CROSSING A RIVER.-MANGA. 35 those very vessels which supported them above the water; but, notwithstanding their energetic labor, they were carried down by the force of the current to a considerable distance. Besides these two human beings, the river at present was only enlivened by one solitary spoonbill (or, as it is here called, béja or kedébbu-búnibe), ́who, like a king of the water, was proudly swimming up and down, looking around for prey. The following day we crossed the river ourselves. I had some difficulty in concluding the bargain, the inhabitants, who belong to the Tebú-Zénghi,* making at first rather exorbitant demands,† till I satisfied them with a dollar; and we ourselves, camels, horses, and luggage, crossed without an accident, each camel being drawn by a man mounted on a pair of calabashes, while another man mounted the animal close to its tail. The scenery, although destitute of grand features, was highly interesting, and has been represented as correctly as possible in the plate opposite. The river proved to be fifteen feet deep in the channel, and about 120 yards broad; but there was a still smaller creek behind, about five feet deep. At length we were again in motion; but our difficulties now commenced, the path being extremely winding, deeply hollowed out, and full of water, and leading through the thickest part of the forest; and I had to lament the loss of several bottles of the most valuable medicine, a couple of boxes being thrown from the back of the camel. The forest extended only to the border which is reached by the highest state of the inundation, when we emerged upon open country, and, leaving the town of Nghurútuwa (where Mr. Richardson died) at a short distance on our right, we encamped a few hundred yards to the south of the town of Alaúne, which I had also passed on my former journey. Here we entered that part of the province of Manga which is governed by Kashélla Belál; and the difference in the character of this tract from the province of Koyám, which we had just left behind, was remarkable, the country being undulated in downs of red sand, famous for the cultivation of ground-nuts and beans, both of which constitute a large proportion of the food of the inhabitants, so that millet and beans are generally sown on the same I do not know exactly whether the ford has been called after this tribe; but the name Zénghiri also occurs in other localities. + These people wanted in general nothing but cloves. I, however, succeeded in buying a sheep from them for eight gábagá, at the rate of eight dr'a each. field, the latter ripening later, and constituting the richest pasture for cattle and camels. Of grain, negro millet (Pennisetum typhoïdeum) is the species almost exclusively cultivated in the country of Manga, sorghum not being adapted for this dry ground. The same difference was to be observed in the architecture of the native dwellings, the corn-stacks, which impart so decided a character of peace and repose to the villages of Háusa, but which are sought for in vain in the whole of Bórnu Proper, here again making their appearance. The Manga call them "sébe" or "gúsi." The cottages themselves, although they were not remarkable for their cleanliness, presented rather a cheerful aspect, the thatch being thickly interwoven with and enlivened by the creepers of various cucurbitaceae, but especially the favorite kobéwa or Melopepo. The same difference which was exhibited in the nature of the country and the dwellings of the natives, appeared also in the character of the latter, the Kanúri horseman or the Koyám camel-breeder being here supplanted by the Manga footman, with his leathern apron, his bow and arrow, and his battle-axe, while the more slender Manga girl, scarcely peeping forth from under her black veil, with which she bashfully hid her face, had succeeded to the Bórnu female, with her square figure, her broad features, and her open and ill-covered breast. I have observed elsewhere that, although the Manga evidently form a very considerable element in the formation of the Bórnu nation, their name as such does not occur in the early annals of the empire, and we therefore can only presume that they owe their origin to a mixture of tribes. Having passed the important place of Kadagárruwá and some other villages, we encamped on the 5th near the extensive village Mámmarí, where the governor of the province at that time resided.* Monday, December 6th. A small water-course joining the komádugu Waúbe from the north, separates the province of Kashélla Belál from another part of Manga, placed under a special officer, *To this province, although I do not know by what particular name it is called by the natives, belong the following places, besides Mámmarí or Mómmolí: Katíkenwá (a large place), Gubálgorúm (touched at by me on my former route) at a short distance to the S.E., Tafiyóri E., Keríbúdduwa, Mainé, Nay, Mammed Kanúri, M'adi Kúlloram, Kará ngámduwá to the N., Kériwá, Dúggulí, Gúdderam, Ngabóliya, Kajimma, Alaúne, Nghurútuwa, Bam. The place Shégori, although situated within the boundaries of this province, forms a separate domain of Malá Ibrám. PECULIAR CHARACTER OF MANGA.-BORZA'RI. 37 who has his residence in Borzári. Close on the western side of this water-course, which is only about thirty yards across, the Manga, at the time (in the year 1845) when, in consequence of the inroad of Wádáy, the whole empire of Bórnu seemed to be falling to ruin, fortified a large place in order to vindicate their national independence against the rulers of the kingdom; but, having been beaten by 'Abd e' Rahmán, the sheikh's brother, the town was easily taken by another kókana or officer, of the name of Háj Sudáni. It is called Máikonomarí-kurá, the Large Máikonomarí, in order to distinguish it from a smaller place of the same name, and contains at present only a small number of dwellings, but was nevertheless distinguished from its more thriving neighbor by a larger supply of articles of comfort, such as a fine herd of cattle, well-filled granaries, and plenty of poultry, while the neighboring province, which we had just left behind, appeared to be exhausted by recent exactions and contributions, the greater part of the population having even sought safety in a precipitate flight. The country, however, which we traversed on our march to Borzári was not remarkable in any way for the beauty of its scenery, although the former part of our march led through a well-cultivated and populous district; and the heat reflected, during the middle of the day, from the bleak soil, clad only with a scanty vegetation, was oppressive in the extreme, although it was the month of December. Thus I passed the walled town of Grémarí* without feeling myself induced, by the herd of cattle just assembled near the wall, to make a halt, the ground here becoming excessively barren and hot. On reaching the town of Borzári, I preferred encamping outside, although there was not the least shade; my heavy luggage and my numerous party rendering quarters inside the town rather inconvenient. The governor, to whom I sent a small present, treated me very hospitably, sending me a heifer, a large provision of rice, several dishes of prepared food, and two large bowls of milk. This excellent man, whose name is Kashélla Manzo, besides the government of his province, had to regu * I will here mention, as an instance how careful travelers, even those tolerably well acquainted with the languages of the country through which they travel, must be with regard to the names of places, that when first passing this town I asked a man its name, and, not having distinctly heard what he said, I asked another person who stood by, and he said "mannawaji." Supposing at the time that this was the name of the place, I wrote it down, but soon convinced myself that it meant nothing but "he does not want to speak," or "refuses to answer," and I then learned on farther inquiry that the real name of the town was Grémarí. late the whole intercourse along this road, being instructed at the time especially to prevent the exportation of horses from the Bórnu territory into the Hausa states. The town, which is surrounded with a low crenulated wall and a ditch in good repair, is of considerable size and well built, and may contain from 7000 to 8000 inhabitants; but there is no great industry to be seen, nor is there a good market. The wells measure ten fathoms in depth. Our direct road from this point would have led straight to Zurríkulo; but an officer of the name of A'dama, who was to accompany me to Zínder, having joined me, I was induced to take a more southerly road, by way of Donári, which constituted his estate; and I was very glad afterward that I did so, as this road made me acquainted with the peculiar character of the territory of Bedde, which I should not otherwise have touched at. Tuesday, December 7th. The first part of our march led through a more dreary tract of country, which was neither very picturesque, nor exhibited any great signs of industry among the natives; but after a stretch of a little more than eleven miles, large, wide-spreading tamarind-trees announced a more fertile district, and a few hundred yards farther on we reached the border of one of the great swampy creeks connected with the southwestern branch of the komádugu, and intersecting the territory of Bedde, which we had now entered. We kept close along its border, which was adorned by fine, luxuriant trees, till we encamped at a short distance from Dáddeger, a place inhabited by Bedde, and at that time forming part of the estate of Malá Ibrám. The village is situated on a small mound close to the swamp or jungle, for the water is so thickly covered with forest that no portion of the aqueous element is to be seen. It forms rather what the Kanúri call an ngáljam (that is to say, a swampy shallow creek or backwater, having little or no inclination) than a kulúgu; and there can be no doubt of its connection with the great komádugu of Bórnu. The natives call it at this spot Gojágwa,* and, farther on, Máje. They are pagans, and wear nothing but a narrow leather apron or funó round their loins,† with the exception of a few Ka 66 * I almost suspect that this is the water of which Mr. Hutchinson, when in Ashanti, heard a report from the natives under the name koumouda Gaiguina." (Bowdich's Mission to Ashantee, p. 213.) + What Koelle relates (Kanúri Proverbs, p. 82, text; p. 211, transl.) on the au thority of his informant, that the Bedde, or Bode, as he writes, wear wide shirts, |