Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1 | Page 6

to Functionaries--Phrenology--Queen's Birthday--Walks in the Orchards and Gardens--Corn-threshing--Kingdom of Aheer--Ass's Head--A Wedding--A Funeral--Great Dinner--Tibboos--Prepare to depart--The Pilgrim Caravan; its Privileges--Tuat and the French--Departure of Germans--Wife of Es-Sfaxee--An Arab Saying--Letters--Disease--Arrival of Escort--Eastern Consulates--Business--Hateetah--The Son of Shafou--Poor Sheikhs--Hard Bargain.
CHAPTER VIII.
Wars in the Interior--Anticipated Disputes--Mr. Boro of Aghadez--Our Treatment at Mourzuk--Mustapha Bey--Start for Ghat--Row with the Escort--Fine Weather--Leave Tesaoua--Sharaba--Travelling in the Heat--Hateetah and the Germans--The Camels--Snakes--Journey continued--Nature of the Country--Complete Desert--Rain--Overtake the Caravan--Interview with Boro--Pool of Ailouah--The Tanelkums--Halt--Birds--Bir Engleez--Wind in the Desert--Begging Escort--Brilliant Heavens--News from Ghat--The Pilgrims again--Bas-relief of Talazaghe--Moved over the Desert--Mountains--Extraordinary Pass--Central Table-land of Fezzan.
CHAPTER IX.
Plain of Taeeta--Fezzan Boundary--Fossils--Tuarick Behaviour--Valley of Tabea--Observations--Fasting--Tuarick Habits--Scorpions and Locusts--Visitors--Heat--Roads--Hot Wind--Pass of Abulaghlagh--The Palace of Demons--Wheat hid in the Desert--Land of Demons--Kasar Janoon--A dear Camel--Visit to the Kasar--Perilous Adventure of Dr. Barth.
CHAPTER X.
Approach Ghat--Description of the Town--The Oasis--Reminiscences of a former Visit--Azgher Tuaricks--The Governor--Political Authority--The Sheikhs--Protection of Strangers--The Litham--Business--Reception--Meetings of Sheikhs--Disputes--Tax on liberated Slaves--Extortion practised on us--Discussion on the Treaty--Scramble for Presents--Haj Ahmed disinterested--Hateetah plays double--More Presents and further Annoyances--Mahommed Kafa--Escort of Kailouees--A Visit from Ouweek and the Bandit of Ghadamez--Observations on the Treaty--Collection of Dialogues--The Great Exhibition.
CHAPTER XI.
Start from Ghat--Reflections--Beautiful Valley of Berket--Last Date-palms--The Kailouees--Dr. Barth lost again--Meet our Guides--The Akourou Water--Ghadeer--Soudan Influence on the Tuaricks--Wataitee leaves us--Oasis of Janet--Kailouee Character--A sick Slave--Rocky Desert--Gloomy Scene--Servants--Egheree Water--Ajunjer--A threatened Foray from Janet--Sidi Jafel Waled Sakertaf--We have no Money--Region of Granite--Dr. Barth's Comparisons--A Slave Caravan--Granite Rocks--Beating Women--The Bird of the Desert--Desolate Region--Our Relations with the Kailouees.
CHAPTER XII.
Reach Falezlez--Dates left in the Desert--Road-marks--Disputes with the Kailouees--News from Tidek--Scarcity of Food in Aheer--Similitudes and Signs of the Tuaricks--Fine Climate--Arrival of Wataitee--His Boasting--Saharan travelling--My Umbrella--Grasping Son of Shafou--Geology of the Desert--The "Person who gives"--Another Caravan--Tuarick Sportsmen--Wady Aroukeen--Fine Scene--New Trees--Kailouee Camels--Fine Nights--Well--New Moon--Passing a Caravan in the Desert--Origin of the Kailouee Tuaricks--Arrive at Tajetterat--No Robbers--An Alarm--Well of Esalan--Senna--Birds--Graves of Slave Children--Our Grievances against the Tuaricks.
CHAPTER XIII.
News of Sidi Jafel--Disputes with Wataitee--His violent Conduct and strange Language--The Desert--Scarcity of Money--Proceed through a rocky Country--Soudan Weather--Approach the Frontiers of Aheer--Storm--Hard Day's Travelling--The Seven Wells of Aisou--"The Haghar are coming"--Suspicious Characters--Alarm--The Three Strangers--Our Hospitality--Heat of the Weather--Hard Travelling--Account of the Kailouee Guides--Women of the Caravan--Their Treatment--Youthful Concubines--Another long Day--A Rock-Altar--Demonstrations of the Haghar--Wells of Jeenanee--Marks of Rain--Sprightly Blacks--New Climate--Change in the Vegetation and the Atmosphere.
CHAPTER XIV.
Enter the inhabited Districts of Aheer--Hostile Tuaricks--An impudent Demand--The Merchant Waldee--Prepare for Defence--Threatening Appearances--Making Friends with Presents--March--Leave Waldee--Doubtful Visitors--The Camels stolen--The Troop of Assailants draws nigh--Parley--Their Proposition--We are compelled to a Compromise--Character of our Enemies--Sinister Rumours again--Proceed toward Tidek--Wady of Kaltadak--Picturesque Scenery--A Friend from Seloufeeat--Fresh Mob collects to attack us--Conferences--We are to be let go scot-free if we become Muslims--We repose--Another Compromise for Money--Incidents during the Night--Quarrel over the Booty--Enter the Valley of Seloufeeat--Its Soudan Appearance--Nephew of Sultan En-Noor--Haj Bashaw of Seloufeeat--We are still uneasy.
CHAPTER XV.
Leave Seloufeeat--"City of Marabouts"--Fair Promises--People of Aheer--Aspect of the Country--Extraordinary Reports--A Flying Saint--Prophecies--A Present--Expense of our forced Passage--Hopes--Fears--The Marabouts--Geology--The coming down of the Wady--Inundation--Restoration of our Camels--Maharees from En-Noor--El-Fadeea--Arab Tuaricks--Maghata--Picturesque Wady--Rainy Season--Another Flood--Dangerous Position--Kailouees and Blacks--The Escort arrives--The Marabout Population--Reported Brigands--The Walad Suleiman--Pleasant Valley--Escort leave us--Difficulty of satisfying them--Robbery--Proceed to Tintalous--Encampment--The Sultan--A Speech--We wait in vain for Supper--Want of Food.
CHAPTER XVI.
Promises of the Sultan--Yellow-painted Women--Presents--Anecdotes--Prepare to visit En-Noor--Our Reception--Dialogue--Seeming Liberality of the Sultan--Greediness of his People--No Provisions to be got--Fat Women--Nephew of the Sultan--Tanelkum Beggars--Weather--A Divorced Lady--Aheer Money--Our Camels again stolen--Account of the Tanelkums--Huckster Women--Aheer Landscape--Various Causes of Annoyance--No News of the Camels--Anecdote of my Servants--Storms--Revolution in the Desert--Name of the Country--Dr. Overweg--Money and Tin--Saharan Signs--Habits of the Rain--Burial of a Woman--Demands of Es-Sfaxee--Salt-cakes of Bilma--People of Tintalous--Wild Animals--List of Towns and Villages--Population of Aheer and Ghat.
CHAPTER XVII.
Zinder Caravan--Negress playing "Boree"--Curious Scene--Objects of Barter--Fresh Annoyances--Remarks on our Reception in Aheer--En-Noor--Asoudee--Better News--Fresh Extortions--En-Noor disappoints us--Europeans taken for Spies--Things in demand at Aheer--Exercise--Overweg's Patients--Wild Animals in Aheer--Kailouees in dry Weather--Robbing a Prince--Ghaseb and Ghafouley--Aheer Cheese--Mokhlah Bou Yeldee--Our Wealth noised abroad--Alarm at Night--A fresh Attack--Sa?d's Gallantry--Disorderly Protectors--Thirteen Robbers--Amankee--Loss of my Tea--Country of Thieves.
CHAPTER XVIII.
We shift our Encampment--En-Noor's Circular--The Kadi's Decision--No Progress in the Sahara--Aghadez Gumruk--Scorpions--Election of Sultans in Aheer--Present of Salutation--Paying for finding lost Property--Courier from the new Sultan--No Presents sent us--Notes on Denham--A Bornouese Measure--Intended Razzia--Firing off Gunpowder--Hypotheses of Danger--Dress and Women--Enroute to Bilma--Soudan Caravan--Visit from Tintaghoda--Aheer Honey--Modes of Measurement--Power of En-Noor--Visits to him from great People--Stations on the Bilma Road--Salt-Trade--Account of our Pursuers at Tajetterat--Costume of the Kailouees--Their Weapons--Poisoned Arrows--Charms--Female Dress--Names of Articles of Costume--Character of Kailouees.
CHAPTER XIX.
Rainstorm--Overtures from En-Noor--Another Interview--Aheer Fashions--A great Lady--Hoisting the British Flag--A devoted Slave--Sultan of Asoudee--Attack on a Caravan--Purposed Razzia--Desert News--Buying Wives--A peculiar Salutation--Oasis of Janet--New Razzias--Costume of the Sultan--The Milky Way--Noise at a Wedding--Unquiet Nights--Sickness in the Encampment--A captive Scorpion--Nuptial Festivities--An insolent Haghar--Prejudice about Christians--Movements in Aheer--Bullocks.
[Illustration: OUTLINE OF PART OF AFRICA showing progress of the Mission]

NARRATIVE OF A MISSION TO CENTRAL AFRICA.
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