Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b being a journal of an expedition undertaken under the auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the years 1849-1855Barth, Heinrich
History
Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b being a journal of an expedition undertaken under the auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the years 1849-1855
Barth, Heinrich
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel
The valley Tin-téggana, wherein Ánnur, with his people, was encamped, is
in this place about three miles broad, being bordered towards the east
by a low range of hills with the small cone of Ádode rising to a greater
elevation; towards the west by the Búnday and some smaller mountains;
towards the south, where the ground rises, it is lined by more detached
peaks, while on the north side an open view extends down the valley as
far as the large mountain-mass which borders the valley of Tintéllust on
the north. Altogether it was a fine open landscape, embracing the
country which forms the nucleus, if I may say so, of the domain of the
old chief, whose camels pasture here the whole year round, while he
himself usually takes up his residence in this place about this season,
when nature is in its prime, and the weather becomes cool, in order to
enjoy the country air.
We ourselves had as yet no idea of making a long stay here, but indulged
in the hope of starting the next day, when all of a sudden about noon
our old friend declared solemnly that he was unable to go with us at
present, that he himself was obliged to wait for the salt-caravan, while
his confidential slave Zinghína was now to go southwards. He said that,
if we chose, we might go on with the latter. He supposed, perhaps, that
none of us would dare to do so; but when I insisted upon it afterwards,
he as well as Zinghína declared that the attempt was too dangerous; and
it would have been absurd to insist on accompanying the slave. For the
moment such a disappointment was very trying. However, I afterwards
perceived that, though we had lost more than a month of the finest
season for travelling, we had thereby acquired all possible security for
safely attaining the object of our journey; for now we were obliged to
send off all our luggage with Zinghína in advance, and might fully
expect to travel with infinitely more ease and less trouble, when no
longer encumbered with things which, though of little value,
nevertheless attracted the cupidity of the people. At the time, however,
even this was not at all agreeable, as Overweg and I had to part with
almost all our things and to send them on to Kanó, to the care of a man
of whose character we knew nothing.
[Sidenote: Friday, November 8th.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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