Part 41
1st day. Báchikám, a village on the southern side of the small branch of the Shárí which, from this village, is generally called Báchikám, at least by the inhabitants of the capital, although from the larger town of Ír, which is situated on its northern bank, and was formerly governed by a sultan of its own, it is also called Bá-Ír. Its size varies extremely, according to the season, from a small rivulet scarcely twenty yards across, to a large sheet of water more than a mile in width.
2nd. Búlturí, a large village, inhabited by Kanúri.
3rd. Bedá-kúrchi, with a large swamp (bedá), whence its name. You stop during the heat in Dílfin, a Kanúri place.
4th. Dendám, a Bagírmi place.
5th. Busó, a large town inhabited by a mixed population of pagans, who are however clothed, and of Moslemín. It contains many of those so- called mʿallems, that is to say, people who know how to write a few phrases from the Kurán.
(_d._) _From Busó to Miltú, S.E._
1st day. Kiyár, at some distance from the river, the inhabitants drawing their supply of water only from wells. Crossing the river in the morning, you keep close along it a little south from east.
2nd. Tápe, a large place on the southern side of the river, S.S.E. _N.B._ Agíd Músa appears here to have made a mistake by transposing Kiyár and Tápe.
3rd. Miltú, a pagan place of considerable extent, at present governed by Bá, the son of ʿAlí Fenjár, who died two years ago in Más-eñá. The inhabitants possess large numbers of horses, and prepare, from the ashes of the reeds in the river, a sort of salt, which, in the form of sugar loaves, has a sale extending over a very large region. At Bólo, close to Miltú on the east, the Báchikám branches off from the Shárí.
(_e._) _Places along the Báchikám upwards, S.S.E._
Báchikám, the fording place; Ír, a large town; Mogál; Mábberat or Mábbelat, formerly the capital of an independent principality; Más- eñawu, the place of the bowága or trumpeters of the sultan; Bélamédi, a Bagírmi place; Mámsa; Chíkorigá; Bugolóbe; Kúttutú; Díggeli; Máseré; Gáyoko; Mírre or Méré, seat of a man of influence called Damre, formerly the capital of an independent principality; Dol; Mégelé, or Mégedé; Yelál; Dímkir; Mariñé; Mub Béti; Ngírbing; Ságemáta, the last Bagírmi place beyond which the pagan country of Sáruwa begins.
(_f._) _From Más-eñá to Kírbe the capital of Sáruwa._
1st day. Báchikám.
2nd. Naíromá, a place with a considerable market held on a Friday, and situated on a rivulet, which joins the Báchikám at Ír.
3rd. Ngáttara, about 10 A.M.
4th. Jíl, a village, about 10 A.M.
5th. Ságemáta, a Bagírmi place on the Báchikám. A long march.
6th. Négi, a village; about 10 A.M.
7th. Móngolá, a place on the Shárí, already belonging to Sáruwa.
8th. Kírbe, the residence of the chief of Sáruwa, of the name of Ábú, as he is called in Bagírmi. One day from each of the three places Kírbe, Tápe, and Miltú, but a little nearer to Kiyár.
The road from Kírbe to Míddobó, another important town in Sáruwa, passes by Dañ or Daña. Other places in Sáruwa are, Tógilá, Dángwa, both on the Báchikám; Dañ, Mírti, Jílang, Mírkin, Móngolá, Jímmir, Jó, Bélay, Mut, Bilé, all of which are on the Shárí. From Daña to Lairy is one long march, about 30 miles.
(_g._) _From Miltú to Gógomi, according to Agíd Músa, with additions by Ramadhán. Direction, N.E._
1st day. Attar, another place in Sáruwa, having passed in the morning, close to Miltú, the Shárí, which here comes from the south, and is called bá-Busó. A long march.
2nd. Komé, a place inhabited by pagans, in a mountainous district, surrounded by four mountains, two of which are called Tábe and Boño. A long march. Komé is one day from Míddobó, north.
3rd. Belél Kolé, a place inhabited by the Sókoró, fortified by nature in an extraordinary way, encompassed as it is said to be by several rocky ridges which inclose each other in a circular form, so as to leave only a single approach, whilst the interior is supplied with water. The prince resides on a rocky eminence in the centre of this peculiar mountain-basin. The other inhabitants dwell between the rocky ridges. In the vicinity is a place inhabited by Shúwa. Between Komé and Belél Kolé lies Jótol, at some distance to the south.
4th. Gógomi, a place situated in a deep basin in the mountains, accessible only by a narrow defile, and inhabited by a division of the Sókoró, whose formerly powerful chief was conquered and made prisoner by the sultan of Bagírmi during my stay in the country. The Jellába of Wádáy travel as far as Gógomi, where they import European commodities. From Gógomi to Kénga it is five or six short days’ journey, by way of Búdir, a place situated a short distance from Gógomi, on a steep mountain, said to be about as high as that of Tibésti, with a spring at its base and on its summit; Sim, a place in the mountains; Báddegé, a place on the top of a mountain; all these places being inhabited by Sókoró, who are armed with bows and arrows; Gal, a place in the mountains, surrounded by a moat; Tumki, a place situated on an eminence; Kénga Matáya.
(_h._) _From Más-eñá to Gógomi._
1st day. Bídderi, a considerable place, renowned on account of a family of shiúkh, who, as I have mentioned above, have exercised a most remarkable influence in the extension of Islám in these regions, and important on account of its Friday market, where, however, the usual money of Más-eñá, viz. fardas and kholgán, has no currency, but only the finest gábagá, twenty of which are deemed equivalent to one khálag or shirt. About dhohor.
2nd. Múdda, a Bagírmi place.
3rd. Dekháruwe, a large place of the Arab tribe of the Dekhákhera or Deghághera.
4th. Kúrí, a Shúwa place on a pond of stagnant water.
5th. Maskáwu, a Shúwa place.
6th. Gató, a Shúwa place with a pond in the wilderness.
8th. Jená, a large walled town of the Sókoró, in a hilly district. The inhabitants, like almost all of the Sókoró, are said to eat a kind of beetle, called “dernána” by the Bagírmi. Jená lies between Gógomi and Komé.
9th. Gógomi, two days from Míddobó, a little north from east.
The road from Gógomi to Ábú Telfán passes by Bánem, Bálli, Sim, Kóndolá, Kéngetá, Ábú Telfán.
(_i._) _Divisions of the Búwa._
The following divisions of this numerous tribe are subject to the Sultan of Bagírmi: the Búwa Nyéldang, the most powerful of all; the Búwa Gamkúl; Gamkúl[115] is from Míddobó, the frontier-place of Sáruwa, twelve miles east, and two days south from Gógomi, through a mountainous wilderness; Búwa Ír; Búwa Wagé, and Búwa Shok.
The following are independent: the Búwa Lá, who are very numerous, and are divided into several families, occupying distinct places; the Búwa Kúnne; Búwa Gángli; Búwa Móke; Búwa Dámla; and east and S.E. from Gamkúl, at the distance of from twelve to fifteen miles, are the two places Kormále and Sarakélle, both situated on the top of a hill, and the latter said to be governed by a queen; Búwa Kurmán (?); Búwa Goy, with a high mountain, having water on its top; Búwa Dókeró; Búwa Gúm; Búwa Ladón; Búwa Túniya; Búwa Kúrbul; Búwa Kullúnga or Kelánge, on a mountain, two days from Komé; Búwa Malbón; Búwa Bulúl, and finally the Búwa Mubb and the Búwa Kúli, who occupy a mountainous district close to the territories of the Welád Ráshid.
Another tribe, the Nyílem, to whom, according to Agíd Músa, belong the Dasár, whilst others consider these to belong to the Búwa, dwell close to the N.E. bank of the river. Beyond the Dasár you reach the Kólum, the Nyú, and at no great distance the Furá with Gambay.
(_k._) _From Más-eñá to Kénga Matáya. East._
1st day. Naíromá, the market-place abovementioned.
2nd. Mílle, a place with a Sunday market.
3rd. Kírsuwa, a considerable place on a small marshy watercourse or sél on a clayey soil, which, in the Kharíf, flows to Barkadaña, Sidígiyá, Bulúlu, and to Gámmara, a considerable place under an independent chief. (Is this watercourse identical with the Msél of Debbába?)
4th. Hírla, a place of a tribe related to the Bágrimma.
5th. Bedánga, a considerable place in a hilly district belonging to a section of the tribe of the Sókoró, under a powerful chieftain, converted, at least in outward appearances, to Islám. These people wear clothes and do not disfigure themselves by incisions on their faces; the women, however, have a bead in the nose and beads in the ears, as worn almost universally in these regions. The Wádáy Jellába import their commodities even into these districts. The natives are armed neither with bows nor arrows, but only with spears and hand-bills. According to Mohammed Búme, who has been living here several years, the waters of this mountainous region are drained by the Nile through the territory of the Welád Ráshid,—a piece of information which is, however, very doubtful.
From Bedánga to Ábú Telfán is three days’ journey E.N.E. by way of Bámmaná and Míggedi.
6th. Kénga Matáya, the chief place of a tribe closely related to the Bagrimma nation, under a powerful chief, to whose extensive territory also Jon, Gal, and Dámbar belong. The principal produce of this region is sesamum. My new informant, the aforesaid Moh. Búme, confirmed fully the statements communicated to me previously by Agíd Búrku with regard to the strange religious observances of these pagans. According to the same, the waters of the district round Gógomi are discharged by way of Lim, Gal, Bánam, and Kénga, into the “gezán,” the sandy wilderness south of Fittrí. Kénga, according to the same, is four days from Yʿawó, by way of Ngar-sára, the residence of a powerful chieftain, distant about two days from both places and also from Míddogó. According to the Buláli Íbrahím, Kénga is reached in three long day’s marches from Yʿawó, by way of Gáriya, Mórbo, and Býllum. From Bedánga to Kénga is a long and unsafe journey, made during the night, in about sixteen hours, from evening to the heat of the day.
(_k._) _From Más-eñá, by way of Laíry to Busó._
1st day. Gógo. Stop during the heat in Malá.
2nd. Ngóg;
3rd. Duwíng;
4th. Múro. All short marches.
5th. Laíry, a large Bagírmi place, E. (S.E.) from Kírsuwa, on the same watercourse, and one good day’s journey from Tógilá, and from thence to Attar in two days, having slept on the Báchikám.
6th. Gapkóng. A short march.
7th. Busó, having crossed the Báchikám about halfway.
(_l._) _From Más-eñá, by way of Kólle to Laíry, and from Kólle to Moíto._
1st day. Séta, passing Bídderi, Mandélu, Dabíñen, and Gadáwu.
2nd. Ámjerí, passing Mábbelá, Dérrejá, Meléde, Bindébiyó, and Tawyín.
3rd. Kólle, a considerable Bagírmi place, one day from Kírsuwa, towards which place a sél or shallow and marshy water takes its course hence by way of Dóldegí and Fór.
4th. Laíry. A long march.
_From Kólle to Moíto by way of Debába._
1st day. Kírsuwa Jibílgi, with an independent chief, situated on a watercourse.
2nd. Hírla, a place situated on a hill.
3rd. Jókko, a place of the Kúka.
4th. Debába, a large place, consisting of various hamlets of the Shúwa, with rich pasture-grounds, and several watercourses. Debába is two days from Baláwu, having slept in Kósi, a Kanúri place, and crossed another “sél” between Kósi and Baláwu.
5th. Moító. A good day’s march.
(_m._) _From Láffaná to Bang-Bay. Expeditious march, such as is usual on a ghazzia. Direction south as far as Lay._
1st day. Állowa, a pagan place, subject to Bagírmi; crossing in the morning the Shárí, or rather, as it is called here, the Bá-Busó.
2nd. Gúrgará, a large place belonging to a considerable tribe, whence all the iron consumed in Bagírmi is exported. It is obtained from _siderites_, and is not near so good as the iron of Wándalá or Búbanjídda.
3rd. Cháken, a large place, with an independent chief; about noon.
4th. Jogdó, a large place, consisting in part of clay huts, belonging to the extensive principality of Gábberí.
5th. Lóji, a place under the independent chieftain Kíki the son of Belát.
6th. Gun, a place on the Bá-Gun, as the river of Logón is here called. Almost every place has its separate ertána (jargon). The country yields sorghum, beans, “kolche” or ground-nuts, and melons.
7th. Lay, on the same bank of the river, the residence of Súgulum son of Nóba. The river abounds with fish, and is navigated by numerous boats. South of Lay, according to this informant, an arm, coming from the Fúlbe territory (from Bubanjídda, it seems), appears to join the river. This informant considers the river of Logón and the river of Day, Miltú, Busó, and Ásu to be only arms of the same river, which is bifurcated, as he says, above Day. It may be so; but I doubt whether this account be true, the rate of the current in these two rivers being very different. The direction now becomes almost south.
8th. Myl, having crossed the river at Lay, and then taken a course a little south from west.
9th. Kóyo, a place with an independent chieftain, on a dry clay soil.
10th. Kíyagór, at a short distance, with an independent chieftain. About six hours from Kíyagór, a little north from east lies Bári, in a mountainous region.
11th. Nong, another place belonging to Bagírmi.
12th. Dógo, the furthest place in Bagírmi which was reached by the ghazzia. The country produces abundance of honey, contains large numbers of goats and sheep, but no cattle. Dukhn (_Pennisetum typhoïdeum_) constitutes the principal food. Among the trees the tábur, or butter- tree, and the deléb-palm, are the most remarkable and predominant. The soil is dark red (being loam). From Dógo to Búbanjídda, according to informant, two days.
(_n._) _From Mábbelé to Lay and Kim, according to Agíd Músa._
1st day. Gúrgará; a long march till ʿaser.
2nd. Cháken, a considerable place, with an independent chief; important as the point of junction of several roads leading south to Lay, S.W. to Kim, and W.S.W. to Dam.
3rd. Jogdó, an important place; short march.
4th. Cholól, a place four hours east from Gun.
5th. Nyinga, a short journey.
6th. Lay, a large place on the eastern bank of the river of Logón. If you go from Lay W.S.W., after having crossed the river you reach, after ten or twelve miles, Mung-chiré, and thence Chúwa, with three independent chiefs, Málo, Dúkko, and Baíbotó.
_From Cháken to Kim._
1st day. Gunógunó; about twenty miles.
2nd. Kim, a large place on the river of Logón. Kim is three days’ journey from Démmo, in Wúliya, our furthest point on the Músgu expedition. This, therefore, is a very important piece of information for joining these routes:
1st day. Jimán, on the river; about ten miles.
2nd. Kar, twenty miles.
3rd. Démmo in Wúliya.
Kim from Lay is two good days’ journey S.S.E., stopping for the night at Bisme, on the river. This track has a dry clayey soil, almost without trees, so that you may see from Kim the trees of Éré, a place in the N.W., on the west bank of the river, and probably called from its situation on a ford, “éré” meaning river in the Músgu language. Márraba, a large place of the Mógom, is ten or twelve miles from Kim, beyond and at some distance from the river.
_From Lay to Sálin. Direction a little north from east._
1st day. Chíre, a large place, residence of the chief Kassarák, who is not the only chieftain in this region, but there are two petty chiefs besides him. This place has a separate ertána. It is distinguished by an extensive plantation of fruit-bearing date-trees, which is well irrigated and kept in order,—a very remarkable circumstance, so that I have taken pains to ascertain that the informant has not confounded the date-palm with the deléb-palm. There are no asses in Chíre, nor any cats; and the horses are imported from Bagírmi. A long march of twenty- five miles.
2nd. Masró, about thirty miles.
3rd. Sálin, the residence of the chief, and the principal market-place of Dam.
From Sálin to Dámmuk, the capital of Somray, one day S.E.
_From Más-eñá to Sálin._
1st day. Mogál.
2nd. Jeljélli, a Kanúri place.
3rd. Bana-kúrchi.
4th. Busó.
5th. Túnjurkú, a Kerdi place.
6th. Gúrgará.
7th. Límmi.
8th. Sálin, the capital of Dam or Ndam, which latter may be the right form.
(_o._) _Más-eñá to Báng-Bay._
1st day. Kagá.
2nd. Garám.
3rd. Mábbelé.
4th. Gúrgará, or rather one of the three villages which constitute the district of that name; the southern village lying in the direction of Cháken, and the western one in that of Chejiráki.
5th. Mátelé.
6th. Kim, a large place, where a kashélla (inspector of the river) of the sultan of Bagírmi resides.
7th. Márraba, about ʿaser (there having been probably a difficulty in crossing the river).
8th. Dómaná. A whole day.
9th. Bísay; about noon.
10th. Bay Kurí.
11th. Bay Toy, one of the four large principalities of the Bay.
12th. Kóman.
13th. Kaktíya.
14th. Múdumbím, one of the four largest principalities or places of Bang-Bay.
15th. Kéni, another of the four principalities.
16th. Debjógemé.
17th. Gómbay.
18th. Tápoló, the principality of the most powerful chief in Bang-Bay.
19th. Másentá.
(_p._) _From Busó to Bang-Day. Expeditious march, a ghazzia._
1st day. Tábe, a large place on the south side of the river, which you cross in the morning.
2nd. Kiyár, a smaller place, at some distance from the river.
3rd. Miltú, a large straggling place close to the S.W. bank of the river.
4th. Báki, at some distance from the river.
5th. Shéggi.
6th. Myl, a large place.
7th. Sará-Gulé, with the chief Koína, son of the renowned Gósdegá, after whom the country and the place is usually named. The inhabitants take their supply of water from wells only.
8th. Dígti, with an independent chief.
9th. Gár-Kúmra, or Sará-Ngár-Kúmra, another principality with a powerful chief.
10th. Bang-Day, another principality on a considerable river, called by my informant—the same from whom I wrote down the itinerary marked (_m._)—the river of the Fellán, or Fúlbe. Day and Fong are the most important principalities in Sará.
(_q._) _From Miltú to Day, and from Lay to Day, according to Agíd Músa. South._
1st day. Myl, a large place. A long march, till sunset; about thirty- five miles.
2nd. Sará-Gósdegá; dhohor (two o’clock P.M.); twenty-five miles. A little east from south.
3rd. Kumra. Till ʿaser; thirty miles. South.
4th. Day, a large place in a densely-populated country on the Upper Shárí, which here flows from south to north, and at Miltú bends to N.W. Dhohor; twenty-five miles. S.S.E.
_Lay to Day. S.S.E._
1st day. Bay Fir, an independent principality on the river of Logón.
2nd. Bay Kagá, another principality belonging to Bay, distant from the river, surrounded by woods, close to Masró.
3rd. Day, after having crossed the river Shárí. According to the express statement of another informant, Day lies on the western bank of the river, in the same way as Kárnak Lógone does.
(_r._) _Mábbelé to Fong, and from Fong to Busó, according to Háj Sadík._
1st day. Gúrgará, a pagan place beyond the river. A long march.
2nd. Sotto, a pagan place.
3rd. Gam, another place. The country produces sorghum, beans, millet, and has numerous deléb-palms, also “báwa,” a sort of sweet melon (_C. melopepo_.)
4th. Jogtó, a large place belonging to Somray, one day from Kim.
5th. Cholól, territory of the chief Kíki.
6th. Pam, a large place possessing both sheep and cattle.
7th. Míddigí.
8th. Ledánga; the whole country level.
9th. Chíre, a place with abundance of palms—date-palms, as it seems.
10th. Bróto.
11th. Múrki, a considerable place, with large trees called “rúm.”
12th. Dam Pasár.
13th. Fong or Dam Fong, a considerable territory, called after its chief or “kenús” Fong. Fong is about 30 miles S.W. from Gósdegá as well as from Chíre. Lay a day and a half’s march, crossing the river.
_From Fong, back to Busó._
1st. Túmmak, on a small watercourse.
2nd. Myl, a large place. Fálik, close to Myl, eastwards.
3rd. Sek.
4th. Úr. The places and territories last enumerated are disconnected and have distinct “ertána,” or at least dialects.
5th. Godák.
6th. Betáng Godák. Gadáng, a large place one day east from here, may be reached in one good day’s march from Busó.
7th. Gónda.
8th. Busó.
(_s._) _Places from Báchikám downwards along the river, and from Más-eñá to Músgu._
Sigír, Májir, Bakúl, Mánga, Tar ngólo, Bukábe, Mátiya (formerly a considerable place, and capital of an independent territory), with a large market on Saturdays, Márja. From here, if you keep on this side of the river, you come to Bála Mása, or, if you cross it, to Mískin, both on the great river Shárí, which is again joined by the Báchikám at Mébi.
Kókoroché, the place which, next to Búgomán, sends the largest supplies of corn to the capital, lies one hour north from the Báchikám; and the road from here to Bála Mása goes by way of Békeri and Héla.
_Más-eñá to Músgu._
1st day. Bekábe or Bukábe, a considerable place, with a clay wall of earth, on the Báchikám.
2nd. Mátiya.
3rd. Mankhfa, a considerable place on the east bank of the Shárí, after crossing the Báchikám in the morning.
4th. Músgu, a Kerdi town on the river of Logón, after crossing the Shárí in the morning. A long march. If you proceed more slowly, and keep along the river, you sleep the first night in Óñokó, the second in Báingané, and reach Músgu on the third morning.
From Músgu to Gunna, a large Kerdi place of the Mása, is not above one day’s journey.
(_t._) _Más-eñá to Báng-Bay, according to Agíd Búrku. In a winding direction._
[Published previously in the “Journal of the Royal Geographical Society,” 1852, but here rectified.]
1st day. Ír on the (river) Bá-ír, which is said to flow to the east [west]. In the morning.
2nd. Báchikám, a Bagírmi place on the south side of the same river, or rather arm of the Shárí, at a short distance.
3rd. Garám. Arrived when the heat commenced, but started again at dhohor, and slept in the karága.
4th. Láffaná, on a large river, the Shárí, flowing east. [N. W.].
5th. On the sandy bank of the river, which he crossed in a large boat.
6th. Busó, a place under a powerful chief, on the north bank of the river, which had been crossed again by informant.
7th. Mirtí, an island in the Shárí, possessing a large number of boats. The water, however, is dangerous on account of the numerous crocodiles which infest it.
8th. Halánga, a place on the north bank of the Shárí, under the same chief as Busó.
9th. Tabé, a large place on the south bank of the river, with a mixed population.
10th. Gadáng, a Kerdi place, distant from the river. At dhohor.
11th. Kiyár, a village consisting of several small hamlets, at some distance from the river.
12th. [Miltú], a large place, with numerous horses, belonging at that time (1850) to the powerful chief ʿAlí Fenjár, who shortly afterwards died in the capital of Bagírmi, as a holy man.
13th. A place of the Bang-Dam (the chief of the Dam), who is the only person in the place who wears clothes. The country contains numerous small hamlets, and is richly wooded; the soil sandy. The inhabitants eat horseflesh.
14th. Ísemray (Somray), an extensive district under Sultan (Bang) Wónja, with a clayey soil. Early in the morning.