Taking Gusumana as a centre, we have around it several towns and villages. Thisi, one hour west; Gajemmi, one long day north-west; Parum, one hour east-south-east; Kadellebua, two hours south-west; Garua, one hour east; Gogora, two hours east; and, finally, in our road, Kanggarua, two days south-east. The town of Gajemmi is inhabited by the tribe of Duggera; but the Kaïd of this village pretends they are not Tuaricks. He means, probably, not the same as the Tuaricks of Ashen. It is quite clear that these Daggera inhabit all the northern line of Bornou, from Zinder to Kuka; skirting, in fact, all the left of our route. They join the Damerghou territory, and thus extend from that province west to Kanem, and the route of Bornou east. The Tuaricks are ever located on the confines of the desert. Here they roam free, and rob and plunder where they have opportunity, or when the princes of Bornou and Soudan cannot check them.
Our people gnaw the doom fruit, but it is just like gnawing the bark of a tree, slightly flavoured with some aroma. They begin to eat them from childhood, and so keep on, as the gour-nuts are chewed by children; and so the taste is sucked in with their mother's milk. The gour-nut, however, is something, whilst the doom fruit is mere wood. The tree, nevertheless, is green, and in waving forests delightfully relieves this hot, burning, African landscape.
The portion of the caravan consisting of bullocks is always much later than the rest; to-day they were four hours after us. I consider that the hours we now go are at least two and a-half or three English miles in length, as we advance at a speed quite equal to a horse walking at a good pace; nay, I might say, some hours we make three and a-half English miles.
The following are the names of the brothers of the Sultan of Sakkatou, obtained from my Fellatah informant of Gurai. A difference of pronunciation will be observed in the Arab names, as they are transmitted through the Fellatah language. Aliu (for Ali), name of the Sultan himself and one of his brothers; Mallaidi; Amadu (Ahmed), Omeru (Omer, two of this name), Mahammedu (Mahammed), Mogari; Amadu Bedai; Alhattu; Moho; Isa (two of this name); Amadu el-Fai; Musa; Abd-el-Kaderi, and Abd-el-Walli. These are the names of all the brothers which he has heard. The first minister is called Galladima. The Kadi is El-Hali el-Haj; Inna is the generalissimo; Mohammed Wuddeggen, Muddebri Ali, Bu Beker, Manuri, and Gudundi, are names of other grandees and generals. The horse-dealer speaks of them with great familiarity, for he sells to them all. His own country is called Kabi, situated to the south-west of Sakkatou. He gave me the particulars of the route.[23]
21st.—This morning the weather was cool, the thermometer standing at 56°, with a fresh wind. We had a visit early from the Kadi. I asked him why he did not plant date-trees in the fine valley under the village. He replied, "From whence shall I procure them?" I answered, "From Tungari (a place west, three days distant)." At this he looked very stupid. These Minyo negroes have no idea of improving their condition. His reply may serve for all the country hereabouts.
Minyo and its large province is called by its aboriginal names Manga. It extends south-east to a river, on the other side of which begins Bornou Proper. But the people of Manga speak the same language as the Bornouese. Zinder belongs to the circle of Soudan, and its province is called Damagram.
Mohammed, my interpreter, pretends he saw elephants to-day at a considerable distance, looking like black trees. Probably to-morrow we may fall in with some animals worth seeing. I observed two or three swallows, the first this year. We stop here to-day to rest. The animals are knocked up, and the Kashalla has lost a horse.
It is from this Manga province that many of the villages of Damerghou are populated. Formerly the Tuaricks of that province made razzias on these out-lying provinces, with the produce of which they increased the number of their subjects.