United States or Italy ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Toole, who had travelled across the desert to join the expedition, resolved to visit the Shary, a wide river flowing into the lake Tchad, through the kingdom of Loggun.
He had heard much of the Shary, a great river flowing into lake Tchad, on whose banks the kingdom of Loggun was situated. After several delays, he set out on the 23d January 1824, in company with Mr. Toole, a spirited young volunteer, who, journeying by way of Tripoli and Mourzouk, had thence crossed the desert to join him.
The Shary was reached on the 23rd. The travellers were surprised at the magnitude of the stream, which appeared to be fully half a mile in width, running at the rate of two or three miles an hour towards the Chad. Remaining some days at the town of Showy on the banks of the river, they embarked, accompanied by the kaide, or governor, and eight canoes carrying ten slaves each.
But this statement appears erroneous, for though the Tchadda be evidently the same with the Shary, which runs by Adomowa and Durrora, yet flowing into the Niger, it must be a quite different stream from the Shary, which flows into the Tchad, and in a country so mountainous, there is little likelihood of any connecting branches.
I need hardly say that this "Zadi" and "Zad" are evident corruptions of Bahr Shady, Shary, Shari, Chad, Tsad, and Chadda, the swampy lake, alternately sweet and brackish, which was formerly thrown by mistake into the Chadda River, now called the Binue or Bimuwe, the great eastern fork of the Negro-land Nile: the true drainage of the Chadda in ancient times has lately been determined by the adventurous Dr.
He was only allowed to depart in consequence of several devices, which operated powerfully upon the superstitious fears of the king and his subjects. The town of Fundah, which is very extensive, is situated on the western extremity of an immense plain, about nine miles distant from the northern bank of the river Shary. To the eastward the country is rich and beautiful.
Mr Toole's sufferings increased, though they managed to reach Loggun, on the banks of the Shary. As they approached, a person, apparently of consequence, advanced towards them, bending nearly double and joining his hands, followed by his slaves, stooping still lower than himself.
Denham's spirits revived with the society of so pleasant a friend, and he determined to take the first opportunity of visiting the Shary and Loggun. The sheikh willingly gave them permission, appointing a handsome negro, Belial, to act as their guide and manager. He was altogether a superior person, and was attended by six slaves. These, with themselves and personal attendants, formed their party.
But the identity of the two first as rivers is what we are precluded from all possibility of believing, by the circumstance that the Shary of Loggun and Bornou, which Major Denham saw and sailed upon, was found by him falling into lake Tchad, while the Tshadda of Lander fell into the Niger; consequently they are distinct streams, flowing in opposite directions.
It seems certain that the names Tshadda, Shary, and Tchad, are one and the same.
Word Of The Day