The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places (30 page)

19th Jan.
We crossed a water-course called Girkwa, from the name of the town in its immediate vicinity.

It is the channel of the same river the black shreef alluded to, but did not now contain a drop of water. Indeed the channel itself is extremely shallow, and only about sixty or seventy yards
across. The guide furnished me by the governor of Katagum told me, that the river took its rise in the mountains of Dull, and falling into another river, which we should soon come to, and which
rose among the mountains of Nora, their united waters flowed into the Yeou, to the north of Katagum.

The country was much the same as yesterday; clear of wood, well cultivated, and divided into plantations. At noon we crossed the river Sockwa, alluded to above, and forming a junction with the
Girkwa. The water was not above ankle deep in the middle of the stream, which did not now fill one twentieth part of the channel, and both rivers, I have no doubt, are at all times fordable, even
during the rainy season. About a mile from the banks of the river, we passed the town of Sockwa, which is defended by a high clay wall. Being very unwell, I did not enter the town, but rode on
through a clear, open country, to the town of Duakee, where I halted under a tree until the camels came up. This town is also walled, but contains few inhabitants, although the walls, made of clay
like all the others, are of great extent, and in good repair. Before four o’clock the camels arrived, and we pitched our tents under the tree where I had lain down. The road was still
crowded, from sunrise to sunset, with people going to or coming from Kano.

20th Jan.
By El Wordee’s advice, I prepared myself this morning for entering Kano, which was now at hand. Arrayed in naval uniform, I made myself as smart as
circumstances would permit. For three miles to the north of Duakee, the country was open and well cultivated. It then became thickly covered with underwood, until we ascended a rising ground,
whence we had a view of two little mounts within the walls of Kano. The soil here is a tough clay mixed with gravel, the stones of which appear to be clay iron-stone. The country was now clear of
wood, except here and there a few large shady trees, resorted to as usual by the women of the country selling refreshments. The villages were numerous, and the road was thronged with people of all
descriptions.

At eleven o’clock we entered Kano, the great emporium of the kingdom of Haussa; but I had no sooner passed the gates, than I felt grievously disappointed; for from the flourishing
description of it given by the Arabs, I expected to see a city of surprising grandeur: I found, on the contrary, the houses nearly a quarter of a mile from the walls, and in many parts scattered
into detached groups, between large stagnant pools of water. I might have spared all the pains I had taken with my toilet; for not an individual turned his head round to gaze at me, but all, intent
on their own business, allowed me to pass by without notice or remark.

DOWN THE NIGER

Richard Lander

(1804–34)

As Clapperton’s manservant, Lander attended his dying master on his 1825 expedition to the Niger and was then commissioned, with his brother John, to continue the
exploration of the river. The mystery of its lower course was finally solved when in 1831 they sailed down through Nigeria to the delta and the sea. Unassuming Cornishmen, the Landers approached
their task with a refreshing confidence in the goodwill of Africans. It paid off in a knife-edge encounter at the confluence of the Benoue, although Richard subsequently paid the price with his
life.

M
onday, October 25th.
At one
A.M.
, the direction of the river changed to south-south-west, running between immensely
high hills. At five o’clock this morning, we found ourselves nearly opposite a very considerable river, entering the Niger from the eastward; it appeared to be three or four miles wide at its
mouth, and on the bank we saw a large town, one part of which faced the river, and the other the Quorra. We at first supposed it to be an arm of that river, and running from us; and therefore
directed our course for it. We proceeded up it a short distance, but finding the current against us, and that it increased as we got within its entrance, and our people being tired, we were
compelled to give up the attempt, and were easily swept back into the Niger. Consequently we passed on, but determined on making inquiries concerning it the first convenient opportunity. But we
conclude this to be the Tshadda, and the large town we have alluded to, to be Cuttumcurrafee the same which had been mentioned to us by the old Mallam. At all events we had satisfied ourselves it
was not a branch of the Niger. The banks on both sides, as far as we could see up it, were very high, and appeared verdant and fertile.

The morning was dull and cloudy; yet, as soon as the sun had partially dispersed the mists which hung over the valleys and upon the little hills, we could distinguish irregular mountains jutting
up almost close to the water’s edge, whose height we were prevented even from guessing at; because their summits were involved in clouds, or enwrapped in vapours, which yet lingered about
their sides. A double range of elevated hills appeared beyond them on the south-east side; and on the north-west side a chain of lesser hills extended as far as the eye could discern. They appeared
very sterile. Those on the north-west were formed of clumps, very much resembling the shape of those we had seen in Yarriba, which are here called the Kong mountains.

At seven o’clock the Niger seemed free of islands and clear of morasses on both sides, and its banks were well wooded, and much higher than we had observed them for a long time previously;
nevertheless, it ran over a rocky bottom, which caused its surface to ripple exceedingly. Just about the same hour, one of the canoes, which we were told of as of different make to our own, passed
us. In shape, it much resembled a common butcher’s tray, and it was furnished with seats like those used on various parts of the sea-coast. It was paddled by eight or ten little boys, who
sung as they worked; and they were superintended by an elderly person who sat in the middle of the canoe. The motion of their paddles was regulated by a peculiar hissing noise which they made at
intervals with their mouths; and it was pleasing to observe the celerity with which this little vessel was impelled against the stream. In the early part of the morning, after daylight, we passed a
great many villages. The banks of the river were ornamented with palm trees, and much cultivated ground, which extended to the foot of the mountains, and among the avenues formed between them.

At 10
A.M.
, we passed a huge and white naked rock, in the form of a perfect dome, arising from the centre of the river. It was about twenty feet high, and covered with an
immense quantity of white birds, in consequence of which we named it the Bird Rock: it is about three or four miles distant from Bocqua, on the same side of the river. It is safest to pass it on
the south-east side, on which side is also the proper channel of the river, about three miles in width. We passed it on the western side, and were very nearly lost in a whirlpool. It was with the
utmost difficulty we preserved the canoe from being carried away, and dashed against the rocks. Fortunately, I saw the danger at first, and finding we could not get clear of it, my brother and I
took a paddle, and animating our men, we exerted all our strength, and succeeded in preventing her from turning round. The distance of this rock from the nearest bank is about a quarter of a mile,
and the current was running with the velocity of six miles an hour, according to our estimation. Had our canoe become unmanageable, we should inevitably have perished. Shortly after, seeing a
convenient place for landing, the men being languid and weary with hunger and exertion, we halted on the right bank of the river, which we imagined was most convenient for our purpose. The course
of the river this morning was south-south-west, and its width varied as usual from two to five or six miles. The angry and scowling appearance of the firmament forewarned us of a heavy shower, or
something worse, which induced us hastily to erect an awning of mats under a palm-tree’s shade. As soon as we had leisure to look around us, though no habitation could anywhere be seen, yet
it was evident the spot had been visited, and that very recently, by numbers of people. We discovered the remains of several extinct fires, with broken calabashes and pieces of earthen vessels,
which were scattered around; and our men likewise picked up a quantity of cocoa-nut shells, and three or four staves of a powder-barrel. These discoveries, trifling as they were, filled us with
pleasant and hopeful sensations; and we felt assured, from the circumstance of a barrel of powder having found its way hither, that the natives in the neighbourhood maintained some kind of
intercourse with Europeans from the sea.

The spot, for a hundred yards, was cleared of grass, underwood, and vegetation of all kinds; and, on further observation, we came to the conclusion that a market or fair was periodically held
thereon. Very shortly afterwards, as three of our men were straggling about in the bush, searching for firewood, a village suddenly opened before them: this did not excite their astonishment, and
they entered one of the huts which was nearest them, to procure a little fire. However, it happened to contain only women; but these were terrified beyond measure at the sudden and abrupt entrance
of strange-looking men, whose language they did not know, and whose business they could not understand; and they all ran out, in a fright, into the woods, to warn their male relatives of them, who
were labouring at their usual occupation of husbandry. Meanwhile, our men had very composedly taken some burning embers from the fire and returned to us in a few minutes, with the brief allusion to
the circumstance of having discovered a village. They told us also that they had seen cultivated land, and that these women had run away from them as soon as they saw them. This we thought lightly
of; but rejoiced that they had seen the village, and immediately sent Pascoe, Abraham, and Jowdie, in company, to obtain some fire, and to purchase a few yams for us. In about ten minutes after
they returned in haste, telling us that they had been to the village, and had asked for some fire; but that the people did not understand them, and, instead of attending to their wishes, they
looked terrified, and had suddenly disappeared. In consequence of their threatening attitudes, our people had left the village, and rejoined us with all the haste they could. We did not, however,
think that they would attack us, and we proceeded to make our fires, and then laid ourselves down.

Totally unconscious of danger, we were reclining on our mats – for we, too, like our people, were wearied with toil, and overcome with drowsiness – when, in about twenty minutes
after our men had returned, one of them shouted, with a loud voice, “War is coming! Oh, war is coming!” and ran towards us with a scream of terror, telling us that the natives were
hastening to attack us. We started up at this unusual exclamation, and, looking about us, we beheld a large party of men, almost naked, running in a very irregular manner, and with uncouth
gestures, towards our litde encampment. They were all variously armed with muskets, bows and arrows, knives, cutlasses, barbs, long spears, and other instruments of destruction; and, as we gazed
upon this band of wild men, with their ferocious looks and hostile appearance, which was not a little heightened on observing the weapons in their hands, we felt a very uneasy kind of sensation,
and wished ourselves safe out of their hands. To persons peaceably inclined, like ourselves, and who had done them no harm, we could look on their preparations with calmness; but as it is
impossible to foresee to what extremities such encounters might lead, we waited the result with the most painful anxiety.

Our party was much scattered; but fortunately we could see them coming to us at some distance, and we had time to collect our men. We resolved, however, to prevent bloodshed, if possible –
our numbers were too few to leave us a chance of escaping by any other way. The natives were approaching us fast, and had by this time arrived almost close to our palm-tree. Not a moment was to be
lost. We desired Pascoe and all our people to follow behind us, at a short distance, with the loaded muskets and pistols; and we enjoined them strictly not to fire, unless they first fired at us.
One of the natives, who proved to be the chief, we perceived a little in advance of his companions; and, throwing down our pistols, which we had snatched up in the first moment of surprise, my
brother and I walked very composedly, and unarmed, towards him. As we approached him, we made all the signs and motions we could with our arms, to deter him and his people from firing on us. His
quiver was dangling at his side, his bow was bent, and an arrow, which was pointed at our breasts, already trembled on the string, when we were within a few yards of his person. This was a highly
critical moment – the next might be our last. But the hand of Providence averted the blow; for, just as the chief was about to pull the fatal cord, a man that was nearest him rushed forward,
and stayed his arm. At that instant we stood before him, and immediately held forth our hands; all of them trembled like aspen leaves; the chief looked up full in our faces, kneeling on the ground
– light seemed to flash from his dark rolling eyes – his body was convulsed all over, as though he were enduring the utmost torture, and with a timorous, yet undefinable, expression of
countenance, in which all the passions of our nature were strangely blended, he drooped his head, eagerly grasped our proffered hands, and burst into tears. This was a sign of friendship –
harmony followed, and war and bloodshed were thought of no more. Peace and friendship now reigned amongst us; and the first thing that we did was to lift the old chief from the ground, and to
convey him to our encampment. The behaviour of our men afforded us no little amusement, now that the danger was past. We had now had a fair trial of their courage, and should know who to trust on a
future occasion. Pascoe was firm to his post, and stood still with his musket pointed at the chief’s breast during the whole time. He is a brave fellow; and said to us, as we passed him to
our encampment with the old man, “If the
black
rascals had fired at either of you, I should have brought the old chief down like a guinea-fowl.” It was impossible to avoid
smiling at the fellow’s honesty – although we were on the best of terms with the old chief – and we have little doubt that he would have been as good as his word. As for our two
brave fellows, Sam and Antonio, they took to their heels and scampered off as fast as they could, directly they saw the natives approaching us over the long grass; nor did they make their
appearance again until the chief and all his people were sitting round us; and even when they did return, they were so frightened they could not speak for some time.