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
The Loggunese, however, have made considerable progress in the arts of
peace. The clothes woven by them are superior to those of Bornou, being
beautifully glazed, and finely dyed with indigo; and they make use even
of a current coin of iron, somewhat in the form of a horse-shoe, which
none of the neighbouring nations possess. Their country abounds in
grain and cattle, and is diversified with forests of acacias and other
beautiful trees.
As they proceeded on their journey, poor Mr Toole grew worse.
Escaping several dangers, they returned to Angala, where at first the
major hoped his poor friend might recover, but on the 26th of February a
cold shiver seized him, and just before noon he expired, completely
worn-out and exhausted. He had scarcely completed his 22nd year, and
was in every sense an amiable and promising young officer.
On Denham's return to Kouka, he found the sheikh with a large army
collected to attack the Begharmis, who were scouring the country. As,
however, he was suffering from fever, he went on to Kouka, where he
heard of the death of Dr Oudney at a place called Murmur. The sheikh's
expedition was successful, and the people were highly delighted with the
plunder which had been obtained.
Sickness, however, was at work in the city. Omar, an Arab, who had
arrived with Mr Toole, died, and Columbus caught the fever, and had to
take to his bed. The major, however, was cheered by the arrival of Mr
Tyrhwit, who had been sent out by the British Government to strengthen
the party. He brought a present of two swords, two brace of pistols, a
dagger, and two gold watches, which were received by El Kanemy with
great delight. On hearing that some rockets had also been forwarded, he
exclaimed: "What besides all these riches! There are no friends like
these; they are all true; and I see by the book that, if the prophet had
lived only a short time longer, they would have become Moslem."
On the termination of the Rhamadan, June 1st, the sheikh again took the
field, proceeding eastward along the shores of the Chad, against a
powerful Biddomah chief, called Amanook, who held a strong position on
some islands near the shores of the lake. The object of the expedition
had been kept a great secret till the neighbourhood of the country to be
attacked was reached. The army marched through the country of the
Shooas, a people who live entirely in tents of leather and huts of
rushes, changing but from necessity, on the approach of an enemy or want
of pasturage for their numerous flocks. They seldom fight, except in
their own defence. Their principal food is the milk of camels, in which
they are rich, and also that of cows and sheep; often they take no other
nourishment for months together. They have the greatest contempt for
and hatred of the negro nations, and yet are always tributary either to
one black sultan or another. There is no example of their ever having
peopled a town or established themselves in a permanent home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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