language is quite different from the Tuarick. Overweg thinks Islamism was introduced into Bornou by the Shoua Arabs, who are found in Bornou in great numbers. The Fellatah, he thinks, received Islamism by way of Timbuctoo, from Moors and Arabs trading to that city from Morocco. There is considerable probability in both these opinions.
15th.—Four or five days after the approaching Eed, or festival, half the people of Tintalous will go for salt, and the other half prepare for their annual journey to Soudan with En-Noor.
The inhabitants of Damerghou are reported to be half "Kohlan," blacks, and half Kailouees. It is the Kailouees in the neighbourhood of Damerghou who infest the borders and routes of Bornou. En-Noor is now very quiet, and there is a chance that he will not come down upon me for more money.
According to the Fezzanees, Tuat is thirty days from Aisou and thirty-three from Taghajeet (short days). Ghât is forty short and thirty long days from Tintalous or Asoudee. Bilma is fourteen long and seven short days from Tintalous or Asoudee. There is no direct route from this (Tintalous) to Timbuctoo; from Sakkatou there is, however, a short route to Timbuctoo, and it is said to be a safe one. The number of days here mentioned are merely general numbers; they vary according to the good state of the camels, or the disposition of the people, or certain accidents on the road.
The evening of the feast of the "Descent of the Koran from Heaven," all good Muslims ought to sit up all night to read the Koran, through and through again.
There is a curious commerce of yămăneé, or agate stones, in Soudan. These yămăneé are originally brought from the eastern coast of Africa, from and near Mombas (Mozambique), where they pass as money, like the cowries. From Mombas they are carried, by the Muscat traders, to Yamen, and thence to Mekka; in which place they are blessed, and rendered doubly precious. From Mekka they are brought to Egypt, and from Egypt to Mourzuk; from which point they are distributed all over this part of Africa, and the souk of Kanou is stocked with them. They are much esteemed by all classes of the inhabitants of the interior of Africa, and are worn equally by the men and women.
In this commerce we see the round-about-way in which some articles are conveyed for sale. If there were a road from Mombas direct to Bornou, this agate would be cheap enough. But then, perhaps, it would not be esteemed or valued at half its present cost. It would not be blessed at Mekka, and so lose all its talismanic and mysterious power. The name is derived from Yaman, evidently from the first country in Arabia, to which they were brought originally from Africa.
According to Overweg, Madame En-Noor is still very unwell with her lip. It is cut right across under her nose, penetrating to the gums; she is, nevertheless, very lively, and is always pestering Overweg to read the fatah with, or marry a young girl, one of her relations. She endeavours to warm my worthy friend to comply with her match-making wishes by luxurious descriptions of the beauties of the proffered bride.
As soon as the people hear I have a wife in Tripoli, they begin to ask how many children I have got. On receiving for answer, "None," they are greatly astonished, and ask me the reason of so strange a matrimonial phenomenon.
This evening another fine meteor appeared in the south-east. Its head was like a blazing star, and it left behind it a train of sparkling light and flame. There were also numbers of smaller meteors.
16th.—The morning of the Eed. According to the Fezzanees, prayers are soon ended; because, they say, "these Kailouees know nothing of their religion."
The Fezzanees asked me to hoist the British flag; to which I replied, "No; the flag belongs to the Queen, but I will give you a little powder for your matchlocks." All these Mahommedan feasts are celebrated on the northern coast of Africa by the discharge of gunpowder.
No certain information can be obtained of the route from Zinder to Sakkatou, in this place. The people only say the present Sultan is not so strong as was his father; thereby intimating that the routes are not so secure as formerly.
It is usual for the inhabitants of Tintalous to visit those of Asarara on the morning of the present feast. About sixty men, natives of this place, accompanied by a dozen Moors from Tripoli and Mourzuk, went, accordingly, to Asarara this morning. Then a number of the people of Asarara returned with them. Yusuf remarked, with some surprise, that even the women went out to pray, about forty in number. So that it would seem the Kailouees educate their women in religion more than the Muslims of the coast.
The most interesting event to us, however, this morning, was the arrival of the boat from Seloufeeat. Our servants were very quick in their return. They came all night, to avoid any further attempts to carry off the camels. They were all alone. I welcomed the return of the boat as I would that of an old friend.
There was no firing this evening, as was expected, En-Noor being very unwell-suffering rheumatism and fever.
The most agreeable sight in all these Mahommedan feasts is to see all the people dressed out in their finery. The merchants have appeared in splendid burnouses, all more or less in good humour. The slaughtering of the sheep to-day was the dirtiest part of the business. All here on such occasions play the part of butchers-men, women, and children; and all attack, stab, skin, and maul the poor animals, in a way frightful to behold. The environs of the town were turned into dirty slaughter-houses.
17th.—I have determined to purchase no more things from the Sfaxee at present. He makes me pay double price. It will be better to wait and see what can be done at Zinder. An infidel traveller, who is known to be in possession of any property, is sure in these countries to be looked upon as a milch-cow. Does not "the book," according to the vulgar opinion, authorise the faithful to take our lives? "Our purses are more lawful."
The festival being over, I went to pay my respects to Sultan En-Noor. He is much better in health than yesterday, but has still a bad cold, and continues to blow his nose and wipe it—pardon the naïve statement—with the sole of one of his sandals! The action struck me as rather uncleanly and undignified in a prince; but Kailouees are not punctilious.
Mr. Gagliuffi had mentioned to me that he had given assistance to some shepherds who were begging their way to Soudan. One of these poor fellows had come to see the Sultan. He seemed, indeed, miserably poor, but tried to hide the fact, saying to them and Yusuf: "I have news for you; now I am your friend, as I was a friend to the Consul in Mourzuk." He was quite a young man, and excited my compassion.
In the afternoon I received a visit from En-Noor, with a whole train of his people. The Shereef was absent. The Sultan came especially to see the boat, the pieces of which were put together that he might know its shape and size. Yusuf then drew for him a ship with all sails set, on a piece of paper. It was very well done; and excited the applause of my visitors. I treated them, as usual, with pickles, marmalade, and tea. Among other things I showed En-Noor the broad arrow, or government mark, on many of our things; as the guns, and pistols, tent, bags, and biscuits, which greatly surprised him.
The Sheikh was in good spirits, and was pleased with his visit. I sent him during the day a piece of dark blue cotton print for a pillowcase. This little present delighted him much. I am much hampered with the "princesses," who first sent to buy sugar, and then to beg, forgetting to buy.
We have a Tuat Tuarick changing camels for slaves now in Tintalous. This man belongs to the tribe called Sgomara, if I have caught the name correctly.
18th.—I rose early, having had a bad headache during the night through eating meat in the middle of the day. Whatever is eaten in the middle of the day must be taken very sparingly. I believe the greater part of the diseases with which foreigners in these countries are afflicted arise from want of sufficient attention to diet. We must take great care of our health just as we are entering Soudan. The weather is still cool, especially in the morning. The prevailing wind during these last twenty days has been E.N.E., which is very refreshing. The Moorish merchants pretend that in Soudan it is now very cold.
I received a visit from the young Shereef, whose conversation smacked a good deal of a disagreeable curiosity respecting my movements and intentions in Central Africa. I therefore gave him a very ordinary and cool welcome. This fellow has been here some time, and never offered to pay us a visit before. En-Noor has been feeding him during his stay. He displayed a good deal of shrewdness, and is well acquainted with the Christians of the Mediterranean. He is going to visit his brother in Zinder, and then returns to Tripoli by the way of Bornou and Mourzuk. Like all these shereefs, or marabouts, he pretended that had he been with us, or had we travelled with him from Mourzuk to Tintalous, no one would have dared to molest us; an assertion wholly false, for the Tuaricks care little for marabouts when they are bent on plunder.
A young woman has just arrived from a distant village, with the express object of procuring from the Taleb (Overweg) a medicine to produce abortion: she says she has been gadding, "barra" (out of her mother's house), and is frightened lest she should get a good beating. On Overweg's refusing to give her any such medicine she burst out into a pathetic lamentation, and talked loudly of what her parent would do to her. Young ladies often think of their mothers a little too late under these circumstances.
A slave of the Sultan of Aghadez arrived this morning, in six days from the capital, to inquire after the health of En-Noor. He brings no particular news, but says he saw Barth at Aghadez.
"Man is to man the surest, deadliest foe," has been quoted from the poet as most applicable to the moral and social state of Africa. It may truly be said to be our case, for hitherto we have suffered little in this town except from men. Looking also around us, the people suffer less from the arid country which they inhabit than from the violence which they inflict one upon another.
I learned from Yusuf yesterday evening, that for every dollar I take from the Sfaxee, if I pay in Mourzuk, I must give two. I was greatly afflicted at this positive declaration, but scarcely believe it; if it, however, prove to be the case, I must by all means find money in Soudan. It will be a hard fight, indeed, to keep down the expenses of this expedition; however, every effort must be employed to effect this desirable object.
Mărādee, I learn, is three days west from Tesaoua; and this latter place is two from Zinder. There is another village, called Gazawa, one day south of Tesaoua. The inhabitants of these places are half Mahommedans and half pagans; the latter do not offer human sacrifices; their religious rites consist principally in worshipping trees, to which they sacrifice at certain seasons. The Fellatahs are always at war with the people of Mărādee, but Gouber is at peace with Sakkatou. In Mărādee there is one large stone-and-mud house for the Sultan; all the rest of the houses are bell-shaped huts. The place has a numerous population. Tesaoua is also independent and self-governed, as are most of the places hereabouts.
I had a visit from two itinerant schoolmasters, natives of Bornou. From these I learned that there does exist a little education amongst the Kailouees. There is a village near called Amurgeen, three hours from Tintalous, where children are sent from all the places around, so that it forms a species of college or university. It is to this college that En-Noor sends his sons and grandsons. These itinerant pedagogues are negroes; and it is certainly a curious circumstance that from Central Africa instruction should migrate northwards. But the Kailouees have little pride in this respect; although boasting of the name of Tuaricks, and accounting themselves white people, or allied with the whites, they do not scruple to receive education from the negroes of Bornou, whilst certainly it would be very easy to have Kailouee schoolmasters.
I heard from my friend Tibbaou that En-Noor's territory in Tesaoua is simply a village at some distance from the medeeneh, or city, where there is a native and independent sultan of some power. His territory in Damerghou is also a mere village. Nevertheless, the possession of these places extends the political influence of the Kailouees in Soudan. The neighbourhood of Damerghou, especially the western side, seems celebrated for a tribe, or factions of tribes, consisting of bad Tuaricks. This race is evidently spreading in Soudan; there are great numbers in Gouber and the countries near.
I purchased from the itinerant pedagogues of Bornou two of their ink-bottles, which are made of small calabashes. They wrote for me some specimens of their penmanship, a charm, fatah, or first chapter of the Koran. They wrote and formed their letters sideways, as some lawyers' clerks do in England.
Dambaba Makersee took the liberty of informing me to-day, as if I did not know it before, that all the things of us Christians were considered by the Kailouees generally as common property, and that whoever could lay hold of any ought to do so without qualm or scruple; but, he added, when you arrive in Zinder, all will be changed. Let us hope so, Inshallah!
Strings of charms are worn by the men occasionally under the arm, or suspended over the shoulders, as well as round the neck. The charm or armlet of the Moors and Tuaricks corresponds with the Fetish of the ancient Kohlan, people of Soudan, and of the present negro races on the western coast.
I finished the statistics of the towns and villages of Asben—after all, a very imperfect affair. Nevertheless, it is the best which I could make from my materials.
En-Noor paid me a visit in the morning, and stopped gossiping two hours. From him I learnt that the Fellatah language has no relation to the Arabic or Tuarick, but is quite a language peculiar in itself. He also informed us that the Gouberites were still at war with the Fellatahs of Sakkatou; that they were united with the people of Maradee, ancient Kohlans like themselves, and that this united force had been lately gaining their lost ground against the new Muslim powers in Soudan. En-Noor seems to favour the re-establishment of these people against the Fellatahs. The latter he naturally hates, on account of their attempts on the independence of the Kailouees, and their perpetual intrigues at Aghadez.
With regard to Tesaoua, En-Noor pretends that he founded this city. His statement is singularly suggestive and picturesque in its simplicity. He says that he met, on the spot where Tesaoua now stands, a forlorn man, with only two slaves.
"What are you doing?" he said to the man.
"Nothing," the man replied. "What can I do, naked as I am, with myself and two slaves?"
"Oh!" rejoined En-Noor; "stop a minute, and I will bring you a multitude of people, and we together will make a large city." En-Noor kept his word, and brought a multitude of Kailouees, Kohlans, and their slaves. Now Tesaoua is a mighty city, and En-Noor has got a small town of his own near it, mostly peopled by his dependants. Such is the foundation of many African cities; these places springing up as mushrooms, and disappearing as soon.
En-Noor also pretends, that through his father he is heir to the thrones of the ancient Kohlans, about Kashna, Gouber, and Maradee, and that he ought to come into possession after the death of the present occupants. This, I should think, is incorrect; but his highness has undoubtedly great political influence in those countries. We learn that several of the men of Tintalous have wives and families in Damerghou and Tesaoua, but none of them have large families—only one or two children.
CHAPTER III.
News from Barth—Camels restored—Expensive Journey—Proposed Migration of Males—Supply of Slaves, whence—A new Well—Pagans and Christians—Tibboo Manners—The great Gong—When is a Tibboo hungry?—Hunger-belt—Queen of England in the Sahara—The Shanbah—A hasty Marriage—Saïd's new Wife—Wild Cauliflowers—Tolerance of the Kailouees—Men go to fetch Salt from Bilma—Approach of Dr. Barth—Lion's Mouth—Tibboos and Kailouees—Mysteries of Tintalous—Fewness of Men in Aheer—Trees preserved in the Valley—Bright Stars—Method of Salutation—Purposed Stars—Kailouee Character—Champagne at Tintalous—The Wells.
Oct. 22d.—A letter was received this morning from Dr. Barth. It appears that the treaty will not be signed, nor even presented to the Sultan. En-Noor paid me a visit, as usual, this morning. I presented to his highness some old boxes, with which he ordered a door to be made for his palace. His politeness does not cease, and the graciousness with which he receives my presents is really remarkable.
The man sent after our camels brought back my poor white maharee, and demanded ten dollars (as good as twenty to me) for his trouble. I refused to give them, preferring to let him have the camel, which is hardly worth ten dollars. This manner of recovering our lost or stolen camels amounts to buying them over again. But it has been our misfortune all along, that our friends, and those who profess to be such, and all who attempt to aid us—every one of them, have profited by our losses, and the disasters which have befallen us. This dispute has been referred to En-Noor, and they have accepted five dollars, which I offered them.
I this day made out the statement of the principal items of expenditure which the expedition has incurred from Mourzuk to Tintalous, including the escort to Zinder. It amounts to the enormous sum of three thousand mahboubs, or about six hundred pounds sterling!! If we do not proceed better than this on the future part of the journey, the expedition will at any rate be bankrupt and ruined for want of funds.
23d.—Yusuf and I brought before Overweg this morning the necessity of his assisting in relieving the Government from the double payment of the sums advanced by the Sfaxee. He agreed that it was highly important to save this money, and promised to place his goods at my disposal for sale in Soudan.
On the departure of the caravan for Zinder and Kanou every male inhabitant will leave Tintalous, some starting with it and others going for salt, leaving only the women and children behind. This is considered by the Moors as preferable to leaving a few men behind, because these few would occasion quarrels amongst the women, and, besides, excite the jealousy of the absent husbands.
Most of the men who go with us to Damerghou and forward to Tesaoua will find another wife and family in both these places. This is a regular emigration of males, not the accidental departure of fathers and husbands. These gentlemen pass half the year in Soudan and half in Aheer. The system does not appear to be advantageous to the increase of population: the wives of these birds of passage hardly bear two children a-piece. Indeed there are very few children in Tintalous. We have not yet sufficient data or experience for a conclusion on this part of statistics; but, up to the present, all that we have seen in Africa during this journey exhibits it as singularly miserable and destitute of population. We can hear of no man, not even a sultan with his fifty female slaves, having more than four or five children. As for the poor, one or two are all that they can bring up.
Whence, then, comes the supply of slaves? So far as this part of Africa is concerned I may observe, in reply, that the annual number of slaves brought is exceedingly limited, amounting only to a few thousands. When we get nearer the western coast, we shall probably be able to account for the supplies of slaves which are transported across the Atlantic.
This afternoon a well was commenced near our tents. The digging of a well is an important matter; his highness En-Noor, therefore, vouchsafed his presence. A number of the excavators came to me to beg for sugar. I brought out a piece of white loaf sugar, and broke it into thirty pieces or so; then ordered one of them to divide it fairly amongst themselves: but this was impossible. Anything like fairness amongst the Kailouees, all of whom are addicted to thieving (a habit acquired from Soudan), was out of the question. As soon as I rose from the ground, after breaking the sugar on a leathern apron, there was a general rush upon it, and some got a great deal and others none. Was not this a fine miniature picture of mankind?
24th.—En-Noor paid me a very early visit, and drank coffee. I heard that a courier to Mourzuk would cost forty dollars. I begin to learn a little Soudanese; there are some beautiful soft words in it. Yusuf says there is no name for God in this language; but his statement requires further examination.
From what we learn respecting Barth's reception at Aghadez, it would appear that the people were disposed to look upon him with the same complacency as they are wont to regard the pagans, or En-sara as they call them, of Gouber and Maradee. Indeed, the Tanelkums and Kailouees consider that we shall be well received by our brethren, the pagans of Soudan.
Here is a most extraordinary trait of the barbarity of the Tibboos. It often happens that they are out foraging for twenty days without finding anything to eat. If they light upon the bones of a dead camel, they take them and pound them to dust; this done, they bleed their own living camels (maharees) from the eye, and of the blood and powdered bones they make a paste, which they eat! This is somewhat analogous to what Bruce relates of the Abyssinians cutting out beefsteaks from the rump of a live bullock. The Tibboos possess the finest maharees; and the breed in the rest of the Sahara is always being improved or kept up by a constant supply from their country.
I continue to supply his highness En-Noor with either tea or coffee every day. I sent him some early this morning. He is a greedy old dog, and will not buy a loaf of sugar because I will not give it him at the price of Mourzuk, and thus lose the freight. I hold out, and we have sold him none for the present.
Overweg is making a small commercial lexicon of the things brought to the market of Kanou: a most excellent idea. I myself intend, if I go to Kanou, to make a list of all the things I find in the Souk, with some account of their produce and mode of importation into that mart.
The great gong sounded throughout the village this afternoon, to give note of preparation to all the people, that every one of the males must be ready to leave this place in the course of three or four days. The Sheikh says he is determined to leave in three days, whether the people come from Aghadez or not. Yusuf laid before En-Noor this evening the necessity of our sending a courier to Mourzuk, stating that we had nothing left. His highness pitied our case, and said he would look about for a courier; observing, "The Consul has need of much money and many presents in Soudan." He said, also, that he would recommend us to go to Bornou.
25th.—The days are now pretty hot, and the nights correspondingly cool. We have a good deal of wind. I wrote a letter to Drs. Overweg and Barth jointly, calling upon them to assist me in case the Sfaxee would not wait for his money until the return of the courier. Dr. Overweg consents. I wrote out the Tuarick alphabet.
The account of the Tibboos pounding the camels' bones and bleeding their animals to make paste, is confirmed by the Gatronee of the Germans.[4] He says, moreover, that this is the way in which they proceed. Every Tibboo must fast three days before he thinks about eating. If on the fourth day he do not arrive at the belad, or country, he then takes his left sandal from his foot, and stews or soddens it, making something of a soup. These sandals being leather, or untanned hide, it is, perhaps, not impossible to make of them a palatable soup! If on the fifth day he find no village, he then devours the sandal of his right foot. After this, still not finding a village, he collects bleached camels' bones and bleeds his camel as before mentioned.
A Tibboo always has a girdle with seven knots, and when travelling hard takes in, as the sailors would say, a reef every day; if after seven days he find nothing to eat, he is considered hungry and unfortunate. The three Tuaricks who followed us from the well of Aisou declared that they had had nothing to eat for fifteen days; and there cannot be a doubt of the fact, that both the Tibboos and the Tuaricks can, on a pinch, remain without food for a considerable time—say ten or twelve days.
A Tuatee, who knows Algiers well, arrived here this afternoon, and is going with us to Zinder. He brings an extraordinary report about the copy of the treaty which I left with Haj Ahmed at Ghât. He says he heard it read, and from it learned that "the Queen of England is now in Tripoli, and wishes to come and live in Ghât, and has offered to buy half Ghât." Such is the nature of Saharan reports.
More authentic intelligence arrived to-day by a courier, who made the journey from Ghât to Seloufeeat in fourteen days—sufficiently quick. This courier brings a warning from Khanouhen to the caravans now proceeding to Ghât, not to come in twos or threes, as they were wont, but to come altogether, as he fears reprisals from the Shanbah and the Haghar.
The history of the thing is this:—A tribe of Tuaricks has always acted as the guides of the Shanbah in their foraging parties—on the Tuarick territory, for example—always pointing out to them the camels of the people of Ghât. Khanouhen has chastised this treacherous tribe, destroying a great many of them; but the Shanbah and Haghar not choosing to desert their old friends, have determined to take vengeance upon the Ghât Tuaricks. It is this revenge which Khanouhen fears. He anticipates a combined attack on the caravans. The wonder is how these routes are kept open at all, when these distant tribes, who have no interest in the commerce that moves along them, are notorious for their predatory feelings and education. It is now said that the Fadeea, our friends on the frontier, are in league with the Shanbah against the Ghât Tuaricks.
En-Noor, it appears, had sent his son to salute the new Sultan of Aghadez, and to assist in establishing or placing him on his throne. He got as far as Asoudee, when he fell in love with a pretty woman of the town, and at once married her, proceeding no farther on his mission. Yesterday evening a man arrived mounted on a maharee, bringing with him all the finery of the bride, which he exhibited to the people, riding about the town! All were greatly astonished at the splendour of the bride's dowry. Are not these fit materials for an Arabian Night's entertainment? My servant, Saïd, also married the other evening, but not so romantically; taking up with the divorced wife of another freed black. I heard nothing of it until all was over. The parties guessed rightly that I should take no interest in the matter, or rather disapprove of it, as the fellow has abandoned his own and natural wife. This divorced negress, who has at last found a master, has gone the round of all the tents since she has parted from her former husband, and is a little intriguing wretch. The Sfaxee and Yusuf countenanced the affair, but kept it quite unknown to me. They, however, fetched Overweg, and presented him with a portion of the marriage-supper—bazeen. I felt much disgusted on hearing of the affair. The old wife is a native of Kanemboo, and is going thither. She will, of course, gladly take leave of her husband and this young wife and rival. Marriage is an excessively loose tie here, at any rate amongst the poor. The rich pretend to respect marriage.
We have all done little in clearing up difficulties, or obtaining correct information of the Tuaricks of the Sahara. No good informants are to be found. From the Sheikhs of Ghât it is quite impossible to learn anything. We hope to get some information from a Tanelkum now going with us. Many tribes have been mentioned, casually; but the principal are—the three great tribes of Ghât, those to which Khanouhen, Shafou, Jabour, and Hateetah belong—a tribe in Janet—the Haghar of Ghamama—the Isokamara, located on the Tuat route from Aisou—the Tanelkums of Fezaan—the Maraga, a breed produced from the slaves of the Haghar and the Sorgou of Timbuctoo.
26th.—The sky is now frequently cloudy, but no rain falls. The valley of Tintalous is looking fresh, on account of the great quantity of wild cauliflower overspreading its surface, called by the Arabs liftee. This word liftee, is evidently derived from lift, "turnip." The vegetable grows in lines and circles, determined apparently by the action of the water, which deposits the seeds. No use is made of this wild cabbage; it is very bitter, and no animals even eat it.
En-Noor paid me a visit this morning before I was up; he drank some coffee, and went off to see his camels. The Tanelkums were quite wrong in their surmisings about En-Noor and his religious fanaticism. He has shown less fanaticism than any prince with whom we have had yet anything to do during the present journey. All the Kailouees of Tintalous are equally tolerant. We have now three quasi-princes, or sons of sultans, in Tintalous, besides the son of En-Noor. We have Mousa Waled Haj-Ali, who takes our despatches to Mourzuk, with Yusuf my interpreter, and a Tibboo, the son of the Sultan of Kouïvar. As we proceed onwards, princes and sons of princes will thicken upon us.
27th.—I packed up and sent off all my despatches to Mourzuk, together with a few trifling things for my poor wife, by the hand of Mousa Waled Haj-Ali, the virtual Sheikh of the Tanelkums.
28th.—All the male inhabitants, with the exception of five or six, have gone off this morning to fetch salt from Bilma. They return here in the course of a month, and the greater part of the salt is transported from hence to Soudan by the next caravan. We have heard of our friends at Aghadez. They are expected here in a few days. The new Sultan of Aghadez is said—but there is little accuracy in these desert reports—to have gone on an expedition west, to settle some differences between some tribes in arms against one another. The people also say that the new Sultan is "hungry," and is glad of such an opportunity to get "something to eat." This is the way in which they would describe a Chancellor of the Exchequer planning a new tax.
Some say the object of the razzia is to chastise the Fadeea for attacking us; but still the main object is to fill the Sultan's "own hungry belly." Such are Asbenouee politics.
Bakin-Zakee, the Soudanese name of the Kailouee green cap, I know here means the "lion's mouth." This is the phrase with which I always salute Zangheema, En-Noor's chief slave; but the terms are much more appropriate for his master, as intimating his avaricious, nay voracious, disposition. Zangheema, however, might be called "Kărĕn Zākee," the jackal of the lion, or "the lion's provider," so anxious is he to minister to the voracious appetite of his lord.
We have received the news that Dr. Barth is near. He is expected to-morrow evening, or early next day.
29th.—En-Noor paid me a visit at sunset to-day, and talked of how many children people had in this country. His highness said he knew a sultan in Soudan who had seven hundred children.
30th.—The Gatronee of the Germans confirms the report of the circumstance, that, when the Kailouees go to the Tibboos to trade for salt, all the male Tibboos run away, leaving all the business in the hands of the females; which latter, besides trading in salt with the Kailouees, make a good mercantile speculation with their charms. Each woman, in fact, has her Kailouee husband or lover, during the carrying on of this singular commerce. If the traders catch a single Tibboo man staying behind, they at once murder him, with the most marked approbation of the Tibboo women. Such is the state of connubial fidelity in this part of the Sahara.
The Tibboos have been very greatly neglected by persons writing on Africa, chiefly on account of the slighting, summary way in which they are spoken of by the members of the former English expedition to Bornou. They are, however, divided into a great number of tribes, are spread over a considerable extent of country, and are partly the guardians of the Bornou route. We must pay them some attention when they come under our observation.
There is a man come from Dr. Barth and his party. They are expected in the course of forty-eight hours. En-Noor is very angry that they do not mend their pace. We are all ready to start. An immense caravan is waiting for their arrival.
31st.—The people begin to pester me to marry another wife in Soudan,—one very young and with large breasts is the kind of article they recommend.
The mysteries of Tintalous are celebrated at the well in the evening, under the bright, glowing light of Venus, which star is now seen a couple of hours above the horizon after sunset. On the margin of the well, which is on the other side of the wady, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, the damsels of Tintalous regularly meet their lovers, and spend with them half an hour of sweet communion. Some even retire to the shade of a large-spreading tholukh near, or behind blocks of rock rising on the edge of the valley, and indulge in lawful or unlawful embraces. The strangers who come here, the Moors of Tripoli and Fezzan, are freely initiated into these mysteries.
I am told by our servants, who have been round to all the villages or towns in the neighbourhood of Tintalous for the purchase of ghaseb, that these places, small or large, are none of them equal to Tintalous, although the houses are much the same—bell-shaped huts, and the people are of the same character. What has greatly astonished our servants is the fewness of the men; indeed, in some villages they saw no other persons but women and children, and scarcely any children. What is the cause of this? It would seem that the men are consumed by the women. These women bear few children, and perhaps this may in part account for, if it be not produced by, their excessive licentiousness. Yet the men are on the wing a great part of the year. The Kailouees, however, wherever they go, have their women at hand, and during a journey many of them take two or three female slaves. How is this superabundant supply of the softer sex kept up? If I am noticing a mere temporary phenomenon, the destruction of men in the razzias may account for the disproportion. Besides, the Kailouees are always imparting fresh slaves into their country.
The poor people of Tintalous are fed chiefly on the pounded grains of the herb bou rekaba. It is a real Asbenouee dish. Overweg made a supper of it one evening. I tasted it, and find it has a very strong flavour of herbs; that is to say, what is commonly imagined to be the flavour of herbs in general. The people now go a long way for wood. The tholukh-trees of the valley are not allowed to be cut down; they are always preserved as a resource for the time of drought and dearth, when the flocks can find no herbage in the valley. The boughs are at such junctures lopped off, and the flocks are fed on the leaves. Thus I have seen the goats and sheep fed on the tholukh-leaves on the plains of Mourzuk, as well as near this place. Another reason may induce En-Noor to save the tholukh-trees,—that there may be a perpetual shade and verdure in the valley of Tintalous. There are many finer valleys than this in Asben, and were the trees not preserved, it would be a very barren, unlively spot.
This evening, two hours after sunset, Venus exhibited her most splendid phasis: the west, where she was setting, about half-an-hour before she disappeared, was lit up as if it was moonlight. On concealing the planet, the effect produced was that of the setting of the moon. Every star was eclipsed in the western circle of the heavens, I never saw anything before equal to this. I could here fully realise the words of Scripture, that the stars were made also "to give light upon the earth."
The manner of saluting and shaking hands amongst the Kailouees deserves notice: they first hold up the right hand with the palm outspread, like the Tuaricks of Ghât. Afterwards, when more companionable and familiar, they take hold of hands, and press them lightly some five or six times or more, if great friends, and conclude this pressing of the hand with a sort of jerk, drawing quickly off each other's hand. In taking hold of the hand of your friend, you fit your thumb in the circle formed by his thumb and fingers, and every time you press his hand, and he presses yours, you separate the hands from each other.[5]
Nov. 1st.—The month has set in with wind,—not gusts, but steady wind, continually blowing from E.N.E. It is stated positively that we leave here to-morrow morning, whether the people return or not from Aghadez. I register all reports as I hear them, though perfectly aware that we have not been yet quite let into the secret of the singular migration in which we are about to bear a part. The greater number of the men of Tintalous have gone to Bilma in search of salt; and I originally understood that the great annual caravan was for the transport of this necessary article. Perhaps En-Noor means to go slowly on, just to keep us in good humour. Our intercourse with the Kailouees has taught us to consider them a very mild, companionable race. Often indeed, like children, I wonder what the Tibboos can see in them to make them so desperately afraid, for I am told ten Kailouees will frighten away fifty Tibboos of Bilma. But the Tibboos of Tibesty are considered a braver race. It is worthy of remark, that these cowardly Tibboos have a bad character, and, like most cowards, are very treacherous.
I determined not to carry the little box in which the two bottles of champagne were packed any further; so I, Overweg, Yusuf, and the servants, set to work and drank a bottle of it, to the toast, "that we might have better luck higher up than all have hitherto experienced." The other bottle I have stowed away in reserve for the Lake Tchad, to drink the health of Her Majesty when we launch the boat, if we are fortunate enough to arrive there.
I went to the wells to see the people get water this morning. A number of little children came,—some naked, and others with small pieces of leather round their loins: they all wore very large necklaces of charms sown up in leather bags.
[4] People are called here by the nation, and even town, to which they belong, or in which they were born, as sometimes in Europe.
[5] This mode of shaking hands is common among the Fellâhs of Egypt.—Ed.
CHAPTER IV.
Dr. Barth's Journey to Aghadez—Description of the Route—Tiggedah—Luxuriant Scenery of Asadah—Plain of Tarist—Beautiful Valley—Buddeh—Small Caravan—Aghadez—its Inhabitants—their Occupation—The great Koku, or Sultan—Asbenouee Revolutions—Election of a Prince—Interview—Ceremony of Investiture—Razzia—Intricate Political System—Account of Aghadez—Mosque—Environs—Women—Tribes of Asben—The Targhee Family—Population of the Ghât Districts—of Aheer—The Oulimad and Tanelkums—Tribe of Janet—Haghar—Sagamaram—Maghatah—Extent of Aheer—Connexion with the Black Countries—Mechanism of Society in Aheer—Chieftains—Tax-gathering—Food of the Kailouees—Maharees—Amusements—Natural Features of Asben—Vegetation—Cultivation—Manufactures—Bags for Charms.
Dr. Barth[6] has made a very interesting journey to Aghadez. He says the track lies either through fine valleys or over mountain-chains cut up by defiles. Here and there were charming spots, green with herbage and trees. In going, the shallow wells at Eghelloua were found to be full of water; but a month later they were all dry. Beyond is the Wady Chizolen, overlooked by a mountain that rises abruptly to the height of two thousand feet. Then comes the valley of Eghellal, with its rivulet, and beyond swell the famous mountains of the Baghzem. The worthy Doctor seems to have been too much occupied in collecting geographical data to preserve many picturesque facts by the way. On the third day he encamped at Tiggedah, where numerous species of trees and bushes tufted the valley, which was clothed also, near the margin of its streams, with grass as fresh and green as any in Europe. At that time, however, the place, with the exception of the cooing of wild doves and the cry of a solitary antelope, seemed perfectly unvisited by man. Afterwards, it was found full of flocks and herds, and enlivened by the encampment of a salt-caravan, with a string of young camels bound for Aghadez. The tribe to whom the valley belongs are nomadic, and shift from one place to another, as their fancies and necessities suggest. Amidst the trees, however, may be seen a small mosque, built of stone and roofed with palm-trees.
This agreeable place prefaces the still more luxuriant scenery of Asadah, where the vegetation is so rich, and the path so shut up by branches, that it is difficult to keep on the camel's back. What a contrast to the naked deserts of Ghât! It was from between the rich foliage of this valley that Dr. Barth obtained his first glimpses of the majestic mountain-chain of Dogem, estimated to attain the height of between four and five thousand feet. It is the loftiest range in Aheer.
The plain of Erarer-en-Dendemu, which next succeeds, is covered with brushwood and low trees, and inhabited by lions—here called the Father of the Wilderness. Dr. Barth saw several, as well as a kind of ape about the size of a small boy, squatting in crowds on the lower hills. Beyond, overhung by the mountains of Anderas, is the rocky plain of Tarist, famous among the Arabs, as well as the Kailouees, on account of the remains of a mosque, indicated only by lines of stones on the ground. It was founded by a great saint called Sidi Baghdadi, and is a general resting-place for caravans. The basaltic formation here succeeds the granitic; and the plain is covered with loose black stones, about the size of a child's head.
Escaping from this rough ground, the travellers entered a narrow valley, trenched by a broad watercourse, along the sides of which was a thick growth of palm-trees. There are two villages in this wady. Near one of them slaves were seen yoked to a plough, and driven like oxen, by their master. Further south the hoe replaces the plough in preparing the ground. This valley, inhabited by the Imrad (a Targhee tribe), is capable of producing not only ghaseb, but corn, wine, dates, and all kinds of vegetables. Fifty gardens adorn, it is said, the neighbourhood of Ifargen. But, in general, the rich soil is left uncultivated, and is covered by wild and sickly vegetation, which checks the progress of the traveller.
In Wadi Buddeh grows a prickly plant called karengia; and a parasite (griffenee), producing a sweet but insipid berry of a red colour. A party of five lions were pursued like so many jackals. A small caravan of four persons, in Wadi Teffarrakad, were making use of four different modes of progression: one was on a camel, another on a buffalo, the third on a donkey, and the fourth used his own legs. In Wady Boghel were the signs of a field of ghaseb having existed last year. The ground was covered by a sickly wild melon; and in the thick foliage of the trees the guinea-hens were cackling. Here Dr. Barth saw the first specimen of the bauré tree, the trunk measuring twenty-six feet in circumference, and the thick crown rising to the height of eighty feet. Here and elsewhere wild beasts were observed. The whole country, indeed, abounds in lions, wild boars, gazelles, ostriches, and monkeys.
On the seventh day the party reached Aghadez, which they entered about an hour after sunset, it being the custom in this country never to enter a town by day. Aghadez is situated on a hamadah, or lofty plateau of sandstone and granite formation. Around, although there is no arable soil, a good deal of herbage and wood is found in the depressions of the plain. It is not surprising, therefore, that this much-talked-of capital is nothing but a large village, as indeed are all the other places of Aheer, with the exception of Asoudee. Aghadez, which is mentioned by Leo Africanus, is said by tradition to have been founded or enlarged by settlements from the north, consisting of a people called Arabs, but probably Berbers, since expelled by the Tuaricks. It serves as a sort of rendezvous between the Kailouees and the tribes to the south and west. A peculiar language (Emghedesie) is spoken by the inhabitants in their private intercourse; but Haussa is the idiom of trade. There are about seven hundred inhabited houses scattered among the ruins; and of fifty thousand people who must previously have lived within the walls, scarce eight thousand remain.[7] The inhabitants are partly artizans, partly merchants; but few caravans now pass on this route, and commerce with Timbuctoo seems altogether to have ceased. The trade that exists is entirely in provisions, principally in ghaseb, or millet, which is imported from Damerghou. The system adopted is entirely one of barter—the Aghadez money consisting of turkedi,[8] or dark-coloured cotton for female clothing made in Soudan, Egyptian leather for sandals, English calico, white shawls, cloves, pepper, pearls, &c. All these objects are imported, the only manufactures of Aghadez being leather-work (sandals and saddles) and coloured mats. I do not know what materials are used in tanning. The Fezzanee gets assistance, according to my fighi, from four trees—the graut, the ethel, the pomegranate, and the essalan. The first and last are a species of acacia. Women and men work in their houses at the production of these articles, and merchants go and purchase à domicile, there being now no shops. There are three market-places or bazaars, where prices are very low.
The Sultan of Aghadez, the great Koku Abd-el-Kader, does not receive any direct contribution towards his revenues, from the people of Aghadez, but levies a kind of octroi of ten mithkals on every camel-load of goods that enters the town, provisions being exempt. He has property of his own, however; receives presents at his installation; and can always raise a sum by making a razzia on any neighbouring freebooters.
It is a fundamental law in Aheer, that the Sultan of Aghadez shall belong to a particular family, which is said to derive its origin from Constantinople. Therefore when, in consequence of some discontent, Abd-el-Kader was deposed last year, the malcontents chose a relative, Hamed-el-Argau; but he also displeasing, a rival was set up in Makita, also of the same family. This caused great confusion, and the Walad Suleiman took the opportunity to make forays against Aheer. The prudent then resolved to restore the old Sultan, and succeeded, as I have already said, in their endeavours. When Dr. Barth arrived in Aghadez, the investiture was about to take place. The Sultan is chosen by the Kilgris and Iteesan tribes, who nourish a deadly hatred against their kindred, the Kailouees. On the present occasion, however, a marabout proclaimed peace and good-will between these ancient enemies. It was necessary, indeed, that some understanding should be come to, as after the election the ratification of En-Noor and Lousou is required. En-Noor, especially, is greatly respected by the people of Aghadez, as the grand supporter of authority in Asben. The new Sultan is usually brought from Sakkatou in state by the tribes Iteesan and Kilgris. A vast crowd of them, with their families and flocks, had marched up and occupied a camp near the town; but they departed on the same day that Dr. Barth arrived—even before he entered.
Early in the morning, Dr. Barth paid his respects to the Sultan. He was a stout man, about fifty-five years of age—benevolent-looking, as far as could be judged in spite of his face-wrappers. He sat in a large room, supported by two massive columns, and received his visitors kindly. The presents pleased him, and were acknowledged by the counter-present of a fat ram, and by meals sent every day.
The ceremony of investiture took place on the 16th of October, and seems to have been an imposing spectacle. Certain intricate forms are used to express the combination of various Tuarick tribes in choosing this foreign sultan. Succeeding it was the great festival, on which a procession took place, in which the new chief, wearing the burnouse which I had sent him, took part, with a great number of Tuaricks in their best array. Immediately afterwards a razzia (of which both we and Dr. Barth heard various conflicting reports) was agreed upon against the tribes of the north, especially those who had molested our expedition—the Fadeea. It was highly successful, and may perhaps be useful in procuring respect for future travellers. Two thousand men went out upon this foray, in which Abd-el-Kader was accompanied by Astakeelee, the Sultan of the Kailouees. Some, indeed, say that the latter only acted. Very little resistance was made, and I hear of only one man being killed. The fellow who stole Barth's maharee was compelled to restore him. Dr. Barth, however, though well-pleased on the whole with his reception, did not venture to present the treaty. He obtained some letters of recommendation to Soudan. Many of the distinguished persons of Aghadez visited Dr. Barth during his stay, and altogether his reception was satisfactory.
I have already mentioned that the Sultan of Aghadez, though elected and controlled by a kind of aristocracy of sheikhs of various tribes, is invested with the power of life and death. He is said to have a frightful dungeon, into which guilty persons are thrown upon swords sticking upright in the ground. In his warlike expeditions he is regarded, however, as chief of some tribes only. The Kailouees have a sultan of their own, and encamp apart. The Sakonteroua, or Sheikh of Aghadez, exercises considerable influence. He is obliged annually to accompany the great salt-caravan, which sometimes numbers ten thousand camels—Saharan statistics—to Sakkatou.
The town of Aghadez was formerly divided into a variety of quarters, the names of which still remain, although the space they occupied—three miles in circuit—is now principally filled with ruins. With the exception of five or six rubbish-hills, the whole space is level. The houses are spacious, with large rooms and court-yards. They are of mud, whitewashed, and furnished with flat terraces. Doves, children, and young ostriches, enliven the streets. There are some mosques, but none of imposing architecture. One, however, has a lofty tower, almost pyramidal in shape, supported on a basement of pillars, and rising to the height of about ninety feet. There is a kind of ladder inside; but Dr. Barth was not allowed to ascend, being told that the entrance was walled up.
The land around the town is slightly undulating, and covered in the depressions with the Acacia Arabica. Herbage and good water abound. There are no orchards near, except in Wady Ameluli; but El-Hakhsas, three hours distant, produces melons, cucumbers, and melochiyeh, and supplies the whole town.
The women of Aghadez are reported to be free and easy in character, and let loose tremendously as soon as the Sultan had departed on his razzia. Dr. Barth had some difficulty in keeping them at a distance. There are more children, however, to be observed in Aghadez than in most Aheer towns.
This journey of Dr. Barth's has considerably extended our acquaintance, both with the geography and the political state of Asben or Aheer. We see now that it is strictly a portion of the Sahara, intersected with fertile valleys, that towards the south begin to assume quite a tropical character. The inhabitants are various in origin and in name; but it is difficult to describe their subdivisions with any accuracy. According to the natives, there are only two great tribes—the Kailouees, which division includes the Kailouees proper, the Kaltadak, and the Kalfadaï; and, secondly, the Kilgris, including the Kilgris proper, the Iteesan, and the Ashraf. But, in questions of detail, numerous other names appear which it is difficult to arrange under any proper head. The Kailouees are, I think, of genuine Targhee origin, although, as I have already mentioned, with a mixture of the Soudan races. The Kaltadak and the Kalfadaï seem to be identical with the borderers who attacked us on our first entrance into this country. The Kilgris are located southward, beyond Aghadez, along the Sakkatou route, and even far into Soudan, where the influence of the Targhee races seems to be rapidly on the increase.
According to some of the Tanelkum Sheikhs, the following are the names of the principal Targhee tribes scattered over the desert of Sahara, excluding the inhabitants of Aheer:—
| 1. Ouraghen | family | of Shafou. |
| 2. Emanghasatan | " | of Hateetah. |
| 3. Amana | " | of Jabour. |
These are Ghât Tuaricks—Azghers.[9]
4. Aheethanaran, the tribe of Janet.
5. Hagar (Ahagar), pure Hagars and Maghatah, who stand to them somewhat in the relation of the Kourglouss of Algiers to the Turks. They occupy the tract between Ghât, Tuat, and Timbuctoo.
6. Sagamaram; located on the route from Aisou to Tuat.
7. Oulimad; tribes surrounding Timbuctoo in great numbers. In conjunction with the Berebisheers, a tribe of Arabs, they shut up the road between Aghadez and Timbuctoo by their predatory character.
8. Tanelkum, located in Fezzan.
We have been making inquiries of the Tanelkums about the population of Ghât and its deserts. The Tanelkums say, that ten or twelve years ago Khanouhen brought up about ten thousand maharees against the then masters of Mourzuk, the Walad Suleiman, headed by Abd-el-Galeel. The ten thousand maharees were the whole force and strength of the Azgher, Khanouhen having called out every male; for every man of the Azgher is a warrior. The Arabs, seeing the number of the Tuaricks, deemed it expedient to make peace. From this circumstance, it would be supposed that the Azgher may number from five to ten thousand families, nearly all located west of the Soudan route, along the lines of the Ghadamez and Tuat routes; where, it is said, there are fertile valleys, in which dates and corn are cultivated. But at Ghât I could never learn anything of these wadys. During my last visit I had no time, and the people there had no inclination to give me information about this fertile portion of the Azgher desert. On the former occasion, I learned from Haj Ahmed that there was a running stream, on the banks of which corn was cultivated, at about four days west of Ghât. This is probably the locality of Janet. For myself, I do not believe the Azgher Tuaricks number more than two thousand families.
Of the population of Aheer I have been able to learn nothing definite; that is to say, nothing which I can absolutely depend upon. Some make it reach above fifty thousand souls. There are, however, only forty towns, exclusive of Aghadez; and about twenty places where people live in tents. I wrote down a second list of them, with their directions, and some guess at the number of male inhabitants. The son of the Tanelkum Sheikh considers the Kailouee warriors to amount to about fourteen thousand; which, indeed, will make the whole population above sixty thousand. The accounts I have received, therefore, seem to be sufficiently exact for general purposes.
The Tanelkum Sheikh says there are no other tribes of Tuaricks but those enumerated above. The largest and most powerful tribe is that in the neighbourhood of Timbuctoo, the Oulimad, answering, perhaps, to the Sorghou of Caillie; and the smallest and weakest, the Tanelkum. But the Tanelkums, if small in number, are great in pride, and consider themselves a race of marabouts. They certainly make long prayers, and several of them can write a little. The Turks treat the Tanelkums with great consideration, and every year the Pasha of Mourzuk gives their Sheikh a fine burnouse and other presents. They pay no impost, though living in the Fezzan valleys. They are devoted to peaceful pursuits, and are camel-drivers and small merchants. Formerly they were powerful; and gave a sultan to the town of Ghât. About a century ago, their Sheikhs and the greater part of the Tanelkums were destroyed by a razzia of the Tibboos. They had then a town, which was situate in the Wady Esaiyen, where there are still ruins to be seen, and which we passed near Berkat.
Of the Oulimad I know but little, except that they are exceedingly turbulent, even ferocious, in the neighbourhood of Timbuctoo. They also extend their razzias from Timbuctoo to the south-western frontiers of the Asbenouee territories. A very short time ago they made a foray on the Soudan route, between this and Damerghou. The Ghât Tuaricks I have pretty well described.
The tribe of Janet has been mentioned frequently in this journal, from the circumstance of their attempting to get up a razzia against the expedition.
The Haghar are well known, even in Europe, for their freebooting propensities. They lie between the Oulimad and the Azgher tribes surrounding Tuat, and are some of them engaged in commerce.
The Sagamaram (or Sgamara) are an interesting small tribe, located in the rocky valleys, along the line of the route from Aisou to Tuat. They are mostly dressed in leathern clothes, and trade with Tuat, taking their cloths and a fragrant herb called debau, which they exchange against dates, &c. They likewise come to Aheer and Soudan, and fetch slaves and goods for the souks of Tuat. They are a very pacific tribe, not unlike the Tanelkums, but carrying on more commerce.
The Maghatah (or Maratah) are a thievish race, and have the vices of their mothers, those peculiar to Soudan, as well as the more ferocious traits of Berber bandits. Several of these people are in Janet.
In concluding these imperfect general observations on the state of Aheer or Asben, I will only add that the country extends from north to south eleven days' journey, or about two hundred and twenty miles (twenty miles to the day); and east and west, eight days, or one hundred and sixty miles. Aghadez, the largest town or city, stands, as has been seen, alone; and may be considered as a kind of connecting link, politically and otherwise, with the black countries to the south. I have already endeavoured to explain the singular constitution of society in this large but thinly-peopled tract. We observe there a curious combination of the monarchical and patriarchal states, with a dash of democracy into the bargain. Several times I have been reminded of Homer's heroic age. The princes and the people seem alternately to appear on the scene, exercising sovereign sway. The great Sultan is elected from out of the country; but he is compelled to seek the ratification of the chiefs, the elders, and the populace within. Then there is the great chief of the Kailouees, whose town or camp is at Asoudee; with Sultan Lousou, a most influential man; not to speak of the great En-Noor himself, who has, perhaps, personally, the greatest political weight of them all. Each of these great men is perpetually surrounded by an army of retainers, dependants, and slaves; and public affairs are transacted, partly according to some old routine, difficult for a stranger to understand, partly after the fashion of "Arabian Nights," kings meeting casually at the head of great armies in some poetical wilderness. All these chieftains are both pastors and merchants. One of their chief articles of traffic is, I am sorry to say, their unfortunate fellow-creatures. They are the greatest slave-dealers in the Sahara; two-thirds of the whole commerce is in the hands of the Kailouees. The Sultans levy duties likewise on the caravans that pass through their territory—duties which, to our cost, we know to be neither regular nor moderate; but they have no right to apply taxation to their quasi-subjects. Sometimes, when they are "hungry," they make a razzia on a distant tribe, and find both slaves and cattle at their disposal.
As might have been expected, the Kailouees—princes and people—are not very refined in their ideas or luxurious in their habits. Their food consists principally of the grains ghaseb and ghafouley, or guinea-corn. They have also flocks and herds of sheep, camels, and bullocks; but the bullocks are used chiefly for draft, and to carry goods from Aheer to Soudan. Asses are exceedingly numerous, and likewise go to Soudan to fetch guinea-corn. The population of Aheer, being scattered about in small towns and villages, a few hours journey apart, these animals are found very useful for the transport of the persons and effects of the poor. The richer people have camels of the maharee species, like all the Tuaricks; and in some respects it is the possession of this splendid animal which distinguishes the Kailouee population from the people to the south. For example, all their sports and pastimes would be exactly Soudanese, were it not for the introduction of the maharee. On the celebration of a wedding, the Kailouees ride round the groups of guests on their silent-treading camels, which measure their movements to the sound of a big rude drum. Such scenes would otherwise be perfectly Nigritian. The men dance, flourishing their lances; and the slaves both dance and sing. But I have already noted down all that I observed remarkable in manners, and need not here repeat myself.
The great natural features of Asben, also, are doubtless by this time impressed on the mind of the reader. They consist of a series of naked granite rocks or mountains, some of them rising to upwards of three or four thousand feet, ranging in every direction, with many isolated peaks; and of picturesque valleys winding along between steep precipices—threads of green, in which the tholukh and all species of mimosa and acacia, with the souag and other trees, flourish in immense growth, sometimes adorned by garlands and festoons of luxuriant parasitical plants. Wild animals of various kinds range at will in unfrequented places, but do not seem to excite much terror. There are gardens and cornfields in the neighbourhood of some of the towns and villages, the cultivation being kept up during the dry months by irrigation; but only a few of the inhabitants, mostly slaves, cultivate the soil. Besides the grains I have mentioned, a few vegetables, principally onions, are produced. Date-palms bear fruit, which is good, but will not keep.
I have already mentioned the chief manufactures of Aheer. They flourish to the greatest extent in Aghadez; but Tintalous also has its artizans. Working in leather was very popular during our stay, in consequence of the presence of a noted charm-writer—bags being necessary. A good many cunning blacksmiths ply their trade in various places.
[6] See the papers read before the Geographical Society, in January and March 1851. It appears to me that Mr. A. Petermann slightly depresses the importance of the part played by Mr. Richardson in this mission. However, this may arise from the fact that the communications on which his paper was founded were all from his German friends. It is not necessary to be grudging of notice to any of the three enterprising gentlemen who undertook this arduous journey; but we must always remember who planned the Mission, and who directed it with consummate prudence as long as life and strength lasted. In Mr. Richardson's MS. an outline is given of Dr. Barth's journey, and I therefore insert it, with corrections and additions, from the papers just alluded to.—Ed.
[7] This is Dr. Barth's statement, which I have introduced from his own account. It will have been seen that Mr. Richardson (see vol. i. "Note on the Territorial Division of Aheer,") makes a much lower estimate. I may here remind the reader, that even when in his diary Mr. Richardson inserts two different and contradictory statements, I do not undertake to select one and suppress the other, except in the case of an obvious slip of the pen. Nor have I thought it necessary to burden the page by indications of slightly different assertions. A diary must necessarily abound with imperfect observations, which correct or complete one another; and perhaps the general impression left on the mind of the reader—who accompanies, as it were, the writer in receiving its various elements—is more like truth than it would be after the perusal of one absolute dogmatic statement.—Ed.
[8] As an illustration of the previous note, I will observe that this word is spelt in several different ways in the MS., and I do not know which is the correct one.—Ed.
[9] The three tribes of Ghât are called Azgher, in contradiction to the Hagar. A Tanelkum explained the meaning of this last word (which I have usually written Haghar) to mean "wandering" or "wanderers." The word is sometimes written Hogar.
CHAPTER V.
Projected Departure for Damerghou—False Start—Picturesque Caravan—Sultan's Views of White Skins—My Birthday—The Sultan fights his Battles over again—His Opinion of Women—Bragging—The Razzia on the Fadeea—Political News in the Desert—Cold Weather—Continue our Journey—Bornouese Fighis—Tin-Tagannu—Trap for a Lion—Mousa's Camels—A further Delay—Jackals and the Fire—Language of Signs—Tintalousian Coquettes—Departure of the Zinder Caravan—Natural Features—Languages—The Kilgris—Killing Lice—The Razzia to the North—Present of a Draught-board—Pagan Nations—Favourable Reports.
Nov. 2d.—As this was the day fixed for our departure for Damerghou, it may well be imagined that we looked forward to it with some anxiety. Our delay in the neighbourhood of Tintalous had been unexpectedly long, and at times even the idea had crossed our minds that we should never be allowed to depart at all. Often we had desired to start alone; but had been withheld by our own prudence, as well as by the representations of our host, the venerable Sheikh of Tintalous. We had come by degrees scarcely to believe in the possibility of an advance, and to consider ourselves as the prisoners of circumstances in this advanced part of the Sahara, touching on the very borders of Central Africa. Now, however, we saw, by the bustle of preparation in the town, that, whether the salt-caravan arrived or not, we were to press forward. All night the town was in a bustle. We rose before sunrise, to complete what packing we had to do, and saw Jupiter and the moon in positions nearly resembling the Ottoman device. It was windy all yesterday and this morning, with a considerable degree of cold.
To my astonishment when we had taken leave of Tintalous, we pitched tent after half an hour's journey. This was done, however, for a twofold reason: 1st, to see that all was right, and that we had left nothing behind; and 2d, to buy ghaseb,—a supply having arrived from Asoudee just in time for us to carry with us. Never was there a more picturesque caravan. Ladies on bullocks, children and women on donkeys, warriors on maharees, merchants on camels, the Sultan's horse harnessed going alone, and following steadily; goats and their kids, sheep, foals of camels, &c. running or straggling along! When we had pitched tent in the valley, still in sight of Tintalous, En-Noor paid us a visit, and vouchsafed to explain the reasons of our delay. His highness also related several interesting things of Aghadez. The Sultan of that place, he says, is a descendant of one of three brothers, Shereefs, who ruled in Africa over the negro and other races. The eldest brother was Sultan of the West (Morocco); the next was Sultan of Bornou; and the third and youngest was Sultan of Aghadez in remote times. But how remote, it is impossible for En-Noor to tell, and, of course, for me to relate. I was much amazed by the predilection of En-Noor (who is not absolutely a white man) for black people. He praised Overweg, because he was getting brown and black. As for me, his highness was almost inclined to express his disgust for the whiteness of my skin. Unfortunately, I happen to be what the people call in England "very fair," except in those parts of my skin which come in direct contact with the sun. I spent the day in compiling a Haussa vocabulary, and hope to make considerable progress by the time we arrive in Damerghou.
3d.—This was my birthday, but of course it was unkept, and, indeed, almost unthought of until it was past.
En-Noor again visited us, and drank with us coffee. His highness is getting quite attached to my tent, and swears that when I return to my country I must become a great man, and be made, like himself, a governor or sultan of some country. Shall I say, Inshallah? I asked Yusuf to explain why the Sultan thought so, and I could only learn that it was the opinion which his highness had formed from my general conduct.
Being in a very happy humour to-day, the Sultan related many things of his youth; his exploits, of course, which all men relate, and which I shall likewise do, I imagine, if I live to be old. Showing us his withered fleshless arms, and taking hold of his armlets, he observed: "The time was when these armlets could not slip off. Now, see how easily they come away." He then abused me for my leanness, and admired the Taleb (Overweg), because he had more flesh on his bones. His highness also stated that he and a single man went to Damerghou and back in thirteen days, bringing a caravan of ghaseb. They never stopped on the road, but travelled day and night. This garrulous gentleman also declared he was the maker of his own fortunes—that he would not receive anything from his father. When he was young, he would take no person's advice; he did everything himself and from himself: but on the death of his father he always kept to his post as Sheikh of Tintalous, and Sultan of two towns in Soudan. He never moved this way or that way. Thus he has remained to a good old age, respected and venerated by all, whilst all his compeers have disappeared—not one remaining. He looks around for the friends and companions of his youth, and finds not one—they are all gone! Even now he allows no one in Asben to be greater than himself. Even if a Sultan presumes to lord it over him, he (En-Noor) at once knocks him down, and he is no longer Sultan in Asben. He remains, however, friends with all if he can. He never takes notice of anything which is not done under his own eyes; but when he sees a bad thing committed, he then acts—killing the wicked people, if necessary.
The opinion of his highness of women does not flatter the ladies. He recommended us never to listen to the advice of our wives; if we did, we should be lost. The women were very well to fetch water, pound ghaseb, and cook the supper, but for nothing else. He never, himself, paid any attention to what they said; they were awful talkers. His highness here touched on a tender point; for, as the reader remembers, he has been beating one of his wives shamefully lately, because he pretended he was alarmed at her continual talking—bewildered by the length of her tongue! Proceeding in his confessions, the Sultan next related wonderful stories of a wonderful maharee which he had in his youth. With this maharee he rode to Aghadez in one day. With this maharee he chased, and run down, and won gazelles, and then cooked and ate them, &c. Glorious old fellow! Our Tanelkum Mousa, however, afterwards observed, that this was kitheb, "a lie;" but that he knew a woman who could catch gazelles. Many other things of equal interest his highness related, and then left us in a good humour.
Two of our camels strayed this evening. En-Noor's people soon brought them back. Our servants are very careless, and all our mishaps are a profit to the Kailouees. We have still, however, two camels lost, and, I imagine, shall not now recover them. But I was glad to hear the news that the Sultan of Asoudee was successfully chastising all the people who on the road attacked us. He had punished the people of Azaghar and of Seloufeeat, even the son of Haj Bashaw; and the Haj himself, who was said to be our friend, because he did not look after his son. The Sultan acts quite according to my opinion, making all the principal people of Seloufeeat and other places responsible for the conduct of the poorer and lower classes. It is said that the Fadeea have fled; but others say that they have been captured, and all our property which could be found seized in the name of the Sultan of Asoudee. All the steps taken by this Sultan have been directed, more or less, by En-Noor. He can muster, it is said, two thousand warriors—for every able-bodied man fights in this country. This expedition may be useful for future travellers from Europe, but I fear we shall get back none of our property.
As a specimen of the political news strained through the brains of the people of Tuat, I may mention that the Tuatee, recently arrived here, reports that "the King of the Frenchmen has run away to England, and carried with him all the money of the French," and, moreover, that "as the French conquered Algiers by distributing large dollars to every one, and hold it by the same means, the French now having no money, must soon relinquish Algiers again to the hands of the Muslims."
4th.—The weather is getting colder and colder. The last few days have been quite chilly, with a strong wind blowing from the east. This morning it was quite uncomfortable, the thermometer having fallen for the first time to 60° at sunset. We started early, and made seven hours in a south-eastern direction. It was a nice ride; but as the day advanced we got much sunburnt. After three hours we passed on the left the little village Zouazgher. The caravan showed again very picturesquely, the burdens tumbling off from the donkeys in the most delightful confusion, and the girls squalling for help. I ate on the road some Soudan dates, as they are called by the Arabs, and found them pleasant—a sort of bitter sweet. The name of the tree and of the fruit is, in Bornou, bitu. In Haussa the tree has two names, aduwa and tinku. Our course to day was up a fine valley, down which the water in the rainy season runs from east to west. There was abundance of trees and herbage. At this place, however, lions abound, and last night a camel was eaten by them. We encamped opposite a mountain, rising pretty high in sugar-loaf shape, called Adudai. Over the carcase of the camel hovered a small flock of eagles.
A Bornouee fighi, called Mustapha, from the country Malămdi, west of Kuka, tells us he has been six months at Aghadez. According to him, the route from Aghadez to Timbuctoo is one month. It is open, and not dangerous. En-Noor, indeed, promised to send any of us by that route if we wished. There are few people on the route, and if you pay them a little money you pass unmolested. This Bornouese fighi is not equal to his brethren whom I saw in Tintalous. But I learnt from this itinerant pedagogue the interesting fact, that there are a great number of persons of his profession, all from Bornou, travelling about in Aheer. Light, therefore, is springing up from the interior, and spreading to the coast in an opposite direction to what it did in former times.
5th.—Warmer weather greeted us this morning. We stay here to-day. The place is called Tin-Tagannu, and is a large wady, full of herbage and trees. It is inhabited by a few shepherds. This place is said to have been the first of the inhabited localities in Aheer, although now shepherds only drive their flocks there; so that spots of earth have their seasons and fortunes in the Sahara as elsewhere. By the way, I must continue to call this Sahara. Although there are periodic rains, we are still without the influences of the Soudan climate, which begins at Damerghou and Zinder. At the present season no country can be more healthy than these Asbenouee valleys. I hear that nearly all the women, as well as the men, have left Tintalous, so that the town is a perfect desert. En-Noor has brought his wives and daughters, and our caravan is like the migration of the whole of the town going in quest of a new country.
A trap was set last night for the lion, but the king of beasts was too wise to be caught. En-Noor borrowed a gun of us to make this trap, which was of the following description. It was expected that the lion would come again to the carcase of the camel; so a hedge of thorns was made round the carcase with one opening, where was placed the muzzle of the gun, with a large piece of meat tied to the trigger, so that when he seized the meat he might fire off the deadly weapon against himself.
This is a fine place for doves, and Overweg shot half a dozen to-day. Our Tanelkum, Mousa, informs us of the right way of tending camels. They ought never to be tied, but allowed to roam at large. They require also to be led through the best valleys, being so far helpless in finding a good grazing-place for themselves. He showed us his camels, comparing them with ours. And certainly ours, which had their legs tied and were not guided to good herbage, could not bear comparison. But, of course, the business, the support, the riches of Mousa, are his camels. They occupy all his thoughts, and would appear, to a stranger, to be the end of his existence.
6th.—This morning at sunrise the thermometer was as low as 52° Fahrenheit. We shivered with cold.
Dr. Barth arrived early by way of Tintalous. He confirms the news that the Sultans of Aghadez and Asoudee have completely chastised all those tribes who stopped us on the road and levied black mail on us.
En-Noor paid us a visit in the morning. After shaking us all in a very friendly manner by the hands, he expressed his regret that he could not go with us now to Zinder. The country was not tranquil, and the people would not consent to his going; but if we wished to proceed immediately with his principal slave, Zangheema, he assured us we should go safely. He then left us to reflect upon what we would do. We decided, without a dissentient voice, that we could not venture to go with Zangheema, and that we must wait for En-Noor, be the time ever so long. We forwarded this decision to his highness, who seemed to receive it with satisfaction. His wife sent us word, "To be sure not to go without her husband;" a piece of advice from a lady we are anxious most religiously to respect. Dr. Overweg made an application, through Daubala and Yusuf, to go to the salt-mines of Bilma with the Kailouees. But either the applicants betrayed the thing, or En-Noor was unwilling to grant permission. Our friend, therefore, is disappointed of this most interesting geological excursion.
We are to remove a little further to the west, to a valley more convenient than this for pitching tents, and under some shelter. We still hope we shall not be obliged to await the return of the salt-caravan from Bilma (that is, a month, or forty days) before we start. Probably, when good news comes from the camp in the west we shall go on. It will be a sad trial for our patience to wait so long, after having already dallied more than two months in Tintalous.
7th.—The thermometer at sunrise stood at 51°—very cold. There are no signs yet of Zangheema's starting to Damerghou. The people, when sitting over the fire in the evening, relate jocosely that the jackals, not being able to come near the flame, and nevertheless feeling the cold very much, hold up their fore-paws, in a sitting or squatting position, in imitation of men, towards the fire, be they at ever so great a distance, and so screw up their imaginations to the belief that they are warming themselves. The language of gesticulation and signs, by the movement of different parts of the body, is quite a study in this part of the world. The most singular gesticulation, and yet the most significant, is that by which a person begs a thing. He holds the object in one hand (the left) before the owner, then gives the right hand and arm a swing round, and at last places the right hand to his bosom—the meaning of all which is, that he seeks to ascertain if the owner has any other article of the same description as that which he holds in his left hand, and whether he is willing to give it to him. When a Kailouee says a thing is good, he puts the forefinger of his right hand into the clasped palm of his left, and so, as he pronounces the thing good, nagari, he turns his imprisoned finger round within the closed left hand. When he says there are many persons, he clasps together the fingers of his left hand, and forms a good English fist, holding the hand thumb upwards. He then strikes, with the palm of his right hand, the fist of his left hand, held in that particular position. This sign also represents a more indelicate idea, and is used in the same way on the coast.
The women, from the shepherdess to the princess, of Tintalous, are as fond of the bustle as European dames; but the important difference is, it is the natural bustle which they here delight to exhibit to the admiring male population. If a woman be called to, going off to the well for water, she does not turn round to see who is calling, but immediately draws her frock tight round her form, and imparts to it a most agitated and unnatural swinging motion, to the great satisfaction of the admiring lookers-on. Thus we see how the coquettes of London and Paris meet at opposite poles with these of the Sahara and Central Africa.
Additional applications were made to En-Noor by my colleagues, to go respectively to Bilma and to Zinder—Dr. Barth wishing to go on with Zangheema—but without effect. The old Sheikh remained firm in his refusals: Zangheema, however, was the first to start objections to Barth's accompanying him. As to Overweg, we think he lost his opportunity by not treating directly with En-Noor, instead of Hamma his son-in-law. His highness will do nothing extra for us unless paid.
8th.—We rose early, and found a large portion of the caravan destined for Zinder already gone. This is very tiresome to see the people starting with whom you were to have gone, and to know that you have still thirty or forty days to wait; and as for expenses, living at almost as dear a rate as in Tripoli. Our boat has gone with the caravan.
Hereabouts grow a great quantity of wild water-melons, delaâah. They are very small and bitter, but the people, nevertheless, eat them occasionally. If cultivated they would, of course, soon yield an excellent supply. Barth represents the road between this and Aghadez as very woody, and also that the country is everywhere mountainous. Baghzem is not high, but is, nevertheless, a very large mountain, seen several days' journey. The high plains without water are also covered with trees. I hear, also, that the road between this and Damerghou is exceedingly woody, and the trees of "the scratching or rending description," like the tholukh. Aheer also abounds in senna.
Yusuf says that all the people of Soudan are red, with the exception of the inhabitants of Tesaoua, Kanou, Kashna, and Maradee.
Barth represents Gouber as stronger than ever, and united in alliance with Maradee against the Sultan of Sakkatou. He has written all the towns. Gouber appears amongst the towns described by Leo Africanus.
9th.—This morning En-Noor paid us a visit, to tell us to move after him in the wady near, under the shade of the trees. His highness was very polite and friendly, as he has now been for some time past.
The weather continues cold—thermometer, 49° at sunrise in the air. This cold weather ought to strengthen or restore our health. It certainly would do us good, much good, if we could get meat and soups.
I sent on our boat yesterday to Zinder, with three of our servants, together with some other heavy baggage. I was occupied to-day in compiling the Haussa dictionary. Kashna is represented to be the fountain of the Haussa language, the Florence of Soudan. Kanou is a place of foreigners, and the language of the city must be much corrupted. According to En-Noor, Kal, in the names Kalfadaï, Kaltadak, Kilgris, and Kailouee, signifies country. There are to be added to the zoology of this country the monkey and the mohur, or fine large gazelle, as large as a deer, called in Haussa măráiă. We already find great differences in the pronunciation of the Haussa language, but especially in the following letters:—sh is confounded with ch or tch, l with r, and r with l, o with u, &c. Letters are also frequently unnecessarily doubled. These differences, however, will never much affect the conversation, when the parties are well agreed upon what subject they are conversing.
10th.—This morning we are removing to the shade of the trees, near En-Noor. Dr. Barth describes the Kilgris as very fine, tall men, and much lighter in complexion than the Kailouees: they dress very simply, having only the black turkadee on their heads, having neither a bakin zakee under it, nor any white shash, or fotah, to wind upon it, in the fashion of the Kailouees. They are, like all these tribes, very proud, and nourish a deadly enmity towards the Kailouees, of whom they take precedence in Aghadez. Barth gave away a black-lead pencil in Aghadez, and afterwards everybody came to ask him for one. A person got one pencil, and begged another, saying, "the two would last him his whole life."
11th.—The weather is increasingly cold in the morning; three-quarters of an hour after sunrise the thermometer was 45° in open air.
His highness vouchsafed this day to sleep in my tent, and yesterday he did the Germans the honour of slaughtering lice in theirs. It is a grand piece of etiquette in this country, that every man has the privilege of murdering his own lice. If you pick a louse off a man's sleeve, you must deliver it up instantly to him to be murdered, as his undoubted right and privilege.
The Sultan of Aghadez has returned from his razzia against the people of Seloufeeat, of Azgher, and the Kalfadaï. Those whom he caught he chastised: but most of the Fadeea fled. I register these varying reports, because they show the state of uncertainty in which we were always kept, now hearing one thing, now another. But the true state of the case seems to be, that though the great Koku of Aghadez did take the field for a razzia, the actual operations were conducted by the Sultan of Asoudee. It must be remembered, however, that with their maharees these desert-princes can march to and fro with surprising rapidity, and that rumour finds it difficult to follow their footsteps. En-Noor now thinks the country sufficiently tranquil to move on two days further. He says he shall do so in the course of fifteen days.
12th.—His highness paid me a visit as usual, and I gave him a box containing a looking-glass, with a lid, on which is painted a draught-board, for the wife of his highness, who recommended us not to leave En-Noor, but continue with him until he carried us safely to Zinder. His highness expressed great satisfaction for the present; and when I told him to take care it was not broken, he observed: "I will take especial care of this thing, because there is none like it in this country, and it cannot be repaired." He told us also that his ladies could play at draughts. I gave him, besides, a piece of green silk for a shade for his eyes. He went off immediately, gratified with these little presents.
The weather is very pleasant for the study of languages, but the days are too short and the nights are too long. Nevertheless, I sleep nearly all night this cold weather.
13th.—Thermometer at sunrise in the open air was 41° 30' Fahr., so that the cold increases, this being the lowest which I have yet taken. The Germans have had a deal of trouble with Mohammed of Tunis; they would send him back, but there is no opportunity of doing so.
Máguzáwa and Azna are the names of the pagan nations of Soudan, denoting the same people, and not different races. The names answer to the word Kurdi, in Bornou. These pagans say, in derision of the Muslims, when it rains, "Allah must have a large belly," that so much water falls from him.
En-Noor describes pagans of Maradee drinking large quantities of gia (beer, or fermented liquor).
This evening a Gadamsee arrived at the tents, bringing two or three slaves from Damerghou. He says the news of our arrival had already reached Damerghou—that it was reported there that the Sultan of Aghadez had given Barth a black tobe; not, by any means, a bad rumour. He sends his slaves to Ghât from this place, and returns immediately to Damerghou, taking letters for us to Zinder.
CHAPTER VI.
Medicine for Bad Eyes—A summary Proceeding—News from the Salt-Caravan—Towns and Villages of Tesaoua—Earthquakes—Presents for the Sultan of Maradee—Yusuf's Insolence—English Money in Aheer—A Razzia on the Holy City—Bornouese Studies—Gipsies of Soudan—En-Noor and the Marabouts—Ghaseb—State of the Weather—Calculations for the Future—Senna—Relations of Man and Wife in Aheer—En-Noor in his Family—Gouber and Maradee—Beer-drinking—Study of the Sau—Shara—The Oulimad—Lions—Translating Jokes—Digging a Well—Projects.
Nov. 14th.—I wrote this morning, by the slaves going to Ghât, to Mr. Bidwell and my wife. En-Noor paid us a visit in the afternoon, and was exceedingly civil. He promises me letters for Sakkatou, and to forward Overweg to Maradee.
Our servant shot a large vulture to-day. En-Noor having bad eyes, ordered the eyes of this bird of prey to be scooped out for a medicine. This is not the first time that I have heard of the various parts of animals being eaten, or otherwise used, to cure or strengthen the corresponding parts in human beings. It seems to be an idea natural to people in a rude or semi-barbarous state.
En-Noor related a pretty anecdote of himself and his younger days in our tent to-day. After saying, that formerly the Asbenouee people were the only folks considered bad in these parts, he observed, that now he himself and the Asbenouee were certainly much improved in their manners and dispositions; "for," added he, "there were once four fighis (charm-writers) who employed people to speak against me, and bring me into disrepute. What did I do? I called them to me, gave them fine presents of burnouses and a great supper, with an apartment in which to pass the night. But when they were fast asleep I dug a large hole, fetched them all out of the room, killed them, and covered them up in the hole. Now, however," continued his highness, "we do not go so far as this, but content ourselves with taking away an enemy's camels."
15th.—Weather cold this morning. Thermometer at sunrise, 43°. I hang the thermometer on the tent-ropes, just outside, at about a foot from the ground.
Hamma (son-in-law of En-Noor) returned this morning from the salt-caravan. He marked on the sand that the caravan would be thirty-five days before it returned; so, I imagine, we have still from this time some thirty days to wait here. He left the caravan on its entering the Hamadah, between this and Bilma.