MARKET OF A'BU-GHER.

515

plies, and I was therefore obliged to content myself with sending my servants.

They found the market of A'bú-Gher of about the same importance as the little market or durríya in Kúkawa, with this exception, that cattle were more numerous in A'bú-Gher, and they counted about a hundred head of large beasts and about the same number of sheep. There was a great deal of sorghum and cotton, but little Guinea-corn or millet. Besides tobes, hoes for field-labor, cowries, and natron from the Bahr el Ghazál form the principal commodities. As a sort of curiosity, my servants mentioned a kind of bread or tiggra made of the fruit of the hájilíj or Balanites Egyptiaca (the "bíto" of the Kanúri), and called "sírne." As a specimen of the great diversity of individual manners which prevails in these regions, I will here mention that the fárda in A'bú-Gher, which is the standard currency of the market, is different from that used in Máseñá, measuring three dr'a in length and one hand in width. The village of A ́bú-Gher consists of two separate groups divided by a vale or depression, where the market is held, and containing a considerable proportion of Fúlbe or Felláta inhabitants, who were the founders of the village.

Finding that I was not allowed to stir from the place where I was, I resigned myself in patience, and tried to take occasionally a little exercise round the town. While roving about, sometimes on foot, sometimes on horseback, I made by degrees a general survey of the town, which I have incorporated into the accompanying ground-plan, which, though very imperfect, and not pretending in any way to absolute accuracy, will nevertheless serve to give the reader a fair idea of the place.

1. The house where I lodged, repre- 9. House of the Máina Beládemí.

sented here also on a larger scale. 2. The palace of the sultan, surrounded by a strong wall 18 feet high, and 10 feet thick, built of baked bricks, but at present in decay.

a. Public hall of audience.

b. Hut of kadamange.

c. Entrance-hall, or hut used as a parlor.

d. Court-yard in which I had an au

10. Market-place.

11. Tomb of 'Alí Fenjár, the great chief of Miltu, who two years previous to my visit to the place died here at an advanced age and much respected. The tomb is well shaded by a kúrna-tree.

dience with the king, while he him- 13. A seat or diván of clay—“ dágalí”

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN.

517

CHAPTER L.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN.-ARRIVAL OF THE SULTAN.

FINAL DEPARTURE.

THE town of Más-eñá extends over a considerable area, the circumference of which measures about seven miles; but only half of this area is inhabited, the principal quarter being formed in the midst of the town, on the north and west sides of the palace of the sultan, while a few detached quarters and isolated yards lie straggling about as outposts. The most characteristic feature of the place consists in a deep, trough-like depression or bottom, stretching out to a great length, and intersecting the town from east to west, in the same manner as the town of Kanó is intersected by the Jákara; for this hollow of the capital of Bagírmi, after the rainy season, is filled with water, and on this account is called "bedá" by the natives, and "el bahr" by the Arabs, while during part of the dry season it is clothed with the richest verdure. It is remarkable that not only in this respect the town of Más-eñá resembles that of Kanó, but, like the great market-place of Háusa, its surface is also broken by many other hollows, which contain the wells, and during the rainy season are changed into deep ponds, which, by accumulating all the refuse of the town, cause a great deal of insalubrity; but in general the soil, consisting of sand, dries very quickly after a fall of rain.

The principal quarter of the town lies on the south side of the great hollow or bedá; but even this very central quarter is far from being densely inhabited, and was less so during the first month of my residence, owing to the absence of the sultan. The central point of this quarter, at least in regard to its importance, if not to its position, is the palace of the sultan, the whole arrangement of which is in general similar to the resi

dences of the chiefs in other towns, consisting of irregular clusters of clay-buildings and huts. But there is a remarkable feature in this palace, which distinguishes it in a very conspicuous manner from all other buildings of the kind in these countries. This difference consists in the wall which surrounds the whole building being built, not of sun-dried, but of baked bricks. I have had an opportunity of observing, on my journey from Kanó to Kúkawa, the ruins of the town of Ghámbarú, which is built of the same material; and I shall farther on describe those of Bírni or Ghasréggomo, the old capital of Bórnu, constructed in the same manner. But at present the traveler looks in vain for such solid buildings in any of the towns of Negroland, and I was therefore not a little surprised at finding it here, in a place where one might least expect to see it.*

It was not, however, a building of recent date, but built at least fifty, or perhaps a hundred years ago, or probably more, and was at present in a considerable state of decay. It forms a quadrangle of a somewhat oblong shape, the front looking toward the N.W., and measures from 1500 to 1600 yards in circumference. It must once have been a very strong building, the walls measuring about ten feet at the base, and from fifteen to twenty feet in height, and the entrance-gate being formed by thick wooden planks bound with iron. Upon entering, we first got into an open court-yard, in the eastern part of which there was a large oblong building or hall built of clay, which formed the public place of audience. Adjoining this there was a hut, wherein the kadamánge or zérma-for he had lately risen in the service-who had been installed as lieutenant governor, had his official residence, while farther westward another hut formed the entrance-hall into the inner or private apartments of the sultan, which I shall notice on the occasion of my audience with the sovereign.

The whole southeastern part of the palace, being inclosed by a separate wall, is entirely devoted to the female portion of the royal household, and is full of huts, the number of which, of

Gher.

There is another ruin of baked bricks outside the town, on the road to A'bú

course, I am not able to tell, having had no access to this sacred and most secluded part of the residence. According to report, at least, the sultan is said to have from 300 to 400 wives. The huts are of various sizes and descriptions, in conformity with the character of the tenant of each. In front of the palace a spacious area or square is laid out, ornamented with six karáge-trees, besides a fine tamarind-tree which grows a little on one side of the entrance to the palace. Adjacent to the royal residence, on the west side, is the large house of the fácha, or commander-in-chief, and toward the east a mosque of small dimensions, with a minaret at the northwest corner. The other sides are occupied by the residences of some of the principal courtiers, such as the mánja, the zérma, and the bárma. The principal street of the town joins this area in the northwest corner, and along it lie the dwellings of some of the other principal men. At the spot where this road passes by the north side of the deep hollow or concavity above described (12), it is crossed by another principal street, which, in a straight line, proceeds from the gate leading to A'bú-Gher, and intersects the market-place.

My own residence was situated at the southwestern angle of the inhabited quarter; and while it had the advantage of being in an open and airy situation, it had also the disadvantage of being visible from almost every part of the town, so that I could not step out of my room without being seen by all the people around.

Dilapidated as was the appearance of the whole town, it had a rather varied aspect, as all the open grounds were enlivened with fresh pasture; but there is no appearance of industry, and the whole has the character of a mere artificial residence of the people immediately connected with the court. The marketplace is rather small, and not provided with a single stall, the people being obliged to protect themselves as well as they can by forming a new temporary shed every market-day. The most interesting aspect is furnished by the bedá or bahr, which is bordered on the southwest by a few picturesque groups of dúm-palms and other trees of fine foliage, while at the western