Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51 Volume I Part 12

I wrote up my journal to-day, and am in good health. My spirits are a little soured, nay, exasperated into activity by these constant troubles. It is very hot now. I have hit upon a happy contrivance for keeping out the sun from my tent. I lay my carpet on the sandy floor of my tent, and with my table and the frame of my bed I make a wooden covering over. On the top I place my mattress and thick blankets, I then lay myself down underneath; and am perfectly protected from the sun above, whilst the cool breeze enters at the bottom of the tent. There is, then, not a person in the caravan who suffers so little from the heat as I do, I recommend the plan to travellers.

These last four days we have made immense progress towards Aheer--I mean, its inhabited districts.

Wednesday 12-1/2 hours 31 miles.

Thursday 13 " 32-1/2 "

Friday 14 " 35 "

Friday night to Sat.u.r.day morning 9 " 22-1/2 "

------- At 2-1/2 miles an hour 121 miles.

Sometimes, however, the camels went at least three miles an hour. We have come, indeed, about 130 miles, and nearly all south; which has brought us so much more within the influence of the climate of Soudan.

On the third day, at noon, the granite region disappeared, and we have now sandstone again.

Some of our servants have begun to feel uneasy, and are becoming troublesome, in consequence of these constant alarms of Haghar. To do the free blacks justice, they behave well. Yusuf is getting out of temper, and somewhat changed in manner. He is annoyed at seeing me not place so much confidence in him as at first; I have reason to be dissatisfied with his carelessness. Mahommed of Tunis is a good servant, but at times impertinent.

I am getting rather more accustomed to our Kailouee companions. They are dressed in most respects like the Tuaricks, but seem to take pride in loading themselves with a luxury of weapons. To see one of them running after a camel is really a ludicrous sight: bow, arrows, sword, gun, pistols, dagger, stick out in all directions, and it is hard to imagine how they would behave in the midst of this a.r.s.enal if attacked. The chief of them is En-Noor, a person of mild and good manners--quite a gentleman, in fact. He is a man of light complexion; but his two companions are dark as thorough negroes. These individuals, Dedee and Feraghe by name, are great beggars, and by no means scrupulous in their conduct. I steadily resist their demands. En-Noor manages to preserve his dignity by their side. He tells me he will go along with us as far as Zinder. The Kailouees have some servants with them, very good-humoured black fellows. Of the Tanelk.u.ms I know little; but Haj Omer, who will accompany us to Kanou, seems a man of courage and tact.

There are two or three venerable old men amongst these Tuaricks, together with some young ones. They all feel the civilising effect of visiting Mourzuk. Certainly this people could do much, if they pleased, for the civilisation of Africa; but at present they are actively engaged in drawing out of the unfortunate central countries the capital requisite to maintain even their existence. Of Boro, the sheikh of Aghadez, I cannot yet venture an opinion. They say, he spoke sharply against Hateetah and Wataitee.

To return to the Kailouees. I imagine they must resemble all the men we shall find in the interior, in one respect--the love of women. They are eloquent in describing the beauties of the cities of Soudan--eloquent, I mean, in their sensual style, of which I cannot venture to give a specimen. The Tanelk.u.ms, children of the desert, are, like the Haghars, far less sensual in their imaginations, and indulge less in amorous conversation. There are some comely women-slaves in the caravan, but most of them are very plain. They have in general negro features, but a few are light in complexion. Their clothing is poor, without any attempt at finery; but when they have prepared the food of their masters they take their shares freely. They walk well on the road when necessary, and being light and slightly made, do not appear to suffer from fatigue.

As a rule, all these women are modest and decorous in behaviour, and are treated with considerable respect. No master interferes with the slaves of another, and most of them are permitted in their turn to ride. A poor creature belonging to a Tuatee, however, is forced always to trudge on foot, although its master often takes a lift himself. Two of the women have infants in their arms--little things, as knowing, to all appearance, as those that can run. These mothers, with their children, are treated with great tenderness and care.

Some of the merchants had as many as three female slaves a-piece; but it is to be observed, that they are mere girls. The Africans who can afford to indulge their tastes, abhor women of any age. All their slaves are of tender years. The older these gentlemen get, the younger they require their concubines to be. An aged sinner of Aghadez had a mere child with him. En-Noor is said to have half-a-dozen stout girls running about his house. Really, to satisfy the pa.s.sions and sensuality of these Africans, women should be like the houris of Paradise, and never grow old. Those that accompanied us were, of course, regarded as mistresses, but were required also to do nearly all the drudgery of the caravan. Their masters must have sold much prettier and finer girls at Ghat.

The name of the place where we are now encamped is, as I have said, Takeesat, and that of the rocky plain we traversed between Esalan and Aisou is [_omitted in Journal_]. We shall now have great confusion in the denominations of places, the Tuaricks using one name and the Kailouees another.

_20th._--We rose early, and at four o'clock were already in motion. It was a long and weary day--fourteen hours of actual travelling; but this, thank Heaven! is, we are told, the last long stretch of that kind we shall have to undertake. The country was nearly similar to that between Falezlez and Aisou; plains or slightly indented valleys. The granite appeared again, with sandstone on the top. No herbage was found to-day, except a few scanty bits here and there.

In the morning our blacks all ran up to a sugar-loaf shaped rock, which they called their altar or temple, Jama. There they performed certain strange incantations, after which they descended and began to indulge in mock-fights, sometimes even simulating an attack upon the caravan. What was the real meaning of their pantomime it was impossible to make out, but they amused us exceedingly by their wild gestures and cries.

The three mysterious Haghars still continued to follow us throughout the day, declaring that they had no evil intentions, but were merely poor wayfarers journeying to Aheer. They have made friends with the Tanelk.u.ms, with whom they have more points of resemblance than with the Kailouees. In appearance and manners they are remarkable enough. They wear a s.h.i.+eld of bullock or rhinoceros hide hanging down on one side of their camels. During our march, it was evidently their desire to show off; for they moved in order of battle as they called it, in a line, the two who had spears holding them bravely up. It was certainly a pretty sight to see them play off this little exercise. But in the evening, after dark, they returned from feeding their camels somewhere in the mountains, and came and bivouacked close to us and our baggage. This alarmed us, and we sent En-Noor to remonstrate with them. After some wrangling, they promised to leave us if we would give them supper. We did so, and got rid of them for the night.

There was some dispute this evening with the servants about pitching our tent. I always find them ready to escape this trouble when they can.

However, it appears that En-Noor recommended us not to pitch our tents that we may not be known during the night, in the event of these three Haghars having comrades skulking after them, seeking an opportunity to attack us.

_21st._--We rose an hour before daylight, and journeyed eight hours, pa.s.sing through a country resembling that of yesterday, and a pleasant valley called Wady Jeenanee, until we arrived at the wells of the same name. They are scooped out of the sand in a stony bed, and amidst rocks.

The water is very palatable. It has no natural source, but there is an abundant supply for several months, and even years, after great rains.

To-day we noticed, for the first time on our journey from Tripoli, the recent marks of the fall of a great quant.i.ty of rain. It had left after it exactly the same forms on the sandy valley which we see at all times, quite dry, in the more desolated regions of the Sahara. There cannot be a doubt that occasionally an immense quant.i.ty of rain falls in every region of this great desert.

The senna plant was picked up again to-day, and the tree called aborah appeared in great numbers in the wady, in a corner of which we encamped.

Although our friends, the three Haghars, promised to leave us for ever if they had a supper, yesterday they appeared again _en route_ to chat with their Tanelk.u.m acquaintances. G.o.d knows, they may be honest men--in reality, poor devils obliged to beg their way to Aheer. They wander about here and there. (I have not seen them this evening, five P.M.)

Notwithstanding that the blacks of our caravan (mostly slaves) walked on foot fourteen long, long hours yesterday, they still danced, and sang, and played games in the evening, and kept it up till midnight! How capable are these Africans of bearing up against fatigue and toil! Could we Europeans do as they do? Not even in our own country, and under our own climate.

They afterwards made a collection of small articles of clothing, and other little things. I gave them a handkerchief, with which they were greatly delighted.

We had a perfect Soudan atmosphere to-day. The heavens were surcharged with clouds, and when the sun appeared through them for a few minutes, it was burning, scorching hot. The abundance of herbage and trees in Wady Jeenanee combined with these circ.u.mstances to show that we had entered the gates of a new climate.

_21st._[9]--We started late, seven A.M., and journeyed about six hours, the camels eating nearly all the way, which gave our Tuarick caravan the appearance of a company of Arabs. To-day the herbage and trees increased, in abundance and variety, and we saw several pretty wild flowers. We observed many Soudan trees, or trees with tropical aspects.

Our route lay through rocky valleys, over a bed of fine granite sand.

The rocks were all blackened, forming a gloomy landscape, especially as all the morning the heavens were one impenetrable ma.s.s of clouds. The atmosphere felt, at first, damp and suffocating; but at length the wind got up, and we breathed more freely.

[9] Here is a day repeated in the journal; but as it is not of much moment, I have made no alteration.--ED.

CHAPTER XIV.

Enter the inhabited Districts of Aheer--Hostile Tuaricks--An impudent Demand--The Merchant Waldee--Prepare for Defence--Threatening Appearances--Making Friends with Presents--March--Leave Waldee--Doubtful Visitors--The Camels stolen--The Troop of a.s.sailants draws nigh--Parley--Their Proposition--We are compelled to a Compromise--Character of our Enemies--Sinister Rumours again--Proceed toward Tidek--Wady of Kaltadak--Picturesque Scenery--A Friend from Seloufeeat--Fresh Mob collects to attack us--Conferences--We are to be let go scot-free if we become Muslims--We repose--Another Compromise for Money--Incidents during the Night--Quarrel over the Booty--Enter the Valley of Seloufeeat--Its Soudan Appearance--Nephew of Sultan En-Noor--Haj Bashaw of Seloufeeat--We are still uneasy.

As we advanced, on the 21st, along the plain between the granite rocks--trees and flowers starting up thicker and thicker from the ground to greet our approach--our guides told us that we were at length entering the inhabited districts of the kingdom of Aheer, or Asben, as it is indifferently called. This announcement at once subst.i.tuted pleasurable for uneasy sensations. We thought no more at all of pursuing robbers, and gave ourselves up to the delight which always attends upon difficulties vanquished. The name of the first district is Taghajeet. We expected to behold groups of inhabitants coming joyfully to welcome us.

Our imaginations had adorned this country almost with the colours of home. It was about one that we crossed the unmarked frontier. Still there were rocks around, their angles softened away by trees; still wild flowers mingled with the herbage on every side; the heavens were clearing overhead, and the sun shed down a warm mantle of rays upon the land; yet there were no signs of life. The silence that reigned, I know not why, introduced ideas of terror into our minds, and we began to gaze anxiously to the right and to the left. We remembered that this region, likewise, was inhabited by Tuaricks, though not of the Haghar tribe.

They might be inhospitable, perhaps hostile. All the caravan, by degrees, seemed to join in our uneasiness; and when at length, just before we pitched our tent, the cry arose of "The Tuaricks! the Tuaricks are coming!" it rose as a cry of warning and alarm. Every one s.n.a.t.c.hed up his weapons as a small group approached; and all waited with impatience to learn whether they came as friends or enemies.

Our uneasiness was soon quieted. The newcomers were known to some of our people, the Tanelk.u.ms, and soon sc.r.a.ped acquaintance with us. They paid a visit to my tent, and I gave them a number of little things, with which they were very much gratified. There was reason, then, to hope that our first impressions of security were well-founded, and I began writing my journal as if we had really arrived in a land of peace.

Suddenly a man, mounted on a maharee, brought us news, at first in a friendly way, that an immense number of Tuaricks were pursuing us; and then, throwing off the mask, in their name demanded of our escort that they should deliver us up to them. This demand the Kailouees, of course, rejected with indignation; but the circ.u.mstance put our people on the _qui vive_, and we kept up a fire of musketry for two or three hours during the succeeding night.

At sunset, Waldee, the great merchant of Mourzuk, came to the encampment. His caravan was stopping half an hour higher up. He gave us much encouragement, and eloquently recommended us to the care of all our people, the camel-drivers and escort. Waldee has travelled this route fourteen years. He is just the man to do it,--a small spare fellow with an expression of much intelligence, which he really possesses. He is the most respected of all the merchants on this route.

When he left us, he sent us a present of Aheer dates, which were large and exceedingly well tasted.

_22d._--We stopped in the valley of Taghajeet all day, waiting for the Haghars, but they did not make their appearance. In the morning early, I distributed powder and shot to about forty of our people. Each had half a cupfull of powder and twelve shots. It was an immense present for them, and they were all greatly rejoiced at the gift. It is extremely difficult for people to obtain powder and shot in these countries. We made a line of barricades with the boat. Amongst our defenders appeared the three Azgher Tuaricks,[10] who followed us from Tajetterat, and overtook us above the well of Aisou. We gave them powder and shot, and they swore they would die for us.

[10] Those people are sometimes called Haghar, and sometimes Azgher, in the journal. The latter appellation is probably the correct one in this case.--ED.

In the evening two mounted men came up, and made the same demand of our escort that the single man had made the night before; namely, that they should give us Christians up to forty or fifty Tuaricks, collected from the various districts around. This impudent demand was again rejected.

The opinion of all the caravan now seemed to be, that this was an idle threat of some dozen bandits, and that the people generally would not turn out inimical.

Merchant Waldee came again this evening, and gave us increased encouragement not to be afraid.

The more we saw of this man the better we liked him. He brought for us, also, the favourable news that the Sheikh of Bornou was on good terms with his neighbours, the people of Wada and Darfour. I shall endeavour to return _via_ these countries to the Mediterranean, if possible. Our people fired again to-night. In the evening I presented Boro of Aghadez with a fine burnouse, and his son with a shasheeah and a fateh. I gave a fateh also to one of his relations, who is travelling with him. He was highly pleased with the gift, and expressed his pleasure in many compliments. Of giving gifts there is no end; but this is the time, or never, when they will be useful.

_23d._--Before we started, another fellow came riding up from the rumoured troop of bandits, and demanded of our escort that they should give us into their hands. Boro remembered his present, and expressed his grat.i.tude by resenting this insolence with a perfect shower of abuse.

We advanced nine hours this day, looking behind us as we moved. Our course lay through a rocky country, and two or three fine valleys, distinguished chiefly by the immense size of the tholukh-trees. In the afternoon a large valley opened, amidst a mountainous region; after traversing which, we pitched tent in a small open s.p.a.ce surrounded with hills, with a snug valley of hasheesh near at hand.

When we started in the morning, we bade the merchant Waldee adieu.

During the night he had received a courier from Mourzuk, and letters from the Consul and Mustapha Bey to recommend us to him. Waldee said he would write us some letters, and send them after us. He leaves his caravan at Taghajeet, and mounts his maharee for Mourzuk, where he expects to arrive in the course of fourteen days.

I wrote by him to Government, and to my wife.

In the evening, when it was nearly dusk, five mounted men made their appearance, two of them leading six empty camels. We did not like the looks of them, but they gave a tolerable account of themselves.