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
Two of our camels strayed this evening. En-Noor's people soon brought
them back. Our servants are very careless, and all our mishaps are a
profit to the Kailouees. We have still, however, two camels lost, and, I
imagine, shall not now recover them. But I was glad to hear the news
that the Sultan of Asoudee was successfully chastising all the people
who on the road attacked us. He had punished the people of Azaghar and
of Seloufeeat, even the son of Haj Bashaw; and the Haj himself, who was
said to be our friend, because he did not look after his son. The Sultan
acts quite according to my opinion, making all the principal people of
Seloufeeat and other places responsible for the conduct of the poorer
and lower classes. It is said that the Fadeea have fled; but others say
that they have been captured, and all our property which could be found
seized in the name of the Sultan of Asoudee. All the steps taken by this
Sultan have been directed, more or less, by En-Noor. He can muster, it
is said, two thousand warriors--for every able-bodied man fights in this
country. This expedition may be useful for future travellers from
Europe, but I fear we shall get back none of our property.
As a specimen of the political news strained through the brains of the
people of Tuat, I may mention that the Tuatee, recently arrived here,
reports that "the King of the Frenchmen has run away to England, and
carried with him all the money of the French," and, moreover, that "as
the French conquered Algiers by distributing large dollars to every one,
and hold it by the same means, the French now having no money, must soon
relinquish Algiers again to the hands of the Muslims."
_4th._--The weather is getting colder and colder. The last few days have
been quite chilly, with a strong wind blowing from the east. This
morning it was quite uncomfortable, the thermometer having fallen for
the first time to 60° at sunset. We started early, and made seven hours
in a south-eastern direction. It was a nice ride; but as the day
advanced we got much sunburnt. After three hours we passed on the left
the little village Zouazgher. The caravan showed again very
picturesquely, the burdens tumbling off from the donkeys in the most
delightful confusion, and the girls squalling for help. I ate on the
road some Soudan dates, as they are called by the Arabs, and found them
pleasant--a sort of bitter sweet. The name of the tree and of the fruit
is, in Bornou, _bitu_. In Haussa the tree has two names, _aduwa_ and
_tinku_. Our course to day was up a fine valley, down which the water in
the rainy season runs from east to west. There was abundance of trees
and herbage. At this place, however, lions abound, and last night a
camel was eaten by them. We encamped opposite a mountain, rising pretty
high in sugar-loaf shape, called Adudai. Over the carcase of the camel
hovered a small flock of eagles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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