The Sun Shone
Brightly Upon The Numerous Hamlets; The Oxen, Cows, And Sheep, Presented
A Picture Of Comfort And Peace; And The Air Was Filled With The Song Of
Birds.
Thence he proceeded to Dunrora, and conceived that a few days
farther journey would enable him to attain his object, when four armed
men, mounted on foaming steeds, dashed into the town, and ordered him
immediately to return to the king of Zeg-Zeg.
He was obliged to journey
back by his former route. After being exposed to various dangers from the
enmity of the Portuguese slave-traders on the coast, he embarked on the
13th February, and reached England on the 30th April 1828.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
_Laing and Caillie_.
At the same time that Clapperton undertook his second journey, Major
Laing, who had on a former excursion penetrated a little way into the
interior, attempted to reach Tombuctoo, from Tripoli, across the desert,
by Ghadamis. In the midst of the desert, the party with whom he travelled
was attacked during the night by a formidable band of Tuaricks; and
Laing, having received twenty-four wounds, was left for dead. He
afterwards recovered by the care of his companions, though several
splinters of bone were extracted from his head. Undismayed by this
unpropitious accident, he after a short delay resumed his journey, and
reached Tombuctoo on the 18th August, 1826. There he resided for a month,
during which several letters from him reached England. He described the
city as every way equal, except in size, to his expectation. It was not
above four miles in circumference. During his short residence, he had
collected much valuable information concerning the geography of Central
Africa. He was obliged to depart in consequence of instructions reaching
the governor of the city that the Christian must instantly remove. He
accordingly engaged a merchant, called Barbooshi, to guide him to the
coast. Before he had advanced three days journey from Tombuctoo, the
treacherous Moor murdered him at night, and seized his baggage and
journal. His papers were reported to have been carried to Tripoli; but
they have never since been recovered.
[Illustration: Burial of Clapperian.]
[Illustration: Body Guard, of the Sheik, of Bornoiu.]
The next traveller was a Frenchman, M. Caillie, who, after having
previously resided some years at Senegal, returned to Africa in 1824.
Disguised as a Mahomedan, he departed for the interior on the 19th of
April, 1827, and arrived at Tangier in safety in the following August.
His countrymen rewarded him with a pension and the cross of the legion of
honour, and claimed for him a high place among distinguished travellers.
Doubts have been thrown upon the authenticity of his narrative, some
having gone so far as to say that the greater part of it is a
fabrication. Many errors have been detected in it, particularly with
regard to the observation of the heavenly bodies; but this may have
arisen from ignorance. It is now generally agreed that his account is
entitled to consideration; especially as in the present state of our
knowledge concerning Africa there is not sufficient ground to disprove
it. At all events, his want of education and defective observation
prevent him from laying any claims to accuracy.
M. Caillie travelled along with a caravan of Mandingoes through a steep
and rocky district, diversified however, at intervals, with picturesque
views, and in many places in a state of comparative cultivation. At the
village of Couroussa he first saw the Niger, which was already about ten
feet deep. He remained a month at Kankan, which contains about 6000
inhabitants, and has a well-supplied market. To the north of it lies the
district of Boure, which abounds in gold. He then came to Time, the
country around which is fertile, producing many different species of
fruits and vegetables. M. Caillie was here detained by illness for five
months. After which he accompanied a caravan for Jenne; and on the 10th
March crossed the Niger, which appeared to be about 500 feet broad at
that point. On the 23rd March he embarked on the Joliba, in a
slight-built vessel, fastened together by cords, and of about 60 tons
burden. On the 2nd April they came to the place where the river widens
into the great lake Dibbe. They then passed through a country thinly
peopled by Foulah herdsmen, and bands of roving Tuaricks. In a few days
he came to Cabra, the port of Tombuctoo, which consists of a long row of
clay huts, thatched with straw. It contains about 1200 inhabitants, who
are solely employed in conveying merchandize from the vessels to
Tombuctoo.
On the 20th April M. Caillie entered Tombuctoo. His feelings at the sight
of this celebrated city were those of disappointment. Perhaps in his
wanderings he had fed his imagination with dreams of a flourishing and
splendid capital reared amid the waste. He thus describes it: - "The
spectacle before me did not answer my expectation. At first sight it
presents but a heap of houses, neither so large nor so well peopled as I
expected. Its commerce is less considerable than is stated by public
report, a great concourse of strangers coming from every part of Soudan.
I met in the streets only the camels coming from Kabra. The city is
inhabited by negroes of the Kissour nation. They form the principal
population. The city is without any walls, open on all sides, and may
contain 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants, including the Moors." The houses
are built of brick; and there are seven mosques, the principal one of
great size, having a tower fifty feet high. The city depends exclusively
on trade, which is entirely in the hands of the Moors. The chief article
of commerce is salt, which is dug out of the mines of Sahara; but other
articles, both of European and native manufacture, are likewise sold. The
goods are embarked for Jenne, and bartered for gold, slaves, and
provisions. The city is surrounded with plains of moving sand.
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