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
Aug. 7.—I was now on the eve of departing for Kanem, to proceed
by Woodie to the north-east of the lake. Mr. Clapperton had been ill
with sore legs and an attack of dysentery, but was better. Mohammed
Bousgayey, an Arab, who left this place with Doctor Oudney and
Mr. Clapperton, came to my hut: he had gone on from Kano, with four
or five Arabs, to Yeouri and to Nyffé, and had stayed some time at a
place called Gusgey on the Quolla, two days west-south-west nearly,
from Yeouri. The Quolla he described to be here as wide as to the
market outside the walls and back, which must have been nearly two
miles: they were all kaffirs, he said, but not bad people. The sultan
Mahmoud had several hundred guns, and powder, which were brought from
the _bahr kebir_ (great water), and _arrack_ (rum), in plenty; which
was brought in large glass bottles. At eight days distance only from
Yeouri, large boats came to a place called Yearban, but it is not
on the _bahr kebir_. Katungah is the great port, which is at some
distance: to both of these places people he called Americans came;
they were white, and Christians: they always demand gum arabic and
male slaves, for which they will pay as high as sixty and seventy
dollars each. Sultan Mahmoud produced to him two books, which he said
were like mine; and told him, that a man, whose beard was white,
had lived nearly three years with no money; that he wished to go,
but had no means, and that he died. Bousgayey said the sultan had
offered him the book; which he refused, as he did not know what he
could do with it; but that now he was going back, and should bring it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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