524 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



[Mav, 



Raised as were their expectations, they 

 were more than realized on a|)proaching 

 Kouka, to see " a body of several thousand 

 cavalry drawn up in line, extending right 

 and left as far as they could see." The 

 sheikh's staff had all coats of mail com- 

 posed of iron chain, covering them from the 

 throat to the knee, opening before and 

 behind, and helmets of the same metal. 

 This however proved all shew and prepa- 

 ration. The charm soon vanished ; no- 

 thing within the town corresponded with 

 this display and ap])earance of cultivation. 

 The town consisted of nothing but mud 

 and straw huts ; their accommodations 

 were mean and scanty ; their luxuries, with 

 the exception of a little finery in their 

 chiefs, absolutely nothing ; sheep and cat- 

 tle pretty abundant ; a little rice and mil- 

 let ; no bread, no fruits, no vegetables, 

 onions and beans excepted ; with fish in 

 the near neighbourhood of the Tchad, a 

 lake of fresh water of considerable extent, 

 perhaps 150 miles by 80. The sheikh has 

 a superior — we had almost forgotten him — 

 the sultan, who lives in barbaric magnifi- 

 cence, almost secluded from the sight of 

 his subjects, and entirely relieved from the 

 cares of government by the kind activity 

 of his minister, who ))lays over again the 

 part of the Pepins of France. This sheikh, 

 who seems to have been to some extent 

 capable of estimating European superiority, 

 took Major Dcnham under his especial pro- 

 tection, and during the eighteen months the 

 expedition remained in the country, allow- 

 ed him to m;ike several excursions, par- 

 ticularly to the lake, nearly the whole of 

 which at different times the major coasted. 

 Endless impediments were however thrown 

 in his way, under pretence of securing his 

 safety, but evidently suggested by distrust. 

 The sheikh was surrounded by enemies, 

 particularly east and south, and little or no 

 information could be obtained about them. 

 Arrivals from Timbuctoo occurred twice 

 or thrice ; but only with one lad from that 

 town, was he able to get any conversation. 

 The attention of the sheikli was perpe- 

 tually occupied in preparing for incursions 

 upon the neighbouring territories, and pro- 

 viding against reciprocal attacks. For 

 some reason or other the Mourzuk mer- 

 chant's wishes for a cargo of slaves was 

 not readily complied with ; but at last, he 

 prevailed upon the sheikli to furnish him 

 with the necessary force to make an at- 

 temi)t upon a town about 200 miles to the 

 south, and Major Denham had the good 

 fortune to be allowed *o join the foray, 

 being particularly anxious to see how they 

 would manage 3000 men in the field. He 

 had that satisfaction : they were encounter- 

 ed without the walls ; a battle was fought ; 

 a few wretched fire-arms on one side, and 

 bows and poisoned arrows on the other ; 

 the sheikh's commander — by the way, a 

 very gallant fellow — was defeated; the 

 merchant killed in the fray ; and the major 



liimself narrowly escaped, stripped, bruised, 

 and exhausted. 



In the meanwhile Capt. Clapperton and 

 Dr. Oudney gained permission ' of the 

 sheikh to go to Saekatoo, distant about 

 500 miles to the westward, and ajiproaeh- 

 ing within 300 perhaps of Timbuctoo, and 

 100 of the river which flows tlirough Tim- 

 buctoo, and the s])ot where Park is re- 

 ported to have perished. In this excur- 

 sion Dr. Oudney died. Clapperton M-as 

 well received by the chief of Sackatoo, 

 which may be termed, we sujjpose, the 

 metropolis of Houssa. This chief, of the 

 name of Bello, is a man of some cultiva- 

 tion, and even some acfpiaintance with 

 European affairs, through his connection 

 with the powers on the Barbary coast. 

 He furnished Capt. Clapperton with a rude 

 map of the country, and a geographical 

 description of it written by himself in Ara- 

 bic, a translation of which is given in the 

 aj)pendix. All attempts to get to Nyffee 

 and Youri and the coast of Benin, were 

 successfully resisted by the jealousies and 

 suggestions of the Arabs, who regarded 

 their own commercial interests as likely to 

 be interfered with by communications being 

 opened with the English by sea. 



In the absence of Capt. Clapperton on 

 this excursion, Mr. Toole, a young oflicer 

 attached to the expedition, joined M.ijor 

 Denham at Kouka. He had traversed the 

 same tract from Tripoli to Bornou, ac- 

 companied only by a guide, and arrived in 

 full lu'nlth and vigour : a few weeks, how- 

 ever, laid him in his grave. On Capt. Clap- 

 pcrton's arrival, he and Major Denham re- 

 turned to Trijioli, leaving behind them in 

 quality of consul at Kouka, Mr. Tyrfrhit, 

 who had recciitly reached that p]aee with 

 fre^h presents for tlie shiekh of Bornou ; 

 but who also, it ajipears, died a few Rionths 

 afterwards. Capt. Clapperton, in company 

 with a Cajit. Pearsc, has started afresh, and 

 their arrival in the Bight of Benin in No- 

 vember has just been announced ; with the 

 intelligence of unusual facilities having been 

 afforded them of jiroceeding to Nyffee. 



This Bornou is the centre of the slave 

 traffic between the merchants of Tripoli 

 and the country of Soudan, to the west of 

 Bornou. The Bornouese themselves seem 

 not to l)e actively engaged in it. The Sou- 

 dans bring the slaves to the Bornou markets, 

 where they are bought up for Tripoli. 

 What chance there exists for establishing 

 any commercial communication witli this 

 country, is more than we can see. The 

 Bornouese may like many Eiu-opean goods, 

 but they have little to exchange, — ivory, 

 skins, drugs. The route across the Desert 

 is tremendous, and will never do for Eu- 

 ropeans. The readiest course will be by j 

 the Bight of Benin, for Timbuctoo, Hous- 

 sa, and Bornou, the leading powers of | 

 central Africa. The exjjedition has done i 

 little or nothing towards settling the ques- j 

 tion of the Niger. 



