Part 30

In the afternoon, I went into the town, to pay my respects to the chief whose name is Mai-Bákr. The place, which seems to have attracted the notice of Arab geographers from an early date, consists of about 120 cottages, built with rough stones, and scattered about on the slope, besides a few yards erected with palm branches. The cottages are very low, and covered in with the stems and leaves of the palm tree. A solitary conical hut, like those of Sudan, was likewise to be seen. One of the stone houses exhibited a greater degree of industry by its whitewashing, but the residence of the chief was not distinguished in any way. The latter, who bears the title of Maina, was a man of advanced age and of respectable behaviour. At the time of our entrance he was squatted on fresh white sand in front of his “diggel,” placed in the ante-chamber or segífa. He received my present (which consisted of a black tobe, two túrkedís, and a harám, worth altogether about four Spanish dollars) kindly, and expressed his hope that I might get safely over the tract before me, if I did not lose any time by a longer delay. Meanwhile a Tebu merchant who was present gave me the very doubtful information that the people of Tawát paid to the French an annual tribute of 60,000 dollars. The inhabitants of Áshenúmma and of the neighbouring places, are very differently situated from those of Dírki and Bilma, for the latter on account of their being the medium of communication in the salt trade, are respected by the Tawárek, for whom they prepare that article, and who, in consequence, do not plunder them even when they meet them in the desert. Nay, they even protect them, as I have described in the former part of my journey, so that merchants from Dírki and Bilma were proceeding to Háusa by way of Ásben. The inhabitants of the other places, on the contrary, such as Áshenúmma, are exposed to all sorts of oppression from the former, and even run the risk of being slain by them when met alone. With regard to the Tebu in general, I have already spoken repeatedly about their intimate connection with the Kanúri race, and have enumerated the names of the sections of their tribe, so far as I have become acquainted with them, and I shall say more on the subject of their language in a preface to my vocabularies. It was a remarkable fact, but easily to be explained, that the greatest heat which I experienced in the desert was in this valley, the thermometer at two o’clock in the afternoon rising daily to between 110° and 112°.

We remained here the following day, when I enjoyed the scenery of the locality extremely, and made a sketch of it, which is represented in the plate opposite. I also desired Corporal Church, who, as I have stated above, was in my company, and who felt assured that Captain Clapperton had indicated the mountain chain on the west by mistake, to ascend the slope of the chain above Áshenúmma, in order to convince himself that that meritorious traveller had not been misled in such a strange manner. With the aid of my small telescope, he discovered in the far distance to the west, a chain bordering the valley in that direction. This breadth of the valley is even indicated by the distance intervening between Ágherim and Fáshi on the one side, and Bilma and Dírki on the other.

[Illustration: Drawn by J. M. Bernatz, from a Sketch by Dr. Barth.

M. & N. Hanhart, lith. et impt.

ASHENÚMMA.

June 15th. 1855.]

It was the holiday of the ʿAíd el fotr, and the inhabitants of the little town celebrated the day by a religious procession, in which there figured even as many as ten horses, and a few rounds of powder were fired. The petty chief also sent me a holiday dish, consisting of a sort of maccaroni made of millet, with a porridge of beans. It is a very remarkable circumstance, and one that must not be forgotten by any traveller who pursues this road, that the inhabitants of the Tebu country esteem nothing more highly, nay, scarcely value anything at all, except dried fish, the stinking “búni,” and that he may starve with all sorts of treasures in his bags, unless he be possessed of this article. I myself was even obliged to buy the grass or ghedeb (of which I stood in need for my camels) with dried fish, and I felt sorry that I had not laid in a greater supply of this article in Bárruwa.

[Sidenote: Monday, June 17th.]

Before setting out, I thought it prudent to pay another visit and bid farewell formally to May-Bákr, as I was anxious, unprotected as I was, to secure my rear. I then followed my camels, and having crossed two defiles, formed by projecting cliffs, which interrupt the valley, reached after a march of seven miles the town of Anikímma, situated at the side of an isolated promontory projecting from the cliffs, which form here a sort of wide recess, and encamped at the border of the palm grove, when I immediately received some hospitable treatment from my friend Kólo, who was a native of this place. This is the modern road which is taken at the present time, the town of Kisbi or rather Gézibi, which lies on the western side of the valley, and along which the former mission passed, being at present deserted. This road led in former times by Kisbi to Azanéres. But although we were treated in a friendly manner in this place, I did not like to lose any time, but was anxious to proceed at once to Ánay, the northernmost town in the valley of Kawár, in order to prepare myself there, without the least delay, for that second great station of my desert journey which I had to traverse quite by myself, as my friend Kólo was to stay behind, and was not going to undertake the journey for a month or so. I recommended to him my freed slave ʿOthmán, who had remained behind, as he was suffering from the effects of the guinea-worm. Kólo, however, accompanied me in the afternoon for a few hundred yards, together with a Tebu from Tibésti, of the name of Maina Dadakóre, who had recently been plundered of all his property by the Tawárek. The distance from Anikímma to Ánay is not very great, about two miles and a half. The site of Ánay is very peculiar, as may be seen from the description given by the former expedition[56], who were greatly struck by its singular appearance, although the view which they have given of the locality is far from being correct. The first thing which I had to do here was, to endeavour by means of dollars, cloves, and the remnant of dried fish which I still had left, to procure as large a supply of ghedeb as possible, in order to carry my camels through this trying journey, as my only safety with my small band of people consisted in the greatest speed. It was very unlucky for me that the blacksmith of Dirki broke his word in not bringing up the shoes for my horses, a circumstance which would have been productive of the most serious consequences, if I had been attacked on the road, as both my horses became lame.

[Sidenote: Tuesday, June 18th.]

Having prepared everything in the forenoon, we set out on our lonely and dangerous journey with a fervent prayer, and after a march of a little less than two miles emerged from the valley, or hénderi, through a rocky defile. We then gradually ascended the higher level of the desert plain, and having made a stretch of about sixteen miles, we encamped. Having kept strict watch, as it was not improbable that some people might have followed us, we started again at an early hour, long before the dawn of day, and after a march of about thirteen miles reached Íggeba (Denham’s Ikbar), a shallow depression at the western foot of a mountain, clothed with some herbage and adorned with a rich profusion of dúm-palms. The well here afforded a supply of the most delicious water. However, the locality was too unsafe for our small troop to make here a long stay, it being frequently visited by predatory expeditions. We therefore thought it prudent to start again in the afternoon along the western road, by way of Síggedim, which has been laid down very erroneously by the former expedition, they probably not having taken the accurate distances and directions of this route, as they relied upon the direct track, which they had traced with accuracy. This road is called “Nefása seghíra,” from a defile, or “thníye,” which we crossed about two miles and a half from our starting-point. About ten miles beyond we encamped, and reached the next morning, after a march of ten miles more, over a beautiful gravelly flat, and crossing the track of a small caravan of asses coming from Brábu, the beginning of the oasis of Síggedim, stretching out at the western foot of a considerable mountain group, the direction of which is from east to west, and well wooded with dúm-palms, date trees, and with gerredh, or _Mimosa Nilotica_. The ground, which is richly overgrown with sebót, in several places shows an incrustation of salt. We halted, for the mid-day hours, a little more than a mile further on, near the well, as we could not afford to make any long stay here. The place was at present quite deserted, but I was told that about a month later in the season people occasionally take up their temporary residence here, and a few isolated stone dwellings on a projecting cliff, testified to the occasional presence of settlers.

From hence we reached, in an afternoon’s and a long morning’s march, of altogether nearly thirty-four miles, the shallow vale of Jeháya (Denham’s Izhya) or Yát. We were in a sad state, as, besides being exhausted by fatigue, we were almost totally blinded by the glare of the sand in the heat of the day. A smaller strip of vegetation on the west side of the rocky eminences which dotted this country, had already some time previously led us to hope that we had reached the end of our march; but when at length we had gained the spot, we found the vale, with its rich growth of herbage, very refreshing, and men as well as animals had an opportunity of recruiting their strength a little.

[Sidenote: June 22nd.]

The horse which the Sheikh had given me being quite lame, I wanted to mount the only one of the camels which seemed strong enough to carry such a burden in addition to its load, but it refused to rise with me, and I was thus obliged to mount the donkey-like nag which the sultan of Sókoto had given me, my servant going on foot. It is certainly very difficult to carry horses through this frightful desert with limited means, but it is of the utmost importance for a small party to have a horse or two with them, in order to scour the country to see whether all be right, and to make a spirited attack or to pursue the robbers in case of a theft having been committed.

Having advanced in the course of the evening a little more than eighteen miles, we traversed early the next morning a narrow defile enclosed between rocky heights on both sides, in a very stony tract of country, and halted, after a march of about twelve miles, at a little distance from the mountain group Tíggera-n-dúmma, where the boundary is formed between Fezzán and the independent Tebu country, by a valley clothed with a good profusion of herbage and a few talha trees just in flower. From here we reached, after a march of sixteen miles more, the well of Máfaras, the southernmost well of Fezzán, in such a state of exhaustion, that we felt induced, notwithstanding the danger from the Éfadaye, to allow ourselves and the animals a day and a half’s repose; I myself being particularly in want of a little rest, as I had been suffering a great deal from rheumatism for the last few days. In addition to this the well contained so little water that it required an enormous time to water the animals and to fill our skins. The vale was pleasantly adorned with a good number of fine talha trees, and there was even one isolated dúm-palm, while of another one nothing but the trunk was remaining. Although we had advanced so much towards the north, we did not yet feel the slightest decrease in the temperature, and the thermometer all this time, at two o’clock in the afternoon, constantly indicated 109°.

This is the southern well of the name of Máfaras, while the northern spot of the same name, where Mr. Vogel made his astronomical observation, is about nineteen miles further to the north. We did not pass the latter till early in the morning of the 26th, when, stretching over an open desert flat, a real mirror or “meraye,” the exhaustion of our animals became fully apparent, so that just in the very place where a small Tebu caravan, which had preceded us a few days, had left behind one of their camels, we also were obliged to abandon the camel upon whose strength we had hitherto placed our chief reliance.

About eleven miles beyond the northern well Máfaras, we halted during the heat of the day in a spot entirely destitute of herbage, and made another stretch of fifteen miles in the afternoon, leaving the well- known mound of Fája, along which the road leads to Tibésti, at some distance on our right. In order to recruit the strength of the camels, we gave them a good supper of dates, ground nuts, and millet, so that each of the poor animals, according to his habits and national taste, could pick out what was most palatable to him.

[Sidenote: June 27th.]

A march of about thirteen miles brought us to the well “El Áhmar,” or “Máddema,” in an open desert country, bounded on the west by a large imposing mountain group, and distinguished by a great profusion of kháreb, or kaye, the whole ground being overgrown with “handal,” or colocynth, and strewed with bones. Here we passed an excessively hot day, the thermometer indicating 114° at two o’clock in the afternoon in the best shade I could find, and 105° at sunset, it remaining extremely hot the whole night, till after midnight, when a heavy gale arose. Nature here showed some animation, and beetles were in extraordinary numbers; we also beheld here a herd of gazelles, but no beast of prey.

At a very early hour the following morning, we started with a good supply of water, and after proceeding for about ten miles, reached a valley tolerably well provided with talha-trees, and overgrown with dry herbage. We were obliged to stay here the whole day, in order to give the camels a feed, as they were reduced to the greatest extremity: we had also to provide ourselves with wood and water. But although we stayed here till the forenoon of the following day we had only proceeded a few miles when we lost another of our camels, and thus were obliged to halt earlier than we intended. In order to retrieve this loss, we started before midnight, and marching the whole night, a distance of about twenty-four miles, and making only a short halt during the hottest part of the day, we encamped in the evening of the 30th, close to the well “El Wár,” or “Temmi,” having entered the narrow-winding glen leading into the heart of the mountain-mass itself, although caravans in general encamp at its opening. We remained here the following morning, when I found shelter from the sun in the cave where the water collects, which is of a cool and pleasant character, a heavy gale which had sprung up the previous evening continuing all the while. But we had no time to tarry here, this being the worst and most fatiguing part of our journey. Taking all things into consideration there is no reason to wonder how Mr. Vogel made no observation during the whole of this journey, comprising a tract of three degrees and a half.

Having filled our water-skins, and watered the animals, we pursued our journey before noon, and made a stretch of about fifteen miles. Starting, then, again at midnight, and marching twenty miles, only halting about four hours at noon, we encamped at night, but halted only for a couple of hours, after which we marched about fifteen miles, and again halted for the heat of the day. On this march we passed a very rugged passage, called “Thníye e’ seghíra,” where the rocks were rippled in a very remarkable manner, like the water. Having been accustomed to an intense degree of heat for some time, we felt it very cold this morning at sunrise, the thermometer indicating 68°, which was certainly a great difference, it having been 81° the preceding morning.

[Sidenote: July 3rd.]

Again we started, a little after midnight, and having passed, early in the morning, with considerable difficulty and long delay, the rugged sandy passage called “Thníye el kebíra,” we halted, after a march of eight hours and a half, having accomplished only a distance of about fifteen miles. I felt greatly exhausted, and I was the more sensible of fatigue, as I had a long march before me, the well being still distant; and after a most toilsome and wearisome stretch of more than eighteen miles, with numerous delays, and several difficult passages over the sandhills, we reached the well “Mésheru,” which is notorious on account of the number of bones of the unfortunate slaves by which it is surrounded. The water of this well, which is five fathoms in depth, is generally considered of good quality, notwithstanding the remnant of human bones which are constantly driven into it by the gale; but at present it was rather dirty. The whole country around presents a very remarkable spectacle, especially the tract closely bordering on the well to the north, and which, in a rather maliciously witty manner, has been called by the Arabs “Dendal Ghaladíma” (“the Promenade of the Minister”). It would form a good study for a painter experienced in water colours, although it would be impossible to express the features in a pencil sketch.

But not even here were we enabled to grant ourselves the slightest repose, only staying long enough to take in a sufficient supply of water, and to slaughter one of our camels, which was totally unfit to proceed. Having made this day about eighteen miles, we reached the following day, after a moderate march of from nineteen to twenty miles, the southernmost solitary date-grove of Fezzán. Here we were so fortunate as to meet a small caravan of Tebu, comprising a few very respectable men, who brought us the latest news from Murzuk, where I was glad to hear that Mr. Frederick Warrington, the gentleman who had so kindly escorted me out of Tripoli more than five years previously, was awaiting me, and that the very governor who had been appointed to the government of Fezzán during our first stay there, had a few days before again been reinstalled in that office.

[Sidenote: July 6th.]

This was an important day in my journey, as having performed the most dangerous part of this wearisome desert march, I reached Tegérri, or Tejérri, the first outlying inhabited place of Fezzán. The village, although very small in itself, with its towering walls, the view of which burst suddenly upon us through the date-grove, made a most pleasing impression, and I could not prevent my people from expressing their delight in having successfully accomplished the by no means contemptible feat, of traversing this desert tract with so small a band, by firing a good number of shots. In consequence of this demonstration, the whole population of the little town came out to salute and congratulate me on having traversed this infested desert tract without any accident. But that was the only advantage that we reaped from having reached a place of settled habitation; and having taken up our encampment on the north-western side of the kasr, among the date trees, we had the greatest difficulty in procuring even the slightest luxury, and I was glad when I was at length able to obtain a single fowl and a few measures of dates. There was therefore no possibility of our staying here and allowing the animals a little rest, but we were obliged to push on without delay to the village of Madrúsa. But I had the greatest difficulty in reaching that place in the evening of the 8th, having lost another camel and one of my horses; and of the animals which remained to me I was obliged to abandon in Madrúsa another, which I had to pay for the hire of a couple of camels to carry my luggage to Múrzuk.

This was the native place of my servant El Gatróni, who had served me for nearly five years, (with the exception of a year’s leave of absence, which I granted him in order to see his wife and children,) with the strictest fidelity, while his conduct had proved almost unexceptionable; and of course he was delighted to see his family again. Besides a good breakfast and a couple of fowls with which he treated me, he made me also a present of a bunch of grapes, which caused me no little delight as a most unusual treat. However, being anxious to get over this desert tract, I started a little after noon the same day, and met at the village of Bakhíl, about six miles beyond, a Tebu caravan, which was accompanied by a courier from Kúkawa, who had found an excuse in the state of the country to remain absent on his mission to Múrzuk nine months, instead of having retraced his steps directly to his own country. About four miles further on we reached Gatrón, consisting of narrow groups lying closely together, and by the fringe of its date grove contrasting very prettily with the sandy waste around.

Here also we were hospitably treated by the relatives of another servant, who was glad to have reached his home; and we encamped the following day at Dekír, where we had some trouble first in finding and then in digging out the well, which was entirely filled up with sand. In two very long days’ stretches from here, the first including a night’s march, we reached the well, two miles and a half on this side of the village Bedán, when we heard that Mr. Warrington was encamped five miles beyond, in the village of Yesé.

[Sidenote: Saturday, July 13th.]

Having got ready at an early hour, we proceeded cheerfully through the poor plantation, scattered thinly over a soil deeply impregnated with salt, and fired a few shots on approaching the comfortable tent of my friend. I could not but feel deeply affected when, after so long an absence, I again found myself in friendly hands, and within the reach of European comforts. Having moved on a little in the afternoon to a more pleasant spot, we entered Múrzuk the following morning, and were most honourably received by a great many of the inhabitants, including an officer of the Bashá, who had come out a great distance to meet us.