Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 3 (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. 3 (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
Our march the whole morning had been straight for Dáwa, the village of
the Túfuri or Túburi, a section of the great tribe of the Farí or Falí,
of which I have spoken in a former part of my narrative.
There had been a great deal of discussion in the last day’s council as
to the expediency of attacking this place, the subjection, or rather
destruction of which was of great importance, not only to Mʿallem Jýmma,
but even to the Fúlbe settled in the eastern districts of Ádamáwa in
general. This party at last had gained the upper hand over the greater
part of the cowardly Kanúri courtiers; but at present, when we
approached the seat of this tribe, who are well known to be warlike, and
when the question arose whether we should engage in battle with these
people in three or four hours’ time, it became rather a serious affair.
When, therefore, after a march of four hours we reached a beautiful
fresh meadow-water or “ngáljam” overgrown with rank grass, surrounded by
large spreading ngábbore trees, which pleasantly diversified the
monotonous forest, we made a halt, and while the horsemen watered their
animals, an animated “nógona,” or council, was held in the shade of a
beautiful fig-tree. Here it was decided that, at least to-day, we should
not march against Dáwa and the Túburi, but were to change our course
more to the eastward in the direction of Démmo. It is probable that the
vizier on this occasion promised to his friends, that after he had taken
up his head-quarters at Démmo, and deposited safely, in the fortified
encampment, the spoil that he had already made in slaves and cattle, he
would march against Dáwa; but unfortunately, or rather luckily for the
inhabitants, it was not our destiny to visit that interesting and
important place, as I shall soon have occasion to mention.
During our halt here I contemplated, with the most lively and intense
interest, the rich and animated scene which presented itself before my
eyes,—a mass of some thousand horsemen, dressed in the most varied
manner and in the most glowing colours, with their spirited chargers of
every size, description, and colour, crowded together along the green
margin of a narrow sheet of water, skirted by a dense border of large
trees of the finest foliage.
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