Part 33

1 day. Dongoy, inhabited by Songhay, no Fúlbe; on the E. side of the river.

1 day. Tóyai, a Songhay village; the Tademékket rove in this neighbourhood. Country level and without trees, being temporarily flooded.

2 days. Kábara, keeping close along the river, and crossing a small rivulet or creek.

L 1.—_From Hamda-Alláhi to Káñima._

1st day. Síye.

2nd. Niyakóngo, having passed the heat in the hamlet called Berber.

3rd. Benne-ndúgu or Konna, having passed the heat in Nʿamet-Alláhi (a long day’s, if not two days’, journey).

4th. Toy. Arrive before noon.

5th. A Songhay village or ksar.

6th. Konsa, a Fúlbe village.

7th. A village inhabited by Fúlbe, Songhay, and Bámbara.

8th. Takóti.

9th. Sambejeráhit.

10th. Ungúma.

11th. Káñima, on a branch of the river coming from Bámbara (see Vol. IV. p. 361), and at a day’s march from the latter place.

L 2.—_Another short Itinerary from Káñima to Hamda-Alláhi._

1st day. Lábo.

2nd. Dóra, a rúmde, or slave hamlet.

3rd. Takóti, or Jengináre, both on the Bara-Ísa, Jengináre lying a little to the S.W. of the former.

4th. Another town on the Niger, the name of which informant has forgotten, probably Sáre-feréng.

5th. Gulúmbu, on the widening of the creek Débu or Dóbu. (Another road leads from Káñima by Lábo, Langóma, Konse, and another place to Gulúmbu).

6th. Doy or Toy, a large Songhay place.

7th. Karri, Konna, or Benne-ndúgu, all names of the same place. On your way you pass Kori-ántsa, a large Púllo village.

8th. Nʿamet-Alláhi, a town of the Feroibe.

9th. Fatóma, the market place (the market being held every Saturday) of Konári, not a large place.

10th. Hamda-Alláhi, a good day’s march of ten hours.

M.—_List of towns in Jimbálla, Zánkara, and Aússa._

(A.) Towns in Jimbálla, the district S. of the river W. from the district Kíso:—

Ayún, Kúfa, Sáre-feréng (the town mentioned p. 470), probably the seat of government under the empire of Melle, Tési, Árkoja, Hóre-ayé, Dangal, Bória, Ngorko or Goroñya, a considerable market place between Zánkara and San-koré, and distant one and a half day’s journey S. from Dári, Kúle-songho, Guddunga. The following places lie in the central region of Jimbálla:—Tórobe, Gmoy, Gunki, Gúngare, Íchi al Hábe, Séri, Segúl, Bugo- linchére, Gnórija.

It is a very remarkable fact, that three places to which the origin of the Bámbara nation is referred, are said to be the oldest places in Jimbálla, viz. Kanembúgu, Jéngenabúgu, and Tsorobúgu.

The following are the tribes of the Fúlbe in Jimbálla:—Fíttobe, Sangho, Uralífoná, Búsurá, Kaya, Úro-Módi, Dugurábe, Tongábe in Séri, Zukkáre, Toródi (probably settled in the locality called Tórobe) Nar-hau, Yaffóli. There is besides a tribe of Fúlbe called Dóngo, mixed with Rumá, settled in four places of Jimbálla, viz. Kurúm on the Máyo balléo, Sébi, Wáki and Gong. In Sébi, the place mentioned p. 470, resides a chief of the Rumá, who formerly commanded the whole communication along the river, and with whom therefore Park had some business to settle—this evidently being indicated by the words wrongly translated by Mr. Silame, “that they might cross the way of the river.”

South of Jimbálla is the district Sákkeré, under the dominion of the Fúlbe, but chiefly inhabited by Zoghorán. Chief place Dóko, one day from Koisa, and not far from Úro-Búlo.

(B.) Zánkara the district S. of the river, enclosed between the latter and the districts of Kíso and Jimbálla:—

Tomme, Chángará, Manjebúgo, Ánjau, Jebár, Báko, Bánikan, Jú, Jú-kárimá, Wáki, Tondo, Jindigatta, Wabango, Kúgu, Bádi, Gom. The capital of this province is Dári, or Dár e’ Salám, residence of the governor ʿAbd- Alláhi, son of Sheikh Áhmed. S.E. from Dári is Gannáti, a considerable market-place.

(C.) In Aússa (the province north of the river between Timbúktu and Fermágha):—

Tomba, Mékore near Gúndam, Bankoríye, Jango, Akoire-n-éhe, Hammakoire, Kamba-dumba, Ungurúnne, Nyafúnche, Hardánia or Béllaga, Gnóro, Baba- danga, Báñaga, Tóndi-dáro, Gubbo, Dháhabi-koire, Síbo, Alwéli-koira, Gombo, Tommi, Gaudel, Kurbal, Kattáwen, Fadhl-illáhi, Áttora, Núnu, Nyódogu, Gaude, another Mékore near Kurbal, Kábara-tanda, Duwé-kiré near Dongoy, Tásakál, Mánkalá-gungu between Dongoy and Kábara, Telfi, Koddi- sabári; Sobónne, I think, is not the name of a place but of a section of the Fúlbe settled here.

I also think this a fit place to insert some lists of towns lying along various routes traversing the territories of Fermágha, the province to which Yówaru belongs, and Bergu, the province bordering on the former towards the S., although I cannot fully testify to the accuracy of the order in which the towns are mentioned. I will here also add, that this district Bergu, as it is called by some of the natives, the original form of the name being probably Marka, and of which Yá-saláme is the chief place, is a very flat country almost destitute of trees and producing no crops, but on account of its ample supply of water affording fine pasture grounds. Fermágha, on the contrary, is a well timbered province. My informant is Dáúd, the brother of the Púllo chief Mohammed ben ʿAbd-Alláhi, whom I have mentioned in my journal.

Between Yówaru and Yá-saláme, along the western road, are said to lie the following places, beginning with the former: Bánghita, a village of learned men, or mʿallemín, Sáredína, Dógo, the place touched at in going from Yówaru to Niyakóngo, by way of Shay, Urúnde, Gogórla, Launyánde, Launérde, Meré-únuma, Urungíye (1st day)—(Urungíye in the dry season is at half a day’s distance from the river; it is still reckoned by some as belonging to Másina);—Tanna, Kánguru, having crossed between these two villages a small creek, Heráwa, Bandáre, Chúki, Kalaségi, Gachi- (or Gasi-) lúmo, Nanka, Kárangérre, Surángo, Kúru (2nd day); Módi Masanáre, Kunába, Júre, Ikáre, Búrburankóbe, Nyóji, Diggesíre, Yá-saláme, a considerable town inhabited by Aswánek and Fúlbe (3rd day).

Between Yówaru and Yá-saláme, along the western road by Urungíye. After having passed Urungíye: Alamáye, Ucha-malángo, Ukánnu, Jowengéña, a village called Almáme, another called Fíttobe, Doroy, Sáre-yáru, Diggesíre, Yá-saláme.

Between Yá-saláme and Saredína, a journey of three days: Kóra, Túguri, Jappéje, Sendekúbi, a hamlet inhabited by slaves of the Fúlbe and Jáka, Sende-kórrobe, Chúbe, Bú-deráje, Gánda, Gauye, Nomárde, Saredína. This road probably passes at no great distance W. of Tenéngu.

Between Yá-saláme and Konári, a journey of three days: Burtupédde, Geléji, Dóko, not the one mentioned above, Jónyori (1st day); Kóle, Wandebúte, Kollekómbe, Salsálbe (2nd day); Únguremáji, Konári.

Between Basikúnnu and Yá-saláme: Kussumáre, Jáfera, Jerri-Jáfera, a village inhabited by slaves (1st day, short march); Bínyamús, a place inhabited by Arabs, Terebékko, Sorbára, Kóllima, Túgguri (2nd day); Túre-sangha, a place at present inhabited by Arabs (formerly by Songhay? túri = Mohammedan Máleki?), Kójole, Páche, Batáwa, a place inhabited by hárratín, Káre (residence of?) Búgoné, chief of the Bowár, Búburankóbe, Um-muswéle, Yá-saláme.

Between Basikúnnu and Yówaru, a journey of five and a half days: Barkánne or Barkánnu (1st day); another road goes by Jéppata; Shám, Lére (2nd day); Nimmer, a creek called by the Arabs, “el má hammer,” “the red water,” where you pass the heat, Dogoméra, Nyenche, Báya (3rd day); Karúnna, Gungu, Saléngurú, Chíllunga, Gasi-lúmo (leaving Gasi-Jerma towards the N. (4th day); Kalasége, Chúki (5th day); Yówaru.

Between Ikánnu, a town lying one day W. of Urungíye and the town of Gúndam: Séda, Bundúre, Sabére-lóde, Tánuma, Jamwéli, Tómoró (both of these villages inhabited by Songhay and Aswánek conjointly), Surángo, Jábatá, Lére, Gasi-Jerma, Nósi, Káti, Kábara, situated to the east of a large pond or dhaye, Kokónta, a Songhay village, Katʿawó, Sumpi, Tákají, Nyódogó, Hóro, Téle, Gundó or Gúndam.

N.—_Route from Timbúktu to Sansándi by way of Basikúnnu, from the information of Shékho Weled Ámmer Waláti._

2nd day. Gúndam, having passed by Kábara (not necessary, but most people do so); Tásakant, or Tásakalt, another village or ádabay, a village called Duwékiré, and Dunge, a village inhabited by Rumá.

3rd. Téle, a creek or rijl, with many villages.

4th. Térijít, a village on a creek of the river.

5th. Katʿawó, another village inhabited originally by Tawárek.

6th. Kábara, or to distinguish it from the other village of the same name, Kábara Tanda, inhabited by Songhay.

7th. Janga, a place inhabited by Aswánek.

8th. Lére.

9th. Barkánni, a well, frequented by Arabs; a long day’s march.

10th. Basikúnnu, a middle-sized place or ksar, inhabited by Arabs, especially the Welád ʿAlúsh, a very warlike tribe, mustering about 700 armed people; but the chief part of the inhabitants consists of the slaves of the latter. Basikúnnu lies in the district called Eríggi, and is distant nine or ten days from Kasambára.

14th. Kíri, a well not far from the town of Kála, which informant intended to avoid; the direct road passing close along the western side of the wall of that town.

15th. Saradóbi, a deserted place.

16th. Falambúgu, a place inhabited by Bámbara.

17th. Swéra, a considerable place.

18th. Sansándi.

O.—_Route from Sansándí to Timbúktu, deviating a little from the general track for fear of the Fullán. Informant, Sídi Áhmed el Mazúki el Bágheni._

1st day. Asér (probably identical with Swéra, the latter being the diminutive form), a village inhabited by Bámbara. You arrive a little after sunset, having started from Sansándi in the afternoon.

2nd. A place with a dhaye or tank. Pass the heat of the day in a deserted place, leaving Karadúgu a little to the E. This whole country is pillaged and laid waste by continual forays owing to the feud between the Benáber or Bámbara and the Fullán.

3rd. Akór, a deserted place or ksar.

4th. Encamp in a spot in the wilderness, having passed the heat of the day in a place called by the Arabs Akúmbu jemel; leave the considerable place Kála, inhabited by Bámbara, to the W.

5th. Encamp in the wilderness.

6th. Sáre-bála, a place formerly inhabited by the Welád ʿAlúsh and the Idélebó, but at present deserted.

7th. Gello, a village in the neighbourhood of a large “dhaye,” or pond, two days from Yówaru, at present inhabited by the Teghdaust.

8th. Bír el Háj ʿOmár, a well with an occasional encampment of the Zuwaye. The road, which in the first part of the journey was almost from S. to N., here turns more to the east.

9th. Lére, a village, or ksar, of the Welád Zayem, an Arab tribe dependent on the Fullán. A branch of the river skirts its east and south side. Even in the dry season, immense sheets of water are here collected, as is the case with the whole of Fermágha. The latter, which comprises this whole tract of country, is a larger province, and better inhabited than Aússa.

10th. Gasi e’ Sáheli, or Gasi-Jerma, distant one and a half day’s march to the north from the more important place, Gasi-Ghúma or Gasi-Lúmo, the great market-place of the “killa,” or coarse coloured stuff of mixed cotton and wool, and the second place of the province of Fermágha, next to Yówaru. Gasi-Ghúma lies on the backwaters of the river, running parallel with the main branch between Lake Débu and Gúndam, and joining the river near Salga, while a branch runs from here to Gasi-Jerma, and thence to Lére. Gasi-Jerma has no great commercial activity, but a good supply of corn; shells are not current. It is inhabited by Songhay and Zoghorán, and is distant five days from Basikúnnu, towards the east.

11th. Sunfi, a place inhabited by Songhay, and belonging to Aússa. You pass the heat of the day in the ksar Nyeddúgu.

12th. No place.

13th. A village, or ksar, on a branch of the river. You pass the heat of the day near the dhaye Hór, and then keep along this sheet of water, which is a branch of the Rás el má, and, according to my informant, extends as far as Gasi-Ghúma.

14th. Gúndam.

N.B.—Perhaps one station has been left out, viz. Télé.

17th. Timbúktu.

P.—_Route from Timbúktu to Waláta._

1st day. Farsha, a locality at the foot of a hill.

2nd. Mújerán, a lake in connection with the river, by means of the branch which separates from the latter between Betagúngu and Toga-bango, and encircled by hills. A short day’s march. Gúndam from here S.S.W. The Kél-antsár of the Ígelád, whose chief is Tháher, encamp here.

3rd. Geléb el Ghánem, a fertile locality, with a high mount seen from Gúndam, situated on the bank of a branch of the river. You pass between nine and ten o’clock in the morning Abánko, a small place, inhabited by slaves and a few Songhay.

4th. Ám-gunnán, a favoured spot, where slaves of the Tawárek cultivate the ground.—“Ám” is not pure Arabic, but of Semitic origin.

5th. Rás el má, (“the head of the water,”) called “Áraf-n-Áman” by the Tawárek, or Ímóshagh, the outlying creek, where the traveller from the north, on his way to Waláta, seems formerly to have first reached the river. This creek is stated by tradition to have been dug by the Bashá Jódar and his musketeers, or “ermá.” On the south side of this basin, already mentioned by El Bekrí[70], there are small villages, or “ádabay,” (pl. “tadebít,”) inhabited by the Ídélebó, a poor Moorish tribe, said to be related to the Shemman-Ámmas. It is an important fact, that all the wheat consumed in Timbúktu is cultivated round the Rás el má, and not brought from the north, as Caillié stated (Travels to Timbuctoo, vol. ii. p. 20.).

From Rás el má, which appears to be a little S. from W. of Timbúktu, the direct road to Waláta leaves the basin of the river and reaches that place in seven good days’ marches, or even in travelling as a courier in five, direction a little N. from W. In the dry season there is no water along this road, but in the rainy season plenty of tanks, or “dhaye,” are met with, so that at that time of the year some people prefer travelling at their leisure, performing the distance in ten or twelve days.

Our road keeps at some distance from the outlying backwaters of the river and reaches, with a long march.

6th day. Ulákiás, a very deep well, about twenty fathoms deep. On the way, you pass the locality “Tádemét,” called by this name from a group of “tédumt,” as the baobab is called by the people of Timbúktu.

7th. Ádar, a well, with a small dwelling-place, or “ksar,” inhabited by Songhay, and slaves of the Ídélebó.

8th. Bír e’ Selem, a well.

9th. Bú-Seríbe, a well; a long day’s march. You pass another well called Zegzíg.

10th. Basikúnnu.

15th. Waláta, as the town is called by the Arabs and Tawárek, or Bíru, as it is called by the blacks, especially the Azér, a section of the Aswánek, who are the original inhabitants of the place. It is a considerable town, consisting of houses built carefully of a good species of clay, with a rough-cast of plaster, as it would seem. But the situation of Waláta, at the eastern border of the district El Hódh, at the foot of a range of hills called “Dháhar Waláta,” which encircle it on this side, and a large valley, richly clad with trees, skirts the north and east side, is considered as extremely unhealthy, and on this account is called “kháneg el haye,” “the throat of the snake,” the district El Hódh being considered as the snake. Thus, in this respect, Waláta entirely resembles Ghánata, or the capital of the empire; but besides being a hotbed of disease, the town is now also the seat of poverty and misery, which Ghánata, at least during its prime, certainly was not. For, as we have seen (Vol. IV., Chronolog. Tables, p. 594), in the course of the fifteenth century, all the commercial importance of that place was transferred to Timbúktu, and nothing remained except the trade in provisions, especially Negro-corn, or “éneli.”

The inhabitants of Waláta are a mixed race of blacks and whites. The former, at present greatly reduced in numbers and their moral standard considerably lowered, belong to the widely scattered nation of the Swanínki or Azér, the whites are Berbers and Arabs, the Arabs belonging to various tribes, but especially to the tribe of the Méhajíb, who even among themselves make use almost exclusively of the Azéríye idiom, this being the indigenous language.

About one mile west from Bíru, are the ruins of an ancient place called Tezúght, formerly inhabited by the Berber tribe of the Idáw el Háj, who were the chief propagators of Islám over these parts of Negroland, and ruled them for a long time. Among the ruins much gold is said to be found occasionally at this very day. At that time Bíru was only inhabited by the native blacks. All circumstances taken into account, although the whole district called El Hódh was once thickly covered with towns, or “ksúr,” it cannot be denied, that the double town of Tezúght- Bíru is more fully entitled than any other place to be identified with the celebrated capital of the Ghánata empire.[71] The distance of Ghánata from Rás el má—the five days being taken at the rate of a courier—and that from Amíma, or Míme, or, as the name is generally pronounced, Maima, a locality still bearing this name, although the place is at present deserted, a little to the west of Lére, correspond exactly; the distance of three days from that place to the river (at Safnakú or Safekú) does not harmonize exactly with the present state of the country, the smallest distance of Waláta from the river being five days; but it is not impossible that the outlying creeks, eight centuries ago, approached a little closer the site of Waláta.

As for the distance of twenty days between Ghánata and Silla, which is certainly the town on the bank of the Niger visited by Mungo Park, it is to be considered at the rate of marching with loaded caravans. Silla was a very important place, and gave its name to the Sillát, that section of the Swanínki, or Aswánek, which is most distinguished on account of the antiquity and purity of its Islám, but the town has recently been destroyed in the wars between the Bámbara and Fullán.

There is a spacious mosque in Waláta, of high antiquity, but certainly wrongly attributed to Sídi ʿUkba el Mústajáb.

Between Waláta and Árawán ten days are counted, in an east-north- easterly direction, through the “Ákela,” the very name given to a portion of the old Ghánata, Ákela being nothing but another form of the name Aúkár, a district consisting of light isolated sandhills, full of excellent shrubs for the camel, but entirely destitute of water, the tribe of the Kóbetát, who are wandering hereabout, not less than their camels, subsisting entirely on water-melons, which grow here in great plenty, and contain a sufficient supply of the aqueous element.

Q 1.—_Routes from Waláta to Sansándi._

Most people who undertake this journey, go from Waláta to Basikúnnu, and thence to Sansándi, along the track described above; for the direct route which I am now about to communicate, according to the statements of my two informants, leads through a district much frequented by Arabs from El Hódh, whom peaceful travellers endeavour to avoid. I first give the route according to Shékho Weled Ámmer Waláti.

1st day. Simberínne, a spot in the sandhills only a short, or rather half a day’s march.

2nd. Ríni, a well.

3rd. E’ Shemín, a well of great depth.

4th. Sigánneját, a group of shallow wells, dry in summer.

5th. Dendáre, a large tank or dhaye, site of a former ksar, with an extensive forest, or “ghába.”

6th. Kork, a wooded and hilly locality.

7th. El Barúk, a well.

8th. Búgla, a deep well, surrounded by fine groups of the tédum, or baobab. You pass, on the road, the wells El Ghánimát and Jellúk.

9th. El Tréik, a well, or El Mákrunát, a little further on.

10th. Atwél, a well to the east of Sinyáre, or you may make a long march, and go to Farabúgu, a Bámbara village.

11th. Kála, a large town of Bámbara, only two or three hours from Farabúgu. It is no doubt the same Kála which once constituted a small kingdom of itself, and of which Áhmed Bábá speaks so repeatedly.[72] In course of time it constituted one of the three great divisions of the empire of Melle, the two others being Benne-ndúgu and Sabardúgu.

12th. Sara-dóbú, or Sara-dúgu.

13th. Falam-búgu.

14th. Swéra.

15th. Sansándi.

Q 2.—_Same Route according to El Beshír._

N.B.—Informant proceeded on this route with a caravan of camels and pack-oxen, the former travelling from morning till about four o’clock in the afternoon; the latter resting during the heat of the day, and following in the evening.

1st day. Aréni (evidently identical with Ríni), or another group of wells called Ájel el Áhmar.

2nd. Arék, sandhills, having passed the heat of the day at the Bír Áshim-mén (E’ Shemín).

3rd. Ajábi, or, if you proceed a little further, and keep more to the east, Tenwakkar.

4th. El Ghánimát, a well with a pond, or “dhaye.”

5th. Encamp at the foot of a conspicuous eminence, “e’ sín,” of the chain called “Dháhar Waláta,” which encircles El Hódh on the east side, and which is here crossed.

6th. Encamp without water.

7th. Sinyáre, a village, or ksar, of the Swánínki or Aswánek.

8th. Kála, as above. My informant states, that this town, like the last station before Sansándi, is called Swéra by the Aswánek.

9th. Falambúgu, a few miles to the west of Karadúgu.

10th. Swéra.

11th. Sansándi, a short march.

R.—_Route from Kasambára to Waláta._

Kasambára is regarded as the chief town in Bághena, and is often the residence of the chief of the Welád Mebárek.

1st day. Lombo-tendi, a rather long day. Lombo-tendi is the name of a well, and a ksar or village of clay huts, inhabited by Rumá, or Ermá (see Vol. IV. p. 431). Besides Lombo-tendi, there are two other ksúr in Bághena inhabited by this remarkable set of mulattoes, both of them called Barasáfa, the one situated at no great distance S.E. from Lombo- tendi, the other lying near Bisága, to the N.E. These three villages together form the group called in Bághena “Ksúr e’ Rúmme.”

2nd. Tamára, a tank or dhaye.

3rd. Agámmu, a well and tank.

4th. Bú-Lawán, a well.

5th. Nʿama, a pretty ksar, or small town, built about fifty years ago by a grandson of Múláy Ismʿaáíl, in consequence of a civil war which had broken out amongst the Shurfa residing in Waláta. The village is inhabited by Shurfa, Méhajíb, and by Ídélebó. The houses are built of clay and stone; the west side of the village is skirted by a valley which contains some hundreds of palm-trees, and where some tobacco is grown. Nʿama is situated at the foot of the hilly chain which encircles the whole of El Hódh, or the basin. You arrive early in the morning.

8th. Waláta.

S.—_From Kasambára to Jawára, from the information of Sídi Áhmed el Mazúki el Bágheni._

1st day. Encamp in the wilderness, having rested two or three hours in Bisága.

2nd. Retánne, a group of shallow wells, or hasián. You pass the heat in Benón, at present a ksar inhabited by Aswánek, but evidently identical with the place of encampment of the chief of the Ludamar (Welád ʿOmár, pronounced Ámmer), where Mungo Park suffered so much. Another road leads from Bisága to Benón, by a place called Dúnu.

3rd. Jawára, called by the Fúlbe, or Fullán, Jára Melle, once the capital of the empire of Melle, at present deserted; during the latter period of its existence inhabited by Rúmme (Rumá), and Gurmábe.