Narrative of travels and discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the years 1822, 1823, and 1824Denham, Dixon
History
Narrative of travels and discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the years 1822, 1823, and 1824
Denham, Dixon
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Africa, North
June 6.—Several towns sent their chiefs, and submitted in this
manner,—bringing peace-offerings, on the sheikh’s swearing
solemnly not to molest them farther; but Malem Fanaamy, a fighi of
great talent, the cause of the rebellion of these people, refused
to come, because he feared to lose his head, and offering, at the
same time, two thousand slaves, one thousand bullocks, and three
hundred horses, to the sheikh, as the price for peace[33]. The
offer was refused: the sheikh’s object being the subjection of
this rebellious chief, and not his death or plunder.
We had, the night before, attempted to send off two rockets, but
which, to my great disappointment, as well as the sheikh’s, had
failed: they had been carelessly carried, and the composition had
fallen out of them. This evening he sent “to beg that I would try
two more, and, please God, make them go better.” I replied, “that
I would do my best;” and, most fortunately, they succeeded to my
wish. They were, indeed, a beautiful sight, as the night was extremely
dark, and created exceeding wonder. Some of the messengers, who had
come from the towns to the west, fell on their faces, and began to
pray most fearfully when the rockets burst in their descent. This
evening, also, Malem Fanaamy had sent his son, a man of about thirty,
handsomely attended, who also witnessed this wonderful exhibition.
The following day, Malem Fanaamy himself made his appearance. His
people had become clamorous, and, having no alternative, he came
superbly mounted on a white horse, with full one thousand followers,
and, dismounting at the door of the sheikh’s tent, humbled himself
to the dust, and would have poured sand on his head, but this was
by the sheikh’s order prevented, and the fighi brought into his
presence. As is the custom on these occasions, he came in poor
habiliments, and with an uncovered head. The sheikh received his
submission, and, when he really expected to hear the order for his
throat to be cut, he was clothed with eight handsome tobes, and his
head made as big as six with turbans from Egypt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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