Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51 Volume Ii Part 13

CHAPTER XII.

Presents from Officials--Mode of treating Camels--Prices--Cowrie Money--Shereef Interpreter--Visits--Harem--Houses--Grand Vizier--Picturesque Dances--Tuaricks at Zinder--Kohlans and Fullans--Province of Zinder--Account of its Rebellions--Trees--Details on the Slave-trade--Prices--Mode of obtaining Slaves--Abject Respect of the Sultan--Visits--Interview with the Sarkee--The Presence--Curious Mode of administering Justice--Barbarous Punishments--Hyaenas--Gurasu--Fighis--Place of Execution--Tree of Death--Hyaena Dens--Dancing.

_Jan. 17th._--The Sultan this morning sent me an ox. I made him my personal friend by giving him the powder and shot, in spite of the servant of Haj Bes.h.i.+r from Kuka. The Shereef is excessively generous; whether at his own cost or that of Kuka I do not know. I suppose the latter, as he had orders from head-quarters to supply us with everything. He sends rice, honey, fowls, eggs, milk, tomatas, and all things in abundance. I repeat, for the third time, that the world is turned upside down, so far as the supply of provisions and hospitality is concerned. It is true that the Tuaricks are desperately poor, and their generosity must always be very limited.

Our maharees of the salt-caravan went very well, and ate little on the road, so that much time was saved in this way. The Tuarick camels are far better travellers than the Arab, which sometimes are allowed to eat all day long. The females and the young ones are the most troublesome. I was much amused to see one of the Kailouee camel-drivers overcome the obstinacy of a young camel. The fellow actually bit the loose skin which hung over the muzzle of the rebel, and in this manner dragged it to the string, and there tied it to the rest. All the male camels are gelded, whilst many breeding maharees carry no weights, but follow their burdened kind with their foals.

To-day, for the first time, I received cowrie money, viz. four cases, made of matting, each containing 30,000. This was the price of four of my camels. The Gharian brute I sold to one of the servants for 8000. It is quite a labour to count this money, but I perceive that some persons are exceedingly expert at it, and count 5000 in a few minutes. There would appear to be always some mistakes made; one case was found to have ninety-eight short. This certainly is not much out of 30,000, and when a dozen people were counting. The small and large sh.e.l.ls are all alike, and of the same value. But I shall be able to say more of this money afterwards. Thirty thousand of these sh.e.l.ls are many pounds in weight, and not very conveniently carried about.

I visited some of the princ.i.p.al personages this afternoon, with the interpreter of the Sultan. This interpreter is a Shereef, and has been a sailor, in which capacity he has seen Malta, and many European countries. He is now married to a daughter of the Sultan of Zinder, and is established here in the confidence of his father-in-law. It appears, then, that even common Moorish sailors make their way in these black countries.

The first person we visited was one of the viziers, called Mayaha, a native of Damagram, a place one day east, from whence the greater part of the population of Zinder is drawn. This personage was sufficiently polite. He gave me permission to see the interior of his house, and his harem. The harem was full of fine, handsome Haussa slaves, attending on his four wives; they were all polished, and apparently clean, lying about on the floors of the huts, and in the court-yards, in the most strenuous idleness--one cleaning, polis.h.i.+ng, and decorating another. One was bolder than the rest, and beckoned me to come to her.

This house of this vizier contained many huts of bee-hive shape; one or two were built of sun-dried earth, but all were small. Few carpets, or even mats, were seen: these people of Zinder are most dearly fond of squatting on the naked dust.

Afterwards I visited the Grand Vizier, or Mustapha Gadalina (a t.i.tle).

This personage, a man of great age, was polite, but did not permit me to enter the interior of his house. We then went to see the Commander-in-chief--a funny fellow. He was very civil to us, and to all, joking with his soldiers, amidst whom he was squatting. These Zinder troops have no arms in their undress, and only wear a loose tobe, with bare heads. The General told us he would visit us in the morning.

After a climb to the summit of one of the granite rocks of Zinder to have a view of the town, I went to see and hear the drummers hammering on their kangas. There were three of them, surrounded by a group of Zinder maidens. One fellow had two long drums, very narrow, on which he laboured with all his might. The maidens approached the musicians by twos, dancing or stepping forward, and retreating with great apparent modesty. Whilst I was looking at a couple, one of them ran up to me, and struck me lightly with her hand. For this attention I was obliged to give her a present of gour-nuts, which are equally current with the cowries on such occasions. The drum is the national music of the people of Zinder, and they hammer away at it from morning to night. They say that in the palace it never ceases all day, beginning at dawn. Perhaps it may be esteemed useful in supplying the place of silly conversation.

Very few Tuaricks are to be seen in the streets of this city. They rarely show themselves, except on market-days, when they come from their houses in the suburbs. Little cordiality exists between them and the Binder people. They owe one another, like all neighbouring people, many grudges. I jocularly told the commander-in-chief to kill all the Tuaricks. He navely replied, "I would, but when I attack them they all run away!" I am informed by the Moors here the Tuaricks have a wholesome dread of the Sheikh, and are on bad terms with the Fullans. They are, however, for the most part, friendly with the ancient Kohlans, the people of Maradee and Gouber. This accounts for the fact that En-Noor always spoke in the most amiable way of these remaining kingdoms of Soudan paganism. The town of Zinder is inhabited chiefly by the blacks of the Bornouese province of Damagram, who, though speaking the same language, are not considered Bornouese. In fact, properly speaking, it is situated in that province. The Zinder folks are easily distinguished from the natives of Kuka, and those more eastern provinces, by a lighter complexion and the smaller breadth of their nostrils.

Zinder has always enjoyed much liberty as a province, though it has fallen successively under the influence of Bornou and Haussa princes.

Anciently it was ruled by the former; then it lapsed to the Haussa princes and the Fullans, and finally it was again recovered by Bornou.

The present prince, Ibrahim, has been sultan twenty-five years. Under his rule a rebellion took place against the Sheikh, who removed him, made him prisoner, and promoted his brother to the governors.h.i.+p of the province. But this new prince also rebelled; upon which the Sheikh came with a large force a year ago, and restored the former governor, placing, however, several persons here as a check on his authority. I have already mentioned the influence of the Shereef of Morocco. But no people in the world detest central government so much as the Africans, and these rebellions occur yearly and monthly.

The facts which have been mentioned to me connected with the last rebellion of Zinder, and its reduction by the Sheikh of Bornou, are interesting, as ill.u.s.trative of the present condition of these out-of-the-way countries. The re-conquest proved to be no easy matter, and required three months' siege, and sixty thousand men, commanded by the Sheikh's best officers and the sultans of the neighbouring provinces. When the revolted people had notice of the approach of this force, they threw up a wall of earth round the city in the brief s.p.a.ce of three days only. Even Africans can be energetic when compelled by necessity. The siege lasted three months, and many people were killed on either side.

Before hostilities commenced the Sheikh sent for the brother of the deposed prince, whom he had placed in power at Zinder; but the answer was refusal. "If you want money," said the rebel chieftain, "here it is; if you want slaves, here they are;--but I will not come to Kuka."

Ibrahim, the former and present sultan, had meanwhile gone to the capital, and covered himself with dust in the presence of the Sheikh, and obtained his pardon and the promise of his restoration to power. His brother knew this well, and, of course, would not go to the capital. It is surprising, however, that the rebellion could hold out so long against so large a force; the people of Zinder must be framed for war.

The Tuaricks during the struggle stood by and looked on. The displaced brother is now at Kuka, having there obtained the pardon of the Sheikh.

He fled to the Tuaricks after the capture of the town.

There are several pretty shady trees scattered through the town of Zinder, planted mostly in the gardens of the grandees. The names of three of these are, in Bornouese, rimi, jaja, and ilbug.

I have obtained some information on the slave-trade, which I here give in its crude shape. Slaves are cla.s.sed as follows:--

MALES.

1st. Garzab: those who have a beard.

2d. Morhag: those with beard beginning.

3d. Sabaai: those without beard.

4th. Sadasi: grown children.

5th. Hhamasi, or children.

FEMALES.

Ajouza, old women, not cla.s.sified.

1st. Shamalia: those with the b.r.e.a.s.t.s hanging down.

2d. Dabukia: those with the b.r.e.a.s.t.s plump.

3d. Farkhah: those with little b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

4th. Sadasia: girls, smaller.

5th. Hhamasiah, or children.

The best of the slaves now go to Niffee, to be there s.h.i.+pped for America; they are mostly males, of the cla.s.s 2d, 3d, 4th, and are minutely examined before departure. From all reports, there is an immense traffic of slaves that way exchanged against American goods, which are driving out of the markets all the merchandise of the north.

_Prices:_--I. MALES.

1st. From 10,000 to 15,000 wadas.

2d. 30,000 and under.

3d. 35,000 "

4th. 30,000 "

5th. 20,000 "

II. FEMALES.

1st. 10,000 and under. (Ajouza.) 2d. 80,000 "

3d. 100,000 "

4th. 40,000 "

5th. 30,000 "

6th. 20,000 "

The above are the prices of Kanou; there is sometimes a difference of 5,000 or 10,000 wadas. A remark suggested by this list of prices is, that the value of human merchandise is determined by its present adaptation for consumption. No allowance is made for capability of development, intellectual or physical. Slave-drivers and slave-holders believe as little in a future here as hereafter.

I give another account of the prices of slaves at the princ.i.p.al markets in this part of Africa, and at Smyrna and Constantinople. A good male slave is sold, at

Kanou, for 10 or 12 dollars.

Zinder, the price varies little.

Mourzuk, for 40 dollars.

Tripoli, from 60 to 65 dollars.

Smyrna, 90 to 100 dollars.

Constantinople, 90 to 100 dollars.

A good female slave is sold, at

Kanou, for 32 dollars.

Zinder, a little more, or the same.

Mourzuk, 85 dollars.

Tripoli, 100 dollars.

Smyrna, 130 dollars.

Constantinople, 130 dollars.

This is merely to show the difference of prices at these various places of slave traffic, and so enable the reader to form some notion of the profits of the commerce.

I am very sorry to hear of the iniquitous manner in which slaves are captured for the supply of the north at this present time. It appears that, now all these populations are Muslims, it is difficult to get up the war-cry of _Kafers!_--"Infidels!" What is then done? The sultan of a province foments a quarrel with a town or village belonging to himself, and then goes out and carries off all the people into slavery. Thus acts the present Sultan of Zinder, and so did his brother during his year of administration. To appease the Sheikh of Bornou they send him a portion of the spoil. Indeed, the Sheikh countenances the system, so detrimental to his interests as a sovereign, and so immoral in its character. The brother of the present sultan was accustomed to go out every month, and bring in razzias of slaves, particularly to Dura, a country which belongs half to the Sheikhs of the Fullans. The real Kerdi people are now very distant, and you must go many days' journey if you will catch genuine Kafer slaves.