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
On our return from Kánem we met large numbers of this piratical set of
islanders; and on my home journey in 1855, I saw them in the full
activity of their labours. This salt, weak and insipid as it is, is at
least of a better quality than that which the people in Kótoko prepare
from neat-dung. In Míltu, on the Upper Shári, or Bá-busó, salt of a
tolerable quality is obtained from a peculiar species of grass growing
in the river. The Músgu, as we shall see, prepare this necessary article
(or at least something like it) from the ashes of the stalks of millet
and Indian corn.
After we had emerged from the underwood into the open country, we passed
a considerable salt-manufactory, consisting of at least twenty earthen
pots. Large triangular lumps of salt were lying about, which are shaped
in moulds made of clay. Several people were busy carrying mud from an
inlet of the lake which was close at hand, in order to make new moulds.
Keeping close along the border of the latter, and enjoying the fresh
breeze which had before been kept from us by the forest, we halted early
in the afternoon. A small Tébu caravan was also encamped here, no doubt
with the intention of passing the night; but they did not like the
neighbourhood of our friends, and, loading immediately, started off.
Our path now lay through fertile pasture-grounds, with a line of
underwood to our left. It was a fine cool morning. We passed a large
pool of fresh water, frequented by great numbers of waterfowl of various
species. Overweg, on his fine and tall, but rather heavy and unwieldy
charger, made an unsuccessful attempt to overtake a pair of kelára
(_Antilope Arabica?_ _Aigocerus ellipsiprymnus?_), who scampered
playfully away through the fine grassy plain. At nine o’clock we reached
the far-famed place Ngégimi, and were greatly disappointed at finding an
open, poor-looking village, consisting of detached conical huts, without
the least comfort, which, even in these light structures, may well be
attained to a certain degree. The hungry inhabitants would not receive
anything in exchange for a few fowls which we wanted to buy, except
grain, of which we ourselves, in these desolate regions, stood too much
in need to have given it away without an adequate substitute.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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