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
Nearly all the salt-caravan has arrived, and proceeded in advance,
coming in small detachments. They rendezvous in a fine wady full of
herbage, with water higher up. We are expected to leave in a few days,
three or four at most. Nothing seems now to detain En-Noor. But the
Fadeea have returned from the Hagar, finding themselves not pursued.
They very naturally prefer their own fine valley in Asben to the stony,
desert wilds of Hagars. I suppose a razzia will be executed against
them, for the restoration of the camels of Tintaghoda, on the return of
the salt-caravan from Soudan.
En-Noor gives a tremendously unfavourable account of the Oulimad, who
occupy the desert of Sahara between Aghadez and Timbuctoo, and keep the
road there shut against caravans. He says, they would sleep in our tents
in the day, eat and drink with us; but in the night they would carry
away the tent, and make themselves clothing with it. In fact, En-Noor
considers them the veriest barbarians in this region of Africa. There
may be a little exaggeration in this, and the Oulimad may not be worse
than the Hagars of Ghemâma, or even than some of his own people. The
Kailouees do not hunt, nor do they cultivate the soil; so that this
country abounds with animals. Some of the country is extremely wild and
rocky, and affords many a retired den for the lions, who descend from
the rocks and prowl abroad for prey in great numbers. Their footmarks
frequently cover the length and breadth of the wadys. Barth himself saw
(very fortunately, for it is a sight seen by very few persons indeed) as
many as five together. Monkeys also abound in great numbers. I related
to En-Noor the anecdote, as a joke, of the monkey shaving the cat in
Paris; but this he took seriously, for he observed, "That is nothing; I
have seen the monkeys crack lice just like men." It is always a
difficult matter to translate a joke to these people. Overweg has been
out these last two days hunting for ostrich eggs, in the places which
these birds frequent. He saw their footprints, dung, feathers, &c., and
two specimens, but found no eggs. It appears this is a most difficult
bird to catch.
En-Noor continues to be very friendly. I get milk now every morning, for
which I pay sugar and coffee. His highness and his people went out
yesterday to dig a well, about two hours distant. All the water in this
place is exhausted. It appears to be merely a deposit of rain-water
under the sand, at a depth of from four or five to eight feet. It
becomes, as in this case, entirely exhausted before the commencement of
the next rains; but of course there are some springs, and many wells
which are not dried up during the whole year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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