Hamma, the son-in-law of En-Noor, is not to go with us, on account of the quarrels with the Kalfadaï and the Kaltadak. He is exceedingly disappointed, for it deprives him of making anything for himself in Haussa; and En-Noor keeps him very poor indeed, as his highness does everybody about him.
The salt-caravan is the affair of life and death for Aheer; and the reason is now clear to me why it is that En-Noor goes every year with it, and directs and superintends its movements. This is the greatest service he can render to his country, and the Kailouees generally. Without this salt the population of Aheer would soon all perish, or emigrate to Soudan. The other commerce of the country could not suffice for the support of the inhabitants.
27th.—We had a visit from the people of the country before starting; they appear to be a fine race of men, whiter than most of the Kailouees, and nearly all tall. In these nomade districts the weakly children generally die off, leaving only the robust. We journeyed on southwards five hours, through wadys formed by the force of the waters, gradually approaching the great Hamadah. The doom now disappeared, and most of the trees dependent on much water; for here the wadys are all shallow. Footmarks of the ostrich, gazelle, hare, habara, and some other interesting animals, cover this portion of the desert. The gazelles have more room, and the ostriches also. The former, besides, are out of the way of the lion; for this beast seldom pursues its prey across the desert plains.
People say we shall see many animals in the Hamadah, because the lion does not come there. A large gazelle was taken this evening by some of the caravan.
A few locusts and many fine butterflies were busy about. We are encamped at a place called Agalgo, or Agallegu. There is a well at the distance of an hour; so that the number of days during which no water is found is reduced to three: but this water is a sort of collection from the rain remaining beyond its time, and is not always found.
We are now on the edge of the plateau. En-Noor said to-day, "There are five thousand camels with us;" but I question whether there be more than two thousand. It is of great importance to ascertain this, for thus only the force of the country may be estimated. We are now said to be eight days from Damerghou.
The Sultan of Asoudee has detained many of En-Noor's young people, to protect the country in case there be any troubles with the Kalfadaï.
Several pieces of scoria, or lava, were found on the road, showing a district here once to have had active volcanoes. The granite begins to disappear, to be replaced by sandstone. This sandstone, generally, according to Overweg, forms plateaux; whereas granite is found in rocks and ridges in the midst of valleys.
28th.—We started early. The camels move on at the beginning of their day's work to the beating of the kanga, or drum. We have two or three drums, but the drummers have little skill, and the beating is always the same monotonous sound. Our course varied from S.E. to S.W., but lay always southward, through shallow valleys, or low, indented, or scooped-out plains; the whole country being what the people call hamadah, or plateau. All the large trees have disappeared with the doom-palm. Nevertheless there are everywhere the marks of water. Yet the rain cannot fall here so much as in the mountainous regions which we have left behind, for it is high ground only which brings down the rain in Africa; except, indeed, near the equator. As yesterday, the sand and soft earth are covered with the footmarks of gazelles, ostriches, the habara, and even the giraffe. The people, in fact, say we shall see the giraffe before we arrive at Damerghou. But of these animals, who have left thus the impression of their feet on the sand, we saw not one. Indeed it is quite a matter of luck to fall in with animals in the desert. I have seen but very few. My colleagues have both encountered lions and monkeys, neither of which have I seen.
We have come to-day seven hours and a-half, a very good march for En-Noor. The nights are cold enough; there is also a fresh breeze, generally from north-east, every day: nevertheless, the sun burns hot. The sky has always now a few clouds, and the atmosphere is a little thick and misty. We have with us various queer characters; amongst the rest, a fellow who boasts of his having killed many people with poisoned arrows. When I come near him I always attack him, not, indeed, with his favourite weapon, but with irony. I tell him, "Ah! poisoned arrows kill many people.—What matters it?—There is no God" (looking up, and saying Babo Allah!) This has had its effect once or twice, and he has confessed it is not so very fine to kill people with poisoned arrows.