Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

not designated by the Kanúri word "míye" or "yéro,"* nor with the common Hausa word "darí," but by the name "zango," which is used only in the western parts of Hausa and in Sókoto.

I had pitched my tent near the southeastern hamlet, which is the smallest of the four, close to the spot where I had entered the place, not being aware of its extent, and from here I made, in the afternoon, a sketch of the mountain range toward the south, and the dry shelving level bordered by the strip of green verdure with the palm-trees in the foreground, which is represented in the plate opposite. In the evening I was hospitably regaled by each of the two bíllama who govern the town, and I had the satisfaction of making a "tailor to his majesty Múniyóma," who was residing here, very happy by the present of a few large darning-needles for sewing the líbbedi or wadded dress for the soldiers.

Monday, December 20th. On leaving Wúshek, we directed our course by the spur of the mountain chain to the south-southwest, crossing several hollows, one of which presented a very luxuriant cotton-ground carefully fenced in by the euphorbiacea, here called mágará, which I have described on a former occasion. The country in general consisted of a broken sandy level clothed with tall reeds. Leaving, then, a small village of the name of Gédiyó in a recess of the mountains, we entered an undulating plain, the prairie of Nógo, open toward the west, but bounded on the east by an amphitheatre of low hills, and densely clothed with herbage and broom, to which succeeded underwood of small mimosas, and farther on, when we approached the hills on the other side of the plain, large clusters of "abísga," or Capparis sodata. Only here and there traces of cultivation were to be seen. The sun was very powerful; and as we marched during the hottest hours of the day, I felt very unwell, and was obliged to sit down for a while.

After having traversed the plain, we again had the mountain chain on our left; and in a recess or amphitheatre which is formed by the eminences, we obtained a sight of Gábáta, the old residence of the Múniyóma, but at present exhibiting nothing but a heap of unsightly ruins, encompassed toward the road side by a wall built of different kinds of stone, but at present entirely in decay, while in the very angle of the recess at the foot of the mountains a stone dwelling is seen, where it was the custom, in olden times, • The Kanúri, in order to express "one hundred," have relinquished the expression of their native idiom, and generally make use of the Arab term "míye."

for every ruler of the country, upon his accession to the throne, to remain in retirement for seven days. It had been my intention to visit this spot; but the present governor had urgently requested me to abstain from such a profane undertaking, the place being, as he said, haunted by spirits; and my sudden indisposition prevented me from accomplishing my design. The natives say that there are caves leading from the stone dwelling into the rock. Our left being bordered by the mountain slope, which is beautifully varied, and having on our right a fine grove of magnificent trees and cultivated fields, we reached, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the well situated in the recess of the mountains, but had great difficulty in choosing a spot tolerably free from ants. Here I felt so weak that I did not care either about the ruins of Gábáta or any thing else but the most profound repose.

Tuesday, December 21st. The night was very cold and disagreeable, a heavy northeasterly gale not only bringing cold, but likewise covering us with clouds of the feathery prickle Pennisetum distichum, and we started in a condition any thing but cheerful. The mountain chain on our left now receded, and the country exhibited a rich abundance of timber and herbage, the forest being agreeably broken by a large extent of stubble-fields where millet and beans were grown; and distinguished among the cultivated grounds by the appearance of a certain degree of industry were the fields of Chégchegá or Gámmachak, the oldest estate of the family of Múniyóma, which we had on our left.* In the intervening tracts of forest the úm-el-barka or kégo (Mimosa Nilotica) was very common, but it was at present leafless. Granite protrudes now and then; and farther on the whole country became clothed with retem or broom.

Close to the village of Baratáwa we crossed a narrow but beautiful and regular vale, adorned with the finest tamarind-trees I ever saw, which were not only developing their domelike umbrageous crowns in full splendor, but which were the more beautiful as the fruit was just beginning to ripen. Close to the well a group of slender dúm palms were starting forth, with their light fanlike foliage, in singular contrast to the domelike crowns of dark green foliage which adorned the tamarind-trees. This beautiful tree farther on also remained the greatest ornament to the landscape; but, besides this, the kómor or baúre also, and other species, were

* I am a little uncertain, at present, whether this is the old residence, or the Gámmazak near Wúshek.

KELE NO.-NATRON LAKE.

63

observed, and the fan palm was to be seen here and there. Cattle and camels enlivened the country, which presented the appearance of one vast field, and was dotted with numerous corn-stacks.

I had entertained the hope of being able this day to reach the natron lake of Keléno; but I convinced myself that the distance was too great, and, although I reached the first hamlet, which bears the name of Keléno, I was obliged to encamp without being able to reach the lake. There had been in former times a large place of the same name hereabout; but the inhabitants had dispersed, and settled in small detached hamlets. Close to our encampment there was a pond of small size, but of considerable depth, which seemed never to dry up. It was densely overgrown with tall papyrus and melés. The core of the root of this rush was used by my young Shúwa companion to allay his hunger, but did not seem to me to be very palatable; and, fortunately, it was not necessary to have recourse to such food, as we were treated hospitably by the inhabitants of the hamlet. The baúre, or, as they are here called, kómor, have generally a very stunted and extremely poor appearance in this district, and nothing at all like that magnificent specimen which I had seen on my first approach to Sudán, in the valley of Bóghel.

Wednesday, December 22d. The night was very cold, in fact, one of the coldest which I experienced on my whole journey, the thermometer being only 8° above freezing point; but nevertheless, there being no wind, the cold was less sensibly felt, and my servants were of opinion that it had been much colder the day before, when the thermometer indicated 22° more.

As the natron lake did not lie in my direct route, I sent the greater part of my people, together with the camels, straight on to Badamúni, while I took only my two body-guards, the Gatróni and the Shúwa, with me. The country presented the same appearance as on the previous day; but there was less cultivation, and the dúm palm gradually became predominant. In one place there were two isolated deléb palms. Several specimens of the Kajilia were also observed. The level was broken by numerous hollows, the bottom being mostly covered with rank grass, and now and then even containing water. In front of us, three detached eminences stretched out into the plain from north to south, the natron lake being situated at the western foot of the central eminence, not far from a village called Magájiri. When we had passed this village, which was full of natron, stored up partly in

« PreviousContinue »