Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 2 | Page 4

looked over,
for the first time, some "letters of credit" which Mr. Gagliuffi, our
plausible consul at Mourzuk, had given me. I found that the amount
offered for the use of the expedition in Kanou does not exceed a
hundred and fifty reals of Fezzan, or about twenty pounds sterling, and
that the agent is expressly requested not to advance any more! This
extraordinary document induced me to look further, and it soon
appeared that the documents on which I relied so much were mere
delusions. The wording of the Arabic letter to Bornou was ambiguous;
but in as far as I and my interpreter could make it out, Haj Bashaw, to
whom it is addressed, was requested, if he had any money of Mr.
Gagliuffi's in hand, to give me a little! I really did not expect that a
person in whom I had placed so much confidence would play me this
trick. But it seems that Levantines are and will be Levantines to the end
of time. I have written to Government, complaining of this unworthy
conduct.
3d.--Dr. Barth is about to take advantage of the delay necessarily
incurred at Tintalous to visit Aghadez, the real capital of Aheer, to
which the new Sultan has lately been led, and where his investiture will
shortly be celebrated. This journey will extend our knowledge of this

singular Saharan country, and may also be of advantage in procuring
the signature of the Sultan to a treaty of commerce.
4th.--Dr. Barth started this morning in company with Hamma, Waled
Ocht En-Noor (son of the sister of En-Noor). The departure took place
in presence of the Sultan himself, who had come to take tea with me.
The caravan was at first composed of bullocks, the camels being a little
in advance on the road. Our friend the Doctor started astride on one of
these animals, which are a little difficult to manage, especially when
they have been out at grass for some time. Indeed, in the first place, it is
no easy matter to catch them from amongst the herds; then it is hard to
load them; and then, though not often, they refuse to proceed. On this
occasion a powerful brute proved absolutely unmanageable. En-Noor,
seeing its obstinacy, exclaimed that he gave it to me to kill and eat. He
afterwards, however, modified his gift, and said that the bullock was
also to be distributed amongst the Arabs of the caravans now in
Tintalous; and that we were to give a turban as a present to the
herdsman. I was told that, in the meantime, representation had been
made to him, to the effect that it was unfair to distinguish the Christians
in this manner. Soon after the animal was given it ran away, and no one
could catch it.
Well, the bullock caravan went off in good style; and Sultan En-Noor
remained taking his tea and eating English pickles and marmalade with
me. He drank the tea and ate the other delicacies with evident pleasure,
not being afraid, like the greater part of his subjects, to eat the food of
Christians. Possession of power seems to have one good effect--the
destruction of prejudice; pity that it sometimes goes further and
destroys belief. En-Noor told us that the Sultan of Asoudee had gone
out on a razzia to the west. We are obliged to hope that it will be
successful, as otherwise our affairs will most materially suffer. We
talked also of the state of Zinder, which is represented to be a walled
town, with seven gates built amidst and around some huge rocks. The
governor, Ibrahim, keeps fifty drummers at work every night, but
whether with a purpose superstitious or political I do not know.
En-Noor admired much the portraits of the personages who figure in

the accounts of the former expedition to this part of the world,
particularly that of Clapperton. He had also a wonderful story to tell of
this traveller's magic. He said that Abdallah (Clapperton's travelling
name) had learned from his books the site of his (En-Noor's) father's
house, that near it was a gold mine, and that he had intended to come
and give intelligence of this treasure. "See!" exclaimed the Sultan,
"what wonderful things are written in the books of the Christians!"
My young fighi (or writer of charms) tells me, as a secret, that he
cannot write a talisman for himself, but must ask another of the
brotherhood to do this for him. Neither in this place can physicians heal
themselves. This civil youth made me a present of a piece of his
workmanship to-day, observing, "There is great profit in its power; it
will preserve you from the cut of the sword and the firing of the gun." I
pray not to have occasion to