After leaving Quarrie, the road lay through plantations of millet and dourra. Passed through several villages and one walled town, also called Quarrie; crossed the river Foutchir, at a ford about four feet deep. The river was upwards of one hundred yards broad, and full of water, with a current of about two and a half or three miles an hour; the banks low, sandy, and woody; and here it is close to its junction with the river Quarrie, which is on our right, running to the north. We travelled along its banks for an hour; and after leaving it, the country became a succession of sandy ridges and swamps, and thick woods, the principal trees of which were the acacia and a mimosa. Both my bullocks and camel were fairly exhausted; and I had to wait until these animals had got some rest, and until the heat of the day was over: the poor camel was unable to move.
At sunset, no assistance arriving from the Gadado, and no messenger with my lost books, I hired five of the footmen belonging to Zamfra, to carry the camel’s load for 2000 cowries, as far as the camp; and the exhausted camel I left to its fate. We had not proceeded far, however, before a messenger arrived from the Gadado with a camel, when the loads were taken from the bearers by force, by the Gadado’s messenger; but I gave them 500 cowries for their assistance, and they were well pleased, and returned me many thanks. My servants had carried the greater part of the bullock’s load on their heads all day; and I could not but admire their patience, as their only food in the morning was a little ground dourra and water; and of this I was also obliged to partake.
It was 9 P.M. before we arrived at the camp, which was by the side of a lake. I sent my present to the Gadado, to carry on his camels, as all that was now left me was a bullock with the itch, which we could hardly drive along, with only the tent, my servants carrying the rest. All that I had to eat was a little ground Indian corn, boiled with salt and water; and I slept in the open air.
The governors of the several provinces had each a singing or crying man, in addition to the drums and horses. The one of Zegzeg was the most disgusting, being a large black man, mounted on horseback, with an unshaven head, roaring out like a person in great agony, and every now and then screaming out as loud as he could bawl, and calling me a Kaffir, threatening to eat me. In the morning, at an early hour, I left our place of encampment; and ascending a gravelly ridge, I had an extensive view to the west and south-west, over the extensive plains and swamps of Gondamie. The soil on the ridge was a red clay and gravel, the trees low and stunted. At noon, halted for the bullock to rest; and at 1 P.M. got him to move on again. At 5 P.M. halted on the borders of a large lake, which is formed by the rivers Zurmie and Zarrie—or, more properly speaking, a chain of lakes and swamps, extending through all, or the greater part of, the plains of Gondamie, approaching nearly to Soccatoo. The borders of these lakes are the resort of numbers of elephants and other wild beasts. The appearance at this season, and at the spot where I saw it, was very beautiful; all the acacia trees were in blossom, some with white flowers, others with yellow, forming a contrast with the small dusky leaves, like gold and silver tassels on a cloak of dark green velvet. I observed some fine large fish leaping in the lake. Some of the troops were bathing; others watering their horses, bullocks, camels, and asses: the lake as smooth as glass, and flowing around the roots of the trees. The sun, on its approach to the horizon, throws the shadows of the flowery acacias along its surface, like sheets of burnished gold and silver. The smoking fires on its banks, the sounding of horns, the beating of their gongs or drums, the braying of their brass and tin trumpets, the rude huts of grass or branches of trees rising as if by magic, every where the calls on the names of Mahomed, Abdo, Mustafa, &c., with the neighing of horses and the braying of asses, gave animation to the beautiful scenery of the lake, and its sloping green and woody banks.
The only regulation that appears in these rude feudal armies is, that they take up their ground according to the situation of the provinces, east, west, north, or south; but all are otherwise huddled together, without the least regularity. The man next in rank to the governor of each province has his tent placed nearest to him, and so on. I always found out my quarters, which were close to the Gadado, by inquiring what province the people belonged to.
In the evening, the governor sent me a present of a sheep, and directly afterwards ordered a musquet to be brought to me, that I might put a screw to its lock; and on my declaring that I had no screws, and could not make one, his people went off rather dissatisfied, and shortly afterwards I missed my powder horn, which was hanging, with my gun and sword, to the branch of a tree: the rascals had stolen it.
I now was informed, for the first time, by the Gadado, that before we went to Soccatoo, we should have to go by Coonia, the capital of Goobur, near which the sultan Bello was then encamped, with the forces from Soccatoo; and which place they intended to take before they returned to Soccatoo. The Kano troops are considered to be the best, and found to be more orderly than any of the others, but, on the whole, they are the poorest, and the most inefficient I ever saw, or could have imagined.
Saturday, 14th.—Morning cool and clear, but a heavy dew had made me quite wet and chilly. At 5.40 A.M. left our encampment, the path generally skirting along the banks of the lake. Saw the traces of elephants every where, and last night the lions were roaring close to the camp. The heat of the sun from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon was the most oppressive I had ever felt it; and the dust raised by the number of men, and animals all pressing forward as hard as they could, made the air at times quite suffocating; and now that we are supposed to be surrounded by enemies, it is who shall be foremost: no halting is allowed. My servant, with a load on his head, was obliged to lead on the fatigued bullock; and I, with another servant, managed to drive it along at a quick pace, but not without incessant beating, which, in a country like ours, famed for its humanity, would have appeared extreme cruelty; but a man will do many things here in Africa, that his humanity would revolt at in our more happy country.
At 4.40 P.M. halted along with the camp, fatigued and low-spirited; for what with the loss of my horse and camel, and what is still worse than all, my books and journal, leaving me only some loose paper and a pencil; when I beheld my servants carrying loads on their heads, and myself assisting and encouraging them to drive beyond its speed a poor scabbed and worn out bullock along the road; and when I have no prospect before me, but to subsist on water and boiled Indian corn, I cannot but feel a disposition to despond; but I trust things are now at the worst. Our place of halting was on the banks of a creek branching from the lake, very low and wet. My consolation is, that Bello is not at a great distance from us, and has sent to-day to ask after my health, and how I stood the fatigues of the journey.
Sunday, 15th.—Morning clear. At 5.45 left our encampment, and at 9 arrived at a spot in the swampy wood where a stream of water was running through it. We had to cross this stream, which was about twenty yards in width, the banks steep, and water deep, appearing as if it had been artificially cut for a canal. We crossed it without accident, though many of the party, with their camels, bullocks, horses, and baggage, crowding together, were seen sticking in groups in the boggy swamp. I had not gone many paces on the other side before my horse sunk to the belly; and as I did not immediately dismount, thinking to ride him through, I got severely hurt on the pommel of the saddle, by his plunging. At last I got off, put the saddle on my head, and got him to a firmer spot under a tree; close to which, I found my servants endeavouring to drag the bullock out of the place where he also had sunk. I sat as a guard over my baggage; but all the exertions of my people could not get the poor ox out, and I called them off to rest, sending one to the camp for assistance.