Myrtle Reed

Political News—Animals of Zinder—Sleepy City—District of Korgum—Razzias—Family of Sheikh Omer of Bornou—Brothers—Sons—Sisters—Daughters—Viziers—Kashallas—Power of the Sheikh—A Cheating Prince—Old Slave—Fetishism—Devil in a Tuarick's head—Kibabs—Fires—A Prophecy—Another Version of the Razzia—Correspondence between Korgum and Zinder.

Some political news has arrived to-day by the caravan from GhÂt. According to the gazette of the caravan there is peace now between the Porte and Musku (Russia), and Musku is to restore to the Porte the one hundred countries taken by her, as also to pay the expenses of the war. Hostilities have broken out between the Emperor of Morocco and the French; a Shereef has appeared to recommence the holy war, and Muley Abd-Errhaman supplies him with the means to fight the French. Thus the news is all fashioned to Muslim tastes. Also it is said, that in future the red colour in flags is always to be uppermost. This seems likewise a compliment to the Muslim power in Europe and Africa. It is very curious to see how dexterously the caravan-newsman has coined his wares.

The shonshona of Gouber is very faint, and consists of nine very small cuts.

Gouber is full of Tuaricks, Kilgris, and Iteesan. It is said the Sarkee will bring an immense number of Hazna, or pagans, with him, on his return from the razzia.

29th.—At sunrise, when the thermometer is at 57°, I feel the cold. I am told that, though Kuka is very hot, it is quite free from fever,—in fact, from all periodic epidemics. So we may expect to do well, if we escape the fever of Soudan.

The household gods of Zinder are a large species of lizard, who make their dwelling-places in the walls and roofs of the huts. These are in great numbers. Cats are the principal nuisance and the thieves of the place—attacking and devouring fowls. Of rats and mice I have observed none. But few small birds show themselves. The small filthy vulture is everywhere, and a few eagles of a diminutive white species are seen amongst them. Some few dogs are kept, ill-looking and mongrel in their breed. The domestic cattle are horses, asses, oxen, sheep and goats, and a few camels.

The life of the male population of Zinder seems to pass in dreamy indolence, varied continually by the excitement of a razzia. The women divide their time between the kitchen and the toilette. No amusement is sought, except from drum-beating and the attendant dance. Thus time lapses with these black citizens. As for the foreign merchants and traders, they, too, drowse away the period of their residence in this sleepy city. They sell their goods in a lump, on trust, to the Sarkee, and then compose themselves to slumber whilst he goes forth on a razzia, and brings them slaves in payment. The thick, heavy atmosphere—at any rate during this season—appears to forbid any other kind of life. It weighs upon the eyelids, and oppresses the soul. Existence passes away in a tropical dream, and death finds its prey, as Jupiter found Maia, "betwixt sleep and wake," in this poppied climate. Altogether—as far as I can see through my own winking eyes—Zinder is a most unlovely place; by no means desirable for a stranger to live in. I manage, however, now and then to grasp at, and hold, something like definite information. In looking over the itineraries of Captain Lyon, I find that the razzias have obliterated many towns and villages from the map. At any rate, the people now are ignorant of their names.

Korgum, half-a-day's distance from Konchai, two days from Zinder, is, according to a report come in this afternoon, the place or theatre of the present razzia. The pretext is—for I now hear of a pretext—that they will not pay tribute to the Sheikh. Korgum consists of three villages and a town, upon and under some rocky hills, which are visible during three days' march. The district is the residence of a sultan. Ten years ago it belonged to Maradee, but since then has been wrested from it, though it has ever shown a doubtful allegiance. When the former chief fled to Maradee, he stopped to drink water at Korgum; but the sultan refused to grant him permission. The present Sarkee, on being restored to his government,—though he made war upon his brother—nevertheless determined to avenge this barbarous inhospitality. He went and attacked the Sultan of Korgum, captured several of his people, and cut off, it is pretended, eight hundred heads. Not satisfied with this slight vengeance, the chief of Zinder seems to have remained anxious to pick a quarrel. He next sent for wadÂ; in other words, for tribute. The Sultan of Korgum forwarded some. The Sarkee despatched a message, that what he had received was "few." The Sultan replied, "Why should I send many?" A pertinent question, that seems to have closed the correspondence, but not brought the affair to a conclusion.

The Sarkee of Zinder heard that the Sultan of Korgum had just gone out on a razzia, united with the people of Maradee, and has taken this opportunity to make a foray. It is probably with reference to some rumour of this expedition that Overweg writes to me.

It is said here that the Sarkee never captures all the people, but leaves a few to breed for another razzia! All the inhabitants of Korgum are Hazna, a fact strongly insisted on as a salve for the consciences of my Muslim friends. The Sarkee is expected back on Friday.

I received a visit from the two Shereefs that were at Mourzuk in our time. They left after us; had remained three months in GhÂt, and, of course, detest the Tuaricks. I gave them coffee, and each a cotton handkerchief.

30th.—The following are given me as the names of the family of the Sheikh Omer, of Bornou:—

Brothers.

• Abd-Er-Rahman is the eldest brother after the Sheikh, and generalissimo of the army; the province of Minyo belongs to him.
• Yusuf, a very learned man, a great fighi.
• Othman, also a fighi. His mother is a native of Mandara.
• Bou Beker, also a fighi; to him belongs Limbaua and many estates.
• Mahmoud, also a fighi; to him belongs Kalulwa and many estates.
• Abdullah Manufi; to him belongs Gubobaua, consisting of 220 countries or villages.
• (Gubobaua is one day west of Kuka.)
• Bashir: fighi; resides with his brother Abd-Er-Rahman, and has a small village.
• Hamed Rufai; by the same mother as Abdullah Manufi.
• Mustapha; a great man, having much influence in the country: he has many estates.
• Ibrahim; fighi, and has estates.
• Anos.
• Khalil.
• Ahmed.
• Hamed Zaruf, a young brother.
• Hamed Bedawi, a young brother.
• Abd-el-Kader, a young brother.
• Abd-el-Majed, a young brother.
• Mohammed el-Kanemi; young.

All these my informant knows. What a family! Verily we are in Africa!

Sons.

• Bou Beker, aged about fifteen years.
• Ibraim.
• Hashemi.
• Kasem.
• Tahir.
• Taib.
• Rufai.
• Abdallah.
• Mohammed Lamin (name of his grandfather).
• Kanami.

The mother of the Sheikh is called Magera, a native of Begarmi.

Sisters of the Sheikh.

• Nafisa; to her belongs the country of Kumalewa (same mother as Abd-Er-Rahman).
• Maimuna; to her belongs the place of Wameri (same mother as above).
• Aisha; to her belongs Koba.
• Maream.
• Fatema.
• Mabruka.
• Hamsa.
• Alia; to her belongs Hamisah, a village.
• Halima.
• Zainubo; to her belongs Furferrai.
• Mussaud.
• Fadula.
• Rabia.
• Sinnana.
• Mubarka.
• Rihana.

These are all he recollects among the number. A copious royal family!

Daughters of the Sheikh.

• Rukaia (married), about twenty years of age; to her belongs Balungu.
• Fatima, a young girl.

No doubt there are others. It is curious to compare this knot of near relations with the scanty families among the Tuaricks. The fertility of the human race seems to be as that of the soil on which its several tribes are located. Deserts may produce conquerors, but the fat lands produce subjects.

I may now add a further list, obtained at the same time as the above.

The great vizier (or prime minister) is Haj Beshir; but there are other viziers of more or less power:—Shadeli; Ibrahim Wadai; Rufai (cousin of the Sheikh); Hamza, and Mala Ibrahim. These form the council of the Sheikh.

The chief kady is Kady Mohammed, and another kady of influence is named Haj Mohammed Aba.

The principal slaves (that is to say, the principal favourites in these despotic countries) are Kashalla Belal and Kashalla Ali. The word Kashalla corresponds to the title Bey. The brother of Abd-el-Galeel, lately killed, is living at Kuka, and is called Sheikh Ghait. There is also there a brother of the ancient sheikh killed in Fezzan, called Sheikh Omer, uncle of the above.

According to my informant, the power of the Sheikh has immensely increased since the days of the first expedition. The Sheikh has now more than 100,000 cavalry, and a great quantity of muskets. Certainly I have ocular proof that Zinder, an important province, has been added to the territories of this most powerful prince. I may as well mention, that my authority is Omer Wardi. His father, Mohammed Wardi, went with Clapperton to Sakkatou.

The Sheikh, according to this seemingly well-informed person, is paramount sovereign of Begarmi and Mandara,—these states paying each a tribute yearly of one thousand slaves, to which Mandara adds fifty eunuchs,—a most costly contribution. This seems to be the country where eunuchs are made in these parts.

Lagun is also under the Sheikh, and has become a province of Bornou.

In this country, it is said, there are pieces of cannon. Also, there is another country, Kussuri, four days south of Begarmi, now united to the Sheikh's territories; and besides, Maffatai, four days south-east from Kuka (a country of a sultan).

Dikua, two days south from Kuka; a province with a powerful sultan, who has the power of life and death.

Kulli, one day west of Dikua; Blad-es-Sultan.

En-Gala, two days south of Kuka, country of a sultan; belonging to Yusuf, brother of the Sheikh.

I went to see the renegade Jew; he was busy in a quarrel with a servant of Lousou, to whom he had given eight slaves to take to GhÂt, to be sold on his account. Lousou had sold the slaves, and rendered no account to the renegade—a most unprincely proceeding, to say the least of it; if, indeed, it would not be more African to say princely proceeding: for there seems no vice, whether violent or mean, which is not exaggerated by the holders of power in these parts.

The souk is almost deserted to-day, on account of the Sarkee being absent. I passed the slave-stalls, and saw another poor old woman for sale, upwards of fourscore years of age. The slave-merchants offered her for four thousand wadÂs, about eight shillings. People purchase these poor old creatures that they may fetch wood and water, even until their strength fails them and they faint by the way.

I made other inquiries about the Hazna of Zinder. It seems the Sarkee himself is still half pagan, for at the beginning of every year he proceeds with his officers to a tree, the ancient god of paganism, and there distributes two goffas of wad (about 100,000), three bullocks and sheep, and ghaseb, to the poor. These things are really offered to the deities of his ancestors, though the poor of the country get the benefit of them. There are four or five trees of this description, at which such annual offerings are made; but there is only one Tree of Death where malefactors are executed, the one mentioned in a former page.[17] The Muslim converts of Soudan find the Ramadhan excessively burdensome, as well as many other rites of Islamism, and for this reason the greater part of the population of Soudan, who profess Mohammedanism, are still pagans in heart. It is vain to expect a nation to pass from loose to ascetic practices without some moral motive, such as that which sustained the Muslims at their first brilliant start in the world.

A Tuarick came this morning and said the devil was in his head, and that he wanted some medicine to drive him out. I gave him an emetic of tartarised antimony, which I hope served his purpose.

N.B. The news of the Sarkee having "eaten up" four countries of Korgum is confirmed to-day.

The preparation of kibabs is quite a science here. The kibab cook makes a conical hillock of dust and ashes, flattened on the top. The edge of this mound he plants with sticks, on which is skewered a number of little bits of meat: then a fire is kindled between this circular forest, and the sticks are twisted round from time to time, so that every part may be well roasted. To us these kibabs are cheap enough, five or six cowries a stick.

The wall of Zinder has no gates, only openings. I went to the garden of the Shereef. The vegetation does not look very flourishing in this season. The Shereef has planted some horse-beans; "the only beans of the kind," says the gardener, "in all the territories of Bornou."

31st.—The weather is increasingly cool; therm. at sunrise, 50°. The atmosphere of Zinder never clears up. I was awakened this morning, before daylight, by the cries of "Fire!" A fire of huts was raging close upon us. This is the third accident of this kind which has taken place during the sixteen days we have been here. The people take them, as a matter of course, with Californian indifference, and it is likely that there are two or three fires every ten days.

A merchant from Kanou (native of Tunis) called to see me. He says the English (Americans) now bring calicoes, powder, dollars, rum, wadÂs, guns, and many other things, to Niffee, which afterwards are sent up to Kanou. The slave-trade, therefore, must thrive here; and we get the credit of it, because the ruffians by whom it is carried on speak our language.

A great fighi called also to-day to explain any dreams which I might require the interpretation of, bringing with him his Tifsir El-Helam. I told him that last night I dreamt I saw "two persons fall to the ground upon (from?) the boughs of a tree." He searched his book and produced a passage, the pith of which was, that anything which I undertake will not be accomplished. Very agreeable information! I thought we had had bad news enough. The passage made to apply prophetically to me ran literally as follows:—

"And whosoever sees (in dreams) a tree fall, or any thing fall from it,—then will not accomplish itself the thing which is between the man who thus dreams."[18]

I hired to-day Mohammed Ben Amud Bou Saad, at a salary of ten reals of Fezzan a month.

I have heard another version of the plan and cause of the present razzia of the Sultan of Zinder. "Our own correspondents" cannot be more versatile in finding out rumours than the gossips of Zinder. It is now said that the Sultan of Korgum wrote to the Sarkee of Zinder, and asked him if he should make a razzia on or with Maradee.

The Sarkee said, "Go." But as soon as the news came that the sultan was gone, this prince, in whom that other put his trust, immediately set out to make a razzia on the country deserted by its sultan.

"Compos!" cried my Moorish informant; and certainly it was a clever negro trick. It is difficult to know whom to pity or condemn in this iniquitous affair. We may be certain, however, that the poor women and children, the principal sufferers by the razzias, are guiltless in these transactions; and we may, without fear, bestow our sympathies upon them. At the same time it is allowable to admire the profound secrecy with which the Sarkee planned his razzia. Not a soul in Zinder, besides himself, knew where he was going. The general opinion was to Daura, which affords scope for a thousand razzias.

The correspondence which I have mentioned between the vassals of Korgum and Zinder illustrates the abominable system on which the Sheikh of Bornou permits his provinces to be governed. Really it is difficult to compare the condition of this extraordinary region to anything but a forest, through which lions and tigers range to devour the weaker and more timid beasts—to which they grant intervals of repose during the digestion of their meals.