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' J - ~ ~ ±L±L^Lr ¦" xv - 839
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ITitemllir J ¦ 3LIUUIWIX. ?-
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ifics axe not the legislators, but the j...
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TKA.VELS 1ST CENTRAL AFRICA.. -aveh and ...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
' J - ~ ~ ±L±L^Lr ¦" Xv - 839
J - ~ ~ ± L ± L ^ Lr ¦ " - 839
Ititemllir J ¦ 3liuuiwix. ?-
cmruto ;
Ifics Axe Not The Legislators, But The J...
ifics axe not the legislators , but the judges and police of literature . They do not make laws—they interpret and try to enforce them . —Edinhurgh Review . ?——
Tka.Vels 1st Central Africa.. -Aveh And ...
TKA . VELS 1 ST CENTRAL AFRICA .. -aveh and Discoveries in North and Central Africa Being a Journal of an Expedition , undertaken under the Auspices of H . B . M . ' s Government , in the years 1849-1855 . By Hcniy Barth , Ph . D ., D . C . L . Vols . IV . and V . Longman and Co . IB general character of Dr . Barth ' s researches and scoveries is now Well known . For many years , even fore he published a single line of this important > rk , every one interested in the progress of gcoapbical knowledge , had folio-wed his movements til intense anxiety . His name has become
intiitely connected with Central Africa ; and it is urcely possible to think of one without thinking the other . We ourselves remember it as having eseated itself to us very long ago under peculiar cumstances . A . man , wrapped in an Arab burus , rode up to an Egyptian hotel almost fainting , pported and surrounded by a mob of chattering abs . He had just performed a great feat , which seemed to regard as a simple promenade . Starting m . Tripoli with but one attendant , lie had ridden ing the whole coast , round the great Syrtis , by rene and Marmariea . ¦ a . nrl t . 1 \ rmin-li + Ka rlACRi-f < - > f
i Waled AIL When about a week ' s journey from mpt , he had been attacked by some marauders , d , wounded in the thigh , had escaped-with much ftculty , been received by hospitable or prudent idouins , and had at length arrived at a place of fety . He kept very much apart from the resints of Alexandria , and we are afraid they rather sisted his love of solitude . His wound healed , id a few months after he was heard of as exploring e coasts of the Hed Sea , and contributing articles ereon to a small scientific sheet published at ¦
aiio . ¦ . . ¦ - ¦; .. ¦ ¦ ' \ : . ¦ ¦'¦¦ . •¦'¦ Since then we have heard of this vigorous Prusau gentleman as undertaking various explorations 1 lus own account ; and his reputation appears to ivei spread in tlie proper quarter . For when the ritish Government determined on sending an exidition into Central Africa , by way of the Desert ; Sahara , Dr . Barth had biit to propose his cojeration to be accepted . His appearance on the
uropean scene at that particular time may be igarded as peculiarly fortunate . Many gentlemen , om first to last , became attached to the mission , id all have perished , save one—succumbing to the uigers of every kind with which that \ ast myssrious region on the confines of Muhomcdanism id Paganism is rife . Nor has it been from want ' enterprise or from any particular care of his JTson . that Dr . Barth lias survived . On the
conary . Messrs . Itichardson , "Vogcl , and Obcrseeg ere all courageous , energetic men , ready at any me to run the risk of their lives for the attaiuent of the objects of their mission . But in these aalities they did not surpass Dr . Barth , who indeed , \ a daring and sngacious explorer , must not be Luced second to any man . The boldness and dc-3 tion he has displayed would go to make n cohort I ordinary heroes . The veteran who has passed irouglv a hundred lights has no right to refuse rcccdcnce to tliis traveller , who starts with culm . elaboration on a seven years' jourucy , during which
. is life must be in danger every day and hour , who iever looks back , but , without noise and without ilamour , steadily carries on his work to the end . " \ Vc hiak it right to make these observations on noticing lie concluding ' volumes of Dr . Barth ' s work . As critics , Iiowcvcr , we nmy now object to the ixlreme bulk of this narrative . If it has been the about * of years to compose , it would be almost the abour of months to read , were not its contents so generally interesting . In the present portion there iro comparatively few salient points . The author
ioes not possess the art of word-painting . Howaver , all he lms to relate is so IVessli mid so evident ly authentic that , oven lifter turning over those pouierous volumes for hours , until wo found our niton-Lion beginning to Hag , we have oil en been suddenly arrested , forced to bury ourselves in the subject , anil carried uway , nolens volnu ^ to the centre of Al ' ricu , lunidat thickets of < lum , on shores of lmtivc lakes , on the brink of unknown crocks mid buck-waters , 01 * floating on the calm surface of that broad river which , although deprived of really interustiug ancient associations , has the power by its name of
fascinating the more indifferent reader , and awakening the most drowsy audience . There are many circumstances which connect emotion in an English breast with the Niger . Ajery peculiar effect is produced by the perusal ot r Dl % - . Earth ' s narrative . He has himself become so tamihar with those remote regions , that nothingsurprises him or strikes his imagination . He always moves along- as if he were pacing the Uessaner-strasse . At first , therefore , lie communicates the same feeling of nonchalance to his readers . v \ e pass from chapter to chapter and get quite at home , as he is , at Zinder and Sokot . o , at Libtako and Gurma . The empire of Sondiar comes to
appear quite as real as the empire of Austria , and Timbuktu ceases to sound mysteriously . We mio-lit be travelling in Yorkshire with Mr . filter White . However , now and then , not by any literary art on the part of the writer , but simply on account of the uncommon nature of the scenes described , we are aroused and startled , and reminded that we are dealing with regions in physical aspect and the character of their inhabitants as widely different as it is possible to be on the surface of the same globe frequented hj beings of the same species . Dr . Barth has lived so long in Africa , and studied its traditions with so much enthusiasm and care , that he has begun to invest them with perhaps exaggerrated importance . To most of us the
antiquities and annals of these barbarous nations , who have been conquering and massacring one another south of the Sahara from time immemorial , seem no more interesting than those of Milton's ¦ " Kites and Crows . " However , this is not a state of mind we would absolutely defend . It is better to be top serious in studying tlie chronicles of any family of human being ' s than too flippant . Dr . Barth speaks of the comparatively modern agglomerations of buildings , where black chieftains and their black subjects used to shelter after their foray s and slave hunts , hi the following solemn tone : — " We reached , after a march of about three miles , the site of the ancient capital of the Bornu empire , Ghasr Heggomo , " ! & c .: —•
Winding round the swamp ( for the nature of a swam ] j or kulugn -was more apparent , at present , than that of a branch ' of the river ) , we reached , after a march of about tliree miles , the site of the ancient capital of the Bdrnu empire , Ghasr-eggonio , which ,-. is I have stated on a former occasion , was built by the king ' All Ghajidcni , towards the end of the fifteenth century , after the dynasty-, had been driven from its ancient seats in Kinem , and , after a desperate struggle between unsettled elements , began to concentrate itself under the powerful rule of this mighty king . The site was visited by the members of the former expedition , and it has been called by them bv the half-Arabic name of
Birni-Kadun , the * ' old capital , "—even the Bdrnu people in general designating the place only by tlie name birni , or burni . The town had nearly a ' regular oval shape , bvt , notwithstanding ; the great exaggerations of former Arab informants , who have asserted , that this town surpassed Cairo ( or Masr el Kaliira ) in size , and was a day's march across , was little more thnn six English miles in circumference , beiny encompassed by a strong wall , with six or seven gates ; which , in . its present
dilapidated state , forms a small ridge , and seems clearly to indicate that , when the town was conquered-by the Fulbo or Fellata , tho attack was made from two different side .- ? , viz- the south-west and north-west , where the lower part of the vail had been dug away . The interior of tlie town exhibits very little thnt is remarkable . The principal buildings consist of baked bricks ; and in tlie present capital not the smallest approach is made to this more solid moilo of architecture . The
dimensions of the palace appear to have been very largo , although nothing but tho ground plan of largo empty areas can be made out at present , wliile the very small dimensions of the mosque , which had live aisles , seem to afford sufficient proof that none but the people intimately connected with the court used to attend the service , just as is the case at tho present time ; and it serves , moi cover , clearly to ostnbHsh the fact that even in former times , when the empire wns most ¦ flourishing , there vrn & no such thing us a mcYlrcstJ , or college , attached to tho mosque . The fact is , thnt although Bornu at all tiroes has had some learned men , study
' ii ) h always been a private affair , amongst , a few individuals , eiicourn ^ i . 'il by some distinguished men who had visited Egypt and . Arabia . Taking into consideration tho grout extent of tho empire during the period til" its grandeur , and tho fertility iind wenlth of sonic of its provinces , which ciui . sod gold dust at that time to be brought to market licro in considerable quantity , it cannot be donlitcd that this capital contained a groat denl of barbaric magnificence , and oven a certain degree , of civilisation , much more ho than is at present to bo found in this country ; and it is certainly a speculation not devoid of interest to imagine , iu this town of Negrolaud , a splendid court , with a considerable numbur of
learned and intelligent men gathering round their sovereign , and a priest writing down the history of the glorious achievements of his master , and thus securing them from oblivion . Pity that that he . was not avare that his work might fall into the hands of people from quite another part of the world , and of so different a stage of civilisation , language , and learning ! else he would certainly not have failed to have given to posterity a more distinct clue to the chronology of the history of lm native country . ' OJ ¦ . j
It is remarkable that the area of the town , although thickly overgrown with rank grass , is quite bare of trees , while the wall is closely hemmed in by a dense forest ; and when I entered the ruins , 1 found them to be the haunt of a couple of tall ostriches , the only present possessors of this once animated ground : but on the south-west corner , at some distance from the wall , there was a small hamlet .
AH these African explorers are alike . This reminds us of Mr . Kichardson's description of the good cit y of Tintellust , which seems to have been a collection of as shabby huts as one could wish to see . Then we have " general observations on the history of Songhay and Timbuktu , " based on manuscript history " ranging from the very dawn . ' -of historical records down to the year 1640 of our era , " which the indefatigable doctor " had an opportunity of perusing . " Tlie results are very important for
tJie elucidation of tlie geography of Central Africa , and . it is-only ,-no doubt , because of the surprise created by tlie application of familiar phrases such as we have quoted to almost unknown kingdoms in ; winch we are not accustomed to feel interest that T > r . Barth ' s earnestness creates a smile . Let us contrast with the above-quoted passage a wayside observation , which , though so simply stated , brings the lawless and dangerous character of the country traversed by Dr . IBartli very vividly before the reader's mind : —
It -was ten o ' clock -when our cavalcade at length pat itself in motion , ascending the sandhills which rise close behind the village of Kabara , and whicli , to my great regret , had prevented my obtaining a view of the town from the top of our terrace . The contrast of this desolate scenery with the character of the fertile banks-of .. the river which I had just left behind was remarkable . The whole tract bore decidedly the character of a desert , although the path-was thickly lined on both sides with thorny bushes and stunted trees , which were being
cleared away in some places in order to render tlie path . less obstructed and more safe , as the Taw lirek never faiL to infest it , and at present were . par ticularly dreaded on account of their having lulled a few days-previously three petty Tawati traders on their way to Arawdn . It is from the unsafe character-of tin ' s short road between tbe harbour and the town , that tlie spot , about halfway between Kabara and Timbuktu , bears the remarkable name of " Ur-immandcs , " " he does not hear , " meaning the place -where the cry of the unfortunate victim is not heard from either side .
We cannot undertake-within our brief space to offer any analysis of this concluding portion of Dr . Barth ' s work . A . U we can say is tliat the geographical student will find its results to be . most valuable . It will effect a complete revolution in the map of ihc countries called l > y the Arabs - Soudan . Indeed , we can scarcely be said ever to Lave had any accurate knowledge of those countries before . Dr . Bartli has trodden hundreds of new tracts and sailed on readies of rivers ivliicli have never before met the European gaze . lie mnkes almost as familiar with the Niger as with tlie Nile . If his narrative be defective in any respect it is in those lively paintings of human groups in which Mr . Kichiirdson excelled , lie is observing , however , and we have marked one or two passages to quote as a sample of hundreds of others . Here arc sonic desert characters : — Sndaklu himself was very unwell , and greatly wanted my medical asaistttnee ; but after I hud made him feel the efficacy of my medicines so strongly thnt he declared every evil to be removed from his body , he did not rcwnrd my zenl -witb so much ns a drop of milk . I therefore could not help observing , to the ^ r « at delight of his subjects , that he was tlie most niggardly chief I had over met with . Tlicrc were , however , others -who ¦ were more rociiu nnil communicative , iC not . more liberal , tlinn this chief . There was , first , a wealthy and goodlooking man of the name of Jcmil , of the Ivc ; l fitiirum ,
or the people uf Uurrum , who evidently originate in a mixture of free Songhuy peoplu and IiuohIiiikIi , and ho himself Kcemed to unite in a certain dc ^ reo t he qualities of these ditVeieut nations , while his rich dross and Iiis cmhnnpoint proved thnt lie w . 'is not nn austoro inhiibitimt of thft desert . A ^ ival tleal of t rouble was caused inc by nnntluT man of lli <> imme of Simsim , tho son of Hftli Anuncr , nnd the tldcst of hcvcii biotlmrH , a -very ridi Ainoslia ^ cli , -vvlio v jis totally blind , but who , nevertluileso , o . \|) ir . ied mo to ix'nt «» ve bis Hight ; and it really aeomed as if my friend El Bulaiy conlirmed him in this
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 21, 1858, page 839, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/ldr_21081858/page/15/
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