Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa : $b Including accounts of Tripoli, the Sahara, the remarkable kingdom of Bornu, and the countries around Lake ChadBarth, Heinrich
History
Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa : $b Including accounts of Tripoli, the Sahara, the remarkable kingdom of Bornu, and the countries around Lake Chad
Barth, Heinrich
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel
_Saturday, October 19._—Hámma and his companions were summoned to a
council which was to decide definitively in what quarter the arm of
justice, now raised in wrath, was to strike the first blow; and it
was resolved that the expedition should first punish the Imghád, the
Ikázkezan, and Fádë-ang. The officer who made the proclamation through
the town was provided with a very rude sort of drum, which was, in fact,
nothing but an old barrel covered with a skin.
_Sunday, October 20._—The most important event in the course of the day
was a visit which I received from Mohammed Bóro, our travelling companion
from Múrzuk, with his sons. It was the best proof of his noble character,
that before we separated perhaps never to meet again, he came to speak
with me, and to explain our mutual relations fairly. He certainly could
not deny that he had been extremely angry with us; and I could not
condemn him on this account, for he had been treated ignominiously. While
Mr. Gagliuffi told him that we were persuaded that the whole success of
our proceedings lay in his hands, he had been plainly given to understand
that we set very little value on his services. Besides, he had sustained
some heavy losses on the journey, and by waiting for us had consumed the
provisions which he had got ready for the march.
Although an old man, he was first going with the expedition, after which
he intended accompanying the caravan of the Kél-gerés to Sókoto with
his whole family; for Sókoto is his real home. The salt-caravan and the
company of this man offered a splendid opportunity for reaching that
place in safety and by the most direct road; but our means did not allow
of such a journey, and after all it was better, at least for myself, that
it was not undertaken, since, as matters went, it was reserved for me,
before I traced my steps towards the western regions, to discover the
upper navigable course of the eastern branch of the so-called Niger, and
make sundry other important discoveries. Nevertheless, Bóro expressed his
hope of seeing me again in Sókoto, and his wish might easily have been
accomplished. He certainly must have been, when in the vigour of life, a
man, in the full sense of the word, and well deserved the praise of the
Emgedesíye, who have a popular song beginning with the words, “Ágades
has no men but Bóro and Dahámmi.” I now also became aware why he had
many enemies in Múrzuk, who unfortunately succeeded in making Gagliuffi
believe that he had no authority whatever in his own country; for as
serki-n-turáwa he had to levy the tax of ten mithkáls on every camel-load
of merchandise, and this he is said to have done with some degree of
severity. After a long conversation on the steps of the terrace, we
parted, the best possible friends.
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