Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, from the year 1792 to 1798Browne, William George
History
Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, from the year 1792 to 1798
Browne, William George
Egypt -- Description and travel; Sudan -- Description and travel; Syria -- Description and travel
Several superstitious notions prevail among the slaves. One of them
having died suddenly, it was imagined that he had been possessed
by the devil, and none of them would wash the body. It was with
difficulty that they could be prevailed on even to carry it to the
place of interment.
The people of Dageou, a country on the West, represented as not
far from Bergoo, it is said, conquered the country now called Fûr,
and retained it till they were exhausted by mutual contentions: upon
which the present race of kings succeeded, but from what origin I have
not been able to discover. Probably, Moors driven from the North by
the Arabs. The race of Dageou is said to have come from the vicinity
of Tunis. It is reported, that they had a custom of lighting a fire
on the inauguration of their king, which was carefully kept burning
till his death. At present there is a custom in Fûr, of spreading
the carpets on which the several deceased Sultans used to sit,
before the new prince, and from the one he prefers, it is judged
his character will be analogous to that of its former possessor.
The Sultan Omar, one of the predecessors of Teraub, carried on a
long and destructive war with the neighbouring country of Bergoo,
in which he exhausted his treasures and people, and at the same time
greatly weakened the adverse country.
The families between which the pretensions to authority now lie,
are those of Abd-el-Casim, Teraub, and Chalifé, his brother. Each
of them has a number of warm partizans among the soldiery, who would
never be faithful to any of the other families. The competitors are
so numerous that much confusion is expected to follow the death of the
present Sultan; and it is inferred that the kingdom will be divided.
I shall now proceed to state some relations that were made to me
concerning Kordofân and other adjacent countries.
A king, of the name of _Abli-calik_, is the idol of the people
of Kordofân, where he reigned about fourteen years ago, and is
renowned for probity and justice. The kings of Kordofân had been
deputed by the Mecque of Sennaar, till after the death of the son
of _Abli-Calik_, when it was usurped by Fûr, in consequence of the
weakness and dissensions of the government at Sennaar.
The people of Kordofân are reported to be not only indifferent to
the amours of their daughters and sisters, but even attached to their
seducers. The father or brother will even draw the sword against him
who offends the _Refîk_, or companion of his daughter or sister. Very
different is the mode of thinking in Sennaar, where immodesty is only
permitted among the female slaves. The chief merchants have companies
of these slaves, and derive great profit from their prostitution.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account