Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 5 (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. 5 (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
We very nearly became embroiled in a serious quarrel with the
inhabitants of one of these camps, who seized a small box which I had
given to the Sheikh, and which one of his young slaves was carrying. I
was riding in advance, and the people allowed me to pass unmolested,
contenting themselves with putting some questions to me. The whole
country was in a state of great agitation, a rumour having got abroad
that I, in conjunction with the Sheikh, was to establish here a new
kingdom. But a few considerate admonitions from the more respectable
members of the troop brought the Tawárek to reason; and it was very
curious to witness the theatrical attitudes which one of these simple-
minded but energetic original inhabitants of North Africa made use of,
in order to demonstrate to the author of the riot the absurdity of his
proceedings.
After some slight delay caused by this theatrical _intermezzo_, we put
our little troop once more in motion, following our former southerly
direction, till we were overtaken by a messenger from the Sheikh, with
the order that we were to approach nearer the river. Proceeding
therefore in a south-westerly direction, we soon came to the exterior
embankment of the river reached by its waters during the highest state
of the inundation, and girt by a dense grove of dúm-bush and talha
trees, but destitute of the nutritious býrgu.
In this locality, which is called Kókoro, we made a halt in order to
wait for El Bakáy; but, as he did not come, and as we were unable to
stay in this wilderness where no encampment was near, we moved on in the
afternoon, with an almost exact southerly direction, towards Gógó,
Gʿawó, or Ghágo, the celebrated capital of the Songhay empire. We first
kept along the border of the green swampy creek, which further on
presented an open sheet of water, while on our left, between the dense
dúm-bush, dúm-palms also began to appear. But about two miles further
on, leaving the creek for awhile, we ascended sandy downs, where from
the deserted site of a former ámazagh, bearing evident traces of having
been the resting-place of a numerous herd of cattle, my companions
descried in the distance the tops of the palm trees of Gógó, while I
strained my eyes in vain, filled as I was with the most ardent desire of
at length reaching that place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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