Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1 | Page 5

Mission and the
papers concerning the treaty to be made, as well as a letter from Lousou,
one of the Tuaricks, and another from Ibrahim, the Governor of Zinder,
to the Queen, which I shall enclose in my report to Government. I send
you, besides, an authentic list of all the objects found in Mr.

Richardson's possession, as it has been made up on the things being
deposited with Haj Beshir.
"I beg you to assure Mrs. Richardson of my most sincere sympathy,
and that I hope she will find a good deal of consolation in the rich
journal of the deceased."
I have given the above narrative in the words of Dr. Barth; but must
direct the reader's attention to vol. ii. p. 261, where he will find that the
whole account of the prophetic dream is distorted by the very
unauthentic medium of Oriental report. There is no reason to suppose
that Mr. Richardson was unusually affected by this circumstance,
although any dismal suggestion is likely to disturb a person of
sensibility placed in a dangerous position. The remaining facts, as they
seem confirmed by concurrent testimony, may be taken as a sufficiently
accurate account of the death of this lamented traveller.
From the statements which have from time to time appeared in the
press, the public are already aware, that the presents and the treaty
intended for the Sheikh of Bornou were duly presented and accepted,
and that the boat which caused Mr. Richardson so much anxiety on the
road was ultimately launched, as he desired, on lake Tchad, and
employed in the survey of that celebrated piece of water. It is
unnecessary here to notice the results of this survey, or of the
explorations subsequently undertaken by Messrs. Barth and Overweg.
These gentlemen, it is to be hoped, will be more fortunate than their
colleague, and return to give in person an account of their exertions and
discoveries.
I shall conclude by expressing my hope that Mr. Richardson's
reputation will not suffer from the way in which I have superintended
the publication of his remains, and my regret that I am not able to do
justice to the great services which he has rendered to philology by his
copious collections of vocabularies of the languages, both of the Sahara
and of the various kingdoms of Central Africa.
BAYLE ST. JOHN,

London, January 1853.
P.S. It may be as well to mention that the extensive collections of
vocabularies made by Mr. Richardson are now preserved at the Foreign
Office, together with specimens of translations from the Scriptures. All
these collections are extremely valuable, but especially those of the
Bornou language, which were much wanted.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Origin of the Missions--Its Objects and Plan--Preparations--Arrival at
Tripoli--Prussian Colleagues--Necessary Delay--The Boat for Lake
Tchad--Wind-bound--Anxieties at Tripoli--Correspondence with
Mourzuk and Ghât--Circular Letter of Izhet Pasha--Composition of the
Caravan--An aristocratic Interpreter--A Mohammedan Toper--The
Chaouches--Free Blacks returning to their
Countries--Marabout--Camel-drivers--Rate of Desert travelling--Trade
of Tripoli with the Interior--Slavery--Caravans from Central
Africa--Details on Commerce--Promotion of legitimate Traffic--Spread
of Civilisation.
CHAPTER II.
Start from the Masheeah--Painful Parting--Chaouch's Tent--A Family
Quarrel--Wady Majeeneen--A Rainy Day--Moknee's Wives--Two mad
Fellows--Great Ascent of Gharian--Tedious Day's Work--The
Castle--View over the Country--Garrison--Troglodytes--Turkish
Tax-gathering--Quarrelsome Servants--Proceed over the lofty
Plain--Underground Villages--Kaleebah--The Batoum--Geology--A
Slave Caravan--Cheerful Blacks--Rows--Oasis of Mizdah--Double
Village--Intestine Discords--Interview with the Sheikh Omer--A Pocket
Province--A Dream of Good Omen--Quarrels on Quarrels--Character
of Fezzanees--A Leopard abroad.

CHAPTER III.
Leave Mizdah--Gloomy Country--Matrimonial Squabbles in the
Caravan--"Playing at Powder"--Desert Geology--A Roman
Mausoleum--Sport--A Bully tamed--Fatiguing March--Wady
Taghijah--Our old Friend the Ethel-Tree--The Waled Bou
Seif--Independent Arabs--A splendid Mausoleum--One of the Nagahs
foals--Division of a Goat--March over a monotonous Country--Valley
of Amjam--Two new Trees--Saluting the New Moon--Sight the Plateau
of the Hamadah--Wady Tubooneeah--Travelling Flies--The Desert
Hour--A secluded Oasis--Buying Barley--Ghareeah--Roman
Remains--Oasian Cultivation--Taxation--Sand-Pillar--Arrangements
for crossing the Hamadah--An Emeute in the Caravan--Are compelled
to discharge the quarrelsome Ali.
CHAPTER IV.
Commence crossing the Hamadah--Last Pillar of the
Romans--Travelling in the Desert--Rapid March--Merry
Blacks--Dawn--Temperature--Ali
returns--Day-travelling--Night-feelings--Animals--Graves of
Children--Mirage--Extent of the Plateau--It breaks up--Valley of
El-Hasee--Farewell to the Hamadah--Arduous Journey--The
Camel-drivers--New Country--Moral and religious Disquisitions--The
Chaouches--Reach Edree--Abd-el-Galeel--Description of
Edree--Subterranean Dwellings--Playing at Powder--The Kaïd--Arabic
Literature--Desertion of the Zintanah--Leave Edree--Sandy
Desert--Bou Keta the Camel-driver--Wady El-Makmak--The
Lizard--Reach Wady Takadafah--Sand--Another Embroglio.
CHAPTER V.
More sandy Desert--Fatiguing March--Water and
Herbage--Water-drinking--Sight the Plateau over the Mourzuk--Hot
Wind--Arrival in El-Wady--Tuaricks--Laghareefah--Fezzanees--The
Chaouches astray--The Sheikh Abd-el-Hady--Description of the
Oasis--Tempest--Native Huts--Official Visits--Desert

News--Camel-drivers--Ruins of Azerna--Move on--The Kaïd--Modest
Requests--Ladies of the Wady--Leave the Oasis--Vast Plain--Instinct of
the Camel--Reach Agar--Reception--Precede the Caravan--Reach
Mourzuk--Mr. Gagliuffi--Honours paid to the Mission--Acting
Pasha--Climate--Route from Tripoli--Its Division into Zones--Rain in
the Desert.
CHAPTER VI.
The Oasis of Fezzan--Population--Ten Districts--Their Denomination
and Condition--Sockna--Honn--Worm of the Natron
Lakes--Zoueelah--Mixed Race--Improvements in Mourzuk--Heavy
Ottoman Yoke--Results of the Census--Amount of Revenue--Military
Force--Arab Cavaliers--Barracks--Method of Recruiting--Turkish
System superior to French--Razzias--Population of Mourzuk--Annual
Market--Articles of Traffic--Acting-Governor and his
Coadjutors--Story of a faithless Woman--Transit Duties in
Fezzan--Slave Trade--Sulphur in the Syrtis--Proposed Colony from