Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51 Volume I Part 16

On this occasion these poor fellows threw words of consolation to me in the midst of their bartering for provisions, which at the present moment was their greatest care, if I except that of eating them. They have been living on short commons, and have suffered as much as we have. Want of regular food may have had an effect on me. I find that my hopes of good health are to be disappointed. I am obliged to keep my bed this afternoon, and to refrain from nourishment. Meanwhile a storm again comes on, laden with sand, which covers everything. Then follows violent rain, which lasts until late in the evening.

As I lay, troubling myself with apprehension of the Kailouees, En-Noor of our escort came to pay us a visit. He says he has been to his own town, and promises us better fortune higher up towards Soudan than we have hitherto had. He is himself about to start with a large caravan for Zinder, in about twenty days. Among other news, he tells us of the progress of the insurrection. The tribes pa.s.sed some distance to our right a few days ago, moving towards Asoudee and Aghadez, to instal a new Sultan. The revolution is now at its height, but may soon be brought to a close. It is fortunate that Tintalous lay out of the way of these rude desert revolutionists, as a visit from them might have been attended with evil consequence to us.

The excitement caused by this intelligence was a little calmed by the report that our camels had been heard of in the direction of Aghazar.

Our friend Mohammed is in full pursuit of them, with fair hopes of procuring their return. En-Noor says that we shall certainly get them back,--all; but he adds the qualifying phrase, _Inshallah!_--if it please G.o.d! Meanwhile "patience," as my comforter advises me. He is quite a narrative man, and enlarges on geography. According to him, Asben is the Soudan name for all this country, whilst it is known as Aheer by the people of the north.

_8th._--I felt much better this morning, having got rid of the diarrhoea. The weather was very damp, and the thermometer at six A.M.

stood at 72. At one o'clock it rose to 90, but still there was cool air flying about the tent. The sky remained overcast all day, but birds were singing as if it were the opening of the Aheer spring.

Dr. Overweg remarks truly, that you cannot shoot a man in this country, even if he knocks you down and robs you; for that would be the murder by an infidel of a Muslim, and the whole population would rise up against you. The observation may become a practical one of these days; and submission will prove to be the only remedy, whatever may happen.

Another result of practical observation! We shall have to destroy our tin biscuit-chests, for all the people swear that they are full of money. Our own servants go so far as to say that these chests, by exciting the curiosity and cupidity of the people, have been the causes of most of our misfortunes. In whatever case, every European travelling through these countries will be considered to have half his baggage consisting of gold and silver. I have been telling the people all along I have not any money, but no one quite believes me.

In this country, by the way, and all Saharan countries where many languages are spoken, a great deal is done by signs. The sign of the crooked forefinger represents the crouching of man and beast under sickness; but no sign is more common than which represents the large Spanish dollar, namely, forming a circle with the thumb and forefinger, and turning the thumb downwards.

Escort En-Noor, as I am obliged to distinguish him, returns to his place this night, and takes with him three or four camels, to give them something to eat; they are starving here near the town. I settled with him for the thirty-seven reals of Wataitee in goods, not money;--so the Queen's property goes!

The peculiarity of this locality at the present season of the year appears to be, that it rains every afternoon, beginning about three P.M.; the showers being preceded by a few puffs of strong wind, and continuing till an hour before dark. This is fortunate for us, for we know how to prepare ourselves for circ.u.mstances. Under tent we have a most drenching dampness during the night, continuing till the sun gets well up next morning. The people say that the rain has given over in Soudan. The season is, therefore, later here. The rain, if I may use the expression, would seem now to travel north; it has, however, began up in the higher regions surrounding Constantine. When I was there, I believe in August 1846, it had already set in; and now it will soon begin in Tripoli. At nine A.M. we begin to dry our clothes, and we get pretty well dried and aired by the time the rain begins again in the afternoon.

The day before yesterday a woman died in Tintalous, and was carried to the grave solely by women. This was considered an extraordinary thing by the Moors of the coast, but I see nothing extraordinary in the circ.u.mstance. The fact is, the Moors think the men ought to do everything except bear children and perform the drudgery of the household.

We have little communication with the town, the rain cutting us off from it and its inhabitants. A flood of water pours down the valley every evening, after which the ground continues all night and all next day in a state of wet mud.

_9th._--I rose without receiving any good news. On the contrary, Mr.

Sfaxee, who has always professed such disinterestedness, begins to hint demands. I find that I shall have to pay him as much as the other people. Escort En-Noor, by the way, was delighted with the little present I made to him of a pair of coloured scissors for his wife. The thermometer a little after mid-day rose to 94 Fahr. and 27 30' of Reaum. In the afternoon the rain only threatened, and we had but two or three puffs of wind.

We hear that the Sultan is better; and from his servants we collect that he is not willing we should go on to Zinder unless escorted by himself.

Certainly this arrangement would please us under ordinary circ.u.mstances; but we hear that it would detain us two or three months in Aheer, which will never do. To-day I made acquaintance with the round salt-cakes of Bilma. They consist of a very rough species of salt, like so many big round grains of the coa.r.s.est sandstone. One that I saw was of a dark brown colour, extremely dirty, about half-a-foot in diameter. Apparently these lumps are very compact; they serve as money both in Soudan and Tintalous. The greater part of the revenue of Aheer is derived from this salt carrying between Bilma and Zinder.

_10th._--This morning I felt much better, as well as I have ever done since leaving Tripoli. One adapts one's self to any climate by degrees.

I took courage even to read a little, and went over Jackson's "What to Observe," among other things. But my mind is still troubled about our future course of proceeding. It is impossible to bring Sultan En-Noor to any arrangement. He still shelters himself from our importunities under the plea of ill health. Almost every morning we have a few visitors from the town. The people are not troublesome, except that they show a good deal of prying curiosity to see the faces, forms, and actions of Christians. We learn that scouts are still out after our camels, hitherto without success. I am afraid they have been driven far away; and begin to doubt our ever setting eyes on them again.

The morning was clear and dry, with a little cool wind breathing up the valley. The country was covered with fresh herbage; trees were budding and birds singing, as in spring. Yesterday evening we had a visit from a wolf, who was looking out for our two or three sheep for a supper, but the watch was too well kept. There are many wild animals in Aheer, but we have hitherto seen but few. Very pretty doves fly about our tent; and Dr. Overweg shot some small birds to send home.

Aheer, in general, must be considered as a part of the Southern Sahara, or Great Desert. Any country not producing periodic crops of grain, either by the annual rains or by irrigation, comes under this denomination here. Aheer answers the description perfectly, although there are some exceptions. Seloufeeat and Tintaghoda have annual crops of grain produced by irrigation.

I have obtained a list, such as it is, of the towns and villages surrounding Tintalous. Seloufeeat and Tintaghoda are not mentioned, as they lay in our route to this place. My informant declined to give any account of the numbers of the population, in all cases.[15]

[15] He may have refused from superst.i.tious motives. Muslims are peculiarly sensitive on this subject. In Egypt, Mohammed Ali encountered considerable pa.s.sive resistance in his endeavours to procure a census.--ED.

From Tintalous, as radii, are spread around the towns and villages of--Asara, two hours west; Asarara, a place near Asoudee; Ghaloulaf, four hours south; Asoudee, six hours south-south-west; Tanousamat, two hours west (forty people); Aghooou, two hours north (country of Escort En-Noor); Tanasama, four hours east (one family); Aghadez, six days south-west; Baghzem, two days south; Aghalagh, a few hours further south (fifty people); Bindaee, one hour and a-half east (no people); Teelaou, four hours east; Tegheda, a walk for shepherds, three hours west; Asoudaraka, five hours south (forty or fifty); Terken, seven hours west (not known); Timeea, four hours west (fifty, and many dates); Doumous, one day west; Agharghar, two days west; Oudaras, two days south-south-west (place for shepherds); Abasas, two days south (a place for shepherds); Tabernee (a well), two days south; Shouwarekede, or Touwerkedad (on the side of Tabernee), one day south; Maree, one day south (place for shepherds); Arasamadan, by the side of Maree, south (well); s.h.i.+ntaghalee, in Wady Tentaghemea, near the above, south; Azanwazgher, near the above, south; Zanairas,[16] two days north-east.

[16] Zanairas is the native place of Ferajee and Deedee, where Lousou exercises authority. This list is still very imperfect. It is difficult to find a man who will give correct and full information. As will be seen, my informant gave me wadys and sheep-walks for towns, in many cases. [At the end of the volume will be found more complete information on the positions of places in Aheer, subsequently obtained by Mr. Richardson.--ED.]

It would have been very interesting to collect authentic information as to the population of many places in Aheer. I suspect the number of inhabitants is very small indeed. I had already been powerfully impressed with the paucity of the population of the districts of Ghat, the desert region occupied by the Azgher, and had been led to compute that they cannot contain in all more than a couple of thousand people.

CHAPTER XVII.

Zinder Caravan--Negress playing "Boree"--Curious Scene--Objects of Barter--Fresh Annoyances--Remarks on our Reception in Aheer--En-Noor--Asoudee--Better News--Fresh Extortions--En-Noor disappoints us--Europeans taken for Spies--Things in demand at Aheer--Exercise--Overweg's Patients--Wild Animals in Aheer--Kailouees in dry Weather--Robbing a Prince--Ghaseb and Ghafouley--Aheer Cheese--Mokhlah Bou Yeldee--Our Wealth noised abroad--Alarm at Night--A fresh Attack--Sad's Gallantry--Disorderly Protectors--Thirteen Robbers--Amankee--Loss of my Tea--Country of Thieves.

_10th Sept. continued._--Yusuf has been to the town, but has come back without any authentic news of the departure of the caravans for Zinder.

He says, however, that En-Noor is better; and that it is reported that the first caravan will go in fifteen or twenty days, and the second and largest, with which En-Noor himself talks of setting out, about twenty days afterwards.

I was disturbed this evening from my repose on the dry sand under the pale moonlight by the most unearthly noises, coming from a group of our black servants. On getting up to see what it was, I found that one of our negresses, a wife of one of the servants, was performing _Boree_, the "Devil," and working herself up into the belief that his Satanic majesty had possession of her. She threw herself upon the ground in all directions, and imitated the cries of various animals. Her actions were, however, somewhat regulated by a man tapping upon a kettle with a piece of wood, beating time to her wild manoeuvres. After some delay, believing herself now possessed, and capable of performing her work, she went forward to half-a-dozen, of our servants, who were squatting down, on their hams, ready to receive her. She then took each by the head and neck, and pressed their heads between her legs--they sitting, she standing--not in the most decent way, and made over them, with her whole body, certain inelegant motions, not to be mentioned. She then put their hands and arms behind their backs, and after several other wild cries and jumps, and having for a moment thrown herself flat upon the ground, she declared to each and all _their future_--their fortune, good or bad.

I did not stop to see the result of the ceremony. The slaves carry these mysteries with them in their servitude, and the practice of such indecent and profane things tolerated by the Muslims of the coast. The Moors and Arabs, indeed, have great faith in these mysteries, and resort to them to know _their future_.

I made this day a list of objects of barter:--A looking-gla.s.s in a tin case, value, in Tripoli, thirty paras, purchases here two sahs of ghaseb. A common print handkerchief, value fourpence English money, only purchases three or four sahs of ghaseb.

Eight draa of fine white calico are equal to one metagal; three of which metagals is a large dollar. (This does not sell at much advantage.)

I this day finished my dispatch, dated from Esalan, respecting the disputes and disagreements I had with the Tuaricks of Ghat; but since then these Haghars have, indeed, appeared very moderate people to us.

Thermometer at half-past twelve P.M., under tent, 92 Fahr.

Instead of much rain, we have had a squall of wind this afternoon, attended by a slight shower.

In the afternoon, Yusuf came, with a menacing tone, from En-Noor, saying, we must pay ten metagals (of this country) for finding each of the lost camels; or if not, this sum would be taken from us by force.

Yusuf added, also, that En-Noor was dissatisfied with his present; that the Sultan had remarked to him,--"It was a present for servants, and he had given it all away to the people." Moreover, that yesterday came several persons, marabouts, from Tintaghoda, who mentioned their displeasure to En-Noor because they had not yet received anything.

I was just rejoicing at the finding of three lost camels; but it seems we are not to have a moment of repose or enjoyment in Aheer. It may be, hereafter, "sweet to remember these things," but it is now a sad trial of patience to bear them. I abused En-Noor and our servants in turn. As to the forty metagals, there was not a question ventured about that; but the present of En-Noor was the largest we had ever made, and it would have been better to have brought with us letters of recommendation for robbers than such people. All this comes after it had been noised abroad through the whole village that En-Noor was greatly rejoiced at the present, and all the people were happy and content. Such, however, is the dependence to be placed on reports in the African kingdom of Aheer!

However, I am determined to give way to no more vain fears, but to preserve as much as possible of the property of Government. I am sorry to say that I receive no a.s.sistance in my efforts to save the money with which I have been entrusted.

I am now writing to Mr. Gagliuffi on the subject of the great losses and shameless extortion to which we were subjected on our arrival in this country. In reviewing the whole affair, setting apart the personal devotion exhibited towards myself, I have no cause to be pleased with our escort and servants. They gave way too easily to fear, and, seem to have been too willing to allow us to buy ourselves off. I have omitted to mention that they wished us to write a doc.u.ment, to the effect that if we came to harm it was not through their fault! This singular idea was, of course, rejected. I must observe, that not only we, but all our caravan, were prodigiously disappointed by the reception we met with.

The Haghars were expected to be troublesome, and their alleged pursuit of us was sufficiently probable; but no one admitted that there was any danger from the people of Aheer. On the contrary, all professed delight at the prospect of entering the inhabited districts, where it was thought and boldly proclaimed we should all have the most cordial welcome. Yet the Haghars did not come, and the borderers of Aheer treated us as badly as the wildest Tuaricks could have done, behaving like veritable brigands. I entertain some faint hopes of obtaining redress; but have been so often deceived, that I shall say nothing for the present on the subject.

_Friday, 13th Sept._--I rose early; a fine morning. Thermometer at a quarter to seven P.M. under tent, 78. We had a visit early from the son-in-law of En-Noor and his two friends, who had found the camels.

They were extremely polite, and much pleased when I sent them to the Sfaxee to receive forty metagals for the recovery of the four lost camels (one is not yet come up). Then I had a visit from one of the slaves of En-Noor's brother. This man gave a good account of En-Noor, and said he would certainly go with us. He observed, also, respecting the Sultan's authority, "En-Noor governs everywhere--all Aheer, and even Damerghou and Zinder." This must be taken to signify, En-Noor has great influence in all these countries.

Asoudee is said by some to be a city, walled, and of considerable extent, with many people; others represent it as being in ruins. I think its ruins are mentioned in my Ghadamez itinerary. Unlike Tintalous, a great quant.i.ty of provisions is stored up in that place.

Yusuf and the Sfaxee came this morning from En-Noor, and brought more tranquillising news; but we have been obliged to give ten douros each for finding the lost camels--almost as much as my white maharee is worth. However, I remained in tolerably good spirits all day, cheered by the favourable account given me of the Sultan. But woe to the man who hugs himself in a feeling of security in Aheer!

Late in the evening Yusuf and the Sfaxee came from En-Noor with a most threatening message. The Sheikh says, in substance, that "Everybody wishes to attack us, and take away our property. To protect us, therefore, and conduct us to Zinder, he must have, at least, seven hundred dollars." At first he demanded one thousand, and then came down to seven hundred. Such is the man to whom we are recommended as a friend and protector. None of the robbers have yet taken so large a sum, so that this is the greatest, grandest of the brigands! I went to bed disquieted by the enormity of En-Noor's demands.

_14th._--As may be imagined, I pa.s.sed an unquiet night, disturbed by the most gloomy forebodings. It now appeared to me that all the amenity of the Sultan had been a.s.sumed, in order that he might first get all he could out of us by gentle means, previous to resorting to threats and bullying. As to resistance, it is, of course, impossible, if imperative demands be made. In the morning En-Noor sent a message, to the effect that he could not see us unless we had made up our minds to give him the seven hundred dollars. He is getting more and more bold and impertinent.

I deputed Mahommed Tunisee and the Sfaxee to him as negotiators. They are to offer a present of five hundred dollars; that is to say, three hundred for the escort to Zinder, and the remaining two hundred after the signing of the treaty. With some difficulty the matter was for the present arranged, by the sacrifice of another hundred dollars as a present to the courtiers of the great man, in order that they might induce him to be so kind as to accept of the remaining five hundred! My agents were greatly a.s.sisted by the Wakeel of Makersee of Mourzuk. I consented to the arrangement on En-Noor's writing a letter to her Majesty's Government, promising protection to British travellers for the future; and thus ended this new, and I may say, flagrant series of exactions. Possibly, had I been alone, I might have been able to hold out longer and more successfully; but it is somewhat embarra.s.sing to act with persons who share in your councils without sharing in your responsibility, and who naturally seek the shortest and easiest method of getting over all difficulties. The conclusion of the arrangement had a tranquillising effect upon our encampment, especially on my worthy German colleagues.

The people have complained to En-Noor that we are "writing the country."

This is an old complaint, and pervades all Northern Africa and the Desert, "that the Christians come first to write a country, and afterwards invade or capture it." Travellers, therefore, especially when they venture to use the pen in public, are looked upon as spies, which may in part account for the rough treatment they sometimes receive.

Every place has certain things especially in demand. Here nothing goes down but white calico and very small looking-gla.s.ses, which shut up in boxes. With these we purchase the greater part of our provisions. There is a little cotton-money about. Our encampment sometimes resembles a market. The people are curious to observe every action which differs from theirs. When I promenade a little for exercise, they immediately turn their eyes upon me with astonishment, and some come to ask what I do that for. I reply by signs,[17] feeling my legs and stretching them.

This proves satisfactory, for the Kailouees are apparently an active people, at least in this season; but they moved about little while the rain lasted, and in the middle of the day they rarely visit us--always in the morning and in the afternoon. Dr. Overweg has got some patients; but people generally seem to enjoy very good health in this place. We have now a great deal of wind instead of rain: it always blows hard in the latter part of the day. I find this weather very bracing, though the thermometer at nine P.M. sometimes stands at 83. The rainy season may be considered nearly at an end.

[17] It is astonis.h.i.+ng how few of the Kailouees speak Arabic. The few terms and expressions they are acquainted with are only those of commerce.