432 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LI. 
Hirla, they do not acknowledge its claims to entire 
equality of birth, but derive the name of that place, 
as well as the family of the kings of that district, 
from a slave of Dokkenge of the name of Kher- 
allah. But, on a close scrutiny, the people of Bagfrmi 
themselves confess that their origin is not to be sought 
for at a greater distance than Kenga, or Kenga Ma- 
taya*, and that this place, distant five days east from 
Mas-ena and three long days S.S.E. from Yaw6, and 
distinguished by the strange form of its paganism f, 
was the original seat of their kings ; for not only do the 
Bagirmaye regard those of Kenga with solemn venera- 
tion, as being their ancestors, whom it would be wrong 
to attack or to endeavour to subdue, but there are 
also certain emblems which they exhibit on particular 
occasions, brought, as they say, from Kenga. These 
consist of a rather long spear, borne on certain 
occasions before the king of Bagirmi, a small sort of 
tympanum, and the horn or bugle. The language 
Kenga is intimately connected with that of Bagirmi, 
while it contains also some elements of a different 
character ; and these two dialects, together with the 
language of the Kiika, constitute one idiom. 
* From all that I have said here, it appears very doubtful 
whether the Ibkarem, , mentioned by Ebn Said in the latter 
part of the thirteenth century, can be justly identified with this 
kingdom. Of course a tribe of this name may have existed 
many centuries before the foundation of the kingdom. The first 
undoubted mention of Bagirmi, or Bagharmi, occurs in Imam 
A'hmed's account of Edris Alawoma's expeditions to Kanem. 
f See collection of itineraries in the Appendix. 
