Friday, 25th.—Morning clear and fair; gave the head man ten gora nuts, and my landlord ten, and started at 7.10 A.M. The country cultivated only in parts; saw several large herds of very fine cattle belonging to the Fellatas. They follow the cry of the herdsman, which is ah hea hay! in a soft but shrill cry, and the cattle, lowing, follow the sound. At ten passed a walled town called Kiawa; and at noon another walled town called Gagai. At this last town the land was all in cultivation. Formerly, when Duntungwa was living, they durst not stir out of their towns; now he is dead, and his son submitted to Bello, every one tries who can plant the most. At 2 P.M. arrived and halted at a walled town called Gongodi, where I was provided with a house. The walls of this town are also falling to pieces. All the spare places were planted with millet and doura. A plentiful market was holden outside of the town. In the shady tree close to the house in which I lived were birds, a little larger than our sparrows, with a jet-black head, and a bright yellow in the neck, breast, belly, and under the wings, and the back a dusky green; chirped just like the sparrow: hundreds were building their nests in this and the other trees, which they do at the extreme branches or twigs, and are sown together with leaves; the nests are platted with grass, and have their entrance at the bottom. Both male and female work at the nest, and they lay about six or seven eggs. During this season they are very busy, and keep up a constant chirruping and flutter under their nests and about the trees.
Saturday, 26th.—Last evening I had a long and severe fit of the ague, which continued on me until daylight. In the morning it came on to rain, thunder, and lighten, which continued until near noon, when it cleared up. I had the camels loaded, giving the head man of the town twenty-seven gora nuts, as he had sent me a young sheep, plenty of milk, and corn for my horse. Left Gongodi; the path winding through plantations of millet, doura, cotton, and indigo here and there dispersed in the woods. Crossed a small river, and several streams whose courses were to the eastward. The soil a red clay mixed with sand, and only scraps of rock, of clay ironstone, and large blocks of granite. The water from the leaves of the trees made us all wet, and one time I had nearly lost my eye by the branch of a tree while looking at my compass; as it was, I got my face badly torn. At 2.30 P.M. it came on to rain, and being close to the town of Koki, I halted for the night. The walls of this town are also falling to decay; but I observe with pleasure that as the walls have fallen the houses appear to have increased. I was provided with as good a house as the place afforded, and was plentifully supplied with provisions.
Sunday, 27th.—Clear morning, with light flying clouds. At 6.30 A.M. left Koki. I gave the head man thirty gora nuts, as he had given me a plentiful supply of milk, and millet for my horse and camel. The road was excessively wet, being nearly every step midleg deep, and very slippery. The decayed ant-hills not being seen, the camels several times sunk up to their bellies, when they had to be unloaded. I constantly rode behind them, both for the safety of myself and horse, as also to render that assistance and encouragement to my servants which was necessary, who certainly suffered much, having to wade by the side of the camels the whole way. Thank God! not one fell sick, or uttered the least complaint. I sent the Kano messenger on a-head, as I heard the gadado was on his way to Kano, and only a day or two distant from me, to request he would detain the governor of Adamowa until my arrival, as that person had only left Kano a few days before me with his retinue; and, in the event of my joining him, I should not have any occasion to wait at the town of Torri for an escort to conduct me through the woods of Goudami. At 11.30 passed the town of Duncamie; after which the roads were the worst I have ever seen, or rather, in fact, there were no roads at all. Every where the surface was a swamp, the men sometimes up to their middles in water for half an hour at a time; the path leading through fields of millet and doura. Thus the road continued until 5.30, when it came on to rain, thunder, and lighten. My servants stripped to the buff, and put their shirts under the hides that covered the baggage, to preserve them dry until they halted. I got wet to the skin, yet had a burning thirst—at times hardly able to sit on horseback, until relieved by vomiting. I would gladly have lain down any where, but there was not a spot clear of water. In this condition myself, my men, and animals continued until 6.30 P.M. when I arrived, and halted at the town of Jaza, in the province of Kashna, where I lay down by a fire in the house of the head man of the town, after being assisted off my horse. At no time am I possessed of a sweet and passive temper, and when the ague is coming on me it is a little worse. The head man made a great many difficulties; I gave it to him in all the Houssa language I possessed; but it was all lost on him. These Kashna bears are rude, and though they pride themselves on being the most polite and the best in Houssa, calling all the rest infidels. He, to make up the peace, left me in possession of the house, and ordered his servants to get food for my people, horse, and camels. I suffered severely during the night with ague and cramp.
Monday, 28th.—Morning clear. As I did not intend starting early, on account of last night’s illness and the people getting the wet things dry, at ten the governor of Kano’s messenger arrived, whom I had sent to the Gadado, with a request from him that I would stop for the day and he would meet me, as he intended halting at Jaza. At 11 A.M. the Gadado arrived, with a numerous train of attendants on horseback and on foot. The horsemen armed with spears, swords, and shields; the foot with swords, bows, and arrows. The women were behind; some riding on horseback a-straddle, some on camels, others, less fortunate, were walking, and carrying the gourds and kitchen utensils. As he passed my house I went out to see him: he had four long trumpets and a pipe, like the pipe of a bagpipe, and two drums before him. When he came up he dismounted, and taking me by the hand, we walked, hand in hand, to the house prepared for him. He inquired kindly after my health, and how I had found my friends in England; said Bello had received my letter from Koolfu, in Nyffé, and had sent a messenger there to bring me up: he said he had never received my letter from Bornou appointing where his messengers were to meet me on the coast, neither had he received the one sent from Katagum. The Gadado advised me to return to Kano with him, as the roads were so very bad ahead; that to such a small party as mine it would be impossible to get through; that he would have sent to the governor of Adamowa, but he was already five days’ journey ahead of me, and no messenger could overtake him before he got to Soccatoo; that it would be better both for my health and comfort to go and return with him after the rains, and that I should want for nothing. I said I would take his advice, as, from my own ill health and the badness of the roads, I saw we should soon be all knocked up, both man and beast. I had a plentiful supply of every thing.
Wednesday, Oct. 11th.—Last night my horse died, and this morning I lost my pocket journal and remark book[1], spectacles, inkhorn, and pens, &c., which my servant had laid on the saddle outside the door of my hut, ready for me when I came out. The person in whose house I had lodged while at Baebaegie I had permitted to remain in the same enclosure; and my servant at once accused him and his men of the theft. I was desirous of searching them, but they made off the moment that the theft was discovered.
At 7 A.M. I proceeded on my journey, passed through a large village, and several times crossed the river which I have frequently before mentioned as coming from the granite hills, to the south of Kashna;—it here winds beautifully, with steep and high-wooded banks, sometimes composed of rock, and sometimes a mixture of clay and rock. My camels I could hardly get along, as they were nearly worn out with sores and fatigue. The country around Zurmie is well cultivated, and planted with millet, Indian corn, and dourra. The villages are numerous, the soil a light red clay, mixed with small crumbling rocks scattered over the surface, which is generally covered with a thin layer of sand.
The army has now increased to a large size, the forces of Zurmie and Jaroba having joined, the roads on every side crowded with horse and foot, camels, bullocks, and asses, all striving who shall get foremost. Some of the people of Zurmie are entirely naked, save only tanned sheep skin bound round the loins, cut into tassels, and ornamented with cowries, their woolly hair cut in parts or shaved, the rest plaited and formed into crests, circles, &c. Some have it drawn out, and hanging in shaggy ringlets, which gives them a wild and savage appearance.
About noon, arrived and halted at Quarrie, and immediately waited on the Gadado, to inform him of the robbery, and by whom I had every reason to suspect it was committed. He promised to send off to the governor of Kano, and to desire him to have the people of Baebaegie searched; and there was little doubt but that I would have my books restored.
By the assistance of one of the Gadado’s principal officers and a near relation, I hired a bullock to carry my baggage to Soccatoo for 5000 cowries; as, after the load had been removed from the back of the camel that was worn out, the poor creature was unable to rise, and was in consequence killed, and the carcass distributed among the poor.
Thursday, 12th.—Morning clear. Having waited in vain for the stolen property until mid-day, I then started, and found that the bullock which had been hired for me was miserably thin, and had the itch very bad; and that if offered for sale, it would not have brought me more than 3 or 4000 cowries.