Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51 Volume Ii Part 10

_3d._--We started early, and made four hours and a-half, when we stopped at the village Inasamet, or Unwessemet. The weather is still the same, and the route continues to wind through a scattered wilderness of small trees, amongst which Overweg thought he had discovered a species of wild orange.

We now see signs of approaching habitations, such as flocks of sheep straying, and droves of oxen feeding begin to appear. There seems to be a great number of birds of prey hereabouts. I counted at least thirty vultures, who watched the pa.s.sing of the caravan, in hopes to see a camel fall and be abandoned.

We encamped a stone's throw beyond the houses. The well is called by the same name as the village. The inhabitants are Tuaricks, and some of them of a very pure race, almost white; whilst others, again, are dark: they are called Tagama. The women and children all came out to sell their cheeses, and a few other things. I purchased two small fowls and a good number of cheeses, which seem to be the princ.i.p.al articles of produce: they are made quite square, three or four inches a side, and a quarter of an inch thick. I purchased these with imitation silver rings, of which the people are immensely fond, preferring them to the imitation gold ring. I got two cheeses for a ring--a plain hoop: the fowls cost each three of these toys. The women and girls bothered me much with their curiosity and their bartering. Some of them are as stout as the Mooresses of the coast, and nearly all are well-looking; many with very good features, and fair for this country. All are polite enough, men, women, and children. We are glad to find the people more civil, the nearer we approach to Soudan. We pray and hope this amendment may continue; for hitherto, since we left Mourzuk, we have always had the people, with the exception of those of Tintalous, more or less hostile towards us. Some of our customers came to ask if the rings were really silver, for the blacksmith of the village had said they were only pewter. We replied, they were _de-de_ silver; that is, looked like it, or equal to it. They are, indeed, a most excellent imitation of silver, and answer quite as well the purpose of adorning these Targhee beauties.

I saw to-day, on a single bough of tholukh, and a very small bough, three birds' nests suspended in a festoon. I tasted the wild water-melons of this part of the Sahara, and found them bitterness itself. But I am told by our Gatronee, that the Tibboos have a method of extracting the bitterness from this wild fruit. The people brought me _en route_ some fruit, called in Bornou _kusulu_, and _mageria_ in Haussa; that is, the _nebek_ or fruit of the sider or lote-tree. They were dry, but sweet and nice, and of a pleasant, acid sweet. Provisions thus are becoming more plentiful and varied. Dr. Barth has bought some meat of _el-wagi_, the name given by Yusuf for the bugar wahoush, or wild ox of the Arabs.

The greater part of the trees in this region are of the species called in Haussa, _tadani_, and in Bornouese, _kabi_. Were these trees adorned with leaves--they are now fallen off, in consequence of the cold--the country about would seem covered with a dense forest.

Our arrival amongst the Tagama is a new era in our journeying, it being some time since we saw any men besides Kailouees. Overweg thinks the men thieves and bad, and the women lascivious; but I observed in their conduct nothing different from other Tuaricks. A man, however, offered several women to Barth. I have never yet had such offers. Amongst the things brought for sale are young ostriches and the eggs of ostriches. I ate in the evening some flesh of the giraffe; it is pretty well tasted, and something like beef. Hunting the giraffe is a great occupation with the people of this village, and the flesh of the animal a source of subsistence for them. They have, however, besides, cattle and flocks; and the karengia, which has proved such an annoyance to us, is the princ.i.p.al farinaceous food of these Tagama, as the bou rekaba is the princ.i.p.al food of poor families in Aheer. Inasamet has, perhaps, a hundred huts, covered with the skins of the bullock, and probably of the giraffe. The latter animal is hunted by men mounted on horseback, who throw their spears at it, and wound it under the belly. This is said to be the only way of killing it, for the rest of its body is covered with a sort of rhinoceros hide, of great thickness. Of this hide they make famous sandals, which wear long.

It is difficult to decide how far this immense plain--which extends as far as Aghadez on the N.W., to Gouber on the S.W., perhaps as far as the plain of Senezrouft, on the route of Timbuctoo--pa.s.sing, besides, eastwards across the route of Bornou,--how far this vast s.p.a.ce of desert is a plateau to the surrounding countries; that is, whether higher or lower than their level. We do not think it is a plateau in reference to Aheer. There is another route to Damerghou, westward of this, on which is situate the forest of Kob-kob, the place mentioned in the itinerary which I procured from the people of Ghadamez.

_4th._--The morning was cold, with wind. The Tagama, I observe, have many horses. Like their more civilised brethren in Europe, these people find this the most tractable and convenient animal in every case where the desert does not interfere.

We came south seven hours and a-quarter; after four, the wavy country broke up into a deep valley; in another hour, on the right, was seen a pool of rain-water--a small lake, stretching nearly a mile long. The country, as yesterday, was undulating, and covered with a dwarf forest; but the trees were thicker, and the ground was covered with dried herbage, mostly karengia. It is our constant occupation, morning and evenings, for half an hour, to pick the burs out of our clothes. The animals seen were mostly small birds; some flights of blackbirds, two-thirds the size of the English blackbird; and crows and doves in numbers. Near the water I picked up the feathers of the guinea-fowl, and the piece of a sh.e.l.l of a large turtle. Burrows of the hyaena and the ant-eater dotted the ground. En-Noor told me that lions also abound in the thickets. The lions conceal themselves in the trees, and the hyaenas burrow under ground.

Our people are now on the threshold of Damerghou, and do not know yet what route they will take from this country to Kanou; whether by Tesaoua or Zinder. Even En-Noor seems quite undecided what he shall do.

_5th._--We came well on to-day, eight hours and twenty minutes. After four or five hours we pa.s.sed on the roadside a dozen huts, with skin-roofs or coverings. The people are some light, some dark; variegated, like most of the Tuaricks. The children of eight or nine years go quite naked. After two hours more we came upon the large village of Gumrum, or Gumrek. I saw many people, light and dark; the women are fat and bold, free in their conversation; and the men evidently fanatical. The latter shouted that we ought not to pa.s.s, because we were infidels. One fellow was very savage, and cursed me; he was an old grey-headed gentleman, and seemed quite excited. These people are also of the tribe of the Tagama. Amankee came up to me, whispering, "These are like the Kalfada, they would rob you as they did, only they are all in the hands of the Sofo (En-Noor)."

The inhabitants of Gumrek have much cattle. We ourselves saw some five or six hundred head, and they must have more than double this number, besides flocks and horses. The men mostly ride horses, but their breed is miserably small and ill-looking. People in poor circ.u.mstances mount bullocks, as do all the women.

To the west, lately, there came off a great razzia. All this country around, for some hundred miles, is the noted theatre of such expeditions, which are mostly undertaken against the salt and other caravans, where there is considerable booty expected. The smaller caravans escape. When the Kilgris and Kailouees are in open hostility, they generally make this the theatre of their battles; the former carrying off the salt of the latter. This hostility is, like that of most of the wild tribes, of ancient date. The Kilgris have been driven from all this part of Asben by the Kailouees. The houses we pa.s.sed in ruins are said to have been once occupied by the Kilgris. If so, they evidently were in former times powerful and opulent, and have since become relaxed and pusillanimous. At any rate, they have been expelled by the fiercer and more ferocious Kailouees. The Oulimad also come here to plunder occasionally. At Gurarek we saw a phenomenon which, after so much desert, gladdened indeed our eyes. This was a fine sheet of water, of great extent, covered with a forest of luxurious trees. It was a genuine Soudan picture, and we gazed at it with delight. I nevertheless thought of the pestilential exhalations of the stagnant pools further on in Soudan. The ground holds the water tightly, for wells are sunk near it of some depth before water is reached. This pool, or lake, dries up during the heat of summer, as is proved by the existence of wells sunk in their beds.

The country to-day was extremely pleasant, like some parts of the undulating county of Ess.e.x, after the harvest is gathered. I scarcely expected to find such reminiscences in Africa, on the frontiers of Pamerghou. If the vegetation were all in leaf, the scenery would be quite cheerful and happy-looking. The trees to-day thickened into forests down some slopes--but there is nothing tropical in all this verdure; one or two plants, at most, are all that could be considered as such. Many gazelles glanced on either hand as we proceeded: the guinea-hen was in great numbers, thirty or forty together, old ones and chickens. They run very quickly through the forests, and cannot be taken in the day. At night, however, some are snared. They feed on the karengia, and get immensely plump. Their flesh is greatly esteemed.

Doves showed themselves in flights; and many beautiful small birds, some strangers to my eyes. One especially, a little black-and-white fellow, with an immense bushy tail. Vultures, in company with a variegated crow, were feeding on a dead camel. This curious crow has a white neck and breast. What a truly Saharan group is that which I have just noticed.

The vulture feeding on a camel fallen in the desert, towards the end of an arduous journey!

We met a party of huntsmen, with three bullocks to carry their ghaseb.

They had six dogs, and told us they were off after the giraffe. A few lizards now and then glanced over the path, and at every thirty or forty yards rose a busy ant-hill.

En-Noor and I converged to-day from the backs of our respective camels.

He asked me particularly if I liked stout women, and whether stout women were found in England. I replied, gravely, that this species occurred in all Christian countries; a piece of zoological information which seemed highly to gratify him. His highness still pretends he does not know where he is going--that is, whether to Zinder or Tesaoua.

We encamped near a shallow wady, the first we have seen in this part of the country; i.e. a well-defined dry bed of a river.

CHAPTER X.

My Barracan--Spontaneous Civility on arrival in Damerghou--Ghaseb Stubble--Cactus--Water-Melons--Party of Tuaricks--Boban Birni--Huts of Damerghou--Tagelel--Women of the Village--Population of the Country--Complaisant Ladies--Festivities--Aquatic Birds--Dancing--A Flatterer--A Slave Family--A new Reason for Wife-beating--Hazna Dancers--Damerghou, common ground--Purchase of Ghaseb--Dethroned Sultan--Yusuf--Mohammed Tunisee--Ophthalmia--Part with Barth and Overweg--Presents to Servants--Sheikh of Fumta--Yakobah Slave--Applications for Medicine--Boban Birni--Forest--At length enter Bornou ground--Daazzenai--Tuarick Respectabilities--Detachment of the Salt-Caravan.

_Jan. 6th._--We came seven hours. The weather is always thick, as for many days past; but the wind not so strong, nor the air so cold. We had even some drops of rain; and, probably, the rain here is not so constant, in its fall in summer-time, as is generally supposed. I took out my last barracan, as some precaution against the threatening clouds.

This barracan excited everybody's attention; every one admired it, and asked for it. I was plagued to death by the people, and I vowed I would not take it out again be the weather what it might. The same demand had been repeatedly made for my poor carpet; so, on the following day, I took it off from the camel.

An hour before we pitched tent; we pa.s.sed a town on the top of a hill composed of huts, some covered with skins, and some made of straw. Our encampment is in a wady, near a cl.u.s.ter of hovels. The people came running to welcome us, by offering ghaseb for sale. Two volunteered to a.s.sist us in clearing a clean place for our tents. This being the first act of spontaneous a.s.sistance which we had witnessed from Tripoli to Damerghou, I gave them each a ring. We are now fairly in Damerghou; and to-day we saw the first specimens of the culture in this part of Africa.

The ground is cleared by burning, as on the coast; which burning serves partly to supply the place of manure. The people, apparently slaves, were burning and raking up the ashes and stubble, with rakes made of fallen branches of trees. We pa.s.sed through wide tracts of ghaseb stubble. Some of the stalks were seven or eight feet high, but the ears were not larger than those seen at Ghadamez--about eight or nine inches.

Amongst the plants observed yesterday was the cactus, with a smooth leaf. Water-melons were also found in the road, mostly quite good and sweet, but some white ones perfectly tasteless. None, even those cultivated, are equal to the melons of the coast; there are no mealy ones here.

We were met by a party of Tuaricks, who came to salute En-Noor, mounted on horseback. As we had had some very rough customers amongst the Tagama, I took little notice of them, and continued eating my bread and cheese. At this the people of the caravan laughed. They thought we ought always to receive these strangers, Tuaricks, with fear and trembling. I deemed the contrary plan more politic. However, had I known they were official persons, and one son of a sheikh of a town, I should have given them a more civil welcome.

_7th._--We came eight hours and a-half south, over an undulating country, intersected with small wadys, and through ghaseb stubble. All was wavy ground, and bare of trees. There is, however, a small hill, at a distance of some ten miles from our encampment, called Boban Birni, "Great City," of conical form. Numerous villages were scattered along the whole line of route, a few of some size. The form of the huts is like that of beehives. Around them are small magazines of ghaseb, supported on wooden stakes, very like corn-stacks. The inhabitants of these Damerghou villages are blacks, with features like the Bornouese.

In fact, they speak the Bornou languages, and are said to have been the product of past razzias in that country by the Tuaricks.

Damerghou is the granary of Asben, and seems to be entirely in possession of the Asbenouees, nearly all these villages being peopled by the slaves of the Tuaricks. Some villages, indeed, contain nothing but slaves.

Few animals were noticed to-day, but we saw four gazelles feeding together, and some hares. Not many birds appeared, on account of the fewness of the trees. Only a small portion of the ground is cultivated, but the camels and cattle are taken to be fed in the waste lands.

We encamped at the village of En-Noor, called Tagelel. The capital of Damerghou is on the west (N.W.) from this, and is called Olleloa. The place is governed by Tuaricks.

People say there are two or three hundred towns and villages in the country. Damerghou is not considered as part of Soudan, because it is possessed by the Tuaricks; but the country and climate are undoubtedly the same as all the neighbouring Soudanee territories. The weather was very warm and oppressive to-day. I fancied I suffered from the change of climate. I felt not quite well, and was much annoyed by the disobedience of the servants. Mohammed Tunisee has spoiled them all, and even Yusuf has done his share of mischief.

_8th._--The weather was warm again this morning. I had a visit from the female slaves of the village of En-Noor, introduced by the wife of his highness. I gave them rings and sugar, and sent them off in a good humour. The country around looks exceedingly bare, almost free from trees. There is a little herbage for the camels. Ghaseb stubble, however, spreads all over, which looks well for the industry of the poor slaves. The karengia has disappeared.

The news of the day goes that En-Noor will take me himself to Zinder. He probably wants to make acquaintance with the new governor of that place, as well as to see us safe there. The Tuaricks paid me a visit. I gave them a bit of sugar, showed them a gun, and got rid of them. A present of leban from a daughter of En-Noor induced me to give her a ring.

Amankee says the population of this country is very various, but the Tuaricks of Asben are the masters. The villagers are not all slaves; there are many free people amongst them,--also Buza in numbers; Tuaricks who, having settled in Soudan, have forgotten their own language, speaking only Haussa. Many visitors trouble us, but we hope for a diminution to-morrow. The people of Damerghou are reported as enormous thieves, but we have seen as yet but little of their propensities this way, having, happily, lost nothing.

I made a visit to the village, and was well received by the princ.i.p.al slave of En-Noor, who presented me with ghaseb-bread, cheese, and furd, or ghaseb-water. The ladies were singularly complaisant, and one offered me her friend; another was offered by a man. I believe these offers made in the way of compliments. In the East, it would not be prudent to take him at his word who should say, "Everything I have is yours." The huts of the village are very clean, and are inhabited entirely by slaves of En-Noor. These villages of Damerghou, at a distance, have the appearance of Chinese villages, such as I have seen drawn, with eaves c.o.c.ked up like the rim of a French hat. The evening was given up to festivities, the slaves of the caravan uniting with those of the Tagelel. A regular procession brought the supper from the village to the people of the caravan, and then the music and dancing began. We had no supper sent.

His highness is amazingly shabby in this respect. He fancies, perhaps, he could send us nothing better than what we have ourselves got, but he might try the compliment. We are, however, obliged to him for preventing others from levying contributions upon us in this new region. The Tuaricks here--all the strangers--are very civil; on account, I believe, of our being with the old man. He is of great negative utility.

Overweg went to a lagoon, with little green isles in the midst of it, and shot some ducks. Ducks! This convinces us that we are now in the country of water. A wader was shot, and a fine plump bird something like a partridge, which Mohammed Tunisee calls _poule de Carthage_, but it is much smaller than those that I have eaten in Tunis. Many aquatic birds were flying or floating about the lake.

The dancing in the evening was after this fas.h.i.+on. Two men beat drums, standing on one side of a circle marked. The dancers advanced towards them with shy and coyish gesture, and then swung round and round to the opposite side of the circle in a sort of time kept by the beating of the drum. They threw up their legs, but not in an indecent manner. It was a kind of simple waltzing. The men were not more violent in action than the women. Each s.e.x danced separately, the women beginning first and then retiring. During the performance a song was kept up, a continually recurring rhyme. When it became dark the male and female slaves made love, and coquetted together. We, too, had our music; a strolling minstrel came to our tent by appointment to play on his guitar. He sang all our praises in very nice Haussa words, and indulged in the most extraordinary flattery I ever heard. I was Sultan, and had the riches of the world at my command. _Over_ was the great doctor, and what he could not cure, G.o.d himself could not cure. _Bar_ was the wise man, knowing all languages and all things. We tried not to be pleased, but in vain.

Flattery is sweet, especially when enveloped in song.

The weather was hot to-day, and sultry. I made many little presents, some to a fighi of Bornou, a Shoua Arab, who repeated the fatah to us.

It is reported that a great deal of the salt goes with En-Noor to Zinder, from which we are separated by two days' journey, one of villages and another of forest.

_9th._--The morning opened with wind, as usual, from the N.E. The weather was cooler than yesterday. I visited a group of cottages, or rather huts, and received a present of a korna for holding water. The thatch of these primitive habitations was of bou rekaba stalks. The korna is allowed to twine itself over the roofs, as the woodbine over our cottages, and looks very pretty. This group of cottages was inhabited by a single family,--alas! all slaves.

According to Overweg, the reason En-Noor beat his wife in the terrible manner mentioned in this journal was, because she was accustomed to glide out of her chamber at night to witness the dances--the beastly dances of the north coast. I certainly was surprised to hear that she was present at these filthy exhibitions. "Have I not bought you?" his highness remonstrated with her. "Are you not my slave?" "No." she replied; "I am your wife, not your slave." So the lady continued, till she aggravated his highness into a great fury. Many Europeans, it must be confessed, would beat their wives for a less cause.

It is now said, his highness goes first to Tesaoua. We start all to-morrow, at any rate. The bells which cover the horses are without clappers, but being close together they make a great jingling noise by das.h.i.+ng one against another. Suppers were brought this evening, but the singing and dancing were not continued. We had, however, at sunset, a visit from a Hazna dancer,--a perfect specimen of African buffoonery and jingling. He danced and sung with the wildest barbarity. He had two followers, to pick up the offerings of the people. They beat two pieces of stick together to the motion of his legs, hung with bells. The upper part of his body was naked, whilst the lower part was covered with a red and yellow ap.r.o.n. This man is said to drink beer, and is a professed pagan.

I went to the wells, which are bored through the hard red clay, in the shape of small circular holes, of about fifty feet in depth. There is very little water at this season, but it is sufficient for the wants of the village when the salt-caravan is not here.

The inhabitants of Damerghou consist of Kailouee Tuaricks--Bornouese runaways and slaves--Haussa people, free and slaves--Bousa, or the descendants of Tuaricks by slaves, and a few Fullanee. This is also the refuge of dethroned sultans, as well as runaway slaves. There is now here the Kailouee prince called Maaurgi, who exercised authority some years since in Aheer. Damerghou, indeed, appears to be common ground, where every one who pleases, and is strong enough, comes to establish himself. Many runaways, freemen from Bornou, who had committed some misdemeanour, being found in this country weak and unable to protect themselves, were reduced to slavery by a Tuarick prince. The slaves here answer to the serfs of Russia, with the exception that they may be taken away and sold in other countries.

_10th._--The morning was cool because of the wind. They held a souk, or market, to-day near us. Provisions were very cheap. I was greatly amused to see the small quant.i.ties of sunbal which Mahadee had laid out for two zekkas of ghaseb. For myself I was much plagued by the women, who all admire my beard; not, certainly, my red nose, which is terribly scorched and peeled by the sun.

Overweg visited the dethroned Sultan of Asoudee, who is living here in state, in the midst of his slaves. He holds a sort of court, and, contrary to the free customs of the Tuaricks, he permits slaves who approach him to prostrate themselves and throw dust on their heads. He is the uncle of the present Sultan of Asoudee, and is called Masouarji.

In his fallen condition he gave Overweg a hospitable reception, and a present of dates, which was duly acknowledged.

Yusuf, refusing to do some translation which I requested him, now forfeits all claims to my service. I told him, to-day, to go off to Kanou. Afterwards I arranged with him to go with me to Zinder, where, before the governor, I hope to get clear of him; for he is now of little use, and costs me more than all my servants together.