All the traders speak of slaves as farmers do of cattle. Those recently brought from the interior were fattening, in order that they might be able to go on to Tripoli, Benghazi, or Egypt: thus a distance of 1600 or 1800 miles is to be traversed, from the time these poor creatures are taken from their homes, before they can be settled; whilst in the Interior they may, perhaps, be doomed to pass through the hands of eight or ten masters, who treat them well or ill, according to their pleasure. These devoted victims fondly hoping that each new purchaser may be the last, find perhaps that they have again to commence a journey equally long and dreary with the one they have just finished, under a burning sun, with new companions, but with the same miseries.
The females are always considered as bearing fatigue much better than the males; perhaps because their small allowance of food and water more easily suffices them. I have always observed that the men were more miserable in their appearance, and walked with more difficulty than the women.
Having been enabled to collect a great deal of information from Bornou traders, respecting that country, I shall here detail it; but I have to request my readers to bear in mind, that I only report what I have heard, and refrain from giving any opinion as to the Course of the Niger, having so often found how little the accounts concerning it are to be credited. I certainly have formed my own conjectures; but may be mistaken, as better theorists than myself have been, on that most interesting subject.
COUNTRY OF BORNOU,
AS COLLECTED FROM TRADERS.
| Bornou Language. | |
| One | Teelo |
| Two | Andee |
| Three | Yaskoo |
| Four | Daigoo |
| Five | Oogoo |
| Six | Araskoo |
| Seven | Tuller |
| Eight | Oskoo |
| Nine | Lekār |
| Ten | Maigoo |
| Twenty | Maigoo lata Maigoo |
| Hundred | Jarroo |
| Man | Kooa |
| Woman | Mata |
| Father | Abbah |
| Mother | Yany |
| Head | Kela |
| Eyes | Shim |
| Nose | Kensha |
| Hair | Kondoly |
| Teeth | Timmi |
| Belly | Soro |
| Hand | Moskoo |
| Foot | Shie |
| Blood | Boo |
| Day | Koo |
| Night | Booné |
| Sleep | Koonem |
| Dead | Nowy |
| White | Bull |
| Black | Tsellm |
| Sun | Koo |
| Moon | Kengāl |
| Stars | Shilluga |
| Stone | Kow |
| Good | Unglla |
| Fire | Kanno |
| Water | Ankee |
| Earth | Shiddi |
| Bird | Ongoodo |
| Egg | Engoôbble |
| Fish | Boney |
| Camel | Kalgāmoo |
| Cow | Faï |
| God | Allah الله |
Bornou is a large tract of country, 40 days’ journey, or about 700 miles, south of Fezzan. It is bounded on the east by Baghermi, on the west by Kano كنّو, and to the northward by Kanem. Few traders ever go due south of Bornou, and are therefore unable to speak of the countries in that direction. There are many contradictions respecting the principal town, called Birnie برني; or more properly, Birnie Jedeed or new Birnie, to distinguish it from another town, called Gedeem or old.
These towns are five days east and west of each other, and the River Tsād runs near them both. The old town is the most to the westward, and is now nearly forsaken. In consequence of its vicinity to the Fellāta, who were masters of Soudan, it was constantly exposed to Ghrazzies, or incursions for the purpose of carrying off the natives; and even single inhabitants were often seized and dragged from their labour by small marauding parties, who lay in ambush for them. It was therefore determined about eight years since, to build a new town more in the centre of their country, and to forsake what had been their capital from the earliest times in which they were known.
Thus it is that the accounts received are often materially different: those who have visited the old town, giving their distances from it, whilst more recent traders speak only of the new one. All the distances I have laid down are from the last.
From Birnie to Baghermi is ten days to the borders, S.E. Looggan, a town of Bornou, is half way, or five days; and the Tsād runs past it, across the road, in such a way, that those going to Baghermi must necessarily pass it. This river runs from S.W. to N.E. is of great breadth, and is crossed by heavy goods being carried on rafts, floated on large gourds, which are impelled forward by swimmers, who hold or push with one hand whilst they strike with the other. Smaller rafts are used to carry four or five men, or some light goods; these, according to my informants, are formed with cross spars and gourds. The men sit astride on this machine, having their legs in the water, and so propel themselves forward with their hands and feet. A lighter vehicle is used for one man, and is merely a spar on two flat gourds, carried on by paddling with the feet and a small oar.
