  March for Zinder—Enter the City—Reception—Delighted to escape from the Tuaricks—Letters from Kuka—Hospitable Treatment—Presents for the Sarkee and others—Visit the Shereef—His Duties—Audience of the Sarkee—Servility—Double-skulled Slave—Powder and Shot—Portrait of the Sultan—Commission from Kuka—European Clothes—Family of En-Noor—Tour of the Town—Scavengers—List of Sultans of Central Africa—Ancient Haussa—The Market—Money—Conversation with the Shereef—The Sultan at Home—Mixed Race of Zinder—Statistics—Personages of the Court. Jan. 14th.—We started early, in hopes to reach Zinder in the course of the morning. Our course of five hours was S. 10° E. from the encampment. The route from En-Noor's palace in Damerghou is two good days and a-half. After two hours and a-half we came to huts in a valley, and a village of thirty or forty houses, called Boban Tabki. In three quarters of an hour there were villages again. I was pleased to see the corn-stacks or field-granaries standing in the open country, apart from all houses or habitations, illustrating the security of property in Zinder and its neighbouring districts. The country all around is pleasant, nicely undulating with ridges We sighted Zinder after four hours' march; and entered the town within another hour. I was somewhat impatient to get rid of the Tuaricks, and place myself in the hands of the Bornou authorities; so I rode off myself to the town, leaving the suburbs, where the family of En-Noor have their residence, deaf to all their cries to stop. I found a friendly Kailouee, who conducted me straight to the house of the governor. His servants took me to the Shereef, and the Shereef sent me to SaÏd, my servant, where I found a house and everything prepared for my reception; and here, also, I found a slave sent from Bornou by the Sheikh, to conduct me to Kuka: so all things wore a happy aspect after so many miseries and uncertainties. I was delighted with the appearance of Zinder, its picturesque situation, and its unexpected size. It is much larger than I was led to expect. As soon as I was domiciled I received visits from several merchants of Mourzuk, besides the authorities of the town. All the sons of the Sultan of the place came to salute me; I gave them each a little sugar, and off they went highly pleased. Provisions now poured in at such a rate, that after the starvation of the desert I became nauseated at their sight. These were sent by the Sultan and the Shereef. Thankful satisfaction for my deliverance from I learnt from SaÏd, servant of Haj Beshir, that letters had arrived from Mourzuk for us in Kuka, and one was addressed to the Sheikh, which had determined him to bring us all at once to Kuka, and prevent us going first to Soudan. Upon this advice, the Sultan of this place had sent four persons to Tesaoua, to bring my colleagues from that place. But whether they will come on the demand of these persons is very questionable. I learned that the Sfaxee, as I expected, was laid up with fever in Kanou, for he is emphatically a man of fever; and, besides, he has no control over himself, but gorges himself with food when an opportunity presents itself; and this, after the privations of the desert, is sure to bring on disease. Yusuf Moknee came to me this evening, to know what was to be done on the next morning. He finds it necessary to alter his conduct, as he sees now that I could do without him. I determined to go on with him for the present. I do not wish to leave him here with En-Noor, for he may do us harm with that subtle Kailouee prince. I must take him away from the Tuaricks altogether. I found all the Mourzuk people very friendly—everybody friendly; the world seemed turned upside down after our treatment from the Tuaricks. I began to make little presents, for I am determined our friends shall have a portion of her Majesty's goods as well as our enemies; which latter, indeed, took them away from us by force. I must not forget to remark, that when I entered Zinder there was not a single person bold enough to whisper the name Kafer! so immense is the difference between this Bornou country and the Tuarick territories. 15th.—I rose early, having slept little. The weather was cool, the thermometer at sunrise being at 59°. I began to prepare our presents for the Sultan and the Shereef. After much debating as to quantity, it was determined to keep all the best things for Kuka, and give small presents here. In this respect I must praise Yusuf and his friends amongst the Mourzuk people. I prepared a present for Sarkee Ibrahim, sultan of Zinder, consisting of a piece of muslin for turban, a red turban, three heads of sugar, two glass drinking-cups, painted, a cup and saucer for coffee, a few rings in imitation of gold, cloves, two handkerchiefs (cotton), powder and shot, fifty bullets, two or three small looking-glasses. The present for the Shereef consisted of a carpet (hearth-rug), used here for kneeling upon in performing prayers, three white sugar-loaves, cloves, handkerchief (cotton), powder and shot, with some other trifles. The I am happy to add, that all were content and satisfied; but we made them understand—indeed, they knew it before we arrived—that the Tuaricks had taken away nearly all my property. I must add the present of the Shereef Saghir (little Shereef), who acts as interpreter for the Sultan: a glass painted drinking-cup, a handkerchief (cotton), a little sugar, jani, senbal, a few cloves, and two or three rings; with which he was well satisfied. Before noon I waited on the Shereef to deliver my present. I was much struck with this man's appearance. He was quite an European—white as myself. His countenance seemed full of thought and meaning. He is a native of Fez, and has lived long in Algiers. He has served in the war against the French under Abd-el-Kader, and has only been two years in Bornou and in Kuka, and once in Zinder. He is here as the nather, "looker-on;" one who watches over the interests of the country, particularly in its foreign relations. To speak plainly, he is a spy of the Sheikh of Bornou over the authorities of Zinder, including the Governor. All the people say, "Without the Shereef nothing can be done in Zinder;" and well they may, considering that he is in the entire confidence of the Sheikh. The Shereef is also the agent of all foreigners, and After leaving the Shereef we went to salute the Sultan Ibrahim, and deliver to his highness our present. We were conducted into a species of fort, built of clay, with walls exceedingly thick. Here in a sort of anteroom, or open skifa, or hall, we found some fifty soldiers of the Sultan, unarmed and bare-headed, with one or two governors of neighbouring places, all squatted upon the ground. I was requested to squat down amongst them, which I did near a raised mud-bench. There was little light, the place being built to shut out the glare and heat of the sun. Here I waited a quarter of an hour, till the Sultan was announced by the cries of the soldiers, slaves, and domestic officers. His highness took his seat upon the mud-bench; and whilst so doing his attendants all squatted down, many of them taking up the dust from the ground and throwing it over their bare heads, and crying, I was squatted amidst a number of courtiers, one of whom had a sort of double skull, another smaller skull raised above the larger one,—a protuberance which came from an accident in infancy. This double-skulled man was the chief of the domestics. The Sultan was in a merry humour, and smilingly asked after my health. We then read our letters of recommendation, which pleased him. He observed that the route vi Aheer was good. "How good," asked Yusuf, "when we are arrived here naked, and stripped of everything?" At which his highness burst out, laughing, with all the people. There was now observed a little bustle behind, and his highness called out "Silence!" like a sheriff in a court of law. I begged the interpreter to tell the Sultan that our present was small, for we had been stripped by the Tuaricks. This he whispered in his ear; after which I slipped a packet of powder and shot into the hands of one of the principal courtiers, telling him it was for the Sultan, and he carried it off. I did not place it with the other presents, because the servant of Haj Bashaw, sent from Kuka, forbad my giving his highness any powder and shot, alleging, that this The powder and shot being delivered, I took leave of his highness, raising my cap and shaking hands with him. At this doffing off the cap all the people were highly gratified, thinking great respect was thereby shown to their prince. Ibrahim is a negro, a native of Zinder, a man of fifty years of age, with a countenance sparkling with good humour, and I believe I may add, intelligence. He has been Sultan here some thirty years, so that he must be a man of character. This day he received a renewal of his commission from Kuka, a ceremony that takes place every year; and so he was in a happy humour. There was also a sort of feast at the palace, and his highness rode out with a detachment of cavalry. The persons who brought our camels from Kuka also brought the renewed commission, or a man, from the Sheikh. Haj Beshir has sent us ten camels, to bring the boat and our baggage, in the event of our camels being stolen, or having become weak with the journey from Mourzuk. I have, therefore, only to sell my camels and turn them into ready money, which I much need, and then start. We afterwards called again on the Shereef, and had a laugh about the man with two skulls. I told the Shereef "two heads were perhaps better than one," at which they all burst out laughing. The Shereef was surrounded by foreign merchants, all chatting in good humour. These Moors were friendly to me. To-day I dressed in my European clothes; first, because unless you have very good clothes, such as worn by the people of the country, you cut a very bad figure; and secondly, and principally, to show the Kailouees, and other strangers, that I was now in a friendly place, and that no one dare say anything to me in the way of insult. In fact, as yesterday, there is not even a whisper of the word Kafer. His highness and all the people admired my European gear. I told them that now the Turks dressed in the same manner, or nearly so; at which they were greatly surprised. I had on a black surtout, tight trousers, and varnished boots, gloves, neckerchief, waistcoat; everything European but the hat, wearing instead of this the fez cap or shasheeah. In the evening I paid a visit to the family of En-Noor, who were greatly astonished at my transfiguration from a bad Moorish dress into an European suit. They were much disconcerted at this change, and my happy humour. Madame En-Noor rated me for running away from them yesterday. I told them I wished to get to my friends of Bornou as quickly as possible. My interpreter also The Kailouees are all excessively quiet now. All feel the power of the Sheikh, and are almost as submissive as if they were at Mourzuk. However, the family of En-Noor still keep begging. But I believe now I must finish with them. The Sultan is said by his servants to have gone to Tesaoua. I am extremely glad I came without him to this place. Perhaps he also was ashamed to bring me. From Tesaoua he will be here after some days. People call him, as in Aheer, An-Nour, and not En-Noor. The prince of Zinder asked, where is An-Nour? The people are still at work preparing this chieftain's apartments, consisting of a circular wall of matting, enclosing a number of huts; there is a mud-house in the middle, but it is now fallen into ruins. I made a tour of the town, and was still more pleased than before with its size. It is said to contain 20,000 inhabitants. There are many divisions, The scavengers of Zinder are a multitudinous host of a small species of filthy-looking vultures, brown and black in colour: they are exceedingly tame, for the people never touch them, and they walk about the streets tamer than the fowls. I believe the same species of vulture are also the scavengers of Kanou. At Zinder they take their evening exercise by flying in circles over the city, a hundred or two together. There are a few white ones amongst the flock. The Sultan sent for a piece of camphor this morning. I gave him some, with a silver French coin and a new English farthing. The news is, that I must stay here ten days, to oblige the slaves who have been sent from Kuka to carry the baggage. We are also to stay at Minyo a few days, en route four days from this. I spent the evening gleaning information of the I have obtained a list of the names of the principal sultans in this part of Africa:
The alliances and enmities, the wars and the intrigues of all these princes, will one day, perhaps, form materials for some semi-mythological history, when civilisation has removed its camp to these intertropical regions. Regular annals, however, there never can be. No record seems to be kept, except in the unfaithful memories of the natives; and even if the contrary were the case, posterity would willingly consign to oblivion all but the salient points of this period of barbarism and slave-hunting. Daura is a city of great antiquity, but I have never seen it on the maps. It is two days from Zinder on the route to Kanou, and has now about Ancient Haussa, according to the Monshee, consisted of seven cities, viz.
I went to see the souk. There are two market-days in Zinder: the great souk on Thursday, and the little one on Friday, the days following one another. I rapidly passed through it; it was full of people and merchandise; all things in abundance; no one called after me, but I did not like to stay long to expose myself. The principal provisions and domestic animals offered for sale are cattle (oxen), sheep, camels, asses, goats, beef, mutton, samen, honey, ghaseb, ghafouley, a little wheat, dried fish (rather stinking, because no salt is used in drying), kibabs or roasted pieces of meat, beans, dankali or sweet potatoes; which last are brought from Kanou, as also is the fish, &c. I purchased three sweet potatoes for a fifth of a penny. There was, besides, also a good quantity of merchandise In the evening I went with the Shereef to his garden. He has brought with him the tastes of the people of Morocco for gardens, and has introduced into Zinder tomatas from Kuka. His beds contain onions, peppers, cucumbers, wheat, lemons, date-palms, and some other small things. There is a little wheat also, but merely as an ornament. The date-palms bear twice a-year, but the dates do not dry in this country. There is a part of Soudan where the dates are said to become dry as those of Fezzan. The lemons are as good as those on the north coast, but they are found only in Soudan. But two or three trees have been seen in Bornou. Onions are in abundance, and it is said that those people who eat onions do not catch the fevers of Soudan. The Shereef considers the horses of this country to have little strength—not to be compared with those of the north coast. He has sent me one to ride round the environs. We conversed upon Algerian affairs. The Shereef said nothing against the French in general; he only complained of the non-fulfilment of the treaty of capitulation with Abd-el-Kader and his fellow-prisoners. I told him Bou MÂza was liberated, which news surprised The Shereef possesses a fair amount of women—some twenty, but only one son. I sent this evening presents of rings to the ladies. Yusuf paid a visit to the Sultan this morning, to carry him a present on his part. He entered the interior of the building, and found it full of dirt, and bare of every species of furniture. The Sultan himself had only upon him a Soudan tobe and a white cap. All the rest of his people were bare-headed, and were covered with dirty tobes. This contempt of dress arises from the fact that the prince was a slave of the ancient Sultans of Bornou. There are, besides, other sultans en route to Kuka, of the same stamp; but he of Minyo is said to dress excessively, changing his costume five times a-day. We are to remain some days in Minyo, of which I am glad, because there we shall see the Bornouese population, in a purer state. Here it is mixed somewhat with the Kailouees and other tribes. At any rate, the manners of the people are somewhat I have been endeavouring to collect materials for the statistics of Zinder. The following note exhibits a partial result:— Various persons give the population of Zinder at 25,000 or 30,000 souls. Let us take the number at 20,000. The military force consists of cavalry and foot—two thousand cavalry having swords, spears, and shields; and eight or nine thousand bowmen, having only bows and arrows. This force is commanded by one Shroma Dan Magram, who receives the enormous pay of half the land taxes of some fifty towns and villages in the circle of the province of Zinder. The officers of the Sultan of Zinder are mostly slaves. The principal personages are Shroma Dan Magram; the Kady, Tahir; the Bash Kateb, or Secretary, Dang Gambara; the chief of the Treasury, Nanomi; of the Custom-house, Fokana. There are four officers of the Treasury, and four of the Custom-house; and, moreover, four Viziers, the principal of whom is Mustapha Gadalina. The Arabs do not pay any custom duties, but all the blacks and the Kailouees and Fullans pay as follows:—
There is no duty on goods, and, whether the camels are laden with rich burnouses or salt, it is all the same thing. Camels are very cheap in this country, and the best of all will not fetch more than 40,000 wadÂs, or about sixteen Spanish dollars. The Shereef is to purchase ours, four of them for 120,000 wadÂs; they cost about three times the sum in Mourzuk. Horses are not quite so cheap; the best will fetch 100,000 wadÂs. |
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