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
After a halt of about a quarter of an hour we were again in the saddle,
and pursued our march, but now in an entirely different direction,
keeping almost due east, and crossing the shallow watercourse, which
stretched from north to south a little below our halting-place, the
place where we crossed it being quite dry and full of holes caused by
the footsteps of the elephant. The wilderness for a while was clearer;
but after a march of about two miles we reached a very thick covert,
where it was found necessary to send out scouts, in order to see if the
enemy was lying in ambush. It is a great pity that these poor natives do
not know how to avail themselves, against their cruel and cowardly
enemies, of the fastnesses with which nature has endowed these regions.
Of course, these immense forests, which separate one principality, and I
might say one village, from another, are themselves a consequence of the
want of intelligence and of the barbarous blindness of these pagan
tribes, who, destitute of any common bond of national unity, live
entirely separated from, and even carry on war against each other.
Scarcely had we made ourselves a path through the thicket, when we
reached another meadow-water, which at present, however, looked rather
like a bog, and offered some difficulties to the passage of the horses.
Having then for some time kept upon dry ground, about noon we had to
cross another swamp; but beyond this the country became open.
Having now reached the place of our destination, the banners were
unfolded, the drums beaten, and the greater part of the cavalry hurried
on in advance ready for fighting, or rather for pillage, for no enemy
was to be seen. Immediately afterwards we reached the village of Démmo,
and marched slowly along, looking out for the best place for encamping.
Numerous deléb-palms became visible behind the shady acacias, when
suddenly we obtained sight of a broad shallow watercourse, larger than
any we had yet seen in this country—more than two miles in width, with a
considerable sheet of open water, where two pagan canoes were seen
moving about.
Greatly interested in the scene, we closely approached the edge of the
water, which seemed to be of considerable depth, although a number of
hungry Kánembú had passed the first open sheet, and were fishing in its
more shallow part, which divided the open water into two branches. From
beyond the opposite shore a whole forest of deléb-palms were towering
over the other vegetation of lower growth, as if enticing us to come and
enjoy their picturesque shade. The direction of the watercourse at this
spot was from S.W. to N.E.; and, according to the unanimous statement of
those who had any knowledge of these regions, it joins the Serbéwuel,
that is to say the upper course of the river or “éré” of Logón.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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