Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 2: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's GovernmentRichardson, James
History
Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 2: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's Government
Richardson, James
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel; Richardson, James, 1806-1851
lascivious and beastly description. This entertainment takes place every
night; it is the great solace and delight of the people: they have no
other amusement. They are all passionately fond of the drum, which
certainly makes a great noise, and stirs them up to exhibit their
dancing powers.
The whole population have suddenly become sick, and all want Epsom
salts: a camel-load would not suffice. One old fellow wants a medicine
to enable him to get children. I tell him he is now old, and must be
satisfied with the strength God has given him in his past life.
The Sultan has made presents to our people,--to the Kashalla, Yusuf, and
others.
_18th._--I was so beset with people that I could not use my thermometer
this morning. The weather is fresh, with the wind from the north-east. I
am obliged to give tea as medicine: everybody now pretends to be sick,
from the Sultan to the meanest slave.
In all these villages the people burn up the stubble in the evening,
just outside the village, on the dung-heaps. They like to see the flame
which whirls up from the dirty hay or straw; but, of course, they make
their fire at some distance, to prevent its catching their huts. The
mortar and pestle have disappeared: the people use here, for grinding
their grain, two stones, as in some places on the north coast.
The insects are beginning their depredations upon me, biting me all
over, and raising on my flesh small ulcers.
I have obtained from Nammadina, the Fellatah horse-dealer, a detailed
account of the route to Yola, the capital of Adamaua, passing through
Boushi.
The Moors represent the latter place to be like Mourzuk and Tripoli; but
they say the greater part of the inhabitants of Adamaua are infidels or
pagans. The rulers are, however, Fellatahs, and therefore Muslims.
Adamaua is a rocky country: a small quantity of grain is found here,
with abundance of sheep, oxen, horses, goats, fish, samen, honey, and
onions. The rivers of Adamaua have always some water in them.
In the territory of Boushi will be found the celebrated name of Yamyam,
where the Moorish and Arab merchants place the residence of the Ben-Adam
eaters, or cannibals. I was greatly amused to hear my Fellatah informant
most strenuously deny this calumny on the African race; he asserted that
he had been in the country, and never had seen anything of this sort.
The Moors as boldly affirmed that such cannibals exist, although they
were obliged to confess they never saw the people of Adamaua or Yakoba
(name of the sultan) eat human flesh. The whole story of the Yamyam is
of the remotest antiquity, and has come down to us with many
embellishments; but, if once true of the people hereabouts, it can no
longer be authenticated by present facts, for as I have said, the Moors
themselves represent Boushi to be like Tripoli.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account