Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51 Volume I Part 15

Promises of the Sultan--Yellow-painted Women--Presents--Anecdotes--Prepare to visit En-Noor--Our Reception--Dialogue--Seeming Liberality of the Sultan--Greediness of his People--No Provisions to be got--Fat Women--Nephew of the Sultan--Tanelk.u.m Beggars--Weather--A Divorced Lady--Aheer Money--Our Camels again stolen--Account of the Tanelk.u.ms--Huckster Women--Aheer Landscape--Various Causes of Annoyance--No News of the Camels--Anecdote of my Servants--Storms--Revolution in the Desert--Name of the Country--Dr. Overweg--Money and Tin--Saharan Signs--Habits of the Rain--Burial of a Woman--Demands of Es-Sfaxee--Salt-cakes of Bilma--People of Tintalous--Wild Animals--List of Towns and Villages--Population of Aheer and Ghat.

_Sept. 4th._--This morning I sent Yusuf with our recommendations to En-Noor. He returned in the best possible humour, repeating that the Sultan was determined to protect us, and see us safe to Soudan and Bornou.

A freed black came into my tent, played on his one-stringed fiddle, and sang an extempore song for the protection of the Consul. I gave him a handkerchief. It appears that he is from Tunis.

Yesterday, some specimens of the women of the lower cla.s.ses of this town came to our encampment. I was astonished to see them such barbarians as to daub their faces with yellow ochre. I did not expect this in the Mahommedan country of Aheer. They had a little ghaseb, a few onions, and other little things to barter. It is the most difficult thing in the world to deal with them; and it requires as long to exchange things of the value of a penny, as for two London merchants to agree about merchandise of the value of a hundred thousand pounds!

When I had paid the En-Noor escort, I made a present to Yusuf and Sad.

To the former I gave a fine burnouse (value thirty-four mahboubs), and told him I did so as a compensation for the extraordinary difficulties which we had encountered on the road from Ghat to Aheer, but that I could not write to Government for a present for him unless we could make some treaties with the inhabitants and princes of Central Africa. To Sad I gave a veneese and a lecture. Our servants have not behaved so well as they ought to have done, considering that they are treated so much better than the servants of Muslims.

Anecdotes of our late adventures are still in circulation amongst us, and I have learned some new ones to-day. The _navete_ of one of them is extreme; but I can do more than allude to it. One of our party transgressed a custom which the Mahommedans have absurdly made obligatory. Great indignation was excited, even amongst the escort sent for our protection by En-Noor; and one of them exclaimed: "If he do the same thing again, and do not follow the way of us Muslims, I will send an arrow through him."

During the night of the second affair, Oud-el-Khair used this nice argument: "What will be gained if you do kill these three Christians?

There are plenty more in the English country!" Many topics of a similar character were resorted to.

Some of the Tanelk.u.ms leave us to-day. We have to pay them two reals a camel-load for bringing us from Tintaghoda to Tintalous. We have hired of them eleven camels in all. The original agreement was to carry our goods and baggage from Mourzuk to Tintaghoda, for which we paid dear.

Having heard that the great En-Noor would receive me to-day or to-morrow, as I pleased, I determined at once to see him, and made ready the presents for his highness. We had some difficulty in making the selection. At length we ama.s.sed a variety of things, of the value of one hundred and twenty-two mahboubs prime cost, or about fifty-two reals value here.

At the Asar (or 3 P.M.) I dressed, and went off to see the great man, accompanied by my German colleagues. On entering the village, I at once recognised in a long mud-shed the Sultan's palace. It seemed, indeed, a palace compared with the circular hasheesh huts by which it was surrounded; and in that direction, accordingly, we bent our steps. On gaining admission, we found the mighty potentate half-dozing on his couch. He woke up as we entered, and sitting upon his hams, politely excused himself for being found _en deshabille_. To remedy this state of things as much as possible, he immediately wound round his head a black band or turban; and having thus improved his toilet, bade us sit down. I took my place very near him, and observed his appearance with some interest. He was a venerable-looking black, but, like most of the Kailouees, had something of an European cast of features. They say he is about seventy-eight years old, and manifestly suffers the infirmities of that great age.

The dialogue was begun by the Sultan asking us how we were in health, and whether we had not now more quiet than down on the road? Then he added, that he was himself very poorly, but that at this season of the year this was nothing uncommon. Being in a garrulous mood, he allowed us little time to reply, and went on with a string of compliments. Of the state of his own country he said, "There is now a general fermentation throughout all the districts of Aheer. The people have thrown off the yoke of their sultans or magistrates, and the roads are infested with bands of robbers." In fact, it would appear that the inhabitants of this out-of-the way kingdom have just fallen into the crisis of a revolution.

What grievances brought about this state of things we have not yet learned; but, unfortunately for us, we have arrived at a most insecure season.

Of the people of his own district the Sultan said, "You have nothing to fear from them, except that thieves may come in the night. Beware of them; and fall upon any one who may come near your tents after dark.

There may be people who will slink from the neighbouring towns to rob you; take care and watch during the night." Upon this I asked him for a couple of servants as guards, but he replied that it was not necessary.

Of the Tanelk.u.ms he observed: "It will be better when they are gone, for many strangers come to them, known neither to you nor to me; and they may rob you." This was an excellent observation, for on the road I always found that the Haghar strangers, the bandits, and all the idle, low characters, who might follow the caravan, never failed to make friends with our Tanelk.u.ms, and thus gained a footing to carry on their treacherous designs.

The greater part of the interview was thus occupied by a little oration on the part of this respectable Sultan, who wound up by saying that he hoped, if it pleased G.o.d, that we should now enjoy some repose, and afterwards be conducted safely to Zinder and Soudan.

Observing that the dialogue was flagging, I caused the presents we had brought with us to be laid out. The Sultan examined all the articles carefully and quietly, but said not a word. Then his son-in-law informed us aside that it was now time to retire. We did so with many compliments, trusting that our visit had produced a favourable impression. I was very anxious to know what was thought of the present,--the largest we have yet given, much larger than what was received by either Hateetah or Wataitee. I sent two of my servants about to pick up the news in town. I was not disappointed; I hoped to please his highness, and succeeded. He was greatly delighted; and, moreover, displayed immense generosity for an African. Immediately we had retired he called together all the great people of the town, and thus addressed them: "See the fine present these Christians have brought me. I shall, however, only take a blue burnouse for myself. The rest I give to you.

Take all else." The notables were greatly pleased at being called in to share in the gifts, and exclaimed, "The Consul is a fine man; a man of a large heart." So far, so good. But some of the lesser men were heard to say, "Ah! now the Christians are in peace, and yet they give us nothing.

How much did they give away, and yet get no rest!" Sure enough; but having been thus forcedly generous, we had now scarcely anything left to give. It would require a thousand camel-loads to satisfy all the tribes and people in this route, even if their exigencies did not rise in proportion to our wealth.

We have not yet been able to procure any provisions in Tintalous. After a journey of two months, during which we have been obliged to feed the whole caravan, Kailouees and Tanelk.u.ms, to say nothing of the robbers and bandits, who were pleased to levy this kind of tribute upon us, we arrive at a friendly town, and can find nothing to eat! This is really too bad. Fortunately, I put away three bottles of olive oil in the spirit-boxes. With these and my little macaroni I may manage, perhaps, to subsist until provisions can be found. But my servants have finished their last _hemsa_, and the Germans have nothing left. Our last resource is our biscuits, which I am sorry we are obliged to eat in this early part of our journey. This supply of biscuits has certainly cost us much in carriage--many hard dollars; but nevertheless we have found it excellent for our health, and it now promises to save us from starvation. We had heard contradictory reports on the road; some people saying we should find everything in Aheer, and others nothing. The latter prophecy seems likely to turn out true.

There is not much herbage about where we are, so we are obliged to send away the camels some distance to feed. It appears to be only the beginning of the rainy season in Tintalous. We have pa.s.sed through much finer districts in Aheer than this; e.g. that of Taghajeet, where we observed fat women and fat sheep! But we have not yet seen the enormously fat women that Mr. Gagliuffi described. This, of course, would always be difficult for us, except in our capacities as physicians. Dr. Overweg has the best chance of this piece of good luck.

_5th._--We are much troubled with a nephew of En-Noor, the same that acted as the courier from Seloufeeat to Tintalous. We gave him a white burnouse, and he is worrying Yusuf to let him have a finer and better one. This individual has given us more trouble than anything else in Tintalous. Little things here, as elsewhere, prove more annoying than great things. To set matters straight, we have offered him a better burnouse, but he is not yet content.

The Tanelk.u.ms are also very troublesome. I always saw that we must beware of them, for they will never let us rest, if they can help it, whilst they are with us. Beg, beg, beg; this alone describes their conduct towards us.

All the people we have had about us seem to have considered us their lawful prey, and seek to gain their ends, if not by violence, at least by continual importunities: still it must be acknowledged that the Tanelk.u.ms rendered us considerable service on the road. But, even without this claim, they would, no doubt, have still pursued the same system of eternal begging.

This day and yesterday we had thunder, lightning, and much rain. The sky was covered with clouds, yet the thermometer rose at half-past three in the afternoon to 82 in our tent. I walked a little before the tent early this morning, to keep up my bodily vigour. I had a little internal pain yesterday. If I suffer in Africa from disease, it will most probably be from dysentery. G.o.d grant that I may escape, and be grateful for his mercy!

Sultan En-Noor yesterday observed, respecting the pa.s.sage of Christians through these countries, "that after a short time the feelings of the people would subside, and nothing more be thought of us." This may be; but it will require the pa.s.sage of many Christians before the tendency to fanaticism is sufficiently curbed to render the road safe for them.

I mentioned in my diary at Mourzuk, that one of our blacks had exercised the privilege of divorce with respect to his wife. This lady did not leave the caravan, but has since pa.s.sed from tent to tent, as the caprice of fortune carried her. She was first taken up by Sakonteroua; then by En-Noor, our Kailouee guide; and afterwards by some other person. Yesterday I saw her in the tent of the Sfaxee. The poor woman submits to the inconstancy of Fortune with marvellous fort.i.tude. She is now quite merry, and inclined to play the coquette. Poor thing! Let us be thankful for her that she has been granted this elasticity of temper, and that she is willing to the last to cheer gloom of whomsoever will be cheered in return for a little tenderness and protection.

I insert a note upon the money used here:

The large dollar (douro) 7 Tunisian piastres.

The small dollar 5 Tun. piast. (in Mourzuk).

The large dollar 3 metagals.

The small dollar 2 metagals (in Tintalous).

One metagal 1000 wadas (in Tintalous).

One mahboub 7 Tun. piast. (60 paras in Mourzuk and Tripoli).

One metagal 40 draa[14] (in Aheer and Soudan).

[14] The draa is _an arm_ of strips of cotton stuff, about two inches long.

I was engaged in setting down this information, when intelligence was brought me that our camels had again been carried off. This affront was offered us yesterday at noon, during a storm of rain, before my visit to the Sultan; but Yusuf had thought it best to keep the matter concealed from me, hoping rest.i.tution would be made before I heard of it. I sent him immediately to lay our case before the Sultan. So it seems that we are to be hunted here, even, in our repose under the protection of En-Noor! It is impossible to tell how we shall get safely to Zinder. Our boat is still at Seloufeeat. Yusuf is gone to see En-Noor.

Naturally I feel very much annoyed about the missing camels. They were stolen, it seems, not only in the middle of the day, but at a distance of not more than a quarter of a mile from the residence of En-Noor! This is too bad, really too bad. Are we never to have any repose?

In the evening, as a slight consolation, we were fortunate enough to purchase some provisions. The German got two goats, and I some samen. I also borrowed ghaseb until we could buy.

_6th._--I got up in better health this morning, and felt the benefit of the goats'-flesh broth. I observe that it does not rain during the night; the showers come on generally in the afternoon. The mornings are dry, fine, and hot. This morning, at half-past seven A.M., the thermometer stood under the tent at 79 Fahr.

The Tanelk.u.ms, by the way, left us yesterday evening. They all return in the course of fifteen days; some of them go on to Zinder, and others make their way back to Mourzuk. Haj Omer quarrelled desperately with Yusuf before he started.

I may here make a few observations on these curious people. Generally, the Tanelk.u.ms are reckoned amongst the most effeminate and civilised of the Tuaricks of the north; and, indeed, such appears to be their character, as developed in our transactions with them. Some of them have more the manners of merchants than camel-drivers; and the mercantile character always tames men in the desert. Throughout their journey with us they were at all times polite, and at last even became quite amiable.

During the two affairs which we had with the robbers, their conduct was regular and brave: once or twice only they seemed to waver. But probably, had their own interests been imminently exposed, they would have abandoned us to save themselves, at which we should not have been surprised. Had there been a regular battle, in which they had taken part, the road would certainly have been closed to them ever afterwards.

Like all Tuaricks, these Tanelk.u.ms are great beggars, and such of them as were with us allowed no opportunity to escape of getting something out of us. They are always accompanied by a few Haghars or Azghers. In features they are for the most part European; a few only are marked by negro characters; but nearly all are very dark in complexion. They are generally good-looking, tall, and slightly made. Their manners are quite Tuarick, and they speak a regular Tuarick dialect. They also speak a little Arabic, and understand the Hausa. As to religion, they are very devout and superst.i.tious, and remain long at their prayers.

The huckster-women of the town continue to visit us, bringing their small wares. Many of them have their faces painted very picturesquely with green and yellow. They are mere negroes in features. These women bring very small quant.i.ties of the dark-brown rice of Soudan, with ghaseb, onions, and other little things.

I find that our servants are to-day in better spirits, because we have got a supply of provisions. I repeat again, that the Germans and myself enjoy tolerably good health, but none of us can be said to be in a state of robust bodily vigour.

This portion of the landscape of Aheer, if I may use the term landscape, does not differ materially from the first which we entered. The rocks are all granite, and of one colour.

The greater part of the trees are tholukh and souak. The hasheesh consists chiefly of the _bou rekabah_.

In the valley I observe a fine old specimen of the Soudan tree, called, in Bornouese, _karaghou_. The little black-and-white bird which has followed us all through the desert from Mourzuk still appears here, and sings a little.

It is difficult to describe the state of mind in which I write down all these things. Here we are helplessly encamped, our camels driven away, and no signs of their return. Certainly En-Noor sends us promises that he will do what he can for us; but though we do not doubt his goodwill we begin to be uncertain of his power. He is still suffering from rheumatism and fever, and they tell us he is not able to receive strangers. Let us hope that this seclusion bodes no ill to our interests. Some of his female relations came this morning to ask for little presents. I gave the mother of Mohammed, who commanded our escort, a handkerchief. This young man has, we are told, gone out this morning alone to search for our lost camels. Meanwhile, in the hope that our property may be restored to us, I propose to write to Zinder for an escort. It is better and more agreeable to pay escorts than robbers in these countries. But I must wait for the recovery of En-Noor. They tell us now that there are no robbers or bandits along the Soudan route at all; and the proof cited is, that the smallest caravans pa.s.s in safety.

The property of Christians, however, will probably be considered as common property, the lawful prey of every one who may be disposed to possess himself of it. This news of peace, therefore, concerns us not.

We may still have to buy our way.

The thermometer under the tent this evening, at an hour after dark, was 81 Fahrenheit.

_7th._--I rose late, after a more refres.h.i.+ng sleep than usual, and felt much better in health. The sky was overcast with thick clouds; and the thermometer stood at 77 at seven A.M. My first question was, whether any news had been heard of the camels; but I only learned that on the previous day many people had gone in search of them, scouring the country. The servants notice that I am much depressed, and endeavour to cheer me. On the whole I must say that they show considerable good feeling.

I remember now with pleasure, that when we were attacked on the road and I appeared with arms amongst them, they always insisted upon my going to my tent, exclaiming: "Go, O Consul, to your tent; rest there: you shall not fight." Some added: "Let them kill us first; then you may fight if you please: but whilst we are living remain in your tent!" These were not mere words, but expressed sympathy and fidelity. I ought to mention, that all along this journey I went among the people by the name of Consul Yakob, whilst Dr. Barth was known as the Reis, and Dr. Overweg as the Taleb.