Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51 Volume Ii Part 21

I made the acquaintance of the taste of the doom-palm, in a dish of pastry seasoned by it. The taste is something like rhubarb, only a little sharper.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A Village plundered--Shaidega--Animals--Our Biscuit--Villages _en route_--Minyo--Respect for Learning--Monotony of the Country--A Wedding--Palsy--Slave-agents--Kal, Kal--Birni Gamatak--Tuaricks on the Plain--Palms--Sight the Town of Gurai--Bare Country--Bearings of various Places--Province of Minyo--Visit the Sultan--Audience-room--Fine Costume--A Scene of Barbaric Splendour--Trade--Estimate of Wealth--How to amuse a Prince--Small Present--The Oars carried by Men--Town of Gurai--Fortifications.

_Feb. 11th._--I rose early, and started as usual, as quick as possible.

We made seven hours and a-half, and halted at a small village called Bogussa. After the fifth hour we came to the hamlet of Dugurka, which the Kashalla delivered up to plunder, because the people refused to give him some water. This is the story of my servants, which I do not believe. But certain it is, that, after the Kashalla pa.s.sed the hamlet, his people, who loitered behind, commenced a general pillage of the poor little village. The inhabitants had all fled at our approach, save one old man. All the hut-doors were violently torn away and the insides ransacked. The spoils were leben, bowls or calabashes, bows and arrows, axes, and some other trifles. Of live-stock, all the fowls were seized and slaughtered on the spot; also a lamb. My interpreter tells me that all the slaves of the Government of Bornou are marauders, and that it was for this reason the Sarkee of Zinder complained to the Sheikh of the government caravans seizing the people and sacking their villages. In all my life I never saw such an instance of the triumph of might over right. My servants, most of them Bornouese, joined their brethren with great eagerness. To remonstrate with them is useless. I have had several quarrels of remonstrance already since I have been in the Sheikh's territory, about similar acts of brigandage; and if I go on, I shall quarrel with all the world of Africa, every hour of the day. I reproached my servants ironically. I told them some one would soon come and take their camels and bullocks, and they must not complain to me to get them redress. But it is astonis.h.i.+ng to see with what zest these freed slaves from the north coast enter again upon their old habits of plunder and razzia. The education of Africa consists in preparing it for the razzia. All the fine-spirited youth of all the great families look forward to this as their only occupation.

We reached the rocky hills called Shaidega, near which the lake terminates, stretching from Guddemuni. At the base of these rocky heights is a sprinkling of huts, and there are indeed many sprinklings of huts which cannot be mentioned all along this route. The hill tops have no longer the naked appearance of the Saharan rocks, but are clothed and crowned with trees. The country is very fine and park-like, and were it not for the doom-palm, would be more like some of the best parts of Europe than Africa is supposed to be. The animals seen to day were two wild boars and some wild oxen. A couple of lions, a male and a female, come out nearly every night and serenade the villagers of Bogussa at their hut doors. The filthy vultures of Zinder are spread through all this fine country. Many doves and water-fowl were seen. We forded several stagnant streams of water, but of very small magnitude.

I sheltered myself in the afternoon under a magnificent tree, called in Bornouese _kamdu_, and in Soudanese, _samia_. We are beginning to see very fine trees, casting an impervious shade, under which the weary traveller deliciously reposes in the hot clime. To-day I suffered most dreadfully from my horse; with a camel I should have felt nothing, but I must submit: there is no remedy.

I believe the Kashalla to be a very good man, and above his plundering countrymen generally, but habit induces him to wink at the acts of brigandage committed by his people. I observed him yesterday stop a little boy with a load on his head, and tell him to run away from the people coming up, and take another road, that the caravan might not plunder him.

I had an affair with Yusuf yesterday morning: two boxes of biscuit had been left entire in his room at Zinder, and now one of them was found opened and a quant.i.ty of the biscuit taken out. He and his son have eaten nearly all the biscuit on the road, together with the Sfaxee and others. It is preposterous to think that Government sent these biscuits for them, who can eat ghaseb, ghafouley, and any grain of this country, and thrive on such food. The Germans gave away their biscuit, complaining that it was an embarra.s.sment to them. This encouraged the people to plunder me of mine, and now I have little left for the rest of my travelling in Africa during the present journey.

_12th._--We started early; the weather always cool, with fresh breezes from the east. All our people seem in good health. I got up rather stiff, having had a good fall from my horse yesterday. We made only three hours and a-half, part north-east and the rest due east. When I dismounted I felt less fatigued, and wrote up my journal. We pa.s.sed several villages _en route_ during these few hours; they occur, indeed, only about half-an-hour apart: viz. first in order after Bogussa, Gerremari, then Lekarari, Algari, a village of fighi pedagogues, Giddejer, and then Collori, where we have halted. It is said we shall still be three days before we get to the Sultan Minyo, and we have to pa.s.s Gamatak, Barataua, Birmi, Wonchi, Tungari, and finally, on the third day, early, we are to arrive at Gurai, the capital, governed by Minyo or Minyoma. Bogussa is the first district under the sway of this personage. We have in his name a remarkable instance of how in Africa names of cities and countries are confounded with those of their provinces. Hitherto, I and my interpreter had always taken it for granted that Minyo was the name of the capital of the province, not of the prince; so we understood from everybody, and only to-day we learn that Gurai is the name of the capital, whilst the province is called after the name of the prince, i.e. Minyo, or Minyoma.[21]

[21] It is worth while leaving this mistake of Mr. Richardson or his informants, as an ill.u.s.tration of the great difficulty that exists in eliciting accurate facts from natives of Africa and other uncivilised countries.--ED.

Our route this morning lay through a remarkably fine district, teeming with fertility, and requiring only the hand of industry to render it the richest country in the world. Not a ten-thousandth part of the soil is cultivated. We met a troop of schoolboys with their masters; their boards, bedaubed with Arabic characters, would have been an effectual protection for them against a troop of hors.e.m.e.n a thousand times larger than ours. But, nevertheless, a poor woman, or a girl with a bowl of milk or a little b.u.t.ter, could not pa.s.s unscathed. Such is morality here. May there not, however, be some promise in this respect for education? A woodman left his axe a moment on the roadside; one of our troopers immediately went off and seized it. The woodman, returning, followed the trooper to the Kashalla, and falling down, and throwing dust over his head, begged for his axe as for his life. The Kashalla could not withstand the appeal, and ordered his trooper to restore the axe. The fellow had concealed the axe, and it was lucky the owner discovered the thief so soon. The poor man went away very thankful, thanking me also. I believe I may be some check on these depredations, for I told my interpreter last night that I never saw a village, or any people, pillaged in the Christian countries; in fact, that I could not have hitherto believed that men could do the things which I saw done that day by the servants of the Kashalla. It is probable he will mention what I said to some one, and it will get to the ears of the said Kashalla. The Africans, in plundering one another, appear as if they were avenging some old grudge; as if they remembered the various occasions when they themselves had been pillaged. They rob with wonderful _gusto_.

A monotonous uniformity begins to prevail over all these tracts. I am afraid I shall soon get tired of this negro population and these towns, all built and all peopled in the same manner. They seem remarkably curious at first, but curiosity soon palls.

We have with us the Hajah, mentioned before. She is very quiet, being _pa.s.see_, and also afraid of the Sheikh's people.

I went round the village and found some five hundred or six hundred people nestled together. All the villages which we pa.s.sed to-day have a similar population. I saw the preparations for a wedding; it was a most amusing sight. Two enclosures were crowded with people, all busy; but the busiest were those grinding corn for the marriage-feast. The bridegroom was with one group, haranguing them in the most persevering manner, and rattling a hollow gourd filled with small stones. The group replied in chorus, all on their knees, bending forward, rubbing grain between two stones. The other group went on by themselves. Then, in an enclosure close by, was the bride, attended with, all her maiden friends, jammed together in a hut, all busy, doing n.o.body knows what. It was with great difficulty I could get a peep at her. The bride and her friends were distinguished by having a sort of bra.s.s nail-head driven through the right nostril of their noses. Good big boys were running about quite naked. But the conduct of the people, old and young, was quite decent.

The bridegroom followed me to my tent, rattling his calabash for a present, singing my praises cheaply enough, for I gave him a very small present indeed. They have no set songs; all their singing is extempore.

Afterwards I saw a man afflicted with palsy in his head. He applied to me for a remedy, but I could only recommend him to bathe himself every day in warm water, which will never be done; for these people are too indolent to perform any labour of this kind, even if it be to save their lives.

My new interpreter, Mohammed, pretends that slave servants, or agents, are thought more of, that is, are more useful, than free people in Bornou. This may be accounted for by the absolute control which a master can exercise over his slave.

The thermometer at sunset ranges 84. It was very warm this afternoon.

Here and there an ostrich egg tops the conical roofs of the huts, from Damerghou to this place. I showed the people my watch, and put it to their ears that they might hear it tick, tick; and I may observe a singularity on this. The people did not say, "Oh! how it ticks!" but "Kal, kal!" so that kal, kal, is the sound which we express by tick, tick, in our language.

_13th._--As usual, we rose before sunrise, and started as soon as possible. We made four hours in the forenoon, and rested at a well called Birni Gamatak. The village is near the well, but we did not go to it. From this place to the Tuarick country, Gurasu, there are four short days; but the road has no water in this season. The Kad of the village paid us a visit, and brought us ghaseb-water. I amused him and his people with my watch and compa.s.s. After resting till 4 P.M. we started again. At Birni Gamatak a zone of mountainous country begins, consisting of granite, gneiss, and other varieties of primitive rocks. We had a magnificent ride through a fine rocky country. After one hour and a-half we pa.s.sed Wonchi to the right, or south of us; a small village. On the route we had a boundless vista through the hills, over a vast plain, covered with a scattered forest, extending without end towards the north. This country is overrun by Tuaricks; all, however, living in friends.h.i.+p with the Sheikh. We made five hours and a-half, always east, so that we did not arrive at Tungari till long after daylight. Tungari consists of two or three considerable villages, having a population of about two thousand. Here I saw a greater number of date-trees than I had yet seen in Soudan. There were larger plantations, and many gardens. I have nothing particular to observe respecting this place, except that the people showed more boldness than the population subjected to the Sultan of Zinder; because the Sultan of Minyo gives them more protection against the Bornou marauders, or Government servants, travelling through the country. I went to bed thoroughly fatigued.

_14th._--We rose at daybreak and went off immediately, and made four hours north-east, and then from a fine rising ground had a splendid view of all the town of Gurai. Our route yesterday and to-day began in a south-easterly direction, and after continuing east for some time gradually turned round to north-east, so that we have our faces again toward the northern desert. Yesterday I felt, for the first time, this approaching warm season--a hot wind, which, curiously enough, now comes from the north, whereas before it always came from the south.

Gurai is very bare of trees, the townspeople having burnt them all up. I kept a-bed all day, to recruit myself from fatigue. The Kashalla went to salute the Sultan, who inquired after me. They reported my state, and said I should come to see him in the morning (i.e. of next day).

According to a Gatronee, Kellai, a country of the Tuaricks, is one day only north-west from Gurai. It is a small village. Gurasu is five days from this, north-west. Dallakauri, also a Tuarick country, is one day northwards, or north-east. This is a large place. Bultumi, another Tuarick country, small; one day, east. Malumri, one day and a-half east.

Therrai, a small place, a day beyond Dallakauri, north-west, two days from this. Chokada, a small place, five or six hours from this. All these places are inhabited by the Tuarick tribe of Duggera, viz. Kellai, Gurasu, Dallakauri, Bultumi, Malumri, Therrai, and Chokada. This tribe infests the upper part of the route of Bornou, that between the Tibboos and Kuka. Formerly they were great bandits, but now they fear the Sultan of Minyo, and begin to desist from their bad trade and turn to more peaceful habits. Bunai is one day and a-half south from Buroi, formerly the capital of the province of Minyo, and where the father of the present Sultan resided. It is a little less than Burai. Here we are told that, after all, Minyo is _not_ the name of the Sultan, as before mentioned, but the name of the province, which is sometimes called Minyoma, as being more euphonic; but all people love harmony in language. This province is considered the most powerful of the empire of Bornou.

_15th._--Having selected my present for his highness the Sultan, consisting of a piece of cotton velvet for a tobe (ten mahboubs), a head of sugar, a little cinnamon and cloves, a piece of muslin for turbans, and a cotton handkerchief, I paid my visit under the escort of the Kashalla, and the Sultan's major-domo, a man carrying a large stick with a great k.n.o.b at the end. We went straight to the palace, a considerable building, built of clay, like the Sultan's house at Zinder, in the shape of a fort or castle.

We were first ushered into an audience-room or hall, of large dimensions, with little light, adapted for an African climate. It is newly built, and indeed not yet finished. The architecture is the same as the public buildings or houses of the chief officers in Kuka. Here we waited a quarter of an hour, during which time the people poured in from all quarters. At length we were ushered into the presence. I found the Sultan to be a good-looking black, with features not much stamped with the negro character. He was about the age of forty-five or fifty. His costume was truly royal, consisting of a loose tobe of purple silk, and a black burnouse, embroidered, thrown over it. He wore a turban of Egyptian form, and very handsome. His highness received me very affably, and I took my seat near him, on a pic-nic stool which I have with me. I shook hands, and doffed my hat. There was no throwing of dust about, as at Zinder. But we found the Sultan already seated, with all his courtiers and officers around him. His highness asked about my health, and the Tuaricks. He observed, "The Tuaricks are afraid of you." Some persons of that tribe, perhaps, have given him this false view of the case, pretending that the Tuaricks are afraid I am come to spy out the country, to be taken possession hereafter by the Queen. His highness minutely scanned all my European clothes, making many inquiries about them. All the people were highly delighted to see me throw aside my miserable Soudan tobe, and dress in my European costume. In fact, I don't know what I should have done without these clothes. The people then pulled off my boots, and burst out into an involuntary exclamation of astonishment when they saw my white leg under my stocking. My face and hands are both pretty well tanned, and the quality of the European skin is not so visible as in the parts of the body covered. His highness then inquired whether there was war in Europe, and whether peace existed between England and the Porte. He was very anxious to continue his questions, but there being two or three hundred persons present, he was obliged to defer them till the evening. I was much gratified with the sight. It was really a scene of African state, but without deformities.

There was no blood, no slaying of victims, no abject ceremonies; nothing to offend the eye of the European. We merely saw, seated on a raised platform, a black, robed in barbaric style of splendour, with a hundred courtiers and officers squatted on the ground him, all humble beings, but not abject.

On returning, his highness sent our caravan four bullocks, to be slaughtered for our use. To-day was market-day, but there was no stock of consequence here, there being little foreign commerce. There may be a score of foreign merchants, nearly all from Fezzan, but they are mere traders, and only bring a few things for the Sultan and his chief officers. These merchants say that there is no money here, nor, indeed, in Bornou.

The place for money is Kanou. All the wealth of Central Africa is, according to them, concentrated there. Kanou is, in fact, the London of Soudan. I asked a merchant here, who was accounted rich; that is, who was a _Maidukia_? He replied, "One with property to the amount of a thousand dollars." Even a man with five hundred is accounted a somebody.

Such is the estimate of wealth here. I expect to find all Bornou miserably poor.

In the evening I waited again on his highness, according to appointment.

He had descended from his throne, and divested himself of all his splendour, being now dressed in a plain tobe and burnouse. He received us squatted on a carpet upon the ground, in an inner court, and reminded me much of a stage king who had undressed after the performance. I produced all my wonderful things to amuse his highness,--my compa.s.s, spygla.s.s, kaleidoscope, spectacles, peepshow, &c. In this way I amused him for an hour, he the while asking questions about my personal habits.

Our people then told him the sovereign of England was a woman. "_Kamo?_"

To which I replied, "_Kamo._" I was then requested to read some English, which I did from Milton. I always exhibit a small edition of Milton's poetry, with gilt edges and morocco binding, which greatly surprises all people accustomed to the use of books. The Kashalla then told his highness that I washed my face and hands continually, but did not pray.

I explained through my interpreter that now, in a foreign country, I read my prayers, and that we had the Gospel; and he added, "The Zebour,"

Psalms of David. All educated Muslims are acquainted with or have heard of the Psalms of David. I take out a copy of the Gospel and Psalms in Arabic, that every educated Mahommedan may see that we English are not the En-Sara or Kerdies of Africa, but have a G.o.d and a religion. The inconvenience of this is, that it leads sometimes to talking and disputing on religion, not always in season. A prudent man, however, will evade all difficulties without compromising his belief. We had again present a hundred people, or more, and his highness was disturbed at the number, but did not like to send them away. He asked me how old I was; and of my servants, whether I was married, &c.

I returned pleased with my visit, although I lost one of my peepshows; for the Kashalla was foolish enough to tell me to give it to his highness. This is the danger of exhibiting these things. I took to the prince a small present of rings, silk, bracelets, and a necklace of mock pearls for his ladies; and hope to get back my peepshow by exchanging it for some such trinkets. This was a cool day, with a fresh breeze continually blowing.

_16th._--I rose in a quieter state, though I have been much fatigued these last few days. It is expected we shall be here two or three days more. Fifteen days is the time allowed for our journey from this to Kuka. The people display greater curiosity to see me than the inhabitants of Zinder, this province being more out of the way of strangers. Yesterday, on returning from the palace, I had a hundred people at my heels.

The mode of salutation for a sultan is peculiar in these provinces. It consists in holding up and back the lower part of the arm, and moving it up and down--to denote strength, probably; an intimation of local strength, as well as that of the body generally. I have been often saluted in this manner, and the mode is employed to strangers or any distinguished person.

N.B.--The people of Kanem have not the shonshona.

The oars of the boat are now carried, as the people say, by Ben-Adam (children of Adam, i.e. men). It is certainly more difficult to get them through these African forests than over the rocks of Sahara on the camel's back. Five servants of the Sultan of Zinder left this morning, having brought them thus far, to return. I gave them a little present of wada and rings.

Gurai is somewhat smaller than Zinder, having a population of perhaps seven thousand souls. I have overrated the population of Zinder: that city, probably, does not contain more than ten thousand souls, if so many. On emerging from the Saharan Desert, where we had been accustomed to bestow the name of town upon great scattered villages, with a few hundred inhabitants, Zinder appeared to me quite a capital city. The town of Gurai is scattered about on several hills, and down their slopes. These hills are bare of trees and vegetation.

There is a dry ditch surrounding the town. It answers the purpose of a fortification, especially as its effect is aided by a thickset hedge. At some places this hedge is growing; at others, it consists merely of branches cut from various trees, but rendered almost impenetrable by being made broad and thick. These defences are quite effectual in the kind of wars carried on in these regions.

CHAPTER XIX.

Fezzanee Traders--Sultan in want of Medicine--The Stud--Letters--Yusuf's Conduct--Architecture--Fragment of the History of Minyo--Politics of Zinder--Bornouese Fish--Visits--Two Routes--Dancing by Moonlight--Richness--Fires--Information on Bous.h.i.+ and Adamaua--The Yamyam--Liver Complaints--A Girl's Game--Desert Country--Gift Camel--Few Living Creatures--Village of Gusumana--Environs--The Doom Fruit--Brothers of Sultan of Sakkatou--Stupid Kadi--Showing off--Hot Weather--[Final Note--Death of Mr. Richardson.]

I had visits yesterday from all the Fezzanee traders. These people, as at Zinder, and everywhere at Soudan, sell their goods at a high price to the Sultan, and then are obliged to wait six or seven months for their money, eating up all their profits. No wonder the poor fellows rarely get rich, but remain, on the contrary, always miserably poor. The same is the case throughout all Soudan. To-day my tent was thronged with visitors, before whom I am obliged to exhibit myself, or show my curiosities. Among others, I had a visit from some people who came from Gobter, distant four hours south, on purpose to see me; and, moreover, had a call from some ladies nearly related to the Sultan. They all wanted medicine, but for what they could not tell; so I gave them each a taste of Epsom. This made them relish a bit of sugar, which I distribute to them afterwards, and which appeased their grimaces and disgust. I am pestered to death for medicines, and have visitors without number.

The Sultan sent word this morning to know if I had anything to sell, any fine things from the Christian countries, for he wished to buy them. Our people returned for answer that I was not a merchant, but belonged to the Queen. He then begged me to give him a small quant.i.ty of my medicines, for he had heard I had most wonderful drugs;--would I favour him with some of every kind, that he might be prepared for all possible complaints which might attack him hereafter, when I was gone? For the present he is suffering from pains in all his joints; and requests, in the first place, to be relieved from them. Compliance with these demands was, of course, necessary. I therefore packed up small quant.i.ties of emetics, acetate of lead, worm-powders, and Epsom, and also a little camphor, and a little sticking-plaster, with a small bottle of Eau de Cologne. With these I went to pay my respects. We found the Sultan in a small private apartment. He was in an inquisitive mood, and began by asking me all manner of questions, the subjects ranging from the affairs of kings and princes down to the handkerchief round my neck. I should observe that the Sultan requested Yusuf to taste the medicines before he delivered them up to him, to see that there was no blood in them. So he tasted the salts and the jalap; but I told him that the acetate of lead was poison, and we wrote _sem_ upon all the packets. It surprised him that we should administer poison to the eyes.

After the interview his servants showed me his horses. They were but ill-formed animals, some heavily built, and others miserable-looking creatures. Yet these are the pick of the whole country, and some have been lately brought from Sakkatou, as the best which could be exported from that quarter.

In the afternoon another slave of Haj Bes.h.i.+r arrived from Zinder, seeking for me. He had brought a letter, but had orders if he did not find me to return it to Kuka; so that I shall be without news until my arrival. He, however, just knows that a caravan came from Mourzuk in thirty-nine days, bringing this letter, which was forwarded to me. It comes direct from Tripoli. There are three letters for me!

This evening my new interpreter came with a long trumped-up story, as to what the Sultan had said respecting my quarrel with Yusuf. His highness was represented to have expressed a strong desire that we might be reconciled before we arrived at Kuka. I cannot tell whether this be true or false. Probably they have attempted to get the Sultan to speak to me about Yusuf. This is always the case. These people do you as much injury as they please on the road, and when they are near a place which makes them afraid, they get a number of people to come and persuade you to say that they are very good fellows. It is quite clear that Yusuf has stolen several things on the road. The last thing missed is a large quant.i.ty of cloves. It is difficult to know how to act on these occasions.