[14]See p. 216.
[14]See p. 216.
Presents from Officials—Mode of treating Camels—Prices—Cowrie Money—Shereef Interpreter—Visits—Harem—Houses—Grand Vizier—Picturesque Dances—Tuaricks at Zinder—Kohlans and Fullans—Province of Zinder—Account of its Rebellions—Trees—Details on the Slave-trade—Prices—Mode of obtaining Slaves—Abject Respect of the Sultan—Visits—Interview with the Sarkee—The Presence—Curious Mode of administering Justice—Barbarous Punishments—Hyænas—Gurasu—Fighis—Place of Execution—Tree of Death—Hyæna Dens—Dancing.
Presents from Officials—Mode of treating Camels—Prices—Cowrie Money—Shereef Interpreter—Visits—Harem—Houses—Grand Vizier—Picturesque Dances—Tuaricks at Zinder—Kohlans and Fullans—Province of Zinder—Account of its Rebellions—Trees—Details on the Slave-trade—Prices—Mode of obtaining Slaves—Abject Respect of the Sultan—Visits—Interview with the Sarkee—The Presence—Curious Mode of administering Justice—Barbarous Punishments—Hyænas—Gurasu—Fighis—Place of Execution—Tree of Death—Hyæna Dens—Dancing.
Jan. 17th.—The Sultan this morning sent me an ox. I made him my personal friend by giving him the powder and shot, in spite of the servant of Haj Beshir from Kuka. The Shereef is excessively generous; whether at his own cost or that of Kuka I do not know. I suppose the latter, as he had orders from head-quarters to supply us with everything. He sends rice, honey, fowls, eggs, milk, tomatas, and all things in abundance. I repeat, for the third time, that the world is turned upside down, so far as the supply of provisions and hospitality is concerned. It is true that the Tuaricks are desperately poor, and their generosity must always be very limited.
Our maharees of the salt-caravan went very well, and ate little on the road, so that much time was saved in this way. The Tuarick camels are far better travellers than the Arab, which sometimes are allowed to eat all day long. The females and the young ones are the most troublesome. I was much amused to see one of the Kailouee camel-drivers overcome the obstinacy of a young camel. The fellow actually bit the loose skin which hung over the muzzle of the rebel, and in this manner dragged it to the string, and there tied it to the rest. All the male camels are gelded, whilst many breeding maharees carry no weights, but follow their burdened kind with their foals.
To-day, for the first time, I received cowrie money, viz. four cases, made of matting, each containing 30,000. This was the price of four of my camels. The Gharian brute I sold to one of the servants for 8000. It is quite a labour to count this money, but I perceive that some persons are exceedingly expert at it, and count 5000 in a few minutes. There would appear to be always some mistakes made; one case was found to have ninety-eight short. This certainly is not much out of 30,000, and when a dozen people were counting. The small and large shells are all alike, and of the same value. But I shall be able to say more of this money afterwards. Thirty thousand of these shells are many pounds in weight, and not very conveniently carried about.
I visited some of the principal personages this afternoon, with the interpreter of the Sultan. This interpreter is a Shereef, and has been a sailor, in which capacity he has seen Malta, and many European countries. He is now married to a daughter of the Sultan of Zinder, and is established here in the confidence of his father-in-law. It appears, then, that even common Moorish sailors make their way in these black countries.
The first person we visited was one of the viziers, called Mayaha, a native of Damagram, a place one day east, from whence the greater part of the population of Zinder is drawn. This personage was sufficiently polite. He gave me permission to see the interior of his house, and his harem. The harem was full of fine, handsome Haussa slaves, attending on his four wives; they were all polished, and apparently clean, lying about on the floors of the huts, and in the court-yards, in the most strenuous idleness—one cleaning, polishing, and decorating another. One was bolder than the rest, and beckoned me to come to her.
This house of this vizier contained many huts of bee-hive shape; one or two were built of sun-dried earth, but all were small. Few carpets, or even mats, were seen: these people of Zinder are most dearly fond of squatting on the naked dust.
Afterwards I visited the Grand Vizier, or Mustapha Gadalina (a title). This personage, a man of great age, was polite, but did not permit me toenter the interior of his house. We then went to see the Commander-in-chief—a funny fellow. He was very civil to us, and to all, joking with his soldiers, amidst whom he was squatting. These Zinder troops have no arms in their undress, and only wear a loose tobe, with bare heads. The General told us he would visit us in the morning.
After a climb to the summit of one of the granite rocks of Zinder to have a view of the town, I went to see and hear the drummers hammering on their kangas. There were three of them, surrounded by a group of Zinder maidens. One fellow had two long drums, very narrow, on which he laboured with all his might. The maidens approached the musicians by twos, dancing or stepping forward, and retreating with great apparent modesty. Whilst I was looking at a couple, one of them ran up to me, and struck me lightly with her hand. For this attention I was obliged to give her a present of gour-nuts, which are equally current with the cowries on such occasions. The drum is the national music of the people of Zinder, and they hammer away at it from morning to night. They say that in the palace it never ceases all day, beginning at dawn. Perhaps it may be esteemed useful in supplying the place of silly conversation.
Very few Tuaricks are to be seen in the streets of this city. They rarely show themselves, except on market-days, when they come from their houses in the suburbs. Little cordiality exists between themand the Binder people. They owe one another, like all neighbouring people, many grudges. I jocularly told the commander-in-chief to kill all the Tuaricks. He naïvely replied, "I would, but when I attack them they all run away!" I am informed by the Moors here the Tuaricks have a wholesome dread of the Sheikh, and are on bad terms with the Fullans. They are, however, for the most part, friendly with the ancient Kohlans, the people of Maradee and Gouber. This accounts for the fact that En-Noor always spoke in the most amiable way of these remaining kingdoms of Soudan paganism. The town of Zinder is inhabited chiefly by the blacks of the Bornouese province of Damagram, who, though speaking the same language, are not considered Bornouese. In fact, properly speaking, it is situated in that province. The Zinder folks are easily distinguished from the natives of Kuka, and those more eastern provinces, by a lighter complexion and the smaller breadth of their nostrils.
Zinder has always enjoyed much liberty as a province, though it has fallen successively under the influence of Bornou and Haussa princes. Anciently it was ruled by the former; then it lapsed to the Haussa princes and the Fullans, and finally it was again recovered by Bornou. The present prince, Ibrahim, has been sultan twenty-five years. Under his rule a rebellion took place against the Sheikh, who removed him, made him prisoner, and promoted his brother to the governorship of the province.But this new prince also rebelled; upon which the Sheikh came with a large force a year ago, and restored the former governor, placing, however, several persons here as a check on his authority. I have already mentioned the influence of the Shereef of Morocco. But no people in the world detest central government so much as the Africans, and these rebellions occur yearly and monthly.
The facts which have been mentioned to me connected with the last rebellion of Zinder, and its reduction by the Sheikh of Bornou, are interesting, as illustrative of the present condition of these out-of-the-way countries. The re-conquest proved to be no easy matter, and required three months' siege, and sixty thousand men, commanded by the Sheikh's best officers and the sultans of the neighbouring provinces. When the revolted people had notice of the approach of this force, they threw up a wall of earth round the city in the brief space of three days only. Even Africans can be energetic when compelled by necessity. The siege lasted three months, and many people were killed on either side.
Before hostilities commenced the Sheikh sent for the brother of the deposed prince, whom he had placed in power at Zinder; but the answer was refusal. "If you want money," said the rebel chieftain, "here it is; if you want slaves, here they are;—but I will not come to Kuka." Ibrahim, the former and present sultan, had meanwhile gone to the capital, and covered himself with dust in thepresence of the Sheikh, and obtained his pardon and the promise of his restoration to power. His brother knew this well, and, of course, would not go to the capital. It is surprising, however, that the rebellion could hold out so long against so large a force; the people of Zinder must be framed for war. The Tuaricks during the struggle stood by and looked on. The displaced brother is now at Kuka, having there obtained the pardon of the Sheikh. He fled to the Tuaricks after the capture of the town.
There are several pretty shady trees scattered through the town of Zinder, planted mostly in the gardens of the grandees. The names of three of these are, in Bornouese, rimi, jaja, and ilbug.
I have obtained some information on the slave-trade, which I here give in its crude shape. Slaves are classed as follows:—
The best of the slaves now go to Niffee, to be there shipped for America; they are mostly males, of the class 2d, 3d, 4th, and are minutely examined before departure. From all reports, there is an immense traffic of slaves that way exchanged against American goods, which are driving out of the markets all the merchandise of the north.
The above are the prices of Kanou; there is sometimes a difference of 5,000 or 10,000 wadâs.A remark suggested by this list of prices is, that the value of human merchandise is determined by its present adaptation for consumption. No allowance is made for capability of development, intellectual or physical. Slave-drivers and slave-holders believe as little in a future here as hereafter.
I give another account of the prices of slaves at the principal markets in this part of Africa, and at Smyrna and Constantinople. A good male slave is sold, at
A good female slave is sold, at
This is merely to show the difference of prices at these various places of slave traffic, and so enable the reader to form some notion of the profits of the commerce.
I am very sorry to hear of the iniquitous manner in which slaves are captured for the supply of the north at this present time. It appears that, now allthese populations are Muslims, it is difficult to get up the war-cry ofKafers!—"Infidels!" What is then done? The sultan of a province foments a quarrel with a town or village belonging to himself, and then goes out and carries off all the people into slavery. Thus acts the present Sultan of Zinder, and so did his brother during his year of administration. To appease the Sheikh of Bornou they send him a portion of the spoil. Indeed, the Sheikh countenances the system, so detrimental to his interests as a sovereign, and so immoral in its character. The brother of the present sultan was accustomed to go out every month, and bring in razzias of slaves, particularly to Dura, a country which belongs half to the Sheikhs of the Fullans. The real Kerdi people are now very distant, and you must go many days' journey if you will catch genuine Kafer slaves.
On Friday, Yusuf paid his respects to the Sultan at noon, being the Sunday of the Muslims, when visits are made by true believers to the princes. He found his highness surrounded by his court, in a cloud of dust, which the people raised by throwing it in handfuls upon their heads, and thus doing homage to their prince. Yusuf and some other Moors obstinately abstained from such a grovelling mode of "rendering to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's," and contented themselves with saluting his highness in the Moorish fashion. Yusuf observed, "Our religion does not teach this servility." The natives salute their Sultan by the cry of "God give youvictory!" (i.e. over your enemies.) In Soudanee this phrase is "Allah shàbáka nasăra;" and in Bornouese, "Kábunam sherga!"
18th.—I sent letters for Government and my wifeviâKuka, as caravans are expected to leave Bornou for Moursuk about this time. My rooms were full of visitors to-day. First came the commander-in-chief, Shroma. I showed him all my treasures, portable peepshow, kaleidoscope, &c. &c. He was marvellously pleased. I treated him also with sugar, but coffee he positively refused as too bitter. He brought with him some twenty of his troops and a chosen aide-de-camp. He is just the man for a negro commander, full of cunning and address, very active if necessary, and on familiar terms with his men, pleasing them by low fun and buffoonery. Afterwards came the sons of the Sultan, all of whom I treated with sugar and coffee: that is, as many as would venture to taste of it. Then followed a host of Fezzan merchants, with the son of the Kadi of Kuka—a very nice, pleasant young fellow, who writes pretty good Arabic. He is to make out for me the route from Zinder to Kuka.
I afterwards went to the Sultan himself, to show him my treasures, viz. peepshows and kaleidoscope. These barbarians are nothing but great wilful children. I also took the compass. We entered the interior of the building, where we found a number of officers, courtiers and slaves, squatted together onthe sand, chatting most familiarly on all subjects. The building is all made of mud, mixed with large grains of granite. They say all the buildings of Bornou are built in the same manner, and very few of stone, on account of the rain; for the stone, not being well cemented together, falls during the great rains of the tropics.
After we had been kept waiting about half an hour his highness made his appearance, the courtiers and slaves throwing dust on their heads, prostrating themselves on the ground before him, crying, "God give you victory over your enemies!" Whilst the Sultan took his seat upon the raised mud-bench, the slaves held up two wrappers or barracans, to shield his highness from public view whilst he took his seat. All the floor of the apartment was covered with a dense mass of people, and amongst the number several Tuaricks, including the Sheikh Lousou, and Haj Abdoua, another distinguished Tuarick. Lousou is a tall thin man, of light complexion, with European features—a perfect Targhee. His manners were very mild, and indeed all this tribe are gentle enough here in a foreign country. The Sheikh shook me cordially by the hands. I then commenced business as showman to the prince and this mass of people. At first his highness was timid, and would not look through the glasses of the peepshows, but when the people began he followed, and acquired the knack oflooking through in a very short time. My compass and watch and keys were then all examined, and produced great amusement. What pleased him much was the screw by which the compass was stopped. I was dreadfully frightened lest the watch should be broken as well as the compass, and indeed the former has received some damage: such machines should not be handled by these negro grandees.
Whilst this examination was going on, his highness, as if he had little time to lose, continued to administer justice. Several cases were settled whilst the worthy Sultan was looking through the peepshow and kaleidoscope. Among others, a man came forward in great agitation, and cried, "O Sultan! my wife will not live with me, and has run away to her father. I will give you three bullocks if you will fetch her back and make her live with me!" The Sultan smiled, and observed only, "Hem, your wife won't live with you! Well, what can I do?" Another man came forward and cried, "O Sultan! I am a thief, but you must pardon me. I stole this mat because I was a poor man" (holding up the mat). "I restore the mat." His highness observed, "Leave it; I will see what can be done." A collection of stolen articles was restored also by another person. Then came a man more bold, and brought a present from a neighbouring village, consisting of two large bowls of ghaseb and a bundle ofwood. The man made a great clamour, holding up the present. His highness looked at him, and said, "Good, good; put them down."
I am told his highness is much feared by all the people of the provinces. He has the character of being impartial. But the way in which he carries out capital punishment is truly terrible, and beyond conception barbarous. He neither hangs nor beheads. This mode of punishment is too mild for him. No; he actually cuts open the chest, and rips out the heart! or else hangs up people by the heels, and so inflicts upon them a lingering death. I am astonished that the Sheikh of Bornou permits such barbarity, but imagine that the Sheikh is still afraid of his vassal, and shrinks from endeavouring to deprive him of this awful power. Here, then, we have a specimen of the negro character, with all its contradictions; soft and effeminate in its ordinary moods; cheerful, and pleasant, and simple, to appearance; but capable of acting, as it were without transition, the most terrible deeds of atrocity. Say what you will of the barbarism of the Tuaricks, such a mode of inflicting capital punishment is unknown amongst them. I took leave of his highness, promising to come again another day and bring other things.
This evening we were disturbed by the cries of the hyæna; a large one had come down upon the calves belonging to a drove of bullocks, and carriedoff one as big as itself. The brute seizes its prey by the throat, and so prevents the animal from giving intelligence to its pursuers. The place of execution is near my house, and when the Sultan executes any criminal the body is left unburied. At such times, troops of hyænas, old and young, come down in the night, from the rocks and open country, and devour the body in a few minutes. The jackal does not visit this place, but is found in the open country. There are also many lions on the road between this and Kuka.
A very simple mode of salutation is prevalent here in Zinder, said to be the custom of Wadaï—that of merely clapping the palms of the hand together; the hand being held forward flat, not edge-ways.
Gurasu is an interesting Tuarick territory, three days' journey north-east from Zinder, and two days from Minyo. This country consists of a number of small villages, scattered upon the rocks, or mountains. The inhabitants are especially those banditti who, from time to time, plunder the caravans on the route from Bornou to Mourzuk. Gurasu is seven days from Kanem, and Kanem is three days from the Bornou route. Kanem is mostly a desert country, and has now only a few inhabitants.
Gurasu and Damerghou are the only Tuarick countries adjoining the provinces of the Sheikh of Bornou, and Gurasu is the last country east in thispart of Africa. There is but very slight communication between it and Zinder; and little is known of the people, except that they are Tuaricks.
19th.—I again entertained visitors, who are still numerous, of all classes; and also paid a visit to the Shereef, and took with me the kaleidoscope, as he expressed a wish to see its revolving glowing beauties.
Zinder is full of half-crazy fighis, who can just write the Arabic alphabet. They go about the streets begging piteously, with a calabash inkstand and reed-pen in their hands. I have been pestered with two or three every day since I came here. They also wander through the country parts of Damerghou. Bornou is the nursery of these silly pedagogues, in whom learning and madness are most cordially united; but, as I have already mentioned, it sends out a few instructed ones to redeem the reputation of these ignoramuses.
In the afternoon I went to see the place of execution, and found it covered with human bones, the leavings of the hyænas, whose dens are close by. Proceeding a little further I came to the Tree of Death! a lonely tree springing out of the rocks, some forty or fifty feet in height, and of the species called herekanisa. My guide would not approach it very near, for he assured me that if any person went under its boughs, there must instantly come an order from the Sultan to put him to death, or hang him heels upwards upon its branches. "Don't yousee the place is swept clean underneath its boughs? This is done every day, and by the executioner alone: no other person dare go there, for if he do he must die!" I certainly began to feel sick myself at the recital of various horrors perpetrated at this place by the executioner, and don't know whether, if any one had offered me some great reward, I would have ventured to place my feet upon this accursed spot of mother earth. Never in my life did I feel so sick at heart—so revolted at man's crimes and cruelties. The tree itself was a true picture of death—a tree of dark, impenetrable foliage, with a great head, or upper part larger than the lower one, and this head crowned with fifty filthy vultures, the ministers of the executioner, which eat the bodies of the criminals! The number of executions here performed is very great—some two or three hundred in a year. Since we have been here a man has been butchered in the night, scarcely a hundred yards from my house; so that I am in a pleasant neighbourhood, what with the executions and what with the hyænas. The people pretend that for a small offence the Sultan inflicts capital punishments: for example, merely speaking bad language.
Turning from these disagreeable scenes, we went to see the dens of the hyænas, which are beneath the rocks, extending far under ground. Here we saw bones and dung enough. The scavengers of Zinder are, therefore, the vultures and hyænas: theformer wing the air and dart on their prey by day, and the latter prowl the streets by night.
In the evening we refreshed our fancies by witnessing the kanga, or drums beating to the dances of the maidens of Zinder. It is always the same thing, two or three fellows thumping upon their drums, dancing round them occasionally themselves, and the maidens approaching these drummers with timid steps. To-night they had a sort of hopping-dance, on one leg, keeping time to the beating of the drums. These coy maidens soon approached, or rather ran at me, and touched me with the hand; this done, they claim the right of a present. It is considered a favour to be so distinguished.
Brother of the Sultan—Trade of Zinder—Prices—The Sarkee drinks Rum—Five Cities—Houses of Zinder—Female Toilette—Another Tree of Death—Paganism—Severity of the Sultan—Lemons—Barth and Overweg—Fire—Brother of the Sarkee—Daura—Shonshona—Lousou—Slaves in Irons—Reported Razzia—Talk with the Shereef—Humble Manners—Applications for Medicines—Towns and Villages of Zinder—The great Drum—Dyers—Tuarick Visits—Rationale of Razzias—Slaves—"Like Prince like People"—French in Algiers—The Market—Old Slave—Infamous System—Plan of the great Razzia.
Brother of the Sultan—Trade of Zinder—Prices—The Sarkee drinks Rum—Five Cities—Houses of Zinder—Female Toilette—Another Tree of Death—Paganism—Severity of the Sultan—Lemons—Barth and Overweg—Fire—Brother of the Sarkee—Daura—Shonshona—Lousou—Slaves in Irons—Reported Razzia—Talk with the Shereef—Humble Manners—Applications for Medicines—Towns and Villages of Zinder—The great Drum—Dyers—Tuarick Visits—Rationale of Razzias—Slaves—"Like Prince like People"—French in Algiers—The Market—Old Slave—Infamous System—Plan of the great Razzia.
Jan. 20th.—I received visits as usual, and one from a younger brother of the Sultan, whom I treated with coffee; and I also gave him a cotton handkerchief and a ring, so that he went away highly satisfied. He had a numerous train, all of whom had a peep at the show and a bit of sugar. This brother of the Sultan is a pleasant-looking fellow, a very different character from the man in power. He asked for saffron to colour charms with; but I had none to give him.
Those who expect to find Zinder a great commercial dépôt will be much disappointed. The principal merchants here are the Sheikhs En-Noorand Lousou, and the other Tuarick of Asben, whom I have mentioned, called Haj Abdoua. Of Zinder merchants there are but two of consequence, the Morocco Shereef, Konchai, and Haj Amurmur, a Tibboo. The latter is always resident; but Abd-Effeit, or Shereef Konchai, goes abroad and trades. Both these are foreigners. There are, besides, a number of small traders, Tibboos and Fezzanees, who drive a few hard bargains with the Governor. At the present moment his highness has no money. All the specie is quickly carried off to Kuka. The Tuaricks have the goods and the money, and often make their own prices; but as they always demand ready cash, are obliged to wait long before they can dispose of their goods. Burnouses alone bring a great profit; for these are sold to sultans, who require a credit of several months. I am afraid I shall have to give a very poor account of the commerce of this portion of Africa, with reference to its being profitable to Europeans. The greater part of the goods in Kanou are cheaper than those found in the markets of Fezzan, or even Tripoli. The only way in which this commerce pays the Moorish merchants is by the purchase of slaves; and this, from casual circumstancesen route, frequently turns out a loss. All the traders found on this road are mostly poor fellows, with small capitals: there is no equal to Waldee.
Here is a statement of the prices of provisions in the market of Zinder:—
An ox, 10,000 wadâs (for riding).
A cow, for food, 8000.
(N.B. Cows only are eaten, bullocks being used for riding and carrying burdens.)
A sheep of the first quality, 1500 wadâs.
A goat of the first quality, 1000.
A good fowl, 100.
A horse (of the best kind and condition), 1,000,000.[15]
An ass: he, 8000 wadâs; she, 6000 wadâs.
A zekka of ghaseb: large, 10 wadâs; small, 6 wadâs.
(N.B. When there is but little rain, a zekka of ghaseb consists only of two handfuls.)
A pound of samen, 40 wadâs.
A pound of honey, 60 wadâs.
A zekka of wheat, or one handful, 10 wadâs.
A zekka of rice, or about six handfuls, is 20 wadâs.
A canto of salt, of the weight of about a quarter of a cantar, is now sold for 1200, because the salt-caravan has just arrived; but after two or three months it will fetch 2500 wadâs.
His highness the Sultan expressed the most ardent desire to see and make himself acquainted with the rum, and other strong drinks of the Christians, having heard from his son-in-law and interpreter, the little Shereef, that I had a supply ofthese liquors with me. After resisting some time, I delivered up to his highness half a bottle of mastic, with which retiring to his innermost chamber, and taking with him his son-in-law, he made himself very merry; so much so, that he was unable to make his appearance in public or justice-hall all this day.
The immediate territories of Bornou contain five large and important capitals, viz. Zinder, which belongs to Haj Beshir, the prime minister.
Mashena, belonging to Mala Ibrahim, second minister.
Minyo, belonging to Abd-Er-Rahman, brother of the Sheikh.
Yumbi, belonging to the mother of the Sultan.
These capitals are the centres of large populations and provinces.
The taxes are appropriated by the various personages to whom they are given by the Sheikh, but these personages are expected to give up to his highness the greater part of the funds which they derive from them.
21st.—I made various routes, and got a statement of the principal articles of commerce, as current in Zinder and Kanou, Mourzuk and Tripoli. I repeat, there is no chance for an English merchant in this part of Africa.
The houses of Zinder are mostly built of double matting, but a good number have mud walls and thatched roofs. Others are all built of mud. There are no nice mosques with minarets. The residenceof the Sultan is a fort of mud, with walls of some height; it overlooks all the other buildings. The Shereef Kebir has also a mud house, with walls of some height. There are two principal streets, running from the south to the north; one terminating at the castle of the Governor, and the other in the market. These are of some width, there being space for a dozen camels to pass abreast. There are, besides, many little squares before the houses of the grandees, where the people lounge: the streets are always full of idle people.
Instead ofsuak, the women used here the calix of a flower, calledfurai, for staining their teeth with a deep amber colour. It is the fashion for ladies to dress their hair in solid knots, two of which fall over the temples, one over the ear, and the other at the back of the head. Some of the women have hair tolerably long. I noticed to-day the shonshonah of Daura. It consists of two thick cuts, forming an angle at the corner of the mouth, with a few small ones on the temples.
I went to see another Tree of Death, where his highness slaughters criminals in the same way as mentioned under the other tree. The space beneath the boughs is also swept clean. This tree is more spreading, and of another sort; it is crowned with the filthy vultures, which roost day and night in considerable numbers on its upper branches. Yusuf tells me the history of these trees, when the inhabitants were pagans. It was under them that thepeople sacrificed their oxen and sheep to the deity, who was supposed to reside in these trees. Scarcely a generation has elapsed since this was the case, so that the people may well dread to venture where, in the time of old men yet living, sacrifices, some perhaps human, were offered up.
The Sheikh is obliged to keep a tight hand over the inhabitants of Zinder, to prevent them from lapsing into paganism. His father made them Muslims, and he holds them to the profession of Islamism.
No news from Tesaoua respecting the four persons who were sent to bring Drs. Barth and Overweg first to Bornou, before they went to Soudan. I have had several patients, but ophthalmia does not prevail here as in Damerghou.
A constant succession of visitors troubled me all day long. Another son of the Sultan came this morning—quite a young man—and a dozen of boys from the palace, some sons of the Sultan, and others of his ministers. I gave them all a little piece of white sugar, and sent them off. This is the cheapest present.
I am told that all the Tuaricks are dreadfully afraid of the Sultan of Zinder, for whenever his highness catches an offender, let him be of what tribe of Tuaricks he may, he cuts off his head with as much unconcern as a poulterer of Leadenhall market does that of a goose.
I hear now that, since the dispersion of theWalad Suleiman, the route of Bornou, from Kuka to the Tibboos, is quite secure.
Some lemons have been brought to me, equal in flavour, though small, to those of the north coast. In Soudan they are marvellously cheap; ten are sold at Kanou for the fiftieth part of a penny, viz. one wadâ; for the same single wadâ forty can be had at Kashna. There are forests of lemon-trees in Soudan.
The news has arrived from the salt-caravan, that Barth says that he will not return even if they threaten to cut his throat. En-Noor is at Tesaoua, and says they should return; but the salt-caravan is distant from him, and the communication between the two places is difficult.—I had scarcely written these words when the four people sent to bring back Drs. Barth and Overweg returned without them, and brought letters from my colleagues, each one stating that he should continue his journey as previously determined. Ferajee, one of the messengers, pretends that En-Noor is going with Overweg to Maradee; which is very unlikely. Dr. Barth seems very angry, but his comrade takes matters more easily.
The Shereef Kebir is said to be the only person who has money in Zinder. This man monopolises all the power and all the money. I do not know how long this will last, but I should think it will soon make both the Sultan and the people of Zinder disaffected. As it is, all the merchants of Zinderare foreigners, and so have the disposal of all the goods most coveted by the blacks, who have only the ghaseb and the cattle.
22d.—The morning is hazy and mild, the thermometer standing at 57°.
A fire broke out close to us early this morning, and two or three huts were immediately consumed. However, the people quenched the flames in a very short time. I wonder half the town is not burnt down every now and then. Visitors pour in upon me as soon as I am up and dressed; and some patients likewise.
The brother of the present Sarkee of Zinder, who ruled a year in Zinder, is called Tanimu. He has a great military reputation, and is a brave man. During his administration he razzied no less than thirty countries. Daura, or Dura, was the principal theatre of his exploits. This Daura is a country consisting of about a thousand towns and villages; four hundred belonging to the Fullans, and six hundred to the Sheikh of Bornou. The Fullanee Sultan is called Mohammed Bello, and he of the Sheikh, Sofo Lukudi. The nearest place in Daura is not more than one day S.W. of Zinder. The people of the country are remarkably expert in the use of the bow and arrow; and their arrows are very strong, piercing through, as the people say,threeboxes, and afterwards killing a man. The wound of these arrows is fatal, the flesh of the smitten part rising up immediately into an enormous swelling. The brother ofthe present Sarkee brought in hundreds of slaves from Daura, the people at the same time having risen against the authority of the Sheikh.
The blacks of Kanou—not the Fullans—do not scarify their faces like their neighbours. The form of the shonshona of Zinder and its provinces is four cuts on each side the cheek, but not drawn very near the corner of the mouth; that is, rather towards the ears. In Tumbi and Gumel, provinces of Bornou, they draw four on the left side of the cheek and five on the right side; the cuts not drawn very near either the corner of the mouth or the ears. Maradee and Kashna have six cuts on each side of the cheek, drawn from the top of the ears down to the corner of the mouth. Gouber has four small cuts close to the corner of the mouth. The people of the Sheikh of Bornou have two small cuts drawn down the face, under each eyelid, and one in the forehead, between the eyes. Even Mekka has its shonshona. One of the shereefs here in Zinder, who was born in that holy city, has three small cuts on each side his face, drawn down the fleshy part of the cheek. It is only in Mekka that the shonshona is seen. The other countries of Arabia do not use this disfigurement.[16]
The Sheikh Lousou sent his slave to salute me on his part. They say, that had we been committed to his care, he would not have fleeced us like En-Noor.But I almost question if he would have been strong enough to protect us. I observe, again, that all the Tuaricks are well behaved in Zinder, and have a wholesome dread of the Sheikh.
Many of the domestic slaves in Zinder are constantly ironed, for fear they should run away to the neighbouring towns and villages. The poor people live just like convicts. It is only when they are taken to Kuka, or to a great distance, that their irons are struck off.
The report is now current in Zinder, that the Sarkee is going, in the course of seven or eight days, to razzia some neighbouring place in the direction of Daura. They say, even, that he will not scruple to razzia some of the villages of Meria if necessary; that is to say, a part of the province of Zinder. My informants observed merely, "Oh, he must have slaves to pay his debts; and as the largest fish eat the little fish, so the great people eat the small people." Thus the protection of Islamism is now come to nothing, and the cry is,—"To the razzia!" without mentioning even the name of Kafer or Kerdi. In the end this will retard the progress of Mahommedanism; for the blacks see that it is now no protection for them against their more powerful neighbours and their periodical razzias.
I visited several personages this afternoon; first, the Shereef Kebir, with whom I ate some broiled fish brought from a neighbouring lake, and some fine Bilma dates, soaked in milk. I asked him howit was that the Sheikh committed to the governors or sultans of the provinces the awful power of life and death. "Oh," replied he, "the Sheikh has given them this power that he might not be bothered with their reports about criminals. It is far better to finish quick with these people." Where there are periodical razzias the sacredness of human life is unknown, and the Shereef has been, besides, many years in the camp of Abd-el-Kader, where a good deal of sanguinary work was carried on. He thought it, therefore, quite right that the Sheikh should not fatigue his sovereign conscience by deciding on the lives of criminals and other suspected persons, and that the sooner they were hung or slaughtered the better.
From the Shereef I passed on to the brother of the Sultan, a young man of mild manners. I entered the inner part of the house, where were the women. Verily the Zinder people have a strange love of dust, dirt, and bare mud walls. In the two or three beehive huts which I explored, there was not a single article of furniture, nor a mat to lie down upon. The brother of the Sultan was sitting by his sister, and both on the dust of the ground, without a mat. I am told, however, that they sleep on mats and skins, which are, indeed, cheap enough; two or three pence, or two or three hundred wadâs, would purchase a good one. The sister of the Sultan was coloured well with indigo, the dark blue of which replaces the yellow ochre of theladies of fashion in Aheer. This Zinder lady had also the end of the tufts of her hair—I cannot call them curls—formed into clayey sticks of macerated indigo. For the rest, she had little clothing, her arms and bust being quite bare. All the other ladies with her were coloured in like fashion, and had their hair dressed in a similar manner.
Afterwards I visited an old Tripoline Mamluke, who has been up here twenty-two long years. He came alone, and has now a household of twenty-eight persons, including wives, children, and slaves. He is called Mohammed El-Wardi, knew Dr. Oudney, and even mentioned his name, recollecting it after so many years. He knew also the other travellers. Some of his family are in Kuka.
Various applications are made me for remedies to avert certain evils, and one man applied for a means to make him sell his goods quick: this was a Tibboo trader.
It would appear that some of the routes from Zinder to neighbouring places are not very safe; that from this place to Kanou, even, is somewhat dangerous for small parties, there being woods on the road, in which lurk banditti, who lie in wait for unprotected caravans. With good travelling, Kanou is only eight or ten days from Zinder, and Kashna four or five. It is not easy to get the route here by hours, for the people are ignorant of this way of reckoning the routes. By days, something may be done.
The Moorish merchants resident here pretendthat the territory of Zinder contains no less than two thousandbelad, or inhabited spots, towns, villages, and hamlets, and some of these are large towns—as large, or larger, than Zinder. Damagram is a populous place, more so than Zinder; but the whole of the province of Zinder has this name, the people being all Damagrama. The town of Damagram was once the capital of the province. The large towns are:—
All these are towns, some larger than Zinder.
I expect to see the great drum brought here, and to hear it beaten. It has led the people of Zinder to the razzia during the time of twelve sultans. The drummer, when he beats the drum inleading on the people to the razzia, repeats the perpetual chorus ofJatau chi geri—"The red (Sultan) eats up the country." He is afraid to mention the name of the Sultan, and so repeats the word red, as distinguishing royalty; but whether in the same way as purple distinguished the Roman emperors, or because kings delight in blood, does not appear.
I went to see the process of indigo dyeing. The dyers bore circular pits of about fifteen or twenty feet deep, and three feet in diameter, in which they throw the things to be dyed, and leave them there. The pits are full of the dye, produced by the leaves and the seed of the plant callednila, sodden in water. They dye tobes and raw cotton, and cotton twist; the work is carried on in the open air. About thirty people were employed at the pits which I saw. They also prepare indigo in a better way than what I saw at these pits.
23d.—I have not quite done with the Tuaricks, and had many visitors of that tribe to-day; amongst the rest, our old friends and robbers, Ferajee and Deedee. I told Ferajee I had my boxes full of gold and silver, and asked him to buy. He replied, "Ah, el-Consul did not say so in Asben; he saidbabo(there is none)!" At this, all our visitors burst out in a roaring laugh. I rejoined, "Oh, no, Ferajee; because I was then amongst thieves and robbers." (Continued laughter.) I went to seethe souk;—everybody was very civil;—no calling Kafer!—Tuaricks all as still as mice.
I called upon the Shereef Kebir, and drank with him tea and coffee, which he makes in Magrabi fashion, putting the sugar in the tea-pot. I observed, "How is this? I hear the Sultan is going soon on a razzia." Somewhat disconcerted, he replied,Allah yâlem!—"God teaches!" After some time, he explained that the Sheikh left his vassals great liberty in this matter; that the Sultan of Zinder was permitted to go to Daura and eat up the Kohlans, but not the Fullans, between whom and the Sheikh there was peace: that is to say, the Fullans were not to be made slaves, but the Kohlan subjects of the Fullans might be captured. The Sheikh was not friendly to Maradee, and wished the Sultan of Zinder to attack that country; but the Sarkee was a friend of Maradee, and would not, &c. &c. So it is quite clear these Sarkees, or at any rate the one in Zinder, have great latitude of action. After hesitating still more about these razzias, the Shereef said, "Oh, you see the strong devour the weak; there are no regular governments here."
In the souk to-day, it was proved beyond all doubt that the Zinder people sell themselves into foreign slavery. Many of the slaves for sale had the Zinder scarified marks on their faces. There were also specimens from Maradee. Slaves are sent from Zinder to Niffee. Indeed, it now appearsthat all this part of Africa is put under contribution to supply the South American market with slaves.
Zinder is considered within the circle of Soudan, and not to be Bornou, but only a Bornouese province. The Sheikh has in this province several Tuarick subjects, i.e. Tuaricks settled in the Zinder provinces.
The souk to-day was full of people, but goods of value were wanting. Indeed, Zinder is now a poor place. Only the foreigners have any at their command. The Sarkee is at this moment desperately poor, and is going on this approaching razzia to raise money to satisfy his creditors. Verily, thisisa "new way to pay old debts."
I heard a curious explanation of the reason why the people of Zinder do not use mats or skins to lie down upon in the daytime. It is said they are afraid, because the Sarkee does not use them, and they must not display a luxurious taste not practised by their prince. This is the explanation of the Shereef and the little court of Arabs and Moors by which he is surrounded. "Like people like prince" is a proverb which I think I have heard.
The Shereef told me this morning that he had made war with France, in Algeria, fourteen years, and he had been a prisoner of the French seven months. He said the French were people without religion, or faith in their words and promises, and could not be trusted. He showed me his French passport. However, he seems to have soon forgottenhis troubles in Algeria, and is quiet now. He writes well, and has received a good education. His country is one day east of Tetuan, in the Rif mountains. He is likely to be very useful to the Sheikh in Zinder.
I visited the souk again in the evening, and made a few small purchases of curiosities; but there are very few things to be got in this market, and those mostly come from Kanou. What things are made here are of the rudest manufacture.
I passed the slave-market, and was greatly shocked to see a poor old woman for sale amongst the rest of human beings. She was offered for six thousand wadâs, about ten shillings in English money. It is quite impossible to conjecture of what use such a poor old creature can be. The Shereef Kebir made a present of a little boy to Saïd of Haj Beshir this evening. The poor little fellow looked very pitiful. He was stolen from Daura. He has only one cheek marked with the shonshona, because his mother lost all the children which she bare before him; and the custom is, when a mother thus loses her children, to scarify only one cheek.
The mode of supplying the slave-markets of the north and south is truly nefarious, and perhaps surpasses all the wickedness of the Tuaricks. The Sarkee of Zinder wants gour-nuts, and has no money to purchase them; he sends his servants or officers to a neighbouring village, and they steal in openday two or three families of people, and bring them to the Sarkee. These poor wretches are immediately exchanged for the gour-nuts. A boy steals some trifling articles—a few needles; he is forthwith sold in the souk; and not only he, but "if the Sarkee wants money," his father and mother, brothers and sisters: and "if the Sarkee is very much pressed for money," his familiars search for the brothers of the father, and all their relations. Indeed, crime is a lucrative source of supply for the prince, and what his vengeance spares from the executioner is sold into foreign slavery.
In the approaching razzia, the Sarkee is expected to take the common route of Daura, and carry off the villagers subjected to the Sheikh; for, contrary to the opinion of the Shereef Kebir, the Sarkee will not attack the Kohlans, who are the subjects of the Fullan, but thebonâ fidesubjects of the Sheikh. He will probably bring back one thousand slaves or captives. He will send two hundred to the Sheikh, with such a message as this:—"I have eaten up the Kafers of Daura; here is your offering of two hundred Kafers." Should the Sheikh receive a remonstrance from the Bornou governor of Daura, that the Sarkee of Zinder has come upon him and carried off Muslims, his subjects, he will shut his ears. In all these razzias the lesser chiefs act an important part, and each gets a share. A chief who fights under the Sarkee captures fifty slaves, and gives up to the Sarkeetwenty-five or thirty, keeping the rest for himself and people.
If a single undistinguished man captures five, the Sarkee gets two of the five; another captures two, the Sarkee gets one, and the captor one. So all have a common interest in these nefarious razzias, and all start off with the utmost glee to capture their neighbours, their brethren, and to sell them into bondage. The Sarkee of Zinder will take with him about five thousand cavalry and thirty thousand foot (bowmen), drawn from these portions of the provinces against which the razzia is not now directed.