Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and StanleyKingston, William Henry Giles
History
Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Stanley
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Africa -- Description and travel; Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
On one occasion, when passing through Siwah, the bigoted Mahommedan
inhabitants surrounded the caravan, having heard that two Christians
belonged to it, and promising to let it proceed provided these were
delivered up to them. Having, however, by his knowledge of the Koran,
satisfied them that he was a true Mahommedan, being protected by the
other members of the caravan, he was allowed to proceed.
He reached Mourzouk in safety, and there endeavoured to gain information
about the states to the south of Timbuctoo. He, however, heard but
little, though he found that Houssa was not, as supposed, a city, but a
region embracing many kingdoms, the inhabitants of which were said to be
superior in civilisation to those of the surrounding people.
He remained here for a considerable time, and then visited Tripoli,
after which he returned to Mourzouk, and started thence in April, 1800.
From that time no information was received directly from him; but Major
Denham many years afterwards learned that he had penetrated as far as
Nyffe on the Niger, where he fell a victim to disease.
Another German, Roentgen, also sent out by the Association in 1809,
started from Mogadore and, it is supposed, was murdered by his guides.
Two Americans, one a seaman, named Adams, and the other a supercargo,
James, having been wrecked on the west coast at different periods,
travelled for a considerable distance through the north-west portion of
the continent. Adams was carried to Timbuctoo, where he remained six
months in 1810. He found the city chiefly inhabited by negroes; and he
describes the few religious ceremonies which took place as pagan. The
city had lately been conquered by the king of Bambarra, who had
established there a negro government. Even the largest houses were
little more than huts, built of timber frames filled in with earth. He
was ultimately liberated by the British consul at Mogadore.
Riley, who was wrecked in 1815, was carried as a slave through the
country. From a caravan merchant, Sidi Hamet, who purchased him from
his first captors, he obtained much information about the country. From
the account he received, it appears at that time that Timbuctoo was
larger and better built than Adams described it. Sidi Hamet also
travelled a considerable distance down the banks of the Niger, which,
though at first running due east, afterwards turned to the south-east.
Travelling sixty days, he reached Wassanah, a place twice as large as
Timbuctoo, the inhabitants being hospitable and kind-hearted. From
thence he heard that boats with cargoes of slaves sailed two months,
first south and then west, down the river, till they came to the sea,
where they met white people in vessels armed with guns. This was the
most correct account hitherto received of the course of the Niger.
Riley was also rescued by the English consul at Mogadore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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